Prayer basics
Salah, one calm step at a time.
Prayer is the heart of a Muslim’s day and one of the first things a new Muslim learns. It is learned with patience, not panic. Read this page once through, then come back to one section at a time, and pray with what you know while you learn the rest.
The five daily prayers
Five times, set by the sun.
Each prayer is made of units called rak’ahs. The times move through the year; Pueblo’s times for today are always one click away.
| Prayer | When | Rak’ahs | Recited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | From dawn until sunrise | 2 | Aloud |
| Dhuhr | Just after midday | 4 | Silently |
| Asr | Mid to late afternoon | 4 | Silently |
| Maghrib | Just after sunset | 3 | First two aloud |
| Isha | Nightfall | 4 | First two aloud |
“Aloud” applies to the person leading the prayer, or to you when you pray those prayers alone if you wish. Women praying alone may recite quietly.
Before prayer
Wudu, the washing
Muslims wash in a set order before praying. It takes about two minutes and uses very little water. The parts the Quran names (face, arms, head, feet) are required; the rest follows the Prophet’s example.
Wudu lasts until it is broken. Using the toilet, passing wind, deep sleep, or losing consciousness end it, and you wash again before the next prayer. Otherwise one wudu can carry you through several prayers.
Intend it, and say “Bismillah”
In the name of God. The intention is in the heart; you do not need to say it aloud.
Wash your hands
Up to the wrists, three times, between the fingers too.
Rinse your mouth, then your nose
Three times each, using your right hand to bring water.
Wash your face
Three times, from the hairline to the chin and from ear to ear.
Wash your arms
Up to and including the elbows, three times, right arm first.
Wipe your head and ears
Once, with wet hands, front to back and back again; then wipe the ears.
Wash your feet
Up to and including the ankles, three times, right foot first.
How to pray
A two-rak’ah prayer, from start to finish.
This is Fajr, the dawn prayer. Every other prayer uses the same pieces, with more rak’ahs. Face the qibla, about 36 degrees east of true north from Pueblo, on a clean place.
Stand and begin
Intend the prayer in your heart. Raise your hands to your ears or shoulders and say “Allahu akbar”: God is greatest. You are now in prayer: stay focused and do not talk.
Recite Al-Fatiha, then a little more
Standing, with your right hand over your left on your chest or stomach, recite Al-Fatiha. Then recite any short passage of the Quran, such as chapter 112: “Qul huwa Allahu ahad. Allahus-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yulad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.”
Bow (ruku)
Say “Allahu akbar” and bow, hands on your knees, back straight. Say “Subhana rabbiyal-adheem” three times: Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent.
Rise
Stand back up saying “Sami Allahu liman hamidah”, God hears whoever praises Him, then “Rabbana wa lakal-hamd”, Our Lord, to You belongs all praise.
Prostrate (sujud)
Say “Allahu akbar” and go down: forehead and nose, both palms, both knees, and the toes of both feet touching the ground. Say “Subhana rabbiyal-a’la” three times: Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. This is the closest a person is to God, so many add their own du’a here, in any language, in voluntary prayers.
Sit, then prostrate again
Say “Allahu akbar” and sit up briefly (you may say “Rabbighfir li”, my Lord forgive me), then “Allahu akbar” and make a second prostration exactly like the first. That completes one rak’ah.
Stand for the second rak’ah
Say “Allahu akbar” and stand. Repeat steps 2 to 6: Al-Fatiha, a short passage, bow, rise, and two prostrations.
Sit for the testimony (tashahhud)
After the second prostration, stay seated and say: “At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat. As-salamu alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu alayna wa ala ibadillahis-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 831). In the final sitting of any prayer, a blessing on the Prophet follows, which you can learn next.
End with peace (taslim)
Turn your head to the right and say “As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah”, then to the left and say it again. The prayer is complete.
Longer prayers. For three and four rak’ah prayers, sit for the tashahhud after the second rak’ah, then stand for the rest; in the third and fourth rak’ahs recite only Al-Fatiha. Finish with the final tashahhud and the taslim.
Al-Fatiha, the Opening
Seven short verses, said in every rak’ah.
Learn it a line a day. Many people keep a card in their pocket for the first weeks, and that is completely fine.
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ | Bismillahir-rahmanir-raheem | In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. |
| ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ | Al-hamdu lillahi rabbil-alameen | Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, |
| ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ | Ar-rahmanir-raheem | The Beneficent, the Merciful. |
| مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ | Maliki yawmid-deen | Master of the Day of Judgment, |
| إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ | Iyyaka na’budu wa iyyaka nasta’een | Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. |
| ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ | Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqeem | Show us the straight path, |
| صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ | Siratal-ladheena an’amta alayhim, ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa lad-dalleen | The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray. |
Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text. Meaning translated by Marmaduke Pickthall, 1930. After the last verse, say “Ameen”.
The full bath
Ghusl
A full ritual bath. It is required after sexual intercourse or any sexual discharge, and when a woman’s period or the bleeding after childbirth ends, and many scholars recommend it on taking shahadah and before Jumu’ah. The essential part is simple: water reaching the whole body, with the intention.
Intend it, and say “Bismillah”
Wash your hands, then your private parts
Make wudu, as above
Pour water over your head three times
Making sure it reaches the roots of the hair.
Wash your whole body
Right side first, then left, so that no part stays dry.
Good to know
Common questions about prayer
What if I miss a prayer?
Pray it as soon as you remember, and keep going. A missed prayer is made up, not mourned. If you have years of missed prayers from before you practiced, ask for guidance; scholars treat that situation with care, and it is not a reason to delay starting today.
Why do people pray slightly differently?
The four major schools of Sunni law differ on small details, such as where to place the hands or exactly when to raise them. All of them follow the Prophet’s example as it reached them. Pray the way you are taught, and do not let small differences unsettle you.
Do women pray during their period?
No. Women do not pray during menstruation or the bleeding after childbirth, and those prayers are not made up afterward. It is a mercy, not a penalty. Du’a, remembrance of God, and listening to the Quran continue as normal.
Can I pray at work or school?
Yes. Any clean, quiet spot works, and a prayer takes about five minutes. Many people pray in an empty office, a car, or a quiet corner. Travelers may shorten the four-rak’ah prayers to two and combine some prayers. If you need a religious accommodation at work, it is worth knowing that US employers are generally required to make reasonable ones.
Where can I learn in person?
At the masjid. Ask after any prayer and someone will gladly show you, or ask for guidance and we will try to connect you with someone who can.
أَلَا بِذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ ٱلْقُلُوبُ
Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest!
Quran 13:28, translated by Pickthall