How to pray Salah, step by step
Salah — the five daily prayers — follows the same simple pattern every time: you stand, bow, and prostrate in a set of units called rak’ahs. Once you learn one rak’ah, you know how to pray every prayer. Here is the full sequence for a beginner.
Before you pray
- Make Wudu — be in a state of ritual purity. See the step-by-step Wudu guide.
- Cover and clean — wear clean clothes that cover the body, on a clean place.
- Face the Qibla — the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. Find the Qibla here.
- Check the time — each prayer has its own window: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha.
One rak’ah, step by step
1Intention and the opening takbir
Stand facing the Qibla and make the intention in your heart for the prayer. Raise your hands to your ears or shoulders and say:
اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرAllahu akbar — “God is the greatest.”
2Standing (Qiyam)
Fold your hands and recite Surah Al-Fatiha, the opening chapter of the Qur’an, followed by another short surah or a few verses. In Khatawa you can read Al-Fatiha with the Arabic, transliteration and meaning side by side.
3Bowing (Ruku)
Say Allahu akbar, bow with a straight back and hands on your knees, and say three times:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمSubhana Rabbiyal-Azeem — “Glory to my Lord, the Most Great.”
4Rising from bowing
Stand up straight, saying Sami Allahu liman hamidah (“God hears the one who praises Him”), then Rabbana wa laka-l-hamd (“Our Lord, to You is all praise”).
5Prostration (Sujud)
Say Allahu akbar and go down so your forehead, nose, palms, knees and toes touch the ground. Say three times:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلىSubhana Rabbiyal-Ala — “Glory to my Lord, the Most High.”
6Sitting, then a second prostration
Sit up briefly saying Rabbi-ghfir li (“My Lord, forgive me”), then prostrate a second time. You have now completed one rak’ah.
7Ending the prayer
After the last rak’ah, sit and recite the Tashahhud and the blessings on the Prophet ﷺ. Then turn your head to the right and the left, saying:
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهAs-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah — “Peace and the mercy of God be upon you.”
How many rak’ahs is each prayer?
These are the obligatory (fard) units for each of the five daily prayers:
- Fajr (dawn) — 2 rak’ahs
- Dhuhr (midday) — 4 rak’ahs
- Asr (afternoon) — 4 rak’ahs
- Maghrib (sunset) — 3 rak’ahs
- Isha (night) — 4 rak’ahs
In a 3- or 4-rak’ah prayer you sit for a first Tashahhud after the second rak’ah, then stand to complete the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need before I can pray?
You need to have made Wudu (ablution), be wearing clean clothing that covers the body, be on a clean place, face the Qibla, and pray within the time window of that prayer.
Do I have to pray in Arabic?
The prayer itself is recited in Arabic, but you do not need to speak Arabic to learn it. Khatawa shows every phrase in Arabic with a transliteration (how to say it) and the English meaning, so you can follow along and learn gradually.
What is a rak’ah?
A rak’ah is one complete unit of prayer: standing and reciting, bowing once, and prostrating twice. Prayers are made up of two, three or four of these units.
How do I learn the prayer if I am completely new?
Start with the shorter prayers like Fajr (2 rak’ahs), follow the step-by-step guide above, and practise one position at a time. Khatawa walks you through each prayer live with audio and the words on screen.