Can I read the prayer words from a card while praying?

What scholars say

This question has been discussed since people first prayed with a printed Quran, and the same reasoning is applied to a card with transliteration.

• Shafi'i and Hanbali: generally allowed, especially when you need it because you haven't memorised the words.
• Maliki: more cautious. Many allow it in voluntary prayers but dislike it in the obligatory ones.
• Hanafi: reading from a page during prayer breaks the prayer, because it counts as learning from an outside source while you pray.

So the answer changes with your school. If you don't follow one yet, ask the imam at your mosque. See Can I read the Quran from my phone during prayer?

A safer way to start

You may not need a card in the prayer at all. A man once told the Prophet ﷺ that he could not memorise anything from the Quran, and the Prophet ﷺ gave him a short phrase to say instead: "Subhan Allah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha illa Allah, wa Allahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah" (Sunan Abi Dawud 832). Many scholars say a beginner can say this in place of what they haven't learned.

That makes a simple plan:

• Say the phrases you know, and the dhikr above for al-Fatiha if you can't yet recite it.
• Use the card before the prayer to practise, not during it.
• Add one line each day until you can recite without looking.

If you follow a school that allows it

Keep it simple and tidy:

• Put the card where you can read it without bending down, such as on a low shelf in front of you.
• Hold only what you need. A single card is better than a phone with notifications.
• Keep your movements small. The Prophet ﷺ picked up and put down his granddaughter during prayer, which shows that small movements don't spoil it (Sahih al-Bukhari 516).
• Avoid turning many pages or moving around.

Where you look in prayer also matters, so see Where should I look during prayer? If you're building the habit step by step, see How do I memorize short surahs for prayer?