"O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him."

How to Pray Salah Step by Step as the Prophet ﷺ Did

Esam Aljouf
Palm
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Steps of Salah According to the Sunnah

1. Standing and Beginning the Prayer (Qiyam)

  1. Stand facing the Qiblah (Ka`bah).

  2. Make the intention (Niyyah) in your heart for the specific prayer.

  3. Raise the hands to shoulder or ear level and say Allahu Akbar.

  4. Place the right hand over the left on the chest.

  5. Look at the place of prostration.

  6. Recite an opening supplication (Du`a al-Istiftah). The most famous:

    Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabaraka ismuka wa ta’ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruka

    (Glory and praise be to You O Allah, blessed be Your Name and exalted be Your Majesty, and there is no god but You).

  7. Say Isti’athah: A’udhu Billahi min al-Shaytan ir-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan).

  8. Say Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim (In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful) silently.

  9. Recite Surat al-Fatihah in full.

  10. Recite another surah or some verses (in the first two rakahs).

2. Bowing (Ruku)

  1. Pause briefly after recitation.
  2. Raise the hands and say Allahu Akbar.
  3. Bow until the joints settle and the body is at ease.
  4. Place the hands firmly on the knees, spacing the fingers out, as if grasping them.
  5. Keep the back straight and the head level with it.
  6. Say Subhana Rabbiy al-‘Azim (Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty) three times or more.

3. Standing After Ruku

  1. Rise saying Sami’a Allahu liman hamidah (Allah listens to the one who praises Him).
  2. Raise the hands as before.
  3. Stand upright until fully straight.
  4. Say Rabbana wa laka al-hamd (Our Lord, to You be all praise).

4. Prostration (Sujud)

  1. Say Allahu Akbar.
  2. Go down on the hands before the knees.
  3. Be at ease, distributing weight on the seven contact points: forehead and nose, palms, knees, and toes.
  4. Keep forearms off the ground.
  5. Point toes towards the Qiblah.
  6. Say Subhana Rabbiy al-‘A’la (Glory be to my Lord Most High) three times or more.
  7. Make Du’a – this is one of the best times to supplicate.

5. Sitting Between Two Prostrations

  1. Say Allahu Akbar.
  2. Sit on the left foot with the right foot upright (Iftirash).
  3. Sit until fully at ease.
  4. Say Rabbi ighfir li, Rabbi ighfir li (My Lord, forgive me, My Lord, forgive me).

6. Second Prostration

  1. Say Allahu Akbar.
  2. Prostrate as before.

7. Standing for the Next Rakah

  1. Stand for the next rakah.
  2. Perform it like the first, without the opening supplication and without Isti’athah.
  3. Make it slightly shorter than the first rakah.

8. First Tashahhud (After Two Rakahs)

  1. Sit as described in Step 5.

  2. Place the hands on the thighs, point with the index finger, and move it while looking at it.

  3. Recite the Tashahhud:

    Al-Tahiyyatu Lillahi wa’l-salawatu wa’l-tayyibat. Al-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allahi wa barakatuhu. Al-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibad-illah il-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluh

    (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).

9. Third and Fourth Rakahs (If Applicable)

  1. Say Allahu Akbar and stand.
  2. Recite Surat al-Fatihah.

10. Final Tashahhud

  1. Sit with with the left foot under right leg, right foot upright, left knee covered with left palm (tawaruk).

  2. Recite the first Tashahhud as above.

  3. Send salutations on the Prophet ﷺ:

    Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala ali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala Ibrahim wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala ali Muhammad kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahim wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid

    (O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and his family as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and his family; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. Bless Muhammad and his family as You blessed Ibrahim and his family; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).

  4. Recite Du’a:

    Allahumma inni a’udhu bika min ‘adhabi jahannam wa a’udhu bika min ‘adhab il-qabr, wa a’udhu bika min fitnat il-masih il-dajjal, wa a’udhu bika min fitnat il-mahya wa’l-mamat wa a’udhu bika min al-matham wa’l-maghram

    (O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of Hell, the grave, the tribulation of the Dajjal, the trials of life and death, and from falling into sin and debt).

  5. Make Du’a before Taslim, asking Allah for good in this world and the Hereafter.

11. Ending the Prayer (Taslim)

  1. Turn to the right and say As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you).
  2. Turn to the left and repeat.

Conditions of Prayer (Shuroot as-Salah)

To perform a valid prayer, the following nine conditions must be fulfilled:

  1. Islam – Must be a Muslim.
  2. Sanity – Must be of sound mind.
  3. Discretion (Age of discernment) – Usually around 7 years old.
  4. Time – Must pray within its prescribed time.
  5. Purity (Taharah) – Achieved usually by performing Wudu (Ablution), or Ghusl (Full Bath) when in a state of major impurity.
  6. Covering the ‘Awrah – Private parts must be properly covered.
  7. Avoiding impurities (Najasa) – Body, clothes, and place of worship must be clean.
  8. Facing the Qiblah – Must face the Ka`bah.
  9. Intention (Niyyah) – Heart directed toward the specific prayer.

The last two – facing the Qiblah and having the intention – are explained in the above sections.

Humility and Focus in Prayer

Q: How should I maintain humility and focus in prayer?

A: The worshipper must be humble and avoid anything that may distract from prayer, such as adornments or decorations. Do not pray where there is food you want to eat, or when you need to urinate or defecate. Avoid looking to the right or left, as this allows Shaytan to snatch your focus, and do not look up at the sky.

Reciting the Quran

Q: Is reciting Surat al-Fatihah obligatory in prayer, and what if someone cannot recite it?

A: Yes. Reciting Surat al-Fatihah is a pillar (rukn) of prayer, according to the correct view of the scholars.

For those who cannot recite it in full:

  • If they know at least one verse, they should repeat it seven times (the number of verses in al-Fatihah).
  • If they cannot recite any verse, they should say: Subhan Allah, wa’l-hamdu-Lillah, wa la ilaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah (Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is Most Great, and there is no strength or power except with Allah).

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of Allah, teach me something that will suffice me from the Qur’an, for I cannot read.”

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Say: Subhan Allah, wa’l-hamdu-Lillah, wa la ilaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah (Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is Most Great, and there is no strength or power except with Allah).”

The man folded his hands over it and said: “This is for my Lord; what is for me?”

The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Say: Allahumma ighfir li, warhamni, wahdini, warzuqni, wa a’fini (O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, provide for me, and grant me well-being).”

Then the man folded his other hand over it and stood up.

(Narrated by An-Nasa’i 924 and Abu Dawud 832)

Reciting the Quran: Aloud or Quietly

Q: When should Quran be recited aloud or silently in prayer?

A: In fard and sunnah prayers:

  • Recite aloud in:
    • Fajr
    • First two rakahs of Maghrib and Isha
  • Recite silently in:
    • Zuhr and Asr
    • Third rakah of Maghrib
    • Last two rakahs of Isha

Other Dhikr and Supplications

Q: Can I say other dhikr during prayer?

A: Yes, there are other dhikr which may be said at certain points, such as after rising from Ruku’ etc. Start with learning short phrases, then gradually use longer ones as you become more confident, in sha Allah.

Sources and Further Reading

This summary is based on authentic hadiths describing the prayer of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as compiled and explained by Shaykh Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani in Sifat Salat al-Nabi, and summarised by IslamQA.

How to Pray Salah Step by Step as the Prophet ﷺ Did