How do Muslims pray? Learn one rakat step by step. A rakat is the universal building block of every prayer. Once you learn one rakat with Layth and Sofia, you can pray any of the five daily prayers.
Assalamu alaikum! I'm Layth. Let's learn how to pray together. I'll show you each step with pictures, and our friend Sofia will help with the Arabic words. Just listen, look, and try it with me. Ready? Let's start!
Takbiratul Ihram
Stand up straight, facing the qiblah. Make the intention in your heart that you are going to pray. Raise your hands up to your ears, palms facing forward. Say 'Allahu akbar.' This opens your prayer.
Allah is the Greatest.
Dua al-Istiftah
After takbir, before we read Al-Fatiha, we say a short opening dua. It praises Allah and helps our heart get ready to pray. We say it just once, at the very start of the prayer.
Allah is the Greatest, abundantly. All praise is for Allah, abundantly. Glory be to Allah, morning and evening.
Surah Al-Fatiha: The Opening
After takbir, place your right hand over your left hand below your belly button. Now recite Al-Fatiha, the Opening of the Quran. Al-Fatiha is recited in every rakat of every prayer. It's the most important surah we know.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds.
The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment.
You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.
Guide us to the straight path.
The path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray.
Surah Al-Ikhlas: The Sincerity
After Al-Fatiha, recite any short surah you know. You can pick one you've memorized. Let's use Al-Ikhlas. It's short, beautiful, and teaches us about the oneness of Allah, the most important truth in Islam.
Say: He is Allah, the One.
Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
He does not give birth, nor was He born.
And there is none equal to Him.
Ruku
Say 'Allahu akbar' as you bow down. Place your hands on your knees with your fingers spread apart. Keep your back flat, like a tabletop. Look down at the floor. Say 'Subhana rabbiyal adheem' three times.
Glory to my Lord, the Magnificent.
I'tidal
Rise back up from the bow. Let your arms hang naturally at your sides. As you rise, say 'Sami Allahu liman hamidah.' Once standing straight, say 'Rabbana wa lakal hamd.'
Allah hears those who praise Him. Our Lord, all praise is for You.
Sujud
Say 'Allahu akbar' as you go down to the floor. This is sujud, the most special part of prayer. Your forehead AND nose touch the mat. Your hands are flat on the mat near your shoulders. Your knees are on the mat. Your toes are curled forward. Seven points touching the ground. Say 'Subhana rabbiyal a'la' three times. This is when you are closest to Allah.
Glory to my Lord, the Most High.
Jalsa (between the two sujuds)
Push up from sujud and sit on your left foot, with your right foot upright on its toes. Place your hands flat on your thighs. Say 'Allahu akbar' as you come up from the floor to sit. Pause for just a moment, calm and still. Then say 'Allahu akbar' again as you go back down for your second sujud.
Allah is the Greatest.
You did it! That was one full rakat: standing, bowing, two prostrations with a sit in between. This is the building block of every prayer.
For Fajr, you do this twice (two rakat). For Maghrib, three times. For Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha, four times. The recitations after Al-Fatiha get shorter in the later rakats, but the movements stay the same.
Now let's learn what happens when we sit between rakats and at the very end of the prayer.
Tashahhud (end of 2nd rakat)
After every second rakat, sit in the tashahhud position. Rest on your left foot with your right foot upright on its toes. Place your hands on your thighs. When you reach the words 'ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah,' raise your right pointer finger. This shows that Allah is One.
If the prayer has more rakats to go (like Maghrib, Dhuhr, Asr, or Isha), stand back up after this and continue. If this is your final rakat (like in Fajr), stay seated for what comes next.
All greetings are for Allah,
and prayers, and good actions.
Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Peace be upon us and the righteous servants of Allah.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.
And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
Durood al-Ibrahimi (end of final rakat)
This is the final sitting of every prayer. Sit the same way as before. First, recite the tashahhud you learned in step 8. Then, add the durood to send peace and blessings on the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The durood is special: we only say it here, in this final sitting.
Then, recite the durood:
O Allah, send Your peace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad,
as You sent peace upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.
And send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad,
as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, in all the worlds.
Indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Salaam
To end your prayer, turn your head to the right and say 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.' Then turn your head to the left and say it again. You are sending peace to the angels on each shoulder. Your prayer is now complete.
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy.
You learned how to pray one rakat! Mashallah, this is the foundation of everything. Now you can choose any of the five daily prayers and put what you learned into practice. Each prayer uses what you just learned, just with a different number of rakat. May Allah accept your prayers!
Assalamu alaikum. Let's learn how to pray together. We'll learn one rakat, the universal building block of every Muslim prayer. Once you know one rakat, you can pray any of the five daily prayers: Fajr (2 rakat), Maghrib (3 rakat), and Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha (4 rakat each).
Stand facing the qiblah. Raise your hands to your ears and say:
اللهُ أَكْبَرAllahu akbar: Allah is the greatest. This opens the prayer.
After takbir, before Al-Fatiha, recite the opening dua. It is said once, at the very start of the prayer:
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرًا، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثِيرًا، وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلًاAllahu akbaru kabira, wal-hamdulillahi kathira, wa subhanallahi bukratan wa asila: Allah is the Greatest, abundantly. All praise is for Allah, abundantly. Glory be to Allah, morning and evening.
Place your right hand over your left hand below your navel. Recite Surah Al-Fatiha:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ. مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ. إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ. اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ. صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَBismillahir-rahmanir-raheem. Alhamdu lillahi rabbil 'alameen. Ar-rahmanir-raheem. Maliki yawmid-deen. Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'een. Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqeem. Sirat alladheena an'amta alayhim, ghayril maghdubi alayhim wa lad-dalleen.
Meaning: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is for Allah, Lord of all worlds. The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path. The path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray.
After Al-Fatiha, recite a short surah you know. Surah Al-Ikhlas is short and beautiful:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ. اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ. لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ. وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌQul huwallahu ahad. Allahus-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yulad. Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.
Meaning: Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He does not give birth, nor was He born. And there is none equal to Him.
Say Allahu akbar and bow forward. Hands on knees, back flat. Say three times:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِSubhana rabbiyal adheem: Glory to my Lord, the Magnificent.
Rise from ruku, arms at sides. As you rise:
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدSami Allahu liman hamidah, rabbana wa lakal hamd: Allah hears those who praise Him. Our Lord, all praise is for You.
Say Allahu akbar and go down. Forehead and nose touch the mat. Seven points of contact: forehead+nose, both hands, both knees, both feet. Say three times:
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الأَعْلَىSubhana rabbiyal a'la: Glory to my Lord, the Most High.
Sit up on your left foot, right foot upright on its toes. Pause briefly. Then return to sujud, the same as before, and say Subhana rabbiyal a'la three more times.
That is one rakat: standing, bowing, two prostrations with a sit between. For Fajr, do this twice. For Maghrib, three times. For Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha, four times.
After every second rakat, sit in the tashahhud position. Rest on your left foot with your right foot upright on its toes. Recite the tashahhud:
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَوَاتُ، وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَىٰ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُRaise your right index finger at 'ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah.' If the prayer has more rakats to go, stand back up and continue. If this is your final rakat, stay seated for the next step.
In the final rakat, sit the same way and recite the tashahhud again, exactly as before. Then add the Durood to send peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad. The Durood is only recited in this final sitting:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ❁ وَبَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ ❁ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ❁Turn your head to the right and say:
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِAssalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah: Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy. Then turn your head to the left and say it again. Your prayer is complete.
You have learned the universal foundation of Muslim prayer. May Allah accept your salah and bless your effort.
Common questions about teaching kids the one-rakat foundation.
A rakat is one complete unit of Muslim prayer. Each rakat includes standing (qiyam) with recitations, bowing (ruku), prostrating twice (sujud), with a brief sit (jalsa) between the two prostrations.
The five daily prayers are made up of different numbers of rakat: Fajr has 2, Maghrib has 3, and Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha each have 4. Once a child learns one rakat, they can pray any of the five daily prayers.
Because every Muslim prayer is built from the same fundamental rakat. Teaching one rakat first gives children a clear mental model: master one, then simply repeat it the right number of times for whichever prayer they are doing.
This reduces the cognitive load and makes the five daily prayers feel approachable rather than overwhelming.
Not necessarily. Many children begin by going through the motions of prayer alongside their parents, gradually picking up the Arabic phrases as they hear them repeated. Memorization of Surah Al-Fatiha is usually the first goal, since it is recited in every rakat.
The shorter dhikr (like Subhana rabbiyal adheem in ruku) come naturally over time. Start with the movements and the love for prayer first. The words will follow.
This page teaches the Hanafi position, the most widely followed school of Islamic law globally, where the hands are folded just below the navel in the standing position. Other madhabs (Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali) have slight differences, most notably the hand position resting on the chest or just below the chest.
All schools agree on the core elements of prayer; the differences are minor variations in detail. If your family follows a different madhab, the rest of the prayer remains essentially the same and you can adjust the hand position to match your tradition.
Tashahhud is the declaration that we bear witness to the oneness of Allah and to Muhammad as His messenger. It is recited every time you sit after a second rakat. That means: once in Fajr, twice in Maghrib, and twice each in Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha.
Durood al-Ibrahimi (or Salawat) is the prayer for peace and blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad and his family, modeled after the prayers for Prophet Ibrahim. Unlike Tashahhud, the Durood is only recited once in each prayer: in the FINAL sitting, right after Tashahhud, before ending with Salaam.
In short: Tashahhud comes up several times in longer prayers, but Durood appears just once at the very end.
Allah accepts the prayer of any sincere worshipper according to their ability. Children who are learning will not have perfect postures, and that is completely fine. If a child cannot bow fully or prostrate properly, they should do their best.
As they grow, their postures will improve. The intention and effort matter most. There are also accommodations in Islamic law for those who cannot stand or prostrate due to illness or disability.
After Al-Fatiha in the first and second rakat, you recite any short surah you know. Al-Ikhlas, An-Nas, and Al-Falaq are popular short surahs for beginners.
In the third and fourth rakat of longer prayers (like Dhuhr or Asr), only Al-Fatiha is recited, without an additional surah. As children grow, they can learn more surahs and rotate through them.
Both are valuable. Praying alongside a parent teaches the rhythm and movements naturally, especially in the early years. Praying alone helps build the personal habit and the sense of direct connection with Allah.
Many families do both: children join the parent's prayer when they can, and pray individually at other times. As children get older and more confident, they pray more independently while still joining the family at certain prayers like Maghrib.