Deenelio Quiz — The Five Daily Prayers

Key concepts

A daily rhythm of worship

Muslims have five obligatory prayers during each day and night: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha. Salah, the ritual prayer, creates regular moments for worship and remembrance throughout the day.
Each prayer has a prescribed time and a set number of units. Learning their names and order is a useful first step towards understanding the daily prayer routine.
Prayer times and units

Fajr begins at true dawn and its time ends at sunrise. Its obligatory prayer has two rakahs. Dhuhr begins after the sun passes its highest point, and Asr is the afternoon prayer. For a person who is not travelling, Dhuhr and Asr each have four obligatory rakahs.
Maghrib begins at sunset and has three obligatory rakahs. Isha is the night prayer, beginning after twilight has disappeared; for a person who is not travelling, it has four obligatory rakahs. A rakah is one unit of prayer.
Facing the qiblah

The qiblah is the direction faced in prayer: the Kaaba in Makkah. Muslims in different parts of the world therefore share a common direction for worship.
Knowing the qiblah, preparing in ritual purity, and recognising the prayer’s time help a person begin with attention and readiness.
The adhan and iqamah

The adhan is the call announcing the prayer. It invites the community to turn towards worship as the time for prayer arrives.
The iqamah is the call given immediately before a congregational prayer begins. The two calls serve related purposes: announcing the prayer and signalling that the congregation is about to start.
Opening the prayer and reciting

The prayer opens with Allahu akbar, meaning that Allah is greater than all else. This opening marks entry into the prayer and directs the worshipper’s attention towards Allah.
Recitation includes Surah al-Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Quran. It is specifically named in the hadith concerning recitation in prayer and contains praise of Allah and a request for guidance.
The movements within a rakah

A rakah includes standing, ruku, rising from ruku, and sujud. Ruku is the bowing movement, while sujud is prostration. Each rakah normally contains two prostrations, with sitting between them.
The Prophet taught worshippers to settle calmly in the different positions. Understanding the sequence helps the prayer become an attentive act of worship rather than a hurried series of movements.
Sitting and ending the prayer

The tashahhud is recited while sitting. It forms part of the prayer’s spoken worship and includes the testimony of faith.
The final greeting that ends the prayer is called the taslim. Recognising the sitting recitation and the concluding greeting helps a beginner follow the overall shape of the prayer.
Jumuah: the weekly Friday prayer

Jumuah is the weekly congregational prayer held on Friday. Quran 62:9 calls believers to respond to its summons and leave trade to attend the remembrance of Allah.
Jumuah includes a sermon followed by two obligatory rakahs in congregation. For those who perform a valid Jumuah prayer, it replaces Dhuhr on Friday.

The Five Daily Prayers

Key concepts

Further reading and resources