Ready to practice Asr?
Sofia will recite while you follow along with Layth. Just listen, watch, and try the movements with us. Takes about 8 minutes.
Practice AsrWhat is Asr?
Asr is the afternoon prayer. We pray it when the sun has moved well past its highest point, but is still up in the sky. For most kids, that means sometime in the late afternoon, when school might be ending or you are getting ready for dinner.
Asr has 4 rakat, the same structure as Dhuhr. Like Dhuhr, it is a quiet prayer, which means when you pray it for real, you say the words softly to yourself. Sofia will recite them out loud here so you can hear and learn.
Asr is sometimes called "the middle prayer" because of a special verse in the Quran (2:238) that says to guard all the prayers, and especially the middle one. Many scholars say this middle prayer is Asr, because it comes in the middle of the busy afternoon when people might forget. So when you remember to pray Asr, you are doing something extra special.
What you'll recite
Every rakat begins with Al-Fatiha (the opening of the Quran). In Asr, you only add a short surah after Al-Fatiha in the first two rakat. In rakats three and four, you say Al-Fatiha by itself.
You get to choose which surah comes after Al-Fatiha in the first two rakat. When you tap practice, you'll pick from the surahs you have learned. Here's what each rakat looks like:
- Al-Fatiha
- Your chosen surah
- Al-Fatiha
- Your chosen surah
- Al-Fatiha (just by itself)
- Al-Fatiha (just by itself)
Short surahs like Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas, and Al-Falaq are great choices, and it's nice to pick a different one for the second rakat.
After the second rakat, you sit for a short moment to say the tashahhud, then stand back up for the third rakat. The full sitting with tashahhud, durood, and salaam happens at the very end, after the fourth rakat.
Haven't learned the basics yet?
If you don't know how to pray one rakat yet, that's okay! Start with the Start Here lesson first. Layth and Sofia will teach you each posture and recitation, one step at a time.
Once you've learned one rakat, you'll be ready to practice any of the five daily prayers.
Ready to give it a try?
Practice AsrQuestions parents ask
How many rakat is Asr?
Asr is 4 rakat, with the same structure as Dhuhr. The first two rakat each include Al-Fatiha followed by a short surah of your choice. After the second rakat the worshipper sits for the first tashahhud, then stands again. The third and fourth rakat contain Al-Fatiha only, with no surah added after it. The prayer ends with a final sitting that includes the tashahhud, the durood, and salaam to the right and then to the left.
When do Muslims pray Asr?
Asr is prayed in the afternoon, after the sun has moved well past its highest point in the sky. The window opens when the shadow of an object becomes equal to its own height (which marks the end of Dhuhr) and closes at sunset (when Maghrib begins). Most Muslim families use a prayer time app or website to know the precise minute Asr begins each day, since the time shifts gradually throughout the year and varies by location.
Why is Asr called the middle prayer?
Asr is often referred to as the middle prayer (al-salah al-wusta), based on a verse in the Quran that says to guard the prayers, especially the middle prayer (Quran 2:238). Many scholars identify this middle prayer as Asr because it falls in the middle of the five daily prayers and at a time of day when people are busy with afternoon activities, making it the prayer most easily forgotten or rushed. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized its importance and warned against missing it.
What surahs do you recite in Asr?
In Asr, only the first two rakat add a short surah after Al-Fatiha. The choice of short surah is up to the worshipper. Common choices for children include Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah An-Nas, and Surah Al-Falaq because they are short, easy to memorize, and frequently taught early. The third and fourth rakat of Asr contain Al-Fatiha only, with no surah added. This pattern is the same as Dhuhr and Isha.
Is Asr prayed silently or aloud?
Asr is one of the silent prayers, just like Dhuhr. The recitation of Al-Fatiha and the short surah is said quietly to oneself, not audibly. When an imam leads a congregation in Asr, the recitation is also silent (only the takbirs and the salaam are spoken audibly). Fajr, Maghrib, and Isha are loud prayers. In the Layth and Layan practice mode, Sofia recites the words aloud so children can hear and learn them; when praying for real, they will say the same words quietly.
Why are rakats 3 and 4 of Asr different from rakats 1 and 2?
In Asr, the first two rakat each include Al-Fatiha followed by a short surah of the worshipper's choice, while the third and fourth rakat contain Al-Fatiha alone with no additional surah. This is the standard structure of the four-rakat obligatory prayers (Dhuhr, Asr, Isha): a short surah is recited in the first two rakat only. The movements (ruku and sujud) remain the same in every rakat.
Why is there a sitting in the middle of Asr?
After the second rakat of any four-rakat prayer, the worshipper sits briefly to recite the first tashahhud. This first sitting includes only the tashahhud (the testimony of faith), not the durood (the blessings on the Prophet) and not the salaam. After the first tashahhud, the worshipper stands back up and continues with the third rakat. The full sitting with tashahhud, durood, and salaam comes at the very end of the prayer, after the fourth rakat.
How long does Asr take?
Asr typically takes about 8 to 10 minutes when prayed alone at a calm, learning pace. A child praying along with the Layth and Layan guided practice can expect about 8 minutes. When prayed quickly, it can be as short as 5 minutes; when prayed slowly with longer surahs, it can take 15 minutes or more. The length depends on which short surahs are chosen and how unhurried the recitation is.