How to Pray in Islam: A Step-by-Step Guide for New Muslims

The prayer — salah — is the daily meeting between you and Allah. Five times a day, you step away from everything else, face the Ka'bah in Makkah, and stand before your Lord. The Qur'an calls it a protection: prayer keeps a person away from what is shameful and wrong Al-Ankabut 29:45.

If you are new, the movements and Arabic words can look complicated. They aren't, once you see the pattern. This guide walks through it slowly.

The five daily prayers

Muslims pray five obligatory prayers, each at its own time:

• Fajr — before sunrise (2 units, or rak'ahs)
• Dhuhr — just after midday (4 units)
• Asr — in the afternoon (4 units)
• Maghrib — just after sunset (3 units)
• Isha — at night (4 units)

The Qur'an describes prayer as a duty at set times An-Nisa 4:103. Because the times follow the sun, they change every day and depend on where you live — a prayer-times app or your local mosque's timetable is the easiest way to know them.

Before you pray

1. 1Be in a state of purity. Make wudu (the short washing) if you need it. See our step-by-step wudu guide.
2. 2Wear clean, modest clothing. For men, at least from the navel to the knees; for women, the whole body except the face and hands (scholars differ slightly on the feet).
3. 3Find a clean place. A prayer mat is common, but any clean floor is fine.
4. 4Face the Qibla — the direction of the Ka'bah. A Qibla compass makes this easy.
5. 5Make your intention in your heart: which prayer you are about to pray. You don't need to say it out loud.

One unit (rak'ah) of prayer, step by step

Every prayer is made of units. Once you know one unit, you know them all.

1. 1Stand and raise your hands to your ears or shoulders, saying "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest). This begins the prayer.
2. 2Place your right hand over your left on your chest or stomach (practice varies between schools — any of these is fine).
3. 3Recite Surah Al-Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Qur'an. In the first two units, recite another short passage after it, such as Surah Al-Ikhlas.
4. 4Bow (ruku'), saying "Allahu Akbar" as you go down. With your hands on your knees and back straight, say "Subhana Rabbiyal-'Adhim" (Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent) three times.
5. 5Stand up again, saying "Sami'Allahu liman hamidah" (Allah hears the one who praises Him), then "Rabbana wa lakal-hamd" (Our Lord, to You belongs all praise).
6. 6Prostrate (sujud), saying "Allahu Akbar". Forehead, nose, both palms, knees and toes touch the ground. Say "Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) three times.
7. 7Sit up briefly, saying "Allahu Akbar".
8. 8Prostrate a second time, the same as before.

That is one unit. Stand up for the next unit and repeat.

Sitting and finishing

• After every second unit, sit and recite the tashahhud, a short testimony of faith.
• In the final sitting, after the tashahhud, recite the blessings on the Prophet ﷺ (the salat al-Ibrahimiyyah).
• End the prayer by turning your head to the right and saying "As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah", then to the left and saying it again.

While you're still learning

You do not need to wait until you've memorised everything before you start. Many scholars allow a new Muslim to:

• Read Al-Fatihah from a card or screen in transliteration while learning
• Say simple phrases of remembrance — SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar — in place of a passage they don't know yet
• Pray behind an imam at the mosque, where the imam recites aloud and you follow

The details differ between schools, so ask your local imam what he recommends for your situation. What matters most is that you begin. Allah does not ask more of a soul than it can bear Al-Baqarah 2:286.

Common questions while learning

What if I forget how many units I've prayed? Go with the number you are more sure of, and add two short prostrations (sujud as-sahw) before finishing. It happens to everyone.

Can I pray in my own clothes at work? Yes, as long as they are clean and cover what's needed. See how to pray at work or school.

What if I miss a prayer? Make it up as soon as you remember. Practice varies between schools on the details, so ask your local mosque.

How AskDeen can help

Learning to pray is a beautiful journey, and the questions keep coming: Did that break my prayer? What do I say here? Which way is the Qibla in this hotel room?

AskDeen walks with you through every step. It shows today's prayer times for wherever you are, with a gentle countdown to the next one, and a Qibla finder that works from your phone. When you're unsure about something, just ask — you'll get a calm, clear answer, with every verse and hadith linked so you can read the source yourself. You can even open Surah Al-Fatihah in the Qur'an reader and tap "Ask about this" to understand what you're saying in every prayer.

Your first prayer is waiting. Let AskDeen help you get there.