Wudu and the prayer, step by step
Prayer is a conversation with Allah five times a day. Start with wudu, learn the movements, and be patient with yourself — the Prophet ﷺ taught a man who prayed hastily by calmly showing him again.
Wudu (ablution)
The obligatory parts are in the Qur'an (5:6); the full sequence below follows 'Uthman's description of the Prophet's wudu ﷺ.
“O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janābah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allāh does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.”
Intention
Scholars differ
Intend in your heart to make wudu for prayer. Many scholars recommend beginning with “Bismillah”. needs scholar review
Hands · ×3
Recommended (sunnah)
Pour water over both hands and wash them.
Mouth & nose · ×3
Scholars differ
Rinse the mouth, sniff water into the nose and blow it out. needs scholar review
Face · ×3
Obligatory (in 5:6)
Wash the whole face, from hairline to chin and ear to ear.
Arms to the elbows · ×3
Obligatory (in 5:6)
Right arm, then left, including the elbows.
Wipe the head · ×1
Obligatory (in 5:6)
Pass wet hands over the head once.
Feet to the ankles · ×3
Obligatory (in 5:6)
Right foot, then left, including the ankles and between the toes.
Washing each part once is the obligatory minimum; three times is the Prophet's sunnah ﷺ. Schools differ on intention, rinsing mouth and nose, how much of the head to wipe, keeping the order and washing without long breaks — follow a teacher of your school. needs scholar review
After wudu
Say the shahada: “Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.”
Wudu is renewed after using the toilet, passing wind, or deep sleep. needs scholar review
data-review: pending
data-review: pending
The prayer (salat)
Each prayer is made of units (rak'ahs). One rak'ah follows this flow. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Pray as you have seen me praying.”
Five daily prayers
Diagram: where the five prayers fall in the day (times shift with the sun and your location). Diagrams are abstract by design — no human figures.
“And when you have completed the prayer, remember Allāh standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.”
- 1
Takbir
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُRaise hands, say “Allahu akbar”.
- 2
Standing
Recite Al-Fatihah (and a short surah in the first two rak'ahs).
- 3
Bowing
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِBack level, hands on knees.
- 4
Rise
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُStand straight: “Rabbana wa lakal-hamd”.
- 5
Prostration
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَىForehead, nose, palms, knees and toes on the ground.
- 6
Sitting
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيSit briefly between the two prostrations.
- 7
Prostration
A second prostration — this completes one rak'ah.
- 8
Tashahhud & salam
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِAfter the 2nd rak'ah you sit for the tashahhud. In a 2-rak'ah prayer this is the final sitting and you end with salam (right, then left); in a 3- or 4-rak'ah prayer it is the intermediate sitting and you stand up again — see the walkthroughs below.
Two, three or four units — the whole prayer
There are two kinds of sitting. The intermediate sitting comes after the 2nd rak'ah of a 3- or 4-rak'ah prayer: you recite the tashahhud, then stand up again. The final sitting comes after the last rak'ah of every prayer: tashahhud, then the salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, then the salam.
2 rak'ahs — Fajr
- Rak'ah 1: Al-Fatihah + a short surah, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Rak'ah 2: Al-Fatihah + a short surah, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Final sitting: tashahhud, salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, then salam right and left. The prayer is complete.
3 rak'ahs — Maghrib
- Rak'ah 1: Al-Fatihah + a short surah, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Rak'ah 2: Al-Fatihah + a short surah, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Intermediate sitting: tashahhud only — then say “Allahu akbar” and stand up.
- Rak'ah 3: Al-Fatihah only, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Final sitting: tashahhud, salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, then salam right and left. The prayer is complete.
4 rak'ahs — Dhuhr, Asr, Isha
- Rak'ah 1: Al-Fatihah + a short surah, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Rak'ah 2: Al-Fatihah + a short surah, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Intermediate sitting: tashahhud only — then say “Allahu akbar” and stand up.
- Rak'ah 3: Al-Fatihah only, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Rak'ah 4: Al-Fatihah only, then bowing, rising, two prostrations.
- Final sitting: tashahhud, salawat on the Prophet ﷺ, then salam right and left. The prayer is complete.
Tashahhud (as taught by Ibn Mas'ud)
At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat. As-salamu 'alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahis-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ (final sitting)
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid.
Recognised differences: the wording of the tashahhud (Malikis in Morocco often use the wording taught by 'Umar), the sitting posture, and whether anything is added in the intermediate sitting. All are valid paths; learn one from a teacher. needs scholar review
Prayer ladder: 2, 3 and 4 units
What if I mess up?
Purification by situation
Why mosques pray differently
Take your time in each position until you are still — this is part of the prayer, not an extra.
Al-Fatihah is recited in every rak'ah.
data-review: pending
data-review: pending