New to prayer
Questions beginners ask about prayer
The questions almost everyone has when they start to pray, answered simply. For anything about your own situation, ask an imam at your local masjid.
I don’t know Al-Fatiha yet. Can I pray?
Yes. Start praying now, and learn as you go. Choose a prayer and pray it along with Layth and Sofia, who guide you through every step and every word. Listen to Sofia recite Al-Fatiha verse by verse until it feels familiar, and keep the How to Pray cheat sheet on your prayer mat. Until you know it by heart, ask your imam what to say in its place.
Which way do I face?
Every prayer is made up of units called rakat, with standing, bowing and prostrating. Muslims all over the world face the same direction when they pray, towards the Kaaba in Mecca, and recite Al-Fatiha in every unit.
To find the direction wherever you are, open Google’s Qibla Finder on your phone: qiblafinder.withgoogle.com.
When do I pray?
The exact prayer times vary by location and season. Most Muslim families use a prayer time app or website to know the precise time each day.
Do I need a prayer mat?
No. Any clean surface works. Many people like using a mat, but you don’t need one.
Can I pray on my own?
It can be prayed alone, or together at a masjid.
Do women pray during their period?
During their period, and in the bleeding after childbirth, women don’t pray, and they don’t make up those prayers afterwards. When it ends, they make ghusl and begin praying again.
What if I can’t stand?
Allah asks of each person only what they can do. If you can’t stand, pray sitting, on the floor or on a chair. If you can’t bow or go down to the floor, lean forward as far as is comfortable, a little lower for sujud than for ruku. If you can’t sit, pray lying on your side.
“Pray standing; if you cannot, then sitting; if you cannot, then on your side.” Narrated by Imran ibn Husain, in Sahih al-Bukhari.
“Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear.” Quran 2:286.
Where to start
How to prayEvery movement of salah, with the Arabic, how to say it, and what it means.Learn →
Practice the five daily prayersPray along with a guide until the order feels natural.Practice →
How to make wuduThe washing before prayer, step by step, with video.Watch →
New MuslimsThe shahada, the pillars, wudu and prayer, in the order you’ll need them.Start →