Categories of prayer
| Category | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Fard (obligatory) | Leaving it is a major sin; it must be made up if missed | The five daily prayers, Jumu'ah |
| Fard kifayah (communal duty) | Obligatory on the community; fulfilled when some perform it | Janazah prayer |
| Wajib (necessary — Hanafi) | Below fard, above sunnah; leaving it is sinful | Witr, the two Eid prayers |
| Sunnah mu'akkadah (confirmed) | Regularly prayed by the Prophet ﷺ; should not be left | Two before Fajr, Tarawih, Eid (other schools) |
| Nafl (voluntary) | Extra reward; no sin in leaving | Tahajjud, Duha, Tahiyyat al-Masjid, Istikharah |
The five daily prayers
| Prayer | Rak'ahs (fard) | Recitation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 | Aloud in both | The two sunnah rak'ahs before it are the most emphasised sunnah. Pray before sunrise. |
| Dhuhr | 4 | Silent | On Friday it is replaced by Jumu'ah for those who attend. In intense heat it may be delayed a little. |
| Asr | 4 | Silent | Do not delay until the sun turns pale. Begins later for Hanafis (shadow twice an object's length). |
| Maghrib | 3 | Aloud in the first two | Pray promptly after sunset; its time is short. |
| Isha | 4 | Aloud in the first two | Preferred before the middle of the night, followed by Witr. |
Praying three or four rak'ahs
- 1
First two rak'ahs
Pray them as in the basic method: Al-Fatihah and a surah in each, ruku', two prostrations.
- 2
First sitting
After the second rak'ah sit and recite only the tashahhud, then stand saying “Allahu akbar”.
- 3
Third (and fourth) rak'ah
Recite Al-Fatihah only (silently), then ruku' and two prostrations.
- 4
Final sitting
Recite the tashahhud, the Ibrahimi salawat and a supplication, then end with salam to the right and left.
Witr
Witr is prayed after Isha and before Fajr. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Make Witr the last of your prayers at night.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 998)
Wajib. Three rak'ahs with one salam. Sit for tashahhud after the second; in the third, after the surah, raise the hands with takbir and recite Qunut before ruku'.
Confirmed sunnah. One to eleven rak'ahs, commonly two then one. Qunut after ruku' in the last rak'ah in the second half of Ramadan.
Confirmed sunnah. One rak'ah after an even prayer (shaf') of two rak'ahs; no Qunut in Witr.
Confirmed sunnah. One to eleven rak'ahs; Qunut after ruku' in the final rak'ah throughout the year.
Qunut supplications
- 1
Qunut of the Hanafi school
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ وَنُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ الْخَيْرَ وَنَشْكُرُكَ وَلَا نَكْفُرُكَ وَنَخْلَعُ وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ يَفْجُرُكَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَلَكَ نُصَلِّي وَنَسْجُدُ وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعَى وَنَحْفِدُ وَنَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ وَنَخْشَى عَذَابَكَ إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكُفَّارِ مُلْحِقٌ
O Allah, we seek Your help and Your forgiveness, we believe in You and rely on You, we praise You and thank You and are not ungrateful, and we abandon whoever disobeys You. O Allah, You alone we worship, to You we pray and prostrate, towards You we hasten; we hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment — surely Your punishment overtakes the disbelievers. (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, from 'Umar)
- 2
Qunut taught to al-Hasan
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
O Allah, guide me among those You guide, grant me well-being among those You grant it, take me into Your care among those You care for, bless what You have given me, and protect me from the evil You have decreed. You decree and none decrees over You; whoever You befriend is never humiliated. Blessed are You, our Lord, and Exalted. (Sunan Abi Dawud 1425, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 464)
Recite “Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina 'adhaban-nar” or seek forgiveness until you learn it.
Jumu'ah (Friday prayer)
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ
O you who believe, when the call is made for prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade.
Obligatory on
- Adult, sane Muslim men
- Residents (not travellers)
- Those free of illness or valid excuse
- Women, travellers and the sick may attend; their Jumu'ah replaces Dhuhr
- 1
Prepare
Take a bath (ghusl), wear clean clothes, use perfume (men), and go early.
- 2
Sunnah before
Pray Tahiyyat al-Masjid or four rak'ahs of sunnah (Hanafi) before the khutbah.
- 3
Listen to the khutbah
Sit silently and attentively; speaking during the khutbah is not allowed, even to tell someone to be quiet.
- 4
Two fard rak'ahs
Pray two rak'ahs behind the imam, recited aloud. They replace Dhuhr.
- 5
Sunnah after
Four rak'ahs (Hanafi and Shafi'i), or two at home, as the Prophet ﷺ did.
Recite Surah Al-Kahf, send abundant salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, and make dua — there is an hour on Friday in which dua is answered, sought especially after Asr.
Eid prayers
Two rak'ahs in congregation on Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal) and Eid al-Adha (10 Dhul Hijjah), from about 15–20 minutes after sunrise until before midday. There is no adhan or iqamah, and the khutbah comes after the prayer.
Wajib. Three extra takbirs in each rak'ah, raising the hands: in the first after the opening supplication and before recitation; in the second after recitation, before ruku'.
Confirmed sunnah. Seven extra takbirs in the first rak'ah after the opening supplication, and five in the second before recitation.
Confirmed sunnah. Six extra takbirs in the first rak'ah after the opening takbir, and five in the second.
Communal obligation. Six extra takbirs in the first rak'ah and five in the second, before recitation.
Sunnahs of Eid
- Ghusl, best clothes and perfume
- Eat dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer; delay eating until after the prayer on Eid al-Adha
- Pay Zakat al-Fitr before the Eid al-Fitr prayer
- Say the takbirs of Eid on the way
- Go by one route and return by another
ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ، وَٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْحَمْدُ
Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, there is no god but Allah. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise.
Janazah (funeral prayer)
A communal obligation prayed standing, with four takbirs and no ruku' or sujud. The imam stands at the chest of the deceased (Hanafi); the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools stand at the head of a man and the middle of a woman.
- 1
Intention and first takbir
Intend the funeral prayer, raise the hands and say “Allahu akbar”. Then recite the opening supplication (Hanafi) or Al-Fatihah (Shafi'i and Hanbali); Malikis praise Allah and supplicate.
- 2
Second takbir
Say “Allahu akbar” and recite the Ibrahimi salawat on the Prophet ﷺ.
- 3
Third takbir — dua for the deceased
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا، وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا، وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيرِنَا، وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا، اللَّهُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ
O Allah, forgive our living and our dead, those present and those absent, our young and our old, our males and our females. O Allah, whoever You keep alive, keep him alive upon Islam, and whoever You take, take him upon faith. (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1024, Sunan Abi Dawud 3201)
- 4
Fourth takbir and salam
Say “Allahu akbar”, pause briefly (some add a short dua), then give salam — to the right only, or both sides according to the school.
Instead of seeking forgiveness, pray: “Allahummaj'alhu lana faratan, waj'alhu lana ajran wa dhukhran” — O Allah, make him a forerunner for us, a reward and a treasure.
Tarawih
Tarawih is the night prayer of Ramadan, prayed after Isha and before Witr, in sets of two rak'ahs with a short rest after every four. It is a confirmed sunnah, best in congregation. Twenty rak'ahs is the position of the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools, following the practice established under 'Umar; eight rak'ahs is also widely practised, based on the narration of 'A'ishah of the Prophet's ﷺ night prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 1147).
Many mosques recite one juz' a night so that the whole Quran is completed during the month.
Night and voluntary prayers
Tahajjud
Night prayer after sleeping, best in the last third of the night, in sets of two — commonly two to twelve rak'ahs, ending with Witr.
Duha / Ishraq
Two to eight (or twelve) rak'ahs from about 15–20 minutes after sunrise until shortly before midday.
Tahiyyat al-Masjid
Two rak'ahs on entering the mosque before sitting (Sahih al-Bukhari 444).
After wudu
Two rak'ahs after performing wudu, praised in the hadith of Bilal (Sahih al-Bukhari 1149).
Salat at-Tawbah
Purify yourself, pray two rak'ahs and seek Allah's forgiveness (Sunan Abi Dawud 1521).
Before Asr and Isha
Four rak'ahs before Asr and before Isha are recommended (non-confirmed) sunnah.
Istikharah (seeking guidance)
- 1
Pray two voluntary rak'ahs
With the intention of Istikharah, at any time other than the forbidden times.
- 2
Recite the dua
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
Mention your matter at “hadhal-amr” (this matter). (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162)
- 3
Proceed with trust
Act on what seems best after consultation; ease or obstacles in the matter are part of the answer. A dream is not required.
Eclipse and rain prayers
Two rak'ahs like an ordinary voluntary prayer, with long recitation, in congregation, followed by dua until the eclipse ends.
Two rak'ahs, each with two standings, two recitations and two bowings, then a khutbah.
Two rak'ahs, each with two standings and two bowings; no khutbah, but admonition is recommended.
Two rak'ahs, each with two standings and two bowings, with long recitation.
Salat al-Istisqa' (prayer for rain) — in a time of drought, the community goes out humbly to an open place, prays two rak'ahs (like the Eid prayer according to the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools), and the imam supplicates and seeks forgiveness. Imam Abu Hanifa held that dua and istighfar suffice, while his students Abu Yusuf and Muhammad affirmed the prayer.
Making up missed prayers (qada)
- Every missed obligatory prayer must be made up — as soon as possible, with repentance if it was missed without excuse
- Pray it as it was due: four rak'ahs remain four even if made up while travelling (and two if missed while travelling)
- Intend the specific prayer, e.g. “the first Fajr I missed” or “the last Dhuhr I missed”
- Witr is also made up according to the Hanafi school
- Many missed years: pray one or more extra fard prayers with each daily prayer until finished
Order between missed and current prayers is required if the missed prayers are fewer than six, unless time is short or one forgot.
Keeping the order is recommended, not required.
Order is required for a small number (four or fewer) when remembered.
Order is required, unless one forgets or fears missing the current prayer.
Prayer of the sick and the traveller
- 1
Stand if you can
The standing is a pillar of obligatory prayer for those able to do it.
- 2
Otherwise sit
Pray sitting on the floor or a chair, bowing and prostrating as much as possible; the prostration is lower than the bowing.
- 3
Otherwise lie down
Lie on the right side facing the Qibla, or on the back with the feet towards it, and indicate the movements with the head.
- 4
Never abandon the prayer
As long as the mind is present the prayer remains due, in whatever way one is able (Sahih al-Bukhari 1117).