The Water · Practices
Contact Prayers (Salat)
Five times a day, we stand before God, with no one in between. Here is where the prayers come from, and how to do them.
I am GOD; there is no other god beside Me. You shall worship Me alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me.
[20:14]The Contact Prayers are exactly what the name says: contact with God. Five times a day, we stop what we are doing and turn to Him directly.
God tells us why: “You shall worship Me alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me.” [20:14] The prayer is for remembering God. And it is for God alone.
This page walks through everything a beginner needs. Where the five prayers are named in the Quran. How to get ready with the ablution. How to pray, one step at a time. And how to keep the prayers going, day after day.
Take it slowly. Most people learn it over a few weeks, and that is fine.
On This Page
Four parts, and the questions people ask after each one.
The Five Prayers in the Quran
People sometimes say the five daily prayers are not in the Quran. But they are there, and the footnote in this translation to 2:238 says it plainly: ‘All five prayers are found in 2:238, 11:114, 17:78, & 24:58.’
God tells us the prayers have set times: “the Contact Prayers (Salat) are decreed for the believers at specific times.” [4:103] Then He names those times across four verses. Here they are, one by one.
Where Each Prayer Is Named
The four verses that name the five prayers, and which prayer each one points to. The times follow Appendix 15 in this translation.
O you who believe, permission must be requested by your servants and the children who have not attained puberty (before entering your rooms). This is to be done in three instances—before the Dawn Prayer, at noon when you change your clothes to rest, and after the Night Prayer. These are three private times for you. At other times, it is not wrong for you or them to mingle with one another. GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.[24:58]
The Dawn Prayer and the Night Prayer, named by name. The translation's heading over this verse includes the words ‘Two Prayers Mentioned by Name’.
You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) at both ends of the day, and during the night. The righteous works wipe out the evil works. This is a reminder for those who would take heed.[11:114]
Appendix 15 cites this verse for the Dawn Prayer and the Sunset Prayer, at “both ends of the day”. The words “during the night” point to the Night Prayer, named in 24:58. The heading over this verse is ‘Three of the Five Prayers’.
You shall observe the Contact Prayer (Salat) when the sun declines from its highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shall also observe (the recitation of) the Quran at dawn. (Reciting) the Quran at dawn is witnessed.[17:78]
The Noon Prayer. The heading over this verse is ‘The Noon Prayer’.
You shall consistently observe the Contact Prayers, especially the middle prayer, and devote yourselves totally to GOD.[2:238]
Appendix 15 cites this verse for the Afternoon Prayer, “the middle prayer”. Its time runs through the three to four hours before sunset, midway between noon and sunset.
The Five Prayers at a Glance
Each prayer can be prayed any time from when it becomes due until the next prayer becomes due (Appendix 15).
| Prayer | When it is due | Units | Where in the Quran |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn (Fajr) | During the two hours before sunrise | 2 | [24:58] [11:114] |
| Noon (Zuhr) | When the sun declines from its highest point | 4 | [17:78] |
| Afternoon (Asr) | During the three to four hours before sunset | 4 | [2:238] |
| Sunset (Maghrib) | After the sun has set | 3 | [11:114] |
| Night (Isha) | After the twilight has gone from the sky | 4 | [24:58] [11:114] |
The Five Prayers Across a Day
A simple picture of where each prayer falls, from one night to the next.
Diagram coming soon
A day drawn as a line from night to night, with the sun rising and setting, and the five prayer windows marked on it: Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset and Night.
Dawn
The two hours before sunrise. 2 units.
Noon
Once the sun passes its highest point. 4 units.
Afternoon
The last three to four hours before sunset. 4 units.
Sunset
Just after the sun goes down. 3 units.
Night
Once the twilight has gone. 4 units.
The Friday Prayer
On Friday, the Friday Congregational Prayer takes the place of the Noon Prayer. God says: “O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer (Salat Al-Jumu'ah) is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of GOD, and drop all business. This is better for you, if you only knew.” [62:9]
Appendix 15 explains that it is a duty ‘upon every Submitting man and woman’, and that it is made up of two sermons and two units.
Prayer times move with the sun through the year, and they differ from place to place. So it is best to use a prayer-time calculator for your own location.
Questions About the Five Prayers
Where does the Quran mention the five daily prayers?
In four verses: 24:58, 11:114, 17:78 and 2:238. Together they name all five prayers. The Dawn Prayer and the Night Prayer are named in 24:58: “before the Dawn Prayer... and after the Night Prayer.” [24:58] The Dawn and Sunset prayers, and the Night Prayer again, are in this verse: “You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) at both ends of the day, and during the night.” [11:114] The Noon Prayer is in 17:78: “when the sun declines from its highest point at noon” [17:78]. And Appendix 15 cites “the middle prayer” [2:238] for the Afternoon Prayer. The footnote to 2:238 sums it up: ‘All five prayers are found in 2:238, 11:114, 17:78, & 24:58.’
Why do the prayers have different numbers of units?
Because that is how they were given through Abraham, and they have been kept that way. The five prayers have 2, 4, 4, 3 and 4 units, which makes 17 a day. The practices were already known when the Quran came. God says He taught Abraham, Lot, Isaac and Jacob “how to observe the Contact Prayers (Salat)” [21:73], and He told Muhammad to follow Abraham's religion [16:123]. The footnote in this translation to 2:238 adds a sign that the numbers are confirmed: written side by side, the units of the five prayers make 24434, which is 19 x 1286. Appendix 15 notes that 17, the total number of units, is also the sura number and verse count of Sura 1 written together: 1 and 7.
Can a prayer be prayed late, or early?
Late, yes, up to the moment the next prayer becomes due. Early, no: a prayer is not due until its time begins. The Dawn Prayer must be prayed before sunrise. God tells us: “the Contact Prayers (Salat) are decreed for the believers at specific times.” [4:103] And He praises those who “consistently observe their contact prayers (Salat), on time.” [70:34] Appendix 15 says each prayer is valid if prayed any time during its period, until the next prayer is due. So the Noon Prayer can be prayed at any point before the Afternoon Prayer begins. As our own advice, it helps to pray near the start of the window, so the prayer does not get squeezed out by the day.
Getting Ready: The Ablution
Before we pray, we wash in a simple way called the ablution (Wudu). God gives it in four steps, in one verse:
“O you who believe, when you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), you shall: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your arms to the elbows, (3) wipe your heads, and (4) wash your feet to the ankles.” [5:6]
That is the whole ablution. Appendix 9 in this translation says the Quran restored it to these four original steps. It only takes a few moments.
One ablution lasts for as many prayers as we like, until something breaks it. The translation's heading over 4:43 is ‘What Nullifies Ablution’. That verse and 5:6 name urine, feces and gas, and sexual contact. Sleeping breaks it too, since we become unaware. After sexual orgasm, we bathe [5:6].
How to Do the Ablution
The four steps of 5:6, and the dry ablution for when there is no water.
Animated illustration coming soon
A short animation of one person doing the ablution: washing the face, the arms to the elbows, wiping the head with wet hands, and washing the feet to the ankles. Then the dry ablution: touching clean dry soil and wiping the face and hands.
1. Wash the face
Wash your whole face with water.
2. Wash the arms
Wash each arm, from the hand up to the elbow.
3. Wipe the head
Wipe your head with wet hands.
4. Wash the feet
Wash each foot up to the ankle.
No water? Dry ablution
Touch clean dry soil, then wipe your face and hands [5:6].
Place, Direction and Voice
We can pray anywhere clean: at home, at work, in a park. Two people are enough for a congregation.
We face the Sacred Mosque in Mecca: “Wherever you may be, all of you shall turn your faces towards it.” [2:144] The translation's heading over that verse is ‘Qiblah Restored to Mecca’. A compass app will show the direction from where you are.
Before we begin, we state our intention in our own language: which prayer this is.
And we pray in a moderate voice: “You shall not utter your Contact Prayers (Salat) too loudly, nor secretly; use a moderate tone.” [17:110] When we pray in a group, the one leading the prayer says the words aloud and the others follow silently.
Questions About Getting Ready
What breaks the ablution?
Going to the toilet, passing gas, sexual contact, and sleep. After any of these, we wash again before the next prayer. The verse on the ablution speaks of those who “had any digestive excretion (urinary, fecal, or gas), or had (sexual) contact with the women” [5:6]. The translation's heading over 4:43, which gives the same list, is ‘What Nullifies Ablution’. Sleeping breaks the ablution as well, because we are no longer aware of ourselves. After sexual orgasm, a full bath is needed: “If you were unclean due to sexual orgasm, you shall bathe.” [5:6] Otherwise, one ablution is enough for several prayers.
What if there is no water?
Then we do the dry ablution (Tayammum). God made it easy on purpose. He says: “If you are ill, or traveling, or had any digestive excretion (urinary, fecal, or gas), or had (sexual) contact with the women, and you cannot find water, you shall observe the dry ablution (Tayammum) by touching clean dry soil, then rubbing your faces and hands. GOD does not wish to make the religion difficult for you; He wishes to cleanse you and to perfect His blessing upon you, that you may be appreciative.” [5:6] So when we need the ablution and cannot find water, we touch clean dry soil and wipe our face and hands. Then we pray.
Can women pray during their monthly period?
Yes. The Quran does not forbid prayer during menstruation. The verse on menstruation is about one thing only. God tells His messenger to answer: “It is harmful; you shall avoid sexual intercourse with the women during menstruation” [2:222]. It says nothing about prayer. The verses that tell us what breaks the ablution, 4:43 and 5:6, do not mention menstruation either. The translation's Appendix 33 lists ‘Forbidding menstruating women from worshiping’ among the distortions that entered the religion, citing 2:222. God rewards men and women equally: “I never fail to reward any worker among you for any work you do, be you male or female—you are equal to one another.” [3:195]
How to Pray, Step by Step
Every prayer is made of units (Rak'ahs). Each unit has the same shape. Once we know one unit, we know them all.
It helps to learn the movements first, with no words, until they feel natural. Then add the words, one at a time, and learn what each one means the same day.
The heart of each unit is Sura 1, which this translation calls The Key. The footnote to 2:37 says God has given us these specific words to establish contact with Him. And Appendix 15 says The Key must be recited in Arabic. The short phrases at each position are said in Arabic too. That is all the Arabic the prayer needs. Everything else, like our intention and our own requests, is in our own language.
One Unit of Prayer
The movements of one unit, in order. Every prayer repeats this shape.
Animated illustration coming soon
A short animation of one person praying one unit, with the words shown at each step: standing and saying Allahu Akbar, reciting The Key, bowing, rising, prostrating, sitting, and prostrating again.
1. Stand and begin
Face the Qiblah. Raise your hands to the sides of your face, thumbs touching your ears, palms facing forward. Say Allahu Akbar as you raise them and lower them to your sides in one motion.
2. Recite The Key
Standing, recite Sura 1, all seven verses, in Arabic.
3. Bow (Rukoo')
Say Allahu Akbar and bow, hands on knees. Say Subhaana Rabbiyal `Azeem.
4. Rise
Stand up straight, saying Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah.
5. Prostrate (Sujood)
Say Allahu Akbar and go down, forehead to the floor. Say Subhaana Rabbiyal A`laa.
6. Sit
Say Allahu Akbar and sit up for a moment.
7. Prostrate again
Say Allahu Akbar and prostrate a second time, saying Subhaana Rabbiyal A`laa.
8. Stand or sit
Say Allahu Akbar and stand for the next unit, or sit for the Shahaadah (after the second unit, and at the end).
The Words and What They Mean
Learn each phrase together with its meaning. It is only a few lines.
| When | We say | It means |
|---|---|---|
| Starting, and at each change of position (except rising from the bow) | Allahu Akbar | God is Great |
| Standing | Sura 1, The Key, in Arabic | In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to God, Lord of the universe... You alone we worship; You alone we ask for help. Guide us in the right path [1:1-7] |
| Bowing | Subhaana Rabbiyal `Azeem | Glory be to my Lord, the Great |
| Rising from the bow | Sami` Allahu Liman Hamidah | God responds to those who praise Him |
| Prostrating | Subhaana Rabbiyal A`laa | Glory be to my Lord, the Most High |
| Sitting after the second unit, and at the end (the Shahaadah) | Ash-hadu Allaa Elaaha Ellaa Allah. Wahdahu Laa Shareeka Lah. | I bear witness that there is no other god beside God. He alone is God; He has no partner. |
| Finishing, turning right then left | Assalaamu Alaikum | Peace be upon you |
Each Prayer, From Start to Finish
Now we put the units together. The sitting witness at the end, ‘Ash-hadu Allaa Elaaha Ellaa Allah. Wahdahu Laa Shareeka Lah’, is called the Shahaadah. The steps below are the prayer as it has been handed down since Abraham (Appendix 9).
The Five Prayers, Unit by Unit
Each prayer is built from the same unit. Only the number of units and the sittings change.
Dawn Prayer: 2 units
Pray two units. After the second prostration of the second unit, say Allahu Akbar and sit. Say the Shahaadah, then turn your head right and left saying Assalaamu Alaikum.
Noon Prayer: 4 units
Pray two units, sit and say the Shahaadah, but do not give the greeting yet. Stand and pray two more units. Then sit, say the Shahaadah, and finish with Assalaamu Alaikum.
Afternoon Prayer: 4 units
The same as the Noon Prayer. Only the intention is different.
Sunset Prayer: 3 units
Pray two units, sit and say the Shahaadah, but do not give the greeting yet. Stand and pray the third unit. Then sit, say the Shahaadah, and finish with Assalaamu Alaikum.
Night Prayer: 4 units
The same as the Noon and Afternoon Prayers.
For God Alone
One detail matters more than any other. The prayer is devoted to God alone. God says: “The places of worship belong to GOD; do not call on anyone else beside GOD.” [72:18]
No other name is added beside God's, at any point in the prayer. Appendix 15 warns that commemorating anyone else in the prayer, such as ‘Muhammad and his family’ or ‘Abraham and his family’, renders the prayer null and void. The reason is in this verse: “if you ever commit idol worship, all your works will be nullified” [39:65].
The translation's footnote to 9:107 says that any masjid where the practices are not devoted absolutely to God alone belongs to Satan, not God. It gives the example of mentioning the names of Abraham, Muhammad or Ali in the call to prayer or in the prayer itself. Of such a masjid, God says: “You shall never pray in such a masjid.” [9:108] The heading over that verse is ‘Do Not Pray in Those Masjids’. So we pray at home, at work, or anywhere clean, with other believers who worship God alone.
Questions About How to Pray
Do we have to pray in Arabic?
The Key (Sura 1) must be recited in Arabic, as Appendix 15 says. That is all the Arabic the prayer needs. Everything else can be said in our own language, including our intention and our own requests to God. The footnote in this translation to 2:37 gives the background. Adam “received from his Lord words, whereby He redeemed him” [2:37]. In the same way, the footnote says, God has given us the words of Sura 1 to establish contact with Him. So believers everywhere say the same words in the same language. But we should always learn what they mean. God tells us not to pray while intoxicated, “so that you know what you are saying” [4:43]. Knowing what we say matters to Him.
Can we add the Prophet's name to the prayer?
No. The prayer is for God alone, and no other name is placed beside His. God says: “do not call on anyone else beside GOD” [72:18]. And He commands: “You shall worship Me alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me.” [20:14] The prayer is to remember God, not anyone else. Appendix 15 says that commemorating ‘Muhammad and his family’ and ‘Abraham and his family’ in the prayer renders it null and void, and points to 39:65. This is not a lack of love for the prophets. They themselves worshipped God alone, and so do we.
What if we lose count, or make a mistake in the prayer?
We do our best, carry on, and ask God's forgiveness. God does not expect us to be perfect. God teaches us to ask: “Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make mistakes.” [2:286] The same verse tells us: “GOD never burdens a soul beyond its means”. With time, the shape of the prayer becomes second nature, and mistakes become fewer.
Keeping the Prayers
Learning the prayer takes a few weeks. Keeping it takes a lifetime. And the Quran is honest that it is not always easy: “You shall seek help through steadfastness and the Contact Prayers (Salat). This is difficult indeed, but not so for the reverent” [2:45].
The most important thing is to pray on time. God praises those who “consistently observe their contact prayers (Salat), on time.” [70:34] It helps to tie each prayer to something already in our day: Dawn before breakfast, Noon at the start of lunch, Sunset as we come home.
In a busy day, the Afternoon Prayer can easily slip. God singles out “the middle prayer” for special care [2:238]. So we guard that one well.
And after each prayer, we keep God in mind: “Once you complete your Contact Prayer (Salat), you shall remember GOD while standing, sitting, or lying down.” [4:103] The footnote to that verse says the Quran urges us to remember God ‘always’. That is how the prayer spreads into the rest of the day.
Growing in Prayer
Prayer usually grows in stages, and the cards below describe four of them. This is our own way of describing it, not a rule from scripture.
God tells us what the prayer does: “the Contact Prayers prohibit evil and vice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective.” [29:45] So the question is not only ‘Did I finish?’ but also ‘Did I remember God?’
Most people move forward and slip back many times. That is normal. What matters is that we keep coming back, on time, even when it feels like nothing.
Four Stages of Growing in Prayer
A way of noticing where we are.
1. Learning the movements
We are learning what to do and when. The goal is simply to pray, on time, five times a day. Doing it slowly and clumsily is fine.
2. Understanding the words
We learn the meaning of every phrase. The prayer turns from sounds into sentences. It is only a few lines, and in a few weeks it becomes easy to recite and understand.
[4:43]
3. Feeling the connection
Now and then, we feel that we are really speaking to God. It comes and goes. God tells us He is always near. That is true whether we feel it or not.
[2:186]
4. Living the prayer
The remembrance carries into the hours between prayers, and it starts to change how we treat people.
[29:45]
A Prayer Self-Check
Not a score. Just a way of noticing, so we can grow.
- Did I pray each prayer on time today?
- Do I know the meaning of every phrase I say?
- When did my attention wander, and what pulled it away?
- Was there a moment when I knew I was speaking to God?
- Did I ask God for something real, in my own words?
- Did I remember God in the hours between the prayers?
Questions About Keeping the Prayers
What if we miss a prayer? Can it be made up?
No. Appendix 15 in this translation says a missed prayer is ‘a missed opportunity that cannot be made up; one can only repent and ask forgiveness.’ The prayers are decreed “at specific times” [4:103], and a time that has passed does not return. But there is no need to despair. God teaches us to ask: “Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make mistakes.” [2:286] And He says: “The righteous works wipe out the evil works.” [11:114] So we ask forgiveness, and we keep the next prayer on time.
How do we pray when we are travelling or ill?
As well as we can. God makes allowances, and He never asks for more than we can do. In unusual situations, God allows us to pray on the move: “Under unusual circumstances, you may pray while walking or riding. Once you are safe, you shall commemorate GOD as He taught you what you never knew.” [2:239] The Quran also allows shortening the prayers in one situation: “When you travel, during war, you commit no error by shortening your Contact Prayers (Salat), if you fear that the disbelievers may attack you.” [4:101] If we are ill, we do what we can. God says: “GOD never burdens a soul beyond its means” [2:286]. And He says: “you shall reverence GOD as much as you can” [64:16].
We have prayed for years and feel nothing. What are we doing wrong?
Maybe nothing. Feeling is not the measure of a prayer. A prayer offered on time, for God alone, is real, whatever we felt. God tells us it can be hard: “This is difficult indeed, but not so for the reverent” [2:45]. And He tells us what the prayer is for: “the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective.” [29:45] But if the dryness lasts, it helps to check a few simple things. Do we know what every word means? Are we praying at the start of the window, or rushing at the end? Do we ask God for anything real, in our own words? And we hold on to God's promise: “When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me.” [2:186] He is near, whether we feel it or not.
What the Quran Says
The key verses on this page, together in one place.
I am GOD; there is no other god beside Me. You shall worship Me alone, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) to remember Me.[20:14]
Worship God alone, and pray to remember Him.
Once you complete your Contact Prayer (Salat), you shall remember GOD while standing, sitting, or lying down. Once the war is over, you shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat); the Contact Prayers (Salat) are decreed for the believers at specific times.[4:103]
The prayers have set times.
O you who believe, permission must be requested by your servants and the children who have not attained puberty (before entering your rooms). This is to be done in three instances—before the Dawn Prayer, at noon when you change your clothes to rest, and after the Night Prayer. These are three private times for you. At other times, it is not wrong for you or them to mingle with one another. GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.[24:58]
The Dawn and Night Prayers, named.
You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) at both ends of the day, and during the night. The righteous works wipe out the evil works. This is a reminder for those who would take heed.[11:114]
Both ends of the day, and the night.
You shall observe the Contact Prayer (Salat) when the sun declines from its highest point at noon, as it moves towards sunset. You shall also observe (the recitation of) the Quran at dawn. (Reciting) the Quran at dawn is witnessed.[17:78]
The Noon Prayer.
You shall consistently observe the Contact Prayers, especially the middle prayer, and devote yourselves totally to GOD.[2:238]
The middle prayer.
O you who believe, when you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), you shall: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your arms to the elbows, (3) wipe your heads, and (4) wash your feet to the ankles. If you were unclean due to sexual orgasm, you shall bathe. If you are ill, or traveling, or had any digestive excretion (urinary, fecal, or gas), or had (sexual) contact with the women, and you cannot find water, you shall observe the dry ablution (Tayammum) by touching clean dry soil, then rubbing your faces and hands. GOD does not wish to make the religion difficult for you; He wishes to cleanse you and to perfect His blessing upon you, that you may be appreciative.[5:6]
The ablution, in four steps.
You shall recite what is revealed to you of the scripture, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), for the Contact Prayers prohibit evil and vice. But the remembrance of GOD (through Salat) is the most important objective. GOD knows everything you do.[29:45]
What the prayer is for.
Growth Prompt
For one week, after one prayer each day, write one or two sentences: what you felt, and the moment your attention drifted. By the end of the week, you may see a pattern you could not have guessed on the first day.
What did I really feel in prayer today, and at what moment did my mind leave the prayer?
Keep growing
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