Standing (Qiyam)
You stand facing the Qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah, and recite Surah Al-Fatiha and more of the Quran.
A Beginner's Orientation Guide
How to Pray Namaz (Salah): A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
A clear, step-by-step walkthrough of the five daily prayers, from wudu to the final sitting, written in plain English for beginners. Real guidance from a qualified teacher takes you the rest of the way.
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What Namaz is and how this guide helps
Namaz, also called Salah, is the Islamic ritual prayer that Muslims perform five times a day, one of the Five Pillars of Islam. This guide walks a beginner through the basics: wudu, the five daily prayers, and the sequence of standing, bowing and prostrating that makes up a rakat.
This is a plain, honest orientation, not a substitute for a real teacher. Namaz is best learned by being watched and corrected, which is exactly what a live teacher does over video.
The five daily prayers and their rakat counts
Wudu explained step by step
The general sequence of a rakat in plain English
Honest guidance on learning with a real teacher
Understanding Namaz
What Is Namaz, and Why Does It Matter?
Namaz (Salah) is the second of the Five Pillars of Islam, prayed five times a day, Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. Each prayer is built from rakats that follow the same pattern of standing, bowing and prostrating: a direct connection between a worshipper and their Creator, repeated as fixed appointments in an ordinary day.
Five fixed appointments a day
Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha give structure to each day, wherever you are.
A direct connection
Namaz is a direct link between a worshipper and Allah, prayed the same way alone or with others.
For every Muslim
Men, women, children old enough to understand, and new Muslims are all encouraged to learn it.
A skill that is taught
Nobody is born knowing how to pray. Every Muslim learns it from somebody else.
Before You Begin
Wudu, the Prerequisite for Namaz
Namaz cannot be prayed without wudu, the ritual washing before it. If the wudu is not valid, the prayer built on it is not valid either. The general steps, in order, are set out alongside this section.
Wudu is broken by things such as using the toilet, and must be repeated before the next prayer.
- 1Form the intention (niyyah) to perform wudu for prayer
- 2Wash both hands up to the wrists
- 3Rinse the mouth with water
- 4Clean the nose by sniffing water in and blowing it out
- 5Wash the face from the hairline to the chin
- 6Wash both arms up to and including the elbows
- 7Wipe over part of the head with wet hands
- 8Wash both feet up to and including the ankles
This is the general order most Muslims are taught. Small details vary between schools of thought, and a teacher can show you the method your family follows.
The Five Daily Prayers
The Five Daily Prayers and Their Rakat Counts
Each daily prayer has a set number of obligatory, or fard, rakats. Many Muslims also pray additional voluntary, or sunnah, rakats, which a teacher can cover separately. The table below lists the obligatory rakats only.
| Prayer | General Time | Obligatory (Fard) Rakats |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | Dawn, before sunrise | 2 |
| Dhuhr | Midday, after the sun passes its peak | 4 |
| Asr | Mid to late afternoon | 4 |
| Maghrib | Just after sunset | 3 |
| Isha | Night | 4 |
Exact prayer times shift daily with sunrise and sunset, which is why most Muslims use a prayer timetable or app.
Inside a Rakat
The General Sequence of a Rakat
A rakat is one full unit of prayer, and every daily prayer is built from repeating this general sequence, described here in words, with no Arabic script needed.
Bowing (Ruku)
You bend forward from the waist, hands on your knees and back level, saying words that glorify Allah.
Rising (Qawmah)
You return fully to standing before moving into prostration.
First prostration (Sujud)
You lower to the ground, forehead resting on the floor, the most humble position the body can take.
Sitting briefly (Jalsa)
You sit up briefly between the two prostrations before going back down.
Second prostration
You prostrate a second time, completing one full rakat.
From here, you either stand for the next rakat, or, on the last rakat, sit for the Tashahhud, a seated recitation of testimony to your faith, before ending the prayer with the Salam, turning the head right and then left. Small details, such as hand position or whether words are said aloud, vary between schools of thought, and a teacher can guide you in the tradition your family follows.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
The mistakes we see most often in beginners, all normal and all fixable.
Rushing through the movements
Standing, bowing and prostrating each need a moment of stillness, the habit a teacher corrects most often.
Not knowing what is being recited
Reciting words without knowing their meaning makes it easy for attention to wander.
Guessing the direction instead of checking it
The Qibla can be checked reliably with a compass or an app rather than guessed.
Being careless with wudu
Missing a spot when washing can mean the prayer built on it is not valid.
Losing count of rakats
It is easy to forget which rakat you are on. A teacher can show you simple ways to keep track.
Every one of these is normal for a beginner, and every one is something a teacher can help you correct within a few lessons.
For Parents
How a Parent Can Help a Child Learn to Pray
Children usually learn Namaz best by watching it become normal, long before they are asked to do it perfectly.
Let them see you pray
Children copy what they see repeated calmly, long before they understand what it means.
Teach a little at a time
Start with standing still and a short recitation, adding the next movement once that feels comfortable, in short, focused sessions rather than one long lesson.
Praise effort, not perfection
A child who is trying and slightly off is in a better position than one who feels criticised.
Build a consistent time
Praying together at the same prayer each day, Maghrib is popular, turns Namaz into a routine.
Bring in a teacher once they are ready to read
Once a child can recognise Arabic letters, a teacher can build on what you started at home.
Once a child can recognise Arabic letters, our online Quran classes for kids can build on what you started at home. Beginners usually start with Noorani Qaida first.
Why a Teacher
Why a Live Teacher Beats Learning From Videos Alone
Videos are a reasonable place to start, but they cannot watch you. They cannot tell you that your Ruku is not level, or that you mispronounce the same word every time. Only a person watching and listening can.
A video cannot see your posture
Whether your back is level in Ruku or your prostration is complete, a recording has no way of checking.
Correction has to be immediate
A live teacher stops you the moment something is off and has you repeat it correctly until it holds.
Habits set early are hard to change later
Whatever you practise repeatedly becomes automatic, correct or not. An early correction saves unlearning a habit later.
This guide is a starting point, not a finishing point
This page orients you before you begin, it does not replace a teacher. Learning to pray correctly is best done with a real, live teacher who can watch and listen to you directly.
Alongside Noorani Qaida and Tajweed classes, our qualified female teacher can guide beginners, and parents teaching their children, through learning to pray correctly, 1-on-1 over Zoom or WhatsApp. The academy is entirely online, and the first 30-minute trial class is free, with no payment taken upfront.
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Common Questions
How to Pray Namaz, FAQ
The questions beginners ask us most before booking their first lesson on how to pray.
Muslims pray Namaz five times a day: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. Each has its own rakat count and a time window rather than one fixed minute.
Yes. You need to learn the specific words used in prayer, not already speak Arabic. A beginner learns this with repetition and correction, often starting phonetically before reading the script itself.
Small mistakes are common for beginners and rarely mean starting again from scratch. A teacher can show you the normal ways of handling a lost count or a missed movement.
Yes, Namaz is prayed facing the Qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah. At home, most Muslims use a compass or app to check it.
Yes. A teacher mainly needs to see your movements and hear your recitation, and a live video call over Zoom or WhatsApp does that well, just as it does for Quran reading.
Only a small number of short recitations to begin, starting with Surah Al-Fatiha. A teacher introduces these gradually rather than all at once.
The core structure, the five daily prayers, rakat counts and general sequence, is agreed upon by virtually all Muslims. Smaller details, such as hand position, vary between schools of thought, and a teacher can guide you in your family's tradition.
Explore More
Related Courses and Pages
Noorani Qaida
The Arabic letters behind every rakat, a step before or alongside learning to pray.
Tajweed Classes
Refine the pronunciation of Al-Fatiha and the short surahs in every prayer.
Female Quran Teacher
The teacher who guides beginners and families through learning to pray.
Quran Classes for Kids
Child friendly lessons that build on what you teach at home.
Quran for New Muslims
A gentle starting point for reverts learning to pray for the first time.
Quran Facts and Numbers
Curious about the Quran itself? How many surahs, ayahs and juz, explained.
All Courses
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Pricing
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