My Five Daily Prayers

Learn how to pray, step by step. We show the Hanafi way first, then how other schools differ.

How many rakahs in each prayer?

🕌 Friday (Jumu‘ah) instead of Dhuhr: 4 Sunnah · 2 Fard with the imam · 4 Sunnah · 2 Sunnah · 2 Nafl.

Step by step: a 2-rakah prayer

Tap a step to open it.

1. 1💧Get ready

   Make wudu. Wear clean clothes, find a clean place and face the Qibla (towards the Kaaba).

2. 2🤍Intention (niyyah)

   In your heart, decide which prayer you are praying and how many rakahs. You don’t need to say it out loud.

3. 3🙌Takbir

   Raise your hands to your ears (girls: to the shoulders) and say “Allahu Akbar”. Now you are in prayer — no talking!

   Say: اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ Allahu Akbar
4. 4🧍Stand and praise

   Fold your hands, right hand over the left, below the navel (girls: on the chest). Look at the place of sujud and read the Thana quietly.

   Say: سُبْحَانَكَ اللّٰهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَىٰ جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلٰهَ غَيْرُكَ Subhanakallahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta‘ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghairuk.
5. 5📖Recite

   Say A‘udhu billah and Bismillah, then recite Al-Fatiha. Say “Ameen” quietly, then recite another surah, like Al-Ikhlas.

   Say: أَعُوذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ ۝ بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ A‘udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim. Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim.
6. 6🙇Ruku (bow)

   Say “Allahu Akbar” and bow. Hands on your knees, back straight. Say this 3 times:

   Say: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ Subhana Rabbiyal ‘Azim
7. 7🧍Stand up

   Rise up straight while saying the first part, then say the second part while standing.

   Say: سَمِعَ اللّٰهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ ۝ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ Sami‘ Allahu liman hamidah. Rabbana lakal hamd.
8. 8🛐Sujud

   Say “Allahu Akbar” and go down. Forehead, nose, both hands, both knees and toes touch the ground. Say this 3 times:

   Say: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَىٰ Subhana Rabbiyal A‘la
9. 9🧎Sit for a moment

   Say “Allahu Akbar” and sit up calmly between the two sujud.

   Say: اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ Allahu Akbar
10. 10🛐Second sujud

    Say “Allahu Akbar” and make sujud again, 3 times “Subhana Rabbiyal A‘la”. That is one rakah! Say “Allahu Akbar” and stand up.

    Say: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَىٰ Subhana Rabbiyal A‘la
11. 11🔁Second rakah

    Say Bismillah, recite Al-Fatiha and another surah, then ruku, stand up and two sujud — just like the first rakah (no Thana this time).

    Say: بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
12. 12☝️Sit: At-Tahiyyat

    After the second sujud, sit and read At-Tahiyyat. Raise your right index finger when you say “la ilaha”.

    Say: التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلّٰهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَىٰ عِبَادِ اللّٰهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللّٰهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat. As-salamu ‘alaika ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu ‘alaina wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahis-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh.
13. 13🌸Durood and dua

    Send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ (Durood Ibrahim), then make a short dua.

    Say: اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ۝ اللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ۝ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama sallaita ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina ‘adhaban-nar.
14. 14👋Salam

    Turn your head to the right and say the salam, then to the left and say it again. Your prayer is complete! 🎉

    Say: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ As-salamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullah

Praying 3 or 4 rakahs

• After 2 rakahs, sit and read only At-Tahiyyat, then say “Allahu Akbar” and stand up for the rest.
• In Fard prayers, rakahs 3 and 4 have only Al-Fatiha. In Sunnah and Nafl prayers, add a surah in every rakah.
• In the last sitting, read At-Tahiyyat, Durood and a dua, then finish with salam.
• Witr (Hanafi): 3 rakahs with one salam. In the 3rd rakah, after the surah, raise your hands saying “Allahu Akbar” and read Dua al-Qunut, then go to ruku.

How other schools differ

The four schools — Hanafi, Shafi‘i, Maliki and Hanbali — all follow the Sunnah. They differ only in a few small details:

Every one of these ways is correct. Ask your parents or teacher which way your family prays. 🤍