How To Pray In Islam
Prayer is very important in Islam and is a cardinal pillar of our faith, being a way we glorify and worship God. It is performed in Rakats as illustrated below. I have shown 1 Rakat but in actuality we perform either 2, 3 or 4 Rakat prayers. The Rakats we must perform are called Fardh, the ones considered good practise and therefore encouraged are Sunnah and the ones optional to us are Nafl.
Most of the prayer is read identically around the world with all muslims reciting exactly the same words but there are 2 portions where you can decide which verse/dua to recite yourself (as indicated in italics below).
Before you prayer, you must be clean and therefore perform Wudhu (ablutions) first and then ensure you are appropriately covered. After this you make niyat (intention to pray - explicitly stating you are praying to Allah and exactly what prayer you are performing with how many rakats) and you are ready for prayer which you start with in the standing position.
| Takbir (hands on ears) | "Allahu Akbar" | God is the Greatest. | ||
| Al-Qayyam (hands on chest) | "Subhanaka Allahuma wa bihamdika wa tabarak asmuka wa ta ala jaduka wa la ilaha ghairuk" | Glory be to You, O God, and all praises are due unto You, and blessed is Your name and high is Your majesty and none is worthy of worship but You. | ||
| "Audhu billahi minash shaitanir rajeem" | I seek Refuge with God from the accursed Satan. | |||
| Surah Al-Fatihah | "Bismilahi rahmani rahim" | In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. | ||
| "Alhamdu lillahi rabbil alamin. Ar-rahmanir rahim. Maliki yaumi din. Iyaka na’budu wa iyaka nastain. Ihdina siratal mustaqim. Siratal lazina an amta alaihim Ghairil maghdubi alaihim wa laddalin" | Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, the Beneficent, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone do we worship and You alone do turn to for help. Lead us along the straight path, the path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your blessings, not of those who incurred Your wrath, nor of those who go astray. | |||
| "Ameen" | Amen. | |||
| Recite any Quranic | "Bismilahi rahmani rahim" | In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. | ||
| verse here, e.g. Surah Al-Ikhlas | "Qul hu walahu ahad Allahus samad Lam yalid wa lam yulad Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad" | Say: 'He, God is one. The Self-Sufficient upon whom all depend. He begets not. Nor is He begotten. And none is equal to Him'. | ||
| Ruku (bowing) | "Allahu Akbar" | God is the Greatest. | ||
| "Subhana Rabbiyal Azheem" "Subhana Rabbiyal Azheem" "Subhana Rabbiyal Azheem" | Glory be to my Lord, the Greatest. Glory be to my Lord, the Greatest. Glory be to my Lord, the Greatest. | |||
| Qayyam (standing) | "Sami Allahu liman hamidah Rabbana wa lakal hamd" | God hears those who praise Him. Oh our Lord, all praise is for You. | ||
| Sajdah (prostration) | "Allahu Akbar" | God is the Greatest. | ||
| "Subhana Rabbiyal Ala" "Subhana Rabbiyal Ala" "Subhana Rabbiyal Ala" | Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. | |||
| Sitting | "Allahu Akbar" | God is the Greatest. | ||
| Sajdah (prostration) | "Allahu Akbar" | God is the Greatest. | ||
| "Subhana Rabbiyal Ala" "Subhana Rabbiyal Ala" "Subhana Rabbiyal Ala" | Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. | |||
| Sitting | "Allahu Akbar" | God is the Greatest. | ||
| Tashahhud | "At taheyatu lil-lahi was salawatu wa taiyibatu As salamu alaika ayuhan nabi Wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu As salamu alaina Wa ala ibadil lahis salihin. Ash hadu an la ilaha ilallah Wa ash hadu anna muhamadan abduhu wa rasuluh" | All greetings of humility are for God, and all prayers and goodness. Peace be on you, O Prophet, and God's mercy and His blessings. Peace be on us and on all righteous servants of God. I bear witness that no one is worthy of worship except God. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. | ||
| Darood Sharif | "Allaahumma salle ‘alaa Muhammadin wa'alaa' aale Muhammadin kama sallaiyta ‘alaa Ibraheema wa 'aAlaa Aale Ibraheema. Innaka Hameedum Majeed. Allaahumma baarik ‘alaa Muhammadin wa 'alaa aale Muhammadin kama baarakta ‘ala Ibraheema wa 'alaa Aale Ibraheema. Innaka Hameedum Majeed" | O God, exalt Muhammad and Muhammad’s family/followers as you exalted Abraham and Abraham’s family/followers. Surely, you are Praised and Glorified. O God, bless Muhammad and Muhammad’s family/followers as you blessed Abraham and Abraham’s family/followers. Surely, you are Praised and Glorified. | ||
| Recite any Quranic dua here, e.g. 11:40-41 | "Rabbijalni Muqee musalati wa minzuriyati Rabbana wa thaqabil dua Rabbana gfirli wa le waledaya wa lilmomenina Yawma yakumul hisab" | Oh Lord! Make me one who establishes regular prayer, and also (raise such) among my children. Oh Lord, accept my prayer. Oh Lord, forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day we shall be held accountable (day of judgement). | ||
| "Ameen" | Amen. | |||
| Look Right | "Assalamu ‘alai'kum warah'matullaah" | May God's peace and mercy be upon you. | ||
| Look Left | "Assalamu ‘alai'kum warah'matullaah" | May God's peace and mercy be upon you. |
'Bismilahi rahmani rahim' is recited whenever the beginning of a surah from the Quran is recited (e.g. Al-Fatihah) but not if reciting a brief passage from the middle or end of a surah. Similarly the word ameen is not part of any Surah but rather a supplication meaning "please grant/answer us this". It should be said aloud after Al-Fatihah but silently elsewhere.
At different points in the cycle one would move to the next depending on the number of Rakats being performed and Takbir is said whenever one changes position (apart from the pause between Sajdah's) as shown above:
2 Rakats = 1 Takbir → Sajdah; 2 Surah Ikhlas → Turning face R and L
3 Rakats = 1 Takbir → Sajdah; 2 Surah Ikhlas → Tashahhud; 3 Surah Ikhlas → Turning face R and L
4 Rakats = 1 Takbir → Sajdah; 2 Surah Ikhlas → Tashahhud; 3 Surah Ikhlas → Sajdah; 4 Surah Ikhlas → Turning face R and L
The number of Rakats for the 5 prayers is as follows:
Fajr (dawn light to sunrise) = 2 Sunnah, 2 Fardh
Zuhr * (after midday) = 4 Sunnah, 4 Fardh, 2 Sunnah, 2 Nafl
Asr (middle afternoon) = 4 Sunnah, 4 Fardh
Maghrib (after sunset to darkness) = 3 Fardh, 2 Sunnah, 2 Nafl
Isha (between maghrib and midnight) = 4 Sunnah, 4 Fardh, 2 Sunnah, 2 Nafl, 3 Witr **
** The 3 Witr prayer is an obligatory 3 Rakat prayer meant to be the last prayer of the day.
Prayer times vary around the world although one thing unifying all muslims is that we pray to one central point towards the Khana Kaaba in Mecca (i.e. in the same direction because it is the direction that matters as that denotes our unity in worship).
12th January 2001
