Takbir
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allahu akbar
Allah is the greatest
Pray with meaning
Walk through the prayer part by part — hear each one, see what every word means, and say it knowing what you're saying.
Every part of the prayer
In the order you say them
Opening takbir
تكبيرة الإحرام
Stand facing the qiblah, make the intention in your heart, raise your hands and say Allahu akbar to begin the prayer.
Standing and recitation
القيام والقراءة
Stand with the right hand over the left, recite an opening supplication, seek refuge, recite al-Fatiha and then, in the first two rak'ahs, another passage of the Quran.
Opening supplication
سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ
Subhanakal-lahumma wabihamdika watabarakas-muka wataʿala jadduka wala ilaha ghayruk.
How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. Blessed be Your name, and lofty is Your position and none has the right to be worshipped except You.
Seeking refuge from Satan
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
Aʿoothu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajeem.
I take refuge with Allah from the accursed devil.
Al-Fatiha (every rak'ah)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds - The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. It is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path - The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
Then a surah, e.g. al-Ikhlas (first two rak'ahs)
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
Bowing (ruku')
الركوع
Say Allahu akbar and bow, with the back straight and the hands on the knees, and glorify Allah.
In ruku'
Say 3 timesسُبْحانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
Subhana rabbiyal-ʿatheem
How perfect my Lord is, The Supreme.
Rising from bowing
الرفع من الركوع
Rise to standing, saying the words of rising, then praise Allah while standing upright.
While rising
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ
Samiʿal-lahu liman hamidah
May Allah answer he who praises Him.
Once upright
رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، حَمْداً كَثيراً طَيِّباً مُبارَكاً فِيهِ
Rabbana walakal-hamdu hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubarakan feeh.
Our Lord, for You is all praise, an abundant beautiful blessed praise.
Prostration (sujud)
السجود
Say Allahu akbar and prostrate on seven parts of the body, glorify Allah, and supplicate.
In sujud
Say 3 timesسُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَى
Subhana rabbiyal-aʿla.
How perfect my Lord is, The Most High.
Sitting between the two prostrations
الجلوس بين السجدتين
Say Allahu akbar, sit up until at rest, ask for forgiveness, then make the second prostration.
While sitting
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي
Rabbigh-fir lee, rabbigh-fir lee.
My Lord forgive me, My Lord forgive me.
Or the longer form · Or the longer form
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَارْحَمْنِي، وَاهْدِنِي، وَاجْبُرْنِي، وَعَافِنِي، وَارْزُقْنِي، وَارْفَعْنِي
Allahummagh-fir lee, warhamnee, wahdinee, wajburnee, waʿafinee, warzuqnee warfaʿnee.
O Allah, forgive me, have mercy upon me, guide me, enrich me, give me health, grant me sustenance and raise my rank.
Sitting for the tashahhud
التشهد
After the second rak'ah, and at the end of the prayer, sit and recite the tashahhud; in the final sitting add the blessings on the Prophet ﷺ and a supplication.
Tashahhud (every sitting)
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَواتُ، وَالطَّيِّباتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسولُهُ
Attahiyyatu lillahi wassalawatu wattayyibat, assalamu ʿalayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu warahmatul-lahi wabarakatuh, assalamu ʿalayna waʿala ʿibadil-lahis-saliheen. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illal-lah, wa-ashhadu anna Muhammadan ʿabduhu warasooluh.
At-tahiyyat is for Allah. All acts of worship and good deeds are for Him. Peace and the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you O Prophet. Peace be upon us and all of Allah’s righteous servants. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ (final sitting)
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma salli ʿala Muhammad, wa-ʿala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ʿala Ibraheema wa-ʿala ali Ibraheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed, allahumma barik ʿala Muhammad, wa-ʿala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ʿala Ibraheema wa-ʿala ali Ibraheem, innaka Hameedun Majeed.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad, just as You sent prayers upon Ibraheem and upon the followers of Ibraheem. Verily, You are full of praise and majesty. O Allah, send blessings upon Mohammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You sent blessings upon Ibraheem and upon the family of Ibraheem. Verily, You are full of praise and majesty.
Refuge from four things (final sitting)
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ
Allahumma innee aʿoothu bika min ʿathabil-qabr, wamin ʿathabi jahannam, wamin fitnatil-mahya walmamat, wamin shari fitnatil-maseehid-dajjal.
O Allah, I take refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, from the torment of the Fire, from the trials and tribulations of life and death and from the evil affliction of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjal.
Ending with the salam
التسليم
Turn the head to the right saying the salam, then to the left saying it again. The prayer is complete.
Salam (to the right, then to the left)
Say 2 timesالسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
Assalamu ʿalaykum warahmatul-lah
Peace be upon you, and mercy of Allah
Wording as in Noor's prayer guide (Hisn al-Muslim and the Qur'an). Some schools use other, also authentic, wordings — see the guide's notes.
Open the prayer guideWord meanings of the Qur'an: quran.com. Other word meanings: written for Noor, following the Hisn al-Muslim translation.