How to pray Salah step by step — a beginner's guide
Salah — the five daily prayers — is one of the five pillars of Islam. If you're new to praying, returning after a long time, or never been formally taught, this guide walks through wudu (ablution), the prayer itself, and the most common questions, in plain language.
Updated 9 May 2026
Step 1 — Make wudu (ablution)
Salah begins with wudu, washing in a specific order. Wash your hands three times, rinse the mouth and nose three times, wash the face three times, the arms up to the elbows three times, wipe the head once, wipe inside the ears once, and wash the feet up to the ankles three times. Wudu lasts until something like passing wind, sleeping deeply, using the toilet, or a heavy nosebleed breaks it.
If water isn't available, tayammum (dry ablution with clean earth) is an accepted substitute. The intention (niyyah) of wudu is in the heart — it doesn't have to be spoken.
Step 2 — Face the Qibla
All Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca during Salah. From the UK, that's roughly south-east. Use a Qibla compass (your phone or the qibla page on this site) to find the precise direction from where you are. If you're not sure, do your best — Allah accepts effort over precision.
Step 3 — The five daily prayers
There are five prayers each day, each at a specific time linked to the position of the sun:
• Fajr — before sunrise (2 rakahs) • Dhuhr — after the sun passes its zenith (4 rakahs) • Asr — late afternoon (4 rakahs) • Maghrib — just after sunset (3 rakahs) • Isha — at night, after the twilight has gone (4 rakahs)
A *rakah* is one full unit of standing, bowing, and prostrating. Times shift slightly each day with the sun. See today's prayer times for your location.
Step 4 — A single rakah, in slow motion
Every rakah follows the same shape. Stand facing the Qibla, hands at your sides. Raise your hands to your ears and say *Allahu akbar* ("God is the greatest") — this is the takbir that begins the prayer. Place your right hand over the left below the navel (Hanafi) or on the chest (other schools) and read Surah Al-Fatiha quietly, followed by another short surah of your choice (Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas are good first ones to learn).
Say *Allahu akbar* and bow (rukuʿ), back flat, palms on the knees, saying *Subhana Rabbiyal-Adhim* three times. Stand back up saying *Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah*, *Rabbana lakal-hamd*. Then *Allahu akbar* and go down to prostration (sujud), forehead, nose, palms, knees and toes touching the ground, saying *Subhana Rabbiyal-Aʿla* three times. Sit briefly, prostrate again, and rise.
That's one rakah. After every two rakahs you sit and recite the *Tashahhud*. At the end, turn your head right and left, saying *As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah* — peace and Allah's mercy upon you. The prayer is finished.
Step 5 — What if I can't read Arabic yet?
You don't need fluent Arabic to start praying. You need:
1. Surah Al-Fatiha — the seven short verses you'll recite every rakah. Read it here in Arabic, Bosnian, and English. 2. A short surah after it, e.g. Al-Ikhlas, just four ayahs. 3. The four formulas: *Allahu akbar*, *Subhana Rabbiyal-Adhim*, *Subhana Rabbiyal-Aʿla*, *Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah*.
Most beginners learn Al-Fatiha within a couple of weeks. Until then, recite phonetically and lean on the audio recitations on the surah pages. You're praying — Allah hears you.
How long does Salah take?
A relaxed Fajr or Maghrib is around 5 minutes. Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha are about 7–10 minutes each. The whole day's prayers come to maybe 40 minutes total — spread out, not in one sitting.
What if I miss a prayer?
Pray it as soon as you remember (this is called *qadha*). Don't punish yourself, don't skip the next one. The Prophet ﷺ taught: 'when you remember, pray it'. Consistency rebuilds itself one prayer at a time.
Do I have to pray at the exact time?
Each prayer has a window — for example, Asr lasts from late afternoon until just before Maghrib. As long as you pray within the window, you've prayed on time. The closer to the start of the window, the better — but the window is the rule, not the start.
Can women pray during their period?
No — women don't pray (or fast, or read the Quran in Arabic) during menstruation. There is no qadha required for the missed prayers. This is a mercy, not a deficiency.
- 🧭What is the Qibla and how to find it from anywhere
The Qibla is the direction Muslims face when praying — toward the Kaaba in Mecca. Here's what it is, why it matters, and how to find it from any city in the world.
- 💧What is wudu? The step-by-step guide to Islamic ablution
Wudu is the ritual washing Muslims perform before Salah. This guide walks through the steps, what breaks wudu, and the most common questions for beginners.
- 🌱A beginner's guide to Islam — where to start
If you're new to Islam, returning after years away, or learning for the first time as an adult, this guide is a gentle starting point. No shame, no jargon — just where to begin.
“Allah loves consistency, not perfection.” — Sahih al-Bukhari