How do I pray as a Muslim?

Yes, it's easier than it looks: you make wudu, face Mecca, and follow a short sequence: intention, "Allahu Akbar", al-Fatiha, bowing, prostrating, sitting and ending with salam. Each prayer is made of units called rakat (singular: rakah), and each unit repeats the same movements. It looks like a lot at first, but most people learn the basics in a week or two.

Before you start

Wudu: the washing before prayer (hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head, ears, feet).
Clean clothes and place: covering what Islam asks you to cover.
Qibla: face the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca.
The right time: each of the five daily prayers has its own window.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Pray as you have seen me praying" (Sahih al-Bukhari 631).

One rakah, step by step

1. Intention: decide in your heart which prayer you're praying. No words are needed.
2. Takbir: raise your hands near your ears or shoulders and say "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is the Greatest). This opens the prayer.
3. Stand and recite: place your right hand over your left on your chest or stomach and recite al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran. In the first two rakat, add a short surah after it.
4. Ruku (bowing): say "Allahu Akbar", bow with your hands on your knees and back straight, and say "Subhana Rabbiyal Azim" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great) three times.
5. Rise: stand up saying "Sami Allahu liman hamidah" (Allah hears whoever praises Him), then "Rabbana wa lakal hamd" (Our Lord, all praise is Yours).
6. Sujood (prostration): say "Allahu Akbar" and put your forehead, nose, palms, knees and toes on the ground. Say "Subhana Rabbiyal A'la" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High) three times.
7. Sit, then prostrate again: sit briefly, then do a second sujood the same way.

That completes one rakah. Stand up and repeat for the next one.

Sitting and ending the prayer

After every second rakah, you sit and recite the tashahhud, a short testimony beginning "At-tahiyyatu lillah". In the final sitting, add a prayer of blessings on the Prophet ﷺ. Then turn your head to the right and say "Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah", and do the same to the left. This is the tasleem, and it ends the prayer.

The Prophet ﷺ summed it up: "The key to prayer is purification; its beginning is takbir and its end is taslim" (Sunan Abi Dawud 61).

How many rakat?

Fajr (dawn) has 2, Dhuhr (midday) 4, Asr (afternoon) 4, Maghrib (sunset) 3 and Isha (night) 4. Small details, like where you place your hands, differ slightly between the four schools of law, and all are valid.

When a man prayed hastily, the Prophet ﷺ taught him to do each position calmly until he felt at rest in it (Sahih al-Bukhari 757). Calm matters more than speed.

If you're just starting

Nobody expects perfection on day one. Pray what you can and learn a little more each day. See Do I have to pray five times a day right after becoming Muslim?

Start with al-Fatiha and one short surah. See How do I memorize short surahs for prayer? And if you're still thinking about Islam, see Do I need to know how to pray before I become Muslim?

Key points

Make wudu and face the qibla first.
Each rakah: stand, recite, bow, rise, prostrate twice.
Sit for tashahhud and end with salam to both sides.
Go slowly and calmly; learning step by step is fine.

Tip: Many new Muslims learn fastest by praying next to a friend at the mosque and simply copying each movement.