Salah is the daily connection between a believer and their Lord, and one of the five pillars of Islam. This guide walks you through a prayer from wudu to the closing salam, step by step, for beginners.
Conditions of Salah
Certain conditions must be met before the prayer; without them the prayer is not valid:
- Ritual purity (taharah): Performing wudu if you don't have it, or ghusl if it is required.
- Cleanliness: A clean body, clothes, and place of prayer.
- Covering the awrah: For men, the area between the navel and the knees; for women, the entire body except the face, hands, and feet.
- Facing the Qibla: Turning toward the Ka'bah.
- Time: The time of that prayer must have entered.
- Intention (niyyah): Knowing in your heart which prayer you are performing.
Step by Step Through a Rak'ah
A rak'ah follows this order, and the order repeats in every rak'ah:
- Qiyam (standing): After the opening takbir the hands are folded. In the first rak'ah you recite Subhanaka, the Ta'awwudh and Basmala, Al-Fatihah, and a short surah. In later rak'ahs you recite the Basmala, Al-Fatihah, and (in the first two rak'ahs of an obligatory prayer) a short surah.
- Ruku (bowing): Saying "Allahu akbar", bow at the waist and place the hands on the knees. Say "Subhana rabbiyal-azim" at least three times. Rising, say "Sami'allahu liman hamidah"; once upright, "Rabbana lakal-hamd".
- First sujud (prostration): Saying "Allahu akbar", go down so that the forehead, nose, hands, knees, and toes touch the ground. Say "Subhana rabbiyal-a'la" at least three times.
- Jalsah (sitting between the two prostrations): Saying "Allahu akbar", sit up briefly.
- Second sujud: Saying "Allahu akbar", prostrate again and repeat "Subhana rabbiyal-a'la".
In two-, three- and four-rak'ah prayers, you sit after the two prostrations of the final rak'ah (the final qa'dah).
The Sitting (Qa'dah) and the Salam
In the final sitting you recite, in order, the Tashahhud (At-tahiyyatu), then Allahumma salli and Allahumma barik (the Salawat), then Rabbana atina and Rabbana-ghfir li. Then turn the head to the right shoulder saying "As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah", and to the left shoulder saying the same. With the salam the prayer is complete.
— Surah Al-Baqarah, 43Establish the prayer and give zakah, and bow with those who bow.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping or shortening Al-Fatihah: Al-Fatihah is recited in every rak'ah; reciting it incompletely impairs the prayer.
- Not touching the nose to the ground in sujud: The nose must touch the ground along with the forehead.
- Saying the takbir late: Every transitional movement is made with "Allahu akbar"; the takbir should begin with the movement.
Praying Consistently
Praying on time and consistently takes habit. The VAAZ app provides minute-accurate prayer times for all 81 provinces of Turkey using the Diyanet method, a countdown to the next prayer, and an adhan notification — helping you build that habit. You can learn the details of the prayer and the surahs step by step in the "Prayer Tutor" section of the app.