--- title: "How to Perform Salah: A Step-by-Step Guide" description: "From wudu to the closing salam — every pillar of the prayer explained step by step for beginners." canonical: "https://getvaaz.com/en/guides/worship/how-to-perform-salah" locale: "en" published: "2026-05-12" updated: "2026-05-14" author: "VAAZ Team" source: "VAAZ — getvaaz.com" --- # How to Perform Salah: A Step-by-Step Guide 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. > Saying the intention aloud is recommended but not a requirement — what matters is knowing in your heart which prayer you are standing for. ## Step by Step Through a Rak'ah A rak'ah follows this order, and the order repeats in every rak'ah: 1. **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. 2. **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". 3. **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. 4. **Jalsah (sitting between the two prostrations):** Saying "Allahu akbar", sit up briefly. 5. **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. > Establish the prayer and give zakah, and bow with those who bow. Surah Al-Baqarah, 43 ## Common Mistakes > Don't rush through the tasbih in ruku and sujud and pop straight back up. Pausing so the limbs settle for a moment between movements (tuma'ninah) is required; it is the basis of the prayer's calm and order. - **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. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I make the intention for salah? It is enough to know in your heart which prayer you are praying; saying it aloud is recommended but not required. For example: 'I intend to pray today's Dhuhr prayer for the sake of Allah.' ### What do I recite after Al-Fatihah? In the first two rak'ahs you recite a short surah or a few verses after Al-Fatihah — surahs like Al-Ikhlas, Al-Kawthar, Al-Falaq and An-Nas are good for beginners. ### What if I make a mistake during salah? If you forget a pillar or add something extra, perform two prostrations (sujud al-sahw) before the salam in the final sitting, repeat the Tashahhud, and then give the salam. --- Source: [VAAZ — getvaaz.com](https://getvaaz.com/en) · This is the agent-facing Markdown edition of the page; the canonical edition lives at the `canonical` URL above. Full index: https://getvaaz.com/llms.txt