How to Pray in Islam: Salah Step by Step
How to pray in Islam: make wudu and face the Qibla, then in each rakat you stand and recite Al-Fatiha, bow, stand up, prostrate twice and sit, and you end the prayer with the tashahhud and the salam. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Pray as you have seen me praying" (Bukhari 631).
Before you pray
- You need to be in wudu (Quran 5:6). See wudu steps.
- Your body, clothes and place of prayer should be clean, and your body covered.
- The prayer's time must have started (Quran 4:103). Check today's prayer times.
- Face the Qibla, the direction of the Kaaba (Quran 2:144). The Qibla finder gives it for your location.
- Make the intention in your heart for the prayer you're about to pray.
One rakat, step by step
- 1
Takbir. Raise your hands and say "Allahu Akbar" to begin the prayer (Bukhari 735).
- 2
Opening dua. Quietly, if you wish, say the opening dua below.
- 3
Al-Fatiha. Say "A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim" and Bismillah, then recite Surah Al-Fatiha. The Prophet ﷺ said there is no prayer for someone who doesn't recite it (Bukhari 756, Muslim 394); behind an imam, the Hanafi school holds that the follower stays silent. In the first two rakats, recite another surah or a few verses after it.
- 4
Ruku. Say "Allahu Akbar" and bow, back straight and hands on your knees. Say "Subhana Rabbiyal Azim" at least once; three times is the usual practice (Abu Dawud 874).
- 5
Rise from ruku. Stand up saying "Sami Allahu liman hamidah", and once standing, "Rabbana wa lakal hamd".
- 6
Sujud. Say "Allahu Akbar" and prostrate on seven parts: the forehead with the nose, both hands, both knees and the toes of both feet (Bukhari 812, Muslim 490). Say "Subhana Rabbiyal A'la" at least once, usually three times (Abu Dawud 874).
- 7
Sit between the prostrations. Sit up and say "Rabbighfir li, Rabbighfir li".
- 8
Second sujud. Prostrate again as before, then stand with "Allahu Akbar" for the next rakat.
What to say in each position
The opening dua:
سُبْـحانَكَ اللّهُـمَّ وَبِحَمْـدِكَ وَتَبارَكَ اسْمُـكَ وَتَعـالى جَـدُّكَ وَلا إِلهَ غَيْرُك
Subhānaka Allāhumma wa biḥamdika, wa tabāraka 'smuka, wa ta'ālā jadduka, wa lā 'ilāha ghayruk.
Glory is to You O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your Name and Exalted is Your Majesty. There is none worthy of worship but You
Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, An-Nasa'i, At-Tirmidhi. See Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmidhi 1/77 and Sahih Ibn Majah 1/135.
In ruku:
سُبْـحانَ رَبِّـيَ الْعَظـيم (ثلاث مرات)
Subḥāna Rabbiyal-`Aẓīm.
Glory to my Lord the Exalted (three times in Arabic)
Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, An-Nasa'i, At-Tirmidhi, and Ahmad. See Al-Albani's Sahih At-Tirmidhi 1/83.
Rising from ruku, then standing:
سَمِـعَ اللهُ لِمَـنْ حَمِـدَه
Sami`allāhu liman ḥamidah.
Allah hears whoever praises Him.
Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 2/282.
رَبَّنـا وَلَكَ الحَمْـدُ حَمْـداً كَثـيراً طَيِّـباً مُـبارَكاً فيه
Rabbanā wa lakal-ḥamd, ḥamdan kathīran ṭayyiban mubārakan fīh.
Our Lord, praise is Yours, abundant, good and blessed praise.
Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 2/284.
In sujud:
سُبْـحانَ رَبِّـيَ الأَعْلـى. (ثلاث مرات)
Subḥāna Rabbiya ‘l-a`lā.
Glory is to my Lord, the Most High. (This is said three times in Arabic.)
Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, An-Nasa'i, At-Tirmidhi, and Ahmad. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmidhi 1/83.
Between the two prostrations:
رَبِّ اغْفِـرْ لي ، رَبِّ اغْفِـرْ لي
Rabbi’ghfir lī, Rabbi’ghfir lī.
Lord, forgive me. My Lord, forgive me.
Abu Dawud 1/231. See also Al-Albani, Sahihibn Mdjah 1/148.
The tashahhud after the second rakat
After the second rakat, sit and recite the tashahhud. A two-rakat prayer such as Fajr then goes straight to the ending below. In a three- or four-rakat prayer, stand up after it and recite only Al-Fatiha in the remaining rakats (Bukhari 776).
التَّحِيّـاتُ للهِ وَالصَّلَـواتُ والطَّيِّـبات ، السَّلامُ عَلَيـكَ أَيُّهـا النَّبِـيُّ وَرَحْمَـةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكـاتُه ، السَّلامُ عَلَيْـناوَعَلـى عِبـادِ للهِ الصَّـالِحـين . أَشْـهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلـهَ إِلاّ الله ، وَأَشْـهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمّـداً عَبْـدُهُ وَرَسـولُه
Attaḥiyyātu lillāhi waṣṣalawātu, waṭṭayyibāt, assalāmu `alayka 'ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, assalāmu `alaynā wa `alā ‘ibādillāhiṣ-ṣāliḥīn. 'Ash-hadu 'an lā 'ilāha 'illallāh wa 'ash-hadu 'anna Muḥammadan `abduhu wa rasūluh.
All greetings of humility are for Allah, and all prayers and goodness. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
Al-Bukhari, Muslim 1/301. See also Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bal 1/13
Ending the prayer
In the final sitting, recite the tashahhud and then the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ:
اللّهُـمَّ صَلِّ عَلـى مُحمَّـد، وَعَلـى آلِ مُحمَّد، كَمـا صَلَّيـتَ عَلـى إبْراهـيمَ وَعَلـى آلِ إبْراهـيم، إِنَّكَ حَمـيدٌ مَجـيد ، اللّهُـمَّ بارِكْ عَلـى مُحمَّـد، وَعَلـى آلِ مُحمَّـد، كَمـا بارِكْتَ عَلـى إبْراهـيمَ وَعَلـى آلِ إبْراهيم، إِنَّكَ حَمـيدٌ مَجـيد
Allāhumma ṣalli `alā Muḥammadinwa `alā ’āli Muḥammadin, kamā ṣallayta `alā 'Ibrāhīma wa `alā ’āli 'Ibrāhīma, 'innaka ḥamīdum-majīd. Allāhumma bārik `alā Muḥammadin wa `alā ’āli Muḥammadin, kamā bārakta `alā 'Ibrāhīma wa `alā 'āli 'Ibrāhīma, 'innaka ḥamīdum-majīd.
O Allah, bestow Your favor on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad as You have bestowed Your favor on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.
Al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani, Fathul-Bari 6/408.
You can then make dua before the salam, for example:
اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّـي أَعـوذُ بِكَ مِـنْ عَذابِ القَـبْر، وَمِـنْ عَذابِ جَهَـنَّم، وَمِـنْ فِتْـنَةِ المَحْـيا وَالمَمـات، وَمِـنْ شَـرِّ فِتْـنَةِ المَسيحِ الدَّجّال
Allāhumma ‘innī ‘a`ūdhu bika min `adhābi ‘l-qabri, wa min `adhābi jahannam, wa min fitnati ‘l-maḥyā wa ‘l-mamāti, wa min sharri fitnati ‘l-masīḥid-dajjāl.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and from the punishment of Hell-fire, and from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the trial of the False Messiah.
Al-Bukhari 2/102, Muslim 1/412, and this is Muslim's wording.
Turn your head to the right and say "Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah", then to the left and say it again (Abu Dawud 996, Muslim 582).
How many rakats in each prayer
The obligatory rakats are Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3 and Isha 4. The rakat chart adds the sunnah prayers before and after each.
Checked against its sources on 2026-10-17. Where the schools of fiqh differ, follow the one you practise.