How to Pray Salah | Step by Step Guide

Salah or Namaz is the 2nd Pillar of the 5 Pillars of Islam, and It is about the way to worship ALLAH. Muslims perform Salah 5 obligatory Salah in a day. They can pray Volunatiraly Salah as much as they want, but the five times Salah is obligatory. There are different ways to pray Salah according to different sects of Islam, but the one practiced by the majority, around 66% of Muslims, is the Hanafi way to pray Salah. Here is How to Pray Salah Step by Step.

Niyyah For Salah (Intention):

It is the internal and verbal intention to pray Namaz; first, you have to intent that you are Praying Salah, and then say, “I Intend to pray {no. of Rakats i.e 2} Namaz of {Name of Prayer i.e Fajr}, I pray Salah to seek nearness to ALLAH, facing Qibla” and if praying in congregation, then just add ” Behind this Imam ” in the verbal intention.

Takbeer

Takbeer is the first physical action you have while Praying Salah. In this, you have to hold up both hands such that your palms should face Qibla and both of your thumbs touching the tips of your ears. And then you have to say Allah-o-Akbar.

Al Qiyam

After Saying Allah-o-Akbar, you have to get your hands one on the other on the stomach, right below the navel, and then you have to recite Sana,

سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

“SubhanakAllahumu Wa Bihamdika, Wa Tabara kasmuka, Wa Ta’ala Jadduka, Wa Laa Ilaaha Ghayiruk.”

Then you have to recite Tauz and Tasmia,

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

“A’uzu Billahi Min Ash Shaytaanir Rajeem”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

“Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem”

And then, if you are praying in congregation, then you will keep silent; if praying alone, then you have to Recite Surah al Fatihah, and then you have to recite any other Surah (The minimum you can read is at least three verses of any Surah )

Ruku’

Then you have to repeat Allah-o-Akbar and bend the upper half of your body such that your hands touch your knees and your back should be horizontally straight, then say (سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ) Subhana-Rabbi-Al-Aa’la x3 times.

Qiyam

Then you have to stand straight, standing up straight after Ruku such that you are standing vertically straight, and then you have to say (سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه) Sami-Allahu-Liman-Hamidah and then say (رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْد) Rabbana-Lakal-Hamd.

Sajdah

Then you have to kneel to the earth, placing your knees on the ground and then placing your hands on the floor, saying Allah-o-Akbar and your forehead on the ground, then saying Subhana-Rabbi-Al-Aa’la x3 times. After that, you have to sit on your knees, placing your hand on your thighs, saying Allah-o-Akbar, then wait for a little while ( wait for a duration in which you can say Subhan Allah) and then again place your palms on the floor and then your forehead on the floor saying Allah-o-Akbar then say (سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى) Subhana-Rabbi-Al-Aa’la x3 times.

Now you have successfully performed 1 Rakat; for 2nd Rakat, you have to stand up from sajdah saying Allah-o-Akbar and repeat all steps from Al-Qiyam, but this time, you dont have to read Sana; just read Tasmia and repeat all the steps afterward.

Qa’da/Tashahhud

After second Sajdah of 2nd Rakat you will sit on your knees like you sit between two Sajdahs, saying Allah-o-Akbar and then you have to read At-Tahiyyat.

التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

“Attahiyyatu Lillahi Wassalawat-o-Wattayibatu, Assalamu Alaika Ayyuhan Nabiyyu Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuh, Assalaamu Alayina Wa Ala Ibaadillahis Saliheen, Ash Hadu An Laa Ilaaha ill Allahu Wa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadan Abduhoo Wa Rasulu.”

When the Ashhadu-Allah (or Shahadah) part comes you have to make fist of your right hand and then point your index finger at 60 angle and say Ashadu-Allah-Ilaaha IllAllahu and then place your hand on your thigh like your left hand and then say the remaining part of Tashhud. After reading Tashhud you have to read Durood Ibrahimi

ٱللَّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ٱللَّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

“Allahumma Salli A’laa Muhammadin Wa’Alaa Aaali Muhammadin Kama Sallayita Alaa Ibraheema Wa Alaa Aal-i-Ibraheema Innaka Hameedum Majeed, Allahumma Baarik A’laa Muhammadin Wa’Alaa Aaali Muhammadin Kama Barakta Alaa Ibraheema Wa Alaa Aal-i-Ibraheema Innaka Hameedum Majeed.”

and then read this dua.

رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ حَسَنَةٗ وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

“Rabbana Aatina Fiddunya Hasanatanw Wafil Aakhirati Hasanatanw Waqina Azaaban Naar.”

Salam

After reading the dua, you have to rotate your head to your right, looking at your right shoulder and say Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah. Then turn your head to your left, looking at your left shoulder, and say (السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ) Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah.

Now you have completed the Salah; Salam is the last part. After Salah, you should pray to Allah and ask whatever you want (Only Halal Things), and Indeed, Allah grants his worshippers what is better for them.

Above we discussed How to Pray 2 Rakats of Salah; when performing 4 Rakats at once you have to do all the steps as it is, but when in Qa’da of 2nd Rakat, you have to read till Tashhud and dont read Durood Ibrahimi, but you have to stand up for 3rd Rakat saying Allahu Akbar and then do all the steps for 3rd and 4th Rakat and in the Qa’da of 4th Rakat you have to read everything till Salam.

Usually, Salah is performed in either 2 or 4 Rakats. Still, in special cases like Farz of Maghrib and Witr of Isha prayer, you have to pray 3 Rakats, so to pray 3 Rakat, you will pray as it is as you do for four, but instead of standing up after 3rd Rakat, you will sit in Qa’da and complete it.

What we discussed is the method to pray regular salah. But you can explore more about 

How to Pray Eid Salah?

How to Pray Witr?

How to Pray Janaza?

For the Rakats schedule of Each Fardh Prayer, See the table below.