The Prayer (Ṣalāh)
made easy
The First Unit
What to Say (Transliteration/Translation) What to Do
1. Takbīr (Exaltation of Allāh)
Allāhu Akbar
Allāh is the Greatest.
Raise your hands to your ears and then tie them below your navel with the right hand over the left, staring at the place of prostration.
2. Thanā’ (Praise)
subḥānak Allāhumma wa bi-ḥamdiKa
wa tabārak-asmuKa
wa taʿālā jadduKa
wa lā ilāha ghayruK(a)
This must be recited in the first unit of every prayer.
Glory be to You, O Allāh, and [extreme] praise Your Name is blessed
Your Majesty is exalted And there is no god but You.
3. Taʿawwudh (Seeking Protection)
aʿūdhu bi ’Llāhi mina ’sh-shayṭāni ’r-rajīm
I seek refuge with Allāh from Shayṭān the accursed
This must be recited in the first unit of every prayer.
4. Basmalah (Saying the Name of Allāh)
bismi ’Llāhi ’r-Raḥmāni ’r-Raḥīm
[I begin] with the Name of Allāh, the Divinely-Compassionate, the Ever-Merciful.
This is be recited in the first unit of every prayer.
5. [Sūrat] al-Fātiḥah (the Opening)
al-ḥamdu li ’Llāhi Rabbi ’l-ʿālamīn
ar- Raḥmāni ’r-Raḥīm
Māliki yawmi ’d-dīn
iyyāKa naʿbudu wa iyyaKa nastaʿīn
ihdina ’ṣ-ṣirāṭā ’l-mustaqīm
ṣirāṭa ’lladhīna anʿamTa ʿalayhim
This must be recited in every unit of every prayer.
ghayri ’l-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim
wa la ’ḍ-ḍāllīn
(āmīn)
All Praise is due to Allāh, Lord of [all] the worlds The Divinely-Compassionnate, the Ever-Merciful
Master of the Day of Judgement
You alone we worship, and You alone we seek for help Guide us on the Straight Path
The Path of those whom You have favoured
Not of those who have earned [Your] anger and nor of those who went astray.
6. Added Sūrah
[Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ]
qul huwa ’Llāhu aḥad
Allāhu ’ṣ-Ṣamad
lam yalid wa lam yūlad
wa lam yaku ’l-laHū kufuwan aḥad
Say (O Beloved Muḥammad): ‘He is Allāh, the only One Allāh is Eternal, Independent
He did not beget and nor was He begotten And there is none equal to Him.’
A short Sūrah, or at least three verses, are added in every unit of every non-obligatory prayer. In obligatory prayers, it is only added in the first 2 units.
Allāhu Akbar
Allāh is the Greatest.
Release your hands and enter the bowing (rukūʿ) posture, with hands gripping the knees, back being parallel to the ground, and staring between the feet.
8. Tasbīḥ (Praise) in Bowing (Rukūʿ)
subḥāna Rabbī (y)al-ʿAẓīm
Glory to my Lord, the Great.
This must be pronounced three times in the bowing posture.
9. Tasmīʿ
samiʿAllāhu li-man ḥamidaH
Allāh hears whoever praises Him.
Whilst saying this, adopt the standing posture, with hands hanging down the sides, staring at the place of prostration.
10. Taḥmīd
Rabba-nā laKa ’l-ḥamd
Our Lord! All praise be to You.
Say this when you are standing upright.
11. Takbīr (Exaltation of Allāh)
Allāhu Akbar
Allāh is the Greatest.
should touch the ground first, softly, then the hands,
nose+forehead.
12. Tasbīḥ (Praise) in Prostration (Sajdah)
subḥāna Rabbī (y)al-Aʿlā
Glory to my Lord, the Most High.
This must be pronounced three times.
13. Takbīr (Exaltation of Allāh)
Allāhu Akbar
Allāh is the Greatest.
Adopt the sitting posture. The right foot must be erect with the toes bent facing the Qiblah, and the left foot must be resting flat on the floor.
14. Takbīr (Exaltation of Allāh)
Allāhu Akbar
Allāh is the Greatest.
Repeat Step 12
15. Takbīr (Exaltation of Allāh)
Allāhu Akbar
After second prostration of first unit, say the Takbīr and adoptAllāh is the Greatest. the standing posture, with
hands tied below the navel, as you did in the first unit.
The Second Unit
In the second unit, repeat what you did in the first unit, missing out Steps 1,2,3 & 4.
16. Tashahhud (Testimony)
at-taḥiyyātu li ’Llāhi
wa ’ṣ-ṣalawātu wa ’ṭ-ṭayyibātu,
as-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuha ’n-nabiyyu
wa-raḥmatu ’Llāhi wa barakātuH,
as-salāmu ʿalaynā
wa-ʿalā ʿibādi ’Llāhi ’ṣ-ṣāliḥīn,
ash’hadu al-
lā
ilāha
illa
’Llāhu
wa ash’hadu anna Muḥammadan
ʿabdu-Hū wa-rasūluH
All oral, physical and monetary worship is for Allāh,
peace be upon you O Prophet, as well as the mercy and blessings of Allāh, peace be upon us all, and upon the righteous servants of Allāh.
I testify that there is no god but Allāh,
And I testify that Muḥammad is His servant and messenger.
After the second prostration of the second unit, adopt the sitting posture, staring at the lap.
When pronouncing the word of negation (lā), coloured here in green, one is to form a circle with the middle finger and thumb of the right hand, and raise the index finger. When reaching the word of
affirmation (illā), he should lower the index finger and release the circle to normal position coloured here in red.
If this is a prayer of more than 2 units, then say the Takbīr, adopt the standing posture and repeat all the Steps from Step 5 onwards. At the end of the final unit, perform the following Steps.
17. Ṣalawāt (Invoking Blessings)
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli-Muḥammadin
ka-mā ṣallayTa ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli-Ibrāhīma inna-Ka
Ḥamīdu ’m-Majīd,
Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli-Muḥammadin
ka-mā bārakTa ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli-Ibrāhīma inna-Ka
Ḥamīdu ’m-Majīd,
Rabbi ’jʿal-nī muqīma ’ṣ-ṣalāti wa min-dhurriyyatī,
Rabbanā wa-taqabbal duʿā,
Rabbana ’ghfir lī wa-liwālidayya wa li ’l-mu’minīna yawma
yaqūmu ’l-ḥisāb
O Allāh! Shower mercy upon Muḥammad and upon the family of Muḥammad, just as you showered mercy upon Ibrāhīm and upon the family of Ibrāhīm - indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Majestic.
O Allāh! Shower blessings upon Muḥammad and upon the family of Muḥammad, just as you showered blessings upon Ibrāhīm and upon the family of Ibrāhīm - indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Majestic.
My Lord, make me one who performs the prayer, as well as my children. Our Lord, accept the supplication.
Our Lord, forgive me, both my parents and [all] the believers on the day when the Reckoning will be established.
Remain in the sitting posture, with both hands on thighs, fingers spread apart, and staring at the lap.
18. Salām (Salutation)
as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu ’Llāh
Peace and Blessings of Allāh be upon you. Turn your head to the right side.
as-salāmu ʿalaykum wa-raḥmatu ’Llāh
Peace and Blessings of Allāh be upon you.
Turn your head to the left side.
End of Prayer
Text Highlighted GREEN is only to be recited in the first unit of any prayer (or third unit of non-emphasised sunnah prayer). Text Highlighted PINK is: short Sūrah or 3 verses to be added to the Fātiḥah in first 2 units of obligatory (farḍ) prayer, or every unit of non-obligatory prayer.