Ṣalāh, movement and words.

1. 01

   Step 1

   Prepare and stand

   Complete wuḍūʾ when required, face the qiblah, and stand for the prayer if able.

   

   Before you begin

   Make the intention (niyyah) in your heart for the prayer you are about to pray — for example, “I intend to pray the two rakʿahs of Fajr.” The intention stays in the heart, so there is nothing to say aloud in this step.

   Preparation · see wuḍūʾ guide

2. 02

   Step 2

   Begin with takbīr

   Raise your hands and begin the prayer with the opening takbīr, then place your hands on your chest.

   

   What to say

   The opening takbīr — raising the hands

   اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

   Allāhu akbar

   “Allah is the Greatest.” Say this as you raise your hands, then place your right hand over your left on your chest.

   The opening supplication — duʿāʾ al-istiftāḥ

   سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَىٰ جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُكَ

   Subḥānaka-llāhumma wa bi-ḥamdik, wa tabāraka-smuk, wa taʿālā jadduk, wa lā ilāha ghayruk

   “Glory be to You, O Allah, and all praise. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You.”

   Bukhārī 757 · Muslim 392b · Abū Dāwūd 776

3. 03

   Step 3

   Recite while standing

   Recite the whole of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, then another passage of the Qur’an in the first two rakʿahs.

   

   What to say

   Seeking refuge — taʿawwudh

   أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

   Aʿūdhu billāhi mina-sh-shayṭāni-r-rajīm

   “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.”

   Sūrah al-Fātiḥah — recited in full in every rakʿah

   بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
   الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
   الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
   مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ
   إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ
   اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
   صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ

   Bismillāhi-r-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm. Al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi-l-ʿālamīn. Ar-raḥmāni-r-raḥīm. Māliki yawmi-d-dīn. Iyyāka naʿbudu wa iyyāka nastaʿīn. Ihdina-ṣ-ṣirāṭa-l-mustaqīm. Ṣirāṭa-lladhīna anʿamta ʿalayhim, ghayri-l-maghḍūbi ʿalayhim wa la-ḍ-ḍāllīn.

   “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful. All praise is for Allah, Lord of all the worlds; the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path — the path of those You have blessed, not of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray.” After it, say “Āmīn.”

   In the first two rakʿahs, after al-Fātiḥah recite another short sūrah or passage — for example Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ. In the third and fourth rakʿahs, recite al-Fātiḥah only.

   Bukhārī 756

4. 04

   Step 4

   Bow calmly

   Move into rukūʿ and remain there with calmness, glorifying your Lord. Do not rush.

   

   What to say

   In rukūʿ (bowing) — say it three times

   سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ

   Subḥāna rabbiya-l-ʿaẓīm (×3)

   “Glory to my Lord, the Most Great.” Repeat it at least three times, keeping your back level and still.

   Bukhārī 757 · Muslim 772

5. 05

   Step 5

   Rise and stand straight

   Rise from rukūʿ and return to a fully upright, settled position before moving on.

   

   What to say

   As you rise from rukūʿ

   سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ

   Samiʿa-llāhu liman ḥamidah

   “Allah hears whoever praises Him.”

   Once standing upright

   رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ

   Rabbanā wa laka-l-ḥamd

   “Our Lord, and to You is all praise.”

   Bukhārī 796

6. 06

   Step 6

   Prostrate calmly

   Move into sujūd on the seven points and remain settled, glorifying your Lord.

   

   What to say

   In sujūd (prostration) — say it three times

   سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَىٰ

   Subḥāna rabbiya-l-aʿlā (×3)

   “Glory to my Lord, the Most High.” Repeat at least three times, with your forehead, nose, palms, knees and toes on the ground.

   Bukhārī 757 · Muslim 772

7. 07

   Step 7

   Sit calmly

   Rise from the first prostration and sit with calmness, asking forgiveness, before the next prostration.

   

   What to say

   Sitting between the two prostrations

   رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي

   Rabbi-ghfir lī, rabbi-ghfir lī

   “My Lord, forgive me; my Lord, forgive me.”

   Bukhārī 757 · Abū Dāwūd 874

8. 08

   Step 8

   Second prostration

   Return to sujūd for the second prostration, again with calmness.

   

   What to say

   The second prostration — the same words as the first

   سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَىٰ

   Subḥāna rabbiya-l-aʿlā (×3)

   “Glory to my Lord, the Most High.” Repeat at least three times, exactly as in the first prostration. This completes one rakʿah.

   Bukhārī 757 · Muslim 772

9. 09

   Step 9

   Continue the prayer

   Stand for the next rakʿah and repeat the same calm standing, bowing, rising, prostrating, and sitting sequence.

   

   Keep going — the same words repeat

   Stand and pray the next rakʿah the same way: al-Fātiḥah (and, in the second rakʿah, a short sūrah), then bow, rise, and prostrate twice — saying the very same words shown in steps 3–8. After every two rakʿahs you sit; in the middle sitting of Maghrib, ʿIshāʾ, Dhuhr, and ʿAṣr, recite the tashahhud (shown in the final step), then stand for the remaining rakʿahs.

   Bukhārī 757

10. 10

    Step 10

    Final sitting and salām

    In the final sitting, recite the tashahhud and the blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, then end with the salām to the right and left.

    

    What to say

    The tashahhud — recited in the sitting

    التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَىٰ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

    At-taḥiyyātu lillāhi wa-ṣ-ṣalawātu wa-ṭ-ṭayyibāt. As-salāmu ʿalayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa raḥmatu-llāhi wa barakātuh. As-salāmu ʿalaynā wa ʿalā ʿibādi-llāhi-ṣ-ṣāliḥīn. Ashhadu an lā ilāha illa-llāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh.

    “All greetings, prayers, and good things are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.”

    Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ — ṣalāt Ibrāhīmiyyah

    اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

    Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammad wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka ḥamīdun majīd. Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammad wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka ḥamīdun majīd.

    “O Allah, send Your grace upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You did upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.”

    The taslīm — ending the prayer

    السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ

    As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatu-llāh

    “Peace and the mercy of Allah be upon you.” Turn your face to the right as you say it, then repeat it turning to the left. This ends the prayer.

    Bukhārī 831 · Muslim 402

Every step above shows the full words to say — Arabic, transliteration, and meaning. Wording can vary slightly between authentic narrations and schools, and there are additional optional supplications; learn the pronunciation with a qualified local teacher, who will also help with finer details.