How to Pray Salah — Complete Step-by-Step Guide

What do you need before praying salah?

Before you begin salah, five conditions must be met. These are agreed upon by all four schools of jurisprudence (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali) and are based on clear evidence from the Quran and Sunnah. Missing any of these conditions invalidates the prayer.

Stand upright on your prayer spot facing the qibla. Before saying anything, make your intention in your heart for the specific prayer you are about to perform. The intention is an act of the heart, not the tongue — you do not need to say it aloud. Both the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools agree on this point.

The Prophet \uFDFA said: “Actions are judged by intentions, and each person will be rewarded according to their intention” (Sahih Bukhari 1, Sahih Muslim 1907).

Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. If you are unable to stand due to illness or disability, you may pray sitting. If sitting is not possible, pray lying on your side facing the qibla (Sahih Bukhari 1117).

Raise both hands and say “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest). This takbir marks your entry into the state of prayer. Once you say it, all worldly actions like talking, eating, or unnecessary movement become prohibited until you end the prayer.

Hand position when raising: According to the Hanafi school, raise your hands to your earlobes with palms facing the qibla. According to the Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, raise them to shoulder level. Both positions are authentically reported from the Prophet \uFDFA (Sahih Bukhari 735).

After the takbir, place your hands on your body. Hanafi: right hand over left below the navel. Shafi'i/Hanbali: right over left on the chest. Maliki: hands at your sides.

After the opening takbir, recite the opening supplication quietly. This dua is Sunnah (recommended, not obligatory) and is recited only in the first rakat. Several versions are authentically reported. The most well-known is:

After the opening supplication, say “A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajeem” (I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan), then “Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem” (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) before beginning Al-Fatihah.

Al-Fatihah is the most essential recitation in salah. The Prophet \uFDFA said: “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatihah)” (Sahih Bukhari 756). You must recite it in every rakat of every prayer.

After finishing Al-Fatihah, say “Ameen” (O Allah, answer our prayer). In the first two rakats of every prayer, recite an additional surah or a few verses from the Quran after Al-Fatihah. Browse all surahs for recitation.

Loud vs. silent recitation: In Fajr, Maghrib (first two rakats), and Isha (first two rakats), the imam recites aloud. In Dhuhr and Asr, all recitation is silent. When praying alone, you may choose to recite softly audible or silently.

Say “Allahu Akbar” and bow forward, placing your hands on your knees with fingers spread. Your back should be straight and level — the Prophet \uFDFA would make his back so flat that if water were poured on it, it would stay in place (reported in Sunan An-Nasa'i 1027). Keep your head in line with your back, neither raised nor lowered.

Remain in this position with stillness (tuma'ninah) for at least the time it takes to say the dhikr. Rushing through ruku without settling invalidates that rakat according to the hadith of “the man who prayed badly” (Sahih Bukhari 757).

Rise from ruku to a fully upright standing position. As you rise, say the tasmee'. Once standing straight, say the tahmeed. Stand still for a moment — this brief standing is a pillar of the prayer and cannot be skipped.

If you are praying behind an imam, you say only “Rabbana wa lakal hamd” — the tasmee' is said by the imam. If praying alone, you say both.

Say “Allahu Akbar” and go down into prostration. Sujud is the closest a servant gets to Allah. The Prophet \uFDFA said: “The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration, so increase your supplications therein” (Sahih Muslim 482).

Seven bones must touch the ground (Sahih Bukhari 812): the forehead together with the nose, both palms, both knees, and the toes of both feet (with toes pointing toward the qibla).

Keep your elbows raised off the ground (do not spread them flat like an animal). Leave space between your stomach and thighs. Your forearms should not rest on the ground.

Rise from the first prostration saying “Allahu Akbar” and sit upright briefly. Sit on your left foot with your right foot upright and toes pointing toward the qibla. This sitting is a pillar of the prayer — you must pause in it with stillness before the second prostration.

Say “Allahu Akbar” and perform the second prostration exactly like the first. Say “Subhana Rabbiyal A'la” three times. After this second sujud, you have completed one full rakat.

If this is the end of the second rakat (or the final rakat of the prayer), remain seated for the tashahhud. Otherwise, say “Allahu Akbar” and stand up for the next rakat, beginning again from Al-Fatihah.

After every two rakats, sit and recite At-Tahiyyat. During this recitation, place your hands on your thighs. Raise the index finger of your right hand when you reach “ash-hadu alla ilaha illallah” — this is a declaration of Allah's oneness within the prayer itself.

If this is the middle tashahhud (e.g., after the second rakat of a four-rakat prayer), stand up after At-Tahiyyat and continue with the remaining rakats. If this is the final sitting, continue with the Durood Ibrahim below.

In the final sitting of the prayer (after the last rakat), continue after At-Tahiyyat by reciting the Durood Ibrahim. This is the salawat (blessings) upon the Prophet \uFDFA and his family, as well as upon Prophet Ibrahim and his family.

After the Durood, you may make a personal dua before ending the prayer. A commonly recited dua is: “Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min adhabi jahannam, wa min adhabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa min fitnatil-masihid-dajjal” (Sahih Muslim 588).

To end the prayer, turn your head to the right and say the tasleem. Then turn your head to the left and repeat it. With the second tasleem, your prayer is complete. The tasleem is what exits you from the state of prayer, just as the takbir entered you into it.

After completing the prayer, it is Sunnah to say “Astaghfirullah” three times, then “Allahumma antas-salam wa minkas-salam, tabarakta ya dhal-jalali wal-ikram” (Sahih Muslim 591), followed by the adhkar (remembrances) after prayer.

How many rakats are in each of the 5 daily prayers?

Muslims pray five obligatory prayers each day, totalling 17 rakats. Each prayer is performed within a specific time window. The five prayers were prescribed during the night journey (Al-Isra' wal-Mi'raj) and confirmed through multiple Quranic verses (Quran 17:78, Quran 11:114) and ahadith (Sahih Muslim 610).

Check today's prayer times for your city to pray each salah at its correct time.

What are the Sunnah and Nafl prayers?

Beyond the five obligatory prayers, the Prophet \uFDFA regularly prayed additional voluntary rakats. These Sunnah Mu'akkadah (confirmed Sunnah) prayers carry great reward and help make up for any shortcomings in the obligatory prayers. The Prophet \uFDFA said: “Whoever prays twelve voluntary rakats in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise” (Sahih Muslim 728).

What are the most common mistakes in salah?

These six mistakes are frequently observed and can range from reducing your prayer's reward to invalidating it entirely. The Prophet \uFDFA corrected a man who prayed carelessly and told him to go back and pray again, because “you have not prayed” (Sahih Bukhari 757).

Frequently Asked Questions About Salah

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