How to pray salah: step by step for beginners

Before you pray

• Wudu: wash your hands, rinse your mouth and nose, wash your face, your arms to the elbows, wipe your head and ears, and wash your feet to the ankles.
• Clean clothes and place: cover the body (for men, at least navel to knee; for women, everything except the face and hands) and pray somewhere clean.
• Face the qiblah: towards the Kaaba in Makkah; from the UK, roughly south-east.
• The right time: each prayer has its own time window. Local mosques publish daily timetables.

Prayer	Time	Rakahs (fard)
Fajr	Dawn, before sunrise	2
Dhuhr	Just after midday	4
Asr	Afternoon	4
Maghrib	Just after sunset	3
Isha	Night	4

Step by step

These steps describe a two-rakah prayer, such as Fajr. Longer prayers repeat the rakah, as explained at the end.

1. Intention (niyyah): in your heart, intend which prayer you are praying.
2. Takbir: raise your hands and say Allahu akbar.
3. Standing (qiyam): recite Surah Al-Fatihah, then a short surah or a few verses.
4. Bowing (ruku): say Allahu akbar, bow with your hands on your knees, and say Subhana rabbiyal 'azim three times.
5. Rising: stand up saying Sami'allahu liman hamidah, then Rabbana wa lakal hamd.
6. Prostration (sujud): say Allahu akbar and prostrate, with forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes on the ground. Say Subhana rabbiyal a'la three times.
7. Sitting: sit briefly and say Rabbighfir li.
8. Second prostration: as before. This completes one rakah.
9. Second rakah: stand and repeat steps 3 to 8.
10. Final sitting: recite the tashahhud and the salawat (below).
11. Ending (taslim): turn your head to the right, then the left, saying As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah each time.

For three- and four-rakah prayers: after the second rakah, sit and recite the tashahhud only, then stand for the remaining rakahs. In those extra rakahs, recite Al-Fatihah only. Finish with the full final sitting and taslim.

What to recite

When	Arabic	Say	Meaning
Opening takbir	ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ	Allahu akbar	Allah is the Greatest
In ruku (bowing), 3 times	سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ	Subhana rabbiyal 'azim	Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent
Rising from ruku	سَمِعَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ	Sami'allahu liman hamidah	Allah hears whoever praises Him
Standing after ruku	رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ ٱلْحَمْدُ	Rabbana wa lakal hamd	Our Lord, to You belongs all praise
In sujud (prostration), 3 times	سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ	Subhana rabbiyal a'la	Glory be to my Lord, the Most High
Between the two prostrations	رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِي	Rabbighfir li	My Lord, forgive me
Ending (to the right, then the left)	ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّهِ	As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah	Peace and the mercy of Allah be upon you

Tashahhud: At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat. As-salamu alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu alayna wa ala ibadillahis-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.

Meaning: All greetings, prayers and good things are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

Salawat (in the final sitting): Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ala Ibrahima wa ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid. Allahumma barik ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahima wa ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid.

Common questions

Small details, such as where you place your hands or how you sit, differ between the schools of Islamic law. Every one of them teaches the same prayer. Follow your family, mosque or teacher, and do not let the details stop you praying. This page is general guidance; see our disclaimer.

Learning salah is part of our Islamic studies lessons, where a teacher watches you pray on camera and corrects each step. New Muslims can start with our Quran classes for reverts, or read how to convert to Islam. To recite Al-Fatihah correctly, see our tajweed rules guide.