A Beginner's Guide to the Daily Prayer

The five prayers and their times

The times of prayer follow the movement of the sun, so they shift through the year and from place to place. Mosques and prayer-time apps publish a local timetable. Roughly, the five prayers are:

• Fajr: from the first light of dawn until just before sunrise (2 units of prayer).
• Dhuhr: from just after the sun passes its highest point at midday (4 units).
• Asr: in the later part of the afternoon (4 units).
• Maghrib: just after sunset (3 units).
• Isha: once night has fully fallen (4 units).

Getting ready to pray

Before praying, a Muslim makes sure a few conditions are in place. These are simple, and with practice they become second nature.

Wudu (ritual washing) involves washing the hands, rinsing the mouth and nose, washing the face and arms, wiping the head, and washing or wiping the feet, in a set order. After certain events, such as sleep or using the toilet, wudu needs to be renewed. After some other events a fuller washing of the whole body, called ghusl, is required.

• Purity: being in a state of wudu, with clean body and clothing.
• A clean place: any clean surface will do, and many people use a prayer mat.
• Facing the qibla: the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah.
• Proper covering: modest clothing that covers what Islamic teaching asks to be covered, which differs for men and women.
• The right time: each prayer is offered within its own time window.

Walking through one rak'ah

Each prayer is made up of units called rak'ahs. One rak'ah is a cycle of standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. Here is the general shape of a single rak'ah as it is commonly taught:

• Intention (niyyah): quietly resolving in the heart which prayer you are about to offer.
• Opening takbir: raising the hands and saying "Allahu akbar" (God is greater), which marks the start of the prayer.
• Standing and recitation: reciting al-Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Quran, usually followed by another short passage of the Quran in the first two rak'ahs.
• Bowing (ruku'): bending forward with hands on the knees and back straight, glorifying God.
• Standing again: rising back to an upright position while praising God.
• First prostration (sujud): placing the forehead, nose, palms, knees and toes on the ground, glorifying God in humility.
• Brief sitting: sitting up for a moment between the two prostrations.
• Second prostration: returning to the ground a second time, which completes the rak'ah.
• Sitting and testimony: after the second rak'ah, and at the end of the prayer, sitting to recite words of witness and blessings on the Prophet.
• Closing salam: turning the head to the right and to the left, saying "as-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah" (peace and God's mercy be upon you).

Differences you may notice

If you pray in different mosques, you will see small variations. These come from the different legal schools and traditions, all of which trace their practice back to the Prophet. They are not a cause for worry.

For example, many Sunnis fold their arms across the body while standing, though followers of the Maliki school often pray with their arms at their sides. Shi'a Muslims usually pray with arms at the sides, and many place their forehead on a small tablet of natural clay or earth during prostration.

Shi'a Muslims also commonly combine Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, so that the five prayers are offered at three times of day. Sunnis generally pray at five separate times, while allowing combining in particular situations such as travel. The wording of some recitations, and points such as where the hands are raised, also differ between schools.

Learning step by step

Nobody learns the prayer perfectly on the first day. New Muslims often begin by learning al-Fatihah and a few short phrases, praying with whatever they know while they keep learning. Sincerity matters more than polish.

The best way to learn is with a patient local teacher or at a welcoming mosque, where you can watch, ask questions and follow the practice of your own tradition. Praying beside others is also one of the quickest ways to become comfortable with the movements.