The prayer

How to Pray

A full rak‘ah in pictures, step by step, with what to say in each position — in Arabic, transliteration and meaning.

Step 1 of 911%

1 — Get ready

Be in wudu, on a clean spot, modestly covered, and face the qiblah — the direction of the Ka‘bah in Makkah.

The evidence

﴿فَوَلِّ وَجْهَكَ شَطْرَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ﴾

So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque.

Qur’an 2:144

Note: Any qiblah app on your phone will give you the direction. If you truly can’t tell, your best estimate is accepted.

How many rak‘ahs in each prayer?

Fajr — 2 rak‘ahs, before sunrise.
Dhuhr — 4 rak‘ahs, after midday.
‘Asr — 4 rak‘ahs, in the late afternoon.
Maghrib — 3 rak‘ahs, just after sunset.
‘Isha — 4 rak‘ahs, after nightfall.

The rule behind the whole prayer

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Pray as you have seen me pray” — the form of the prayer follows his practice, not personal invention. (Sahih al-Bukhari 631)
Stillness is essential: don’t move from a position until you have settled in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari 757)
For parents: “Teach your children the prayer when they are seven” — through instruction and encouragement. (Sunan Abi Dawud 495)

Sources for this lesson

Everything on this page is drawn from the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah, with links that open the original text on established reference sites. Where the schools of law legitimately differ, that is flagged rather than settled here.