Step 1
Begin with Takbir
Stand facing the Qiblah, toward the Ka‘bah. Raise both hands to the level of your earlobes and say:
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
Allāhu Akbar
God is the Greatest.
Learn to pray, step by step
Scroll through each position of the prayer. For every step you'll see what to do, what to recite, how to say it and what it means.
Based on Salat: The Muslim Prayer Book on alislam.orgBefore praying, wash in this order.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.
Wash both hands with water.
Rinse the mouth.
Clean the inside of the nose by pushing a little water into the nostrils.
Wash the entire face.
Wash the whole forearm up to and including the elbow, starting with the right.
Pass both hands over the head, palms down, with thumbs outstretched.
Clean the ears with your forefingers, the right for the right ear and the left for the left.
Pass the backs of your hands from the nape of the neck to the front.
Wash each foot up to and including the ankle, beginning with the right.
اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ التَّوَّابِيْنَ وَاجْعَلْنِيْ مِنَ الْمُتَطَهِّرِيْنَ
Allāhummaj‘alnī minat-tawwābīna waj‘alnī minal-mutaṭahhirīn
O Allah make me of those who seek forgiveness and make me of those who are cleansed.
No water, or ill? Tayammum: pat a clean dusty or solid surface with both palms, pass your hands over your face, then over the back of each hand. Do full Wudu again when you can.
Source: the chapter “Ablution” in Salat: The Muslim Prayer Book, alislam.org; beginning with Bismillah, recited “before beginning any task”: Pathway to Paradise, alislam.org.
Source: the chapter "Types of Prayers and Number of Rak‘ats" in Salat: The Muslim Prayer Book, alislam.org.
Stand facing the Qiblah, toward the Ka‘bah. Raise both hands to the level of your earlobes and say:
اَللّٰهُ اَكْبَرُ
Allāhu Akbar
God is the Greatest.
Fold your arms on your chest, right arm over left, and silently recite each of these in order. The Thana and Ta‘awwudh are recited in the first rakat only.
سُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالٰى جَدُّكَ وَلَا اِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ
Subḥānakallāhumma wa biḥamdika wa tabārakasmuka wa taʿālā jadduka wa lā ilāha ghairuk.
Holy art Thou, O Allah, and all praise is Thine; blessed is Thy name, and exalted is Thy state. There is none worthy of worship except Thee alone.
اَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطٰنِ الرَّجِيْمِ
Aʿūdhu billāhi minash-shaiṭānir-rajīm.
I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed.
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ مٰلِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ اِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَاِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِيْنُ اِهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيْمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِيْنَ اَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۙ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوْبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّآلِّيْنَ
Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Al-ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil-ʿālamīn. Ar-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Māliki yaumid-dīn. Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn. Ihdinaṣ-ṣirāṭal-mustaqīm. Ṣirāṭalladhīna anʿamta ʿalaihim, ghairil-maghḍūbi ʿalaihim wa laḍ-ḍāllīn.
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, the Gracious, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help. Guide us in the right path, the path of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings, those who have not incurred Thy displeasure, and those who have not gone astray.
Say Āmīn. Then recite at least three verses of the Holy Quran or a short Surah, such as:
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ ۙ وَلَمْ يُوْلَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهٗ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ
Bismillāhir-Raḥmānir-Raḥīm. Qul huwallāhu aḥad. Allāhuṣ-ṣamad. Lam yalid wa lam yūlad. Wa lam yakul-lahū kufuwan aḥad.
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. Say, He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Independent and Besought of all. He begets not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him.
Say Allāhu Akbar and bow. Rest your right hand on your right knee and your left hand on your left knee, keeping your back level with the ground.
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيْمِ
Subḥāna Rabbiyal-ʿAẓīm
Holy is my Lord, the Most Great.
Straighten up and stand with your arms by your sides, saying:
سَمِعَ اللّٰهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهٗ
Samiʿallāhu liman ḥamidah
Allah listens to him who praises Him.
رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ حَمْدًا كَثِيْرًا طَيِّبًا مُّبَارَكًا فِيْهِ
Rabbanā walakal-ḥamd, ḥamdan kathīran ṭayyiban mubārakan fīh
Our Lord, Thine is the praise, the praise which is bountiful, pure and blessed.
Say Allāhu Akbar and go down, knees first. Your knees, hands, nose and forehead touch the ground, with your head between your hands. Keep your arms off the ground and away from your sides. Hold your fingers together, pointing toward the Qiblah, with your toes bent toward it too.
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْاَعْلٰى
Subḥāna Rabbiyal-Aʿlā
Glory to my Lord, the Most High.
Say Allāhu Akbar and sit up. Rest on your left foot, laid flat on the ground, with your right foot upright and its toes pointing toward the Qiblah. Place your hands on your thighs, fingers toward the Qiblah, and silently pray:
اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَارْحَمْنِيْ وَاهْدِنِيْ وَعَافِنِيْ وَارْفَعْنِيْ وَاجْبُرْنِيْ وَارْزُقْنِيْ
Allāhummaghfir lī warḥamnī wahdinī wa ʿāfinī warfaʿnī wajburnī warzuqnī
Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me and guide me and grant me security and raise me up and make good my shortcomings and provide for me.
Say Allāhu Akbar and prostrate again, just as before. Every rakat has two prostrations, so this completes one rakat.
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْاَعْلٰى
Subḥāna Rabbiyal-Aʿlā
Glory to my Lord, the Most High.
Stand for the second rakat and repeat Steps 2 to 7, this time without the Thana and Ta‘awwudh. After its second Sajdah, sit as you did in Jilsah. Keep the fingers of your left hand straight on your left knee. Close the fingers of your right hand, leaving the thumb and forefinger free, and raise your forefinger at Ash-hadu allā ilāha illallāh, lowering it right after. Silently recite the Tashahhud:
اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ اَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهٗ، اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلٰى عِبَادِ اللّٰهِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ، اَشْهَدُ اَنْ لَّا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَاَشْهَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهٗ وَرَسُوْلُهٗ
At-taḥiyyātu lillāhi waṣ-ṣalawātu waṭ-ṭayyibātu, as-salāmu ʿalaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh, as-salāmu ʿalainā wa ʿalā ʿibādillāhiṣ-ṣāliḥīn. Ash-hadu allā ilāha illallāhu wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhū wa rasūluh.
All salutation is due to Allah and all prayer and everything pure. Peace be upon thee, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings; and peace be on us and on all righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
In a prayer of three or four rakats, recite only the Tashahhud here, then stand for the next rakat. The final sitting comes at the end of the prayer.
In the last sitting of the prayer, after the Tashahhud, silently recite the Durud:
اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلٰى اِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى آلِ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ اِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ، اَللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّعَلٰى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلٰى اِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى آلِ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ اِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammadin kamā ṣallaita ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīma innaka Ḥamīdum-Majīd. Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammadin kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīma innaka Ḥamīdum-Majīd.
Bless, O Allah, Muhammad and the people of Muhammad, as Thou didst bless Abraham and the people of Abraham. Thou art indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious. Prosper, O Allah, Muhammad and the people of Muhammad, as Thou didst prosper Abraham and the people of Abraham. Thou art indeed the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
Then add one or more prayers, such as:
رَبَّنَآ اٰتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِي الْاٰخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbanā ātinā fid-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fil-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāban-nār.
Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire. (2:202)
Turn your face to the right and say the Salam, then turn your face to the left and say it again. This completes the prayer.
اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ
Assalāmu ʿalaikum wa raḥmatullāh
Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.