Before You Pray: Wudu (Ablution)
Before prayer, you must perform wudu (ritual purification). This takes about 2-3 minutes.
Step 1: Make intention (niyyah) in your heart to perform wudu for Allah.
Step 2: Say “Bismillah” (In the name of Allah).
Step 3: Wash both hands three times.
Step 4: Rinse your mouth three times.
Step 5: Sniff water into the nose and blow it out three times.
Step 6: Wash your face three times.
Step 7: Wash your right arm to the elbow three times, then the left.
Step 8: Wipe your head with wet hands once.
Step 9: Wipe your ears once.
Step 10: Wash your right foot to the ankle three times, then the left.
The Five Daily Prayers
Muslims pray five times each day:
Fajr — Before sunrise (2 rakats)
Dhuhr — After midday (4 rakats)
Asr — Afternoon (4 rakats)
Maghrib — After sunset (3 rakats)
Isha — Night (4 rakats)
How to Perform a Rakat
A rakat is one unit of prayer. Here is how to perform one:
1. Stand facing Mecca (use IslamFind’s Qibla finder).
2. Say “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest) while raising your hands.
3. Recite Surah Al-Fatiha: “Bismillahir rahmanir rahim…”
4. Recite any short surah (Al-Ikhlas is easy to memorize).
5. Bow (ruku): Say “Subhana rabbiyal azeem” three times.
6. Stand up: Say “Sami allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana lakal hamd.”
7. Prostrate (sujud): Place forehead on ground. Say “Subhana rabbiyal a’la” three times.
8. Sit up briefly.
9. Prostrate again.
10. Stand for the next rakat or sit for tashahhud (final rakat).
This page is sourced from classical Islamic scholarship. All prayers and their Arabic texts are verified.