Prayer
Prayer — a pillar of faith
Salah is a person's daily connection with Allah. Muslims pray five times a day, facing the Kaaba (the Qibla). Prayer combines words, intention, and movements of the body.
today
Prayer times
Calculated for your city right on your device — coordinates are never sent anywhere.
Basics
What is salah
Salah is the obligatory prayer — the second pillar of Islam after the testimony of faith. It is not a "request when needed" but a standing appointment: five times a day a person pauses their affairs, purifies themselves and stands before their Lord.
Prayer keeps the day in a rhythm of remembering Allah: it opens the morning before sunrise and closes the evening at night. The Quran calls it that which restrains a person from wrong — and that by which the heart finds peace.
One day
A day that turns around prayer
The sky lives through a whole day — from the pre-dawn stillness of Fajr to the night of Isha.
Before sunrise
Fajr
A believer's day begins while the city still sleeps. The horizon is only starting to pale, and in that silence comes the first prayer. The Prophet ﷺ called the two rakats before Fajr dearer than the whole world.
After the zenith
Zuhr
The middle of the working day. Prayer cuts the bustle in half: affairs are set aside, a person returns to what matters most — and goes back to work with a clear head.
Late afternoon
Asr
The light turns golden and slanted. Asr is the "middle" prayer: the day is already leaning down but not yet over. The Quran specifically urges guarding the middle prayer (2:238).
Right after sunset
Maghrib
The sky blazes and fades within minutes — so Maghrib is not delayed. It is gratitude for the day lived; in Ramadan this is when the fast is broken.
Night
Isha
The last prayer closes the day like a full stop closes a sentence. Then comes sleep with a calm heart — and before dawn the circle begins again: this is how prayer keeps a whole life in rhythm.
Exact prayer times depend on the sun and your location — check your local community's timetable. This is an educational overview, not a substitute for an imam.
Step by step
One rakat from the inside
A rak'ah is one cycle of prayer. Nine steps, each with its own words.
Step 1 · Opening
1. Intention and takbir- 1
Step 1 · Opening
Intention and takbirStanding facing the Qibla, one settles the intention in the heart — which prayer is being performed. Palms raised to the ears: “Allahu akbar” — “Allah is the Greatest.” With these words everything worldly stays behind.
What is said
اللهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allahu akbar
«Allah is the Greatest»
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Step 2 · Standing
Qiyam — Al-FatihaHands folded (by the sunnah — below the chest or upon it), the gaze on the place of prostration. One recites Al-Fatiha, then another surah or a few verses.
Al-Fatiha (surah 1) is recited in every rak'ah, followed by a short surah, e.g. Al-Ikhlas (surah 112).
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Step 3 · Bowing
RukuBowing with the back parallel to the ground, palms reaching the knees. Three times: “Subhana Rabbiyal-Azim” — “Glory to my Great Lord.”
What is said
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
Subhana Rabbiya l-'Azim (×3)
«Glory to my Lord, the Magnificent»
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Step 4 · Rising
I'tidalRising, one says: “Sami'a Allahu li-man hamidah” — “Allah hears the one who praises Him,” and, upright: “Rabbana wa lakal-hamd” — “Our Lord, to You is all praise.”
What is said
سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ · رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ
Sami'a Llahu li-man hamidah · Rabbana laka l-hamd
«Allah hears the one who praises Him · Our Lord, to You is all praise»
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Step 5 · Prostration
The first sujudForehead and nose, palms, knees and toes touch the ground. Three times: “Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la” — “Glory to my Most High Lord.” The Prophet ﷺ said this is the moment nearest to Allah.
What is said
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى
Subhana Rabbiya l-A'la (×3)
«Glory to my Lord, the Most High»
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Step 6 · Sitting
JulusA brief sitting between the two prostrations (by the sunnah — on the left foot). Here one asks: “Rabbi-ghfir li” — “My Lord, forgive me.”
What is said
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي
Rabbi-ghfir li
«My Lord, forgive me»
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Step 7 · Second prostration
The second sujudAnother prostration — likewise, three times “Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la.” The rakat is complete: one rises for the next or sits for the tashahhud.
What is said
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى
Subhana Rabbiya l-A'la (×3)
«Glory to my Lord, the Most High»
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At the prayer's end
Tashahhud and salawatSitting with palms on the knees, one recites the testimony of faith (“Ashhadu al-la ilaha illa-Llah…”) and the salawat — blessings upon the Prophet: “Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad.”
What is said
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ…
At-Tahiyyatu lillahi wa-s-salawatu wa-t-tayyibat…
«“Greetings to Allah, and prayers and good deeds…” — the opening; the full text is learned with a teacher»
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Completion
TaslimTurning the head to the right, then to the left: “As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah” — “Peace and Allah's mercy be upon you.” The prayer is complete.
What is said
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ
As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatu-Llah
«Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah»
- The formulas follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ as an educational outline. Learn exact pronunciation, full texts, and madhhab details with an imam.
Details vary slightly between schools of law (madhhabs) — this is a general educational outline, not a fiqh manual.
Before prayer
What comes before salah
Ritual purification with water: hands, face, head, feet. Prayer begins with cleanliness — of body, clothes and place.
Facing the Kaaba in Mecca, wherever a person is (Quran 2:144). One direction for all — a sign of the ummah's unity.
The heart's inner decision: which prayer you are performing. The Prophet ﷺ said deeds are judged by intentions.
The call to prayer that sounds five times a day: "Hasten to prayer, hasten to success."
Sources
What these words rest on
- Quran 29:45prayer restrains from shameful and blameworthy deeds
- Quran 2:238"Guard the prayers, and especially the middle prayer…"
- Quran 4:103prayer is prescribed for believers at fixed times
- Quran 17:78; 11:114prayers are tied to parts of the day — from noon to the darkness of night and at the day's edges
- Quran 20:14"…establish prayer to remember Me"
Ayah translations are meaning-based. For practical questions of performance (per your school of law), consult an imam or a knowledgeable person.