How Many Rakats in Each Prayer? Rakat Chart

How many rakats in each prayer: Fajr has 2 obligatory (fard) rakats, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3 and Isha 4, which makes 17 a day. The Prophet ﷺ also prayed sunnah rakats before or after most of them, shown in the chart below.

Rakat chart

Prayer was first prescribed as two rakats; it stayed two for travellers and was increased for those at home (Bukhari 350).

The 12 sunnah rakats

Whoever prays twelve rakats in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise.

Muslim 728

They are 4 before Dhuhr and 2 after it, 2 after Maghrib, 2 after Isha and 2 before Fajr (Tirmidhi 415). Ibn Umar reported ten, with 2 before Dhuhr instead of 4 (Bukhari 1180), and both are sunnah.

Of all these, the Prophet ﷺ was most regular with the 2 rakats before Fajr (Bukhari 1163). He said, "The two rakats of Fajr are better than the world and everything in it" (Muslim 725).

Before Asr and after Isha

Four rakats before Asr are recommended but aren't among the regular sunnahs: "May Allah have mercy on one who prays four before Asr" (Abu Dawud 1271, Tirmidhi 430).

Isha is followed by witr: at least one rakat, or three in the Hanafi school.

Jumu'ah

On Friday, Jumu'ah takes the place of Dhuhr, with 2 fard rakats after the khutbah. After it, pray 4 rakats (Muslim 881), or 2 at home (Bukhari 937, Muslim 882). The Hanafi school also prays 4 sunnah rakats before Jumu'ah; the Maliki and Hanbali schools have no fixed sunnah before it.

Rakats when travelling

A traveller shortens the four-rakat prayers (Dhuhr, Asr and Isha) to two, and Fajr and Maghrib stay as they are (Quran 4:101, Bukhari 1090). The Prophet ﷺ called it "an act of charity which Allah has done to you, so accept His charity" (Muslim 686).

Checked against its sources on 2026-10-17. Where the schools of fiqh differ, follow the one you practise.