A complete beginner's guide to Salah — from Wudu to Salaam. Every Arabic dua included with transliteration and English meaning, plus common mistakes and a full breakdown of the 5 daily prayers.
Timing, rakaat count and Sunnah breakdown for each of the five obligatory prayers — Hanafi madhab.
Totals include Sunnah Muakkadah and Witr. Nafl prayers are additional and not counted above.
The 8-step Hanafi method. The 4 Fard (obligatory) acts are marked in green — miss one and the Wudu is invalid.
Make the intention in your heart to perform Wudu purely for Allah's sake. In the Hanafi madhab the intention is a heart matter — saying it out loud is optional, not required.
Begin by saying Bismillah, then wash both hands up to and including the wrists, three times each, making sure water passes between the fingers.
Take water into the mouth with the right hand and rinse thoroughly, three times. This step is Sunnah.
Sniff water gently into the nostrils three times using the right hand, then clear it with the left. Water should reach the soft inner part of the nose.
Wash the whole face three times, from the natural hairline to the chin and from ear to ear. This is the first of the four Fard acts of Wudu.
Wash the right arm three times up to and including the elbow, then the left arm three times. The elbows themselves must be washed.
With wet hands, wipe at least a quarter of the head once. Wiping only a quarter is sufficient to fulfil the Fard in the Hanafi madhab, though wiping the entire head is Sunnah.
Wash the right foot first, then the left, three times each, up to and including the ankles, making sure water passes between the toes. This completes the four Fard acts.
Every position of Salah with its Arabic duas, transliteration and English meaning.
Standing upright, facing the Qiblah, is the Fard starting position of every rakaat.
Al-Fatiha and a Surah are recited after Thana. Ta'awwuz and Tasmiya (Bismillah) are said before Al-Fatiha in the first rakaat only.
Bowing forward with hands gripping the knees and the back held flat is a Fard act of Namaz.
Standing fully upright again after Ruku, and pausing briefly, is a Wajib requirement before continuing.
Prostrating with seven parts of the body touching the ground. Two Sajdahs are performed in every rakaat, and both are Fard.
A brief sitting position between the two Sajdahs, held for at least the duration of one Tasbeeh.
After completing all rakaats, the final sitting is where Tashahhud is recited — this recitation is Wajib.
Namaz ends by turning the head to the right, then the left, saying Salaam each time — a Wajib act.
Every dua recited in Namaz, with Arabic, transliteration and English meaning. Filter by position.
Curious what these duas actually mean, word by word? Learn Quran Translation →
Errors that invalidate Namaz, require Sajdah Sahw, or simply reduce its quality.
Speech intentionally directed at another person breaks Namaz — even a word like "yes" in response to someone.
Consuming anything at all during Namaz, even a small amount, invalidates the prayer completely.
If the chest turns more than roughly 45° away from the Qiblah without a valid reason, Namaz is invalidated.
Three or more consecutive movements unrelated to Namaz — such as repeatedly adjusting clothing — invalidate the prayer.
Not pausing for roughly one Tasbeeh's length in Ruku, Sajdah, Qawmah or Jalsah is a missed Wajib requiring Sajdah Sahw.
In a 3- or 4-rakaat prayer, sitting after the second rakaat to recite Tashahhud is Wajib — missing it requires Sajdah Sahw.
Reciting so quickly that letters are slurred or dropped is incorrect — every letter of Al-Fatiha should be clearly pronounced.
Toes should be bent, pointing towards the Qiblah. Laying the feet flat on the ground is incorrect in the Hanafi madhab.
If Wudu is forgotten or breaks mid-prayer, the Namaz is invalid and Wudu must be repeated before restarting.
Sajdah Sahw is a pair of extra prostrations performed at the very end of Namaz, before the final Salaam, to make up for a missed or delayed Wajib act. It's performed as: say Salaam once to the right, perform two Sajdahs, sit and recite Tashahhud, then complete Salaam on both sides as normal.
Frequently asked questions about Namaz, answered according to Hanafi fiqh.
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