How to Pray Salah Correctly Step by Step
All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
Salah is the greatest pillar of Islam after the two testimonies of faith. It is the connection between the servant and his Lord, and it is the first deed for which a person will be brought to account on the Day of Judgment. If it is sound, the rest of a person's deeds are sound, and if it is corrupt, the rest of his deeds are harmed according to the deficiency in his prayer.
This explanation of prayer is based on the Quran, the authentic Sunnah, and the understanding of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah according to the way of the Companions رضي الله عنهم and the righteous early generations in describing the prayer of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Allah says: "Establish prayer." [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:43]
And He says: "Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers at fixed times." [Surah An-Nisa' 4:103]
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Pray as you have seen me praying." Narrated by Al-Bukhari.
This is a great principle in learning the correct prayer: a Muslim should make his prayer match the guidance of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in its pillars, obligations, and manner.
Before you begin the prayer
There are a few things that must be in place before salah is valid:
The prayer time has entered.
You are in a state of purification from minor or major ritual impurity.
Your body, clothes, and place of prayer are free from impurity.
Your awrah is covered.
You are facing the qiblah.
You have the intention in your heart.
Step One: Face the qiblah and make the intention
Stand facing the qiblah with the intention in your heart for the prayer you want to offer. The intention is in the heart, and it is not legislated to pronounce it aloud.
Step Two: Say the opening takbir
Raise your hands level with your shoulders or ears and say:
Allahu Akbar
This is the opening takbir that begins the prayer, and salah is not valid without it.
Step Three: Place the right hand over the left and recite the opening supplication
After the takbir, place your right hand over your left on your chest. Then recite an opening supplication if you wish, such as:
Subhanak Allahumma wa bihamdik, wa tabarak asmuk, wa ta'ala jadduk, wa la ilaha ghayruk.
Then say:
A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytan ir-rajim
followed by:
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim
Step Four: Recite Al-Fatiha
Recite Surah Al-Fatiha in every rak'ah, because it is one of the pillars of prayer.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
"There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book." Agreed upon.
After Al-Fatiha, say Amin, then recite what is easy for you from the Quran in the first two rak'ahs.
Step Five: Bow in rukoo'
Raise your hands, say Allahu Akbar, and bow. Keep your back straight and level, neither raised too high nor lowered too much. Place your hands on your knees with the fingers spread apart. A complete rukoo' includes taking care to straighten the back properly.
In rukoo', say:
Subhana Rabbiy al-'Azim
three times or more.
Step Six: Rise from rukoo'
Rise from bowing and say:
Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah
If you are praying alone or leading the prayer.
Then, after standing upright, say:
Rabbana wa laka al-hamd
You should stand fully upright until every part of the body returns to its place.
Step Seven: Prostrate
Say Allahu Akbar and go down to sujood on the seven body parts:
the forehead and nose
the two hands
the two knees
the toes of both feet
In sujood, say:
Subhana Rabbiy al-A'la
three times or more.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
"The closest that a servant comes to his Lord is while he is prostrating, so increase in supplication." Narrated by Muslim.
Step Eight: Rise from prostration and sit between the two prostrations
Rise from sujood, saying Allahu Akbar, sit upright, and say:
Rabbi ighfir li
or:
Rabbi ighfir li, warhamni, wahdini, warzuqni, wajburni
and similar authentic supplications.
Step Nine: Make the second prostration
Make the second sujood just as you did the first, then stand for the second rak'ah, saying, Allahu Akbar.
Step Ten: Do in the second rak'ah what you did in the first
In the second rak'ah, recite Al-Fatiha and what is easy from the Quran, then bow, rise, and make two prostrations as before.
Step Eleven: Sit for the tashahhud
If the prayer is two rak'ahs, like Fajr, sit after the second rak'ah for the final tashahhud. If it is three or four rak'ahs, sit after the second rak'ah for the first tashahhud.
Among the well-known wordings of tashahhud is:
At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu 'alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, as-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillah is-salihin, ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
In the final tashahhud, send blessings upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Step Twelve: Complete the remaining rak'ahs
In Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, and 'Isha', stand after the first tashahhud to complete the remaining rak'ahs. In the later rak'ahs, you will generally recite Al-Fatiha only.
Step Thirteen: End with taslim
After the final tashahhud, blessings upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and any supplication, end the prayer by saying to your right:
As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah
then to your left:
As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah
The pillars of prayer in brief
Among the most important pillars of salah are:
standing when able
the opening takbir
reciting Al-Fatiha
rukoo'
rising from rukoo'
sujood
sitting between the two prostrations
stillness in all pillars
the final tashahhud
sitting for it
the taslim
Khushu and stillness in prayer
Khushu is the soul of prayer, and stillness is one of its great pillars, without which the prayer is not valid. Stillness means that the worshipper becomes settled in rukoo', sujood, standing, and sitting, rather than rushing through the prayer.
It is authentically established that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered the man who prayed badly to repeat his prayer because he was not tranquil in it. For this reason, a Muslim should care for the soundness of the pillars, the presence of the heart, and awareness of the greatness of the One before Whom he stands.
Common mistakes in prayer
rushing and failing to be still
not straightening the back in rukoo'
not standing upright after rukoo'
making sujood too quickly without settling properly
leaving Al-Fatiha or not reciting it correctly
becoming distracted by phones or other things that reduce concentration
How can you improve khushu in prayer?
remember that you are standing before Allah
pray at the beginning of the time
stay away from distractions before prayer
understand what you are reciting and saying
increase in dua during sujood
maintain the adhkar after salah
Frequently Asked Questions About Prayer
Do I need to say the intention out loud?
No. The intention is in the heart, and it is not authentically reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that he used to pronounce it aloud.
What if I forget one of the pillars of prayer?
You must return to the pillar that you left out, because the pillars do not fall away through forgetfulness. Then complete the prayer correctly.
Is prayer valid without stillness?
No. Stillness is a pillar of prayer, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ordered the one who prayed badly to repeat it because he did not have tranquility in his prayer.
What should I recite after Al-Fatiha?
Recite whatever is easy for you from the Quran in the first two rak'ahs, even if it is a short surah.
Conclusion
Correct prayer is a great blessing. It is a door to peace, tranquility, and success. Every Muslim should learn the prayer of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and strive to establish it properly outwardly and inwardly.
So be careful to pray on time, perform it with khushu and stillness, and continue learning its rulings. The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are sincere and correct.