How to Pray Salah — A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners (with Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning)

Salah is the second pillar of Islam and the first thing every believer will be asked about on the Day of Judgement. This guide explains how to pray a single rak'ah step-by-step, then how to combine rak'ahs into the five daily prayers — using simple language and the exact words the Prophet ﷺ taught.

What do you need before you pray Salah?

You need wudu, clean clothes that cover the awrah, a clean place, and to face the Qibla. Make a silent intention for the specific prayer. Skip the checklist if you already pray daily and only need a rak'ah count — jump to the table. New Muslims should read this section once, then practise one rak'ah slowly.

• Make wudu (see our separate Wudu and Ghusl guide).
• Make sure your clothes and place of prayer are clean.
• Cover your awrah — for men, at minimum from navel to knee; for women, the whole body except face and hands.
• Face the Qibla (direction of the Kaaba in Makkah). Use our Qibla finder if unsure.
• Make the intention (niyyah) silently in your heart for the prayer you are about to perform.

How do you pray one rak'ah, step by step?

One rak'ah is: opening takbir, recitation, bowing, two prostrations with a short sit between them. The five daily prayers are this unit repeated. The sequence below is the common beginner form used in most UK mosques. School-specific details (hand placement, ameen aloud or silent) belong with your imam, not this page.

1. Takbir al-Ihram (the opening takbir)

Stand upright facing the Qibla. Raise your hands to the level of your ears (or shoulders for women) and say:

This is the formal entry into the prayer. From this point until the closing salam, you should not speak or look around. Place your right hand over your left on or just above the navel.

2. The opening dua (Thana)

3. Surah al-Fatiha

Then say A'udhu billahi mina sh-shaytani r-rajim ('I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan'), then Bismillahi r-Rahmani r-Rahim ('In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'). Then recite the whole of Surah al-Fatiha. After 'wa la d-dallin', say 'Ameen' quietly.

4. A short surah or verses

In the first two rak'ahs, recite a short surah after al-Fatiha — for example al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq or an-Nas. In the third and fourth rak'ahs of any prayer, only recite al-Fatiha.

5. Ruku' (bowing)

Say 'Allahu Akbar' and bow with a flat back, hands gripping the knees. Say three times (or more, in odd numbers):

6. Standing up from ruku' (i'tidal)

Rise to a full stand, raising your hands again to ear level (Sunnah for many schools), and say:

Then say while standing:

7. Sujud (prostration)

Say 'Allahu Akbar' and prostrate. Seven body parts must touch the ground: the forehead (with the nose), both palms, both knees and the toes of both feet. Keep elbows off the ground. Say three times:

8. Sitting between the two prostrations

Rise from sujud saying 'Allahu Akbar', sit briefly on the left foot with the right foot upright, and say:

9. Second sujud

Say 'Allahu Akbar' and prostrate again, repeating Subhana Rabbiya l-A'la three times. That completes one rak'ah.

How do you join rak'ahs into a complete prayer?

After the second rak'ah of every prayer, sit for the Tashahhud. After the final rak'ah, add Salat al-Ibrahimiyyah and close with two salams. Fajr is two fard rak'ahs, Dhuhr and Asr four, Maghrib three, Isha four. The table later on this page lists sunnah rak'ahs around those fard units.

After the second rak'ah of every prayer, sit and recite the Tashahhud. After the final rak'ah of every prayer, recite the Tashahhud followed by Salat al-Ibrahimiyyah, then close with two salams.

Tashahhud

Salat al-Ibrahimiyyah (sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ)

Closing the prayer (Tasleem)

Turn your head to the right and say 'As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah', then to the left and repeat. The prayer is now complete.

How many rak'ahs are in each of the five prayers?

Fard rak'ahs are fixed: Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3, Isha 4. Sunnah before and after vary by school; the counts below are the common Hanafi-majority UK pattern. If your mosque teaches a different sunnah number, follow the mosque — fard is what makes the prayer valid.

• Fajr — 2 rak'ah fard (preceded by 2 sunnah).
• Dhuhr — 4 rak'ah fard (preceded by 4 sunnah, followed by 2 sunnah).
• Asr — 4 rak'ah fard.
• Maghrib — 3 rak'ah fard (followed by 2 sunnah).
• Isha — 4 rak'ah fard (followed by 2 sunnah and 3 witr).

What should you do if you make a mistake in Salah?

If you forget a rak'ah, add it, then perform two extra prostrations (sujud as-sahw) before the final salam. The prayer remains valid. Do not restart for a small slip of recitation. If you are unsure whether you prayed three or four, act on what you think is more likely, then do the two extra prostrations.

If you forget a rak'ah, add it on, then perform two extra prostrations called sujud as-sahw before the final salam — saying 'Subhana Rabbiya l-A'la' three times in each. The prayer is then valid.

Which mistakes should beginners avoid?

Rushing ruku' or sujud, looking around, and speaking after the opening takbir are the usual problems. Every position needs stillness (tuma'ninah). The intention is in the heart — you do not have to say it aloud. One prayer prayed calmly beats five rushed. Consistency is the goal, not a perfect first week.

• Rushing through ruku' or sujud — every position needs stillness (tuma'ninah).
• Looking around — keep your gaze at the place of sujud throughout.
• Speaking after the takbir — anything other than the prescribed words breaks the prayer.
• Forgetting the niyyah — the intention is in the heart, no need to say it aloud.

Build it slowly — even one prayer a day, prayed properly, is better than five rushed. Allah loves consistency: 'The most beloved deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if small' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6464).