Rakʿah رَكْعَة
A rakʿah is one complete unit of prayer: you stand and recite, bow once (rukūʿ), rise, then prostrate twice (sujūd) with a short sitting in between. Prayers are counted by how many of these units they contain.
UNITS OF THE PRAYER
Rakʿahs &
Rakʿahs &
sujūd, made clear.
Each of the five daily prayers is made of a set number of units called rakʿahs. Every rakʿah contains one bow (rukūʿ) and two prostrations (sujūd). Pick a prayer below to see its numbers.
Count each prayerTWO WORDS TO KNOW
What is a rakʿah? What is sujūd?
Sujūd سُجُود
Sujūd is prostration — placing the forehead, nose, both hands, both knees, and the toes on the ground. It is the closest position to Allah in the prayer. Every single rakʿah has exactly two prostrations.
PICK A PRAYER
How many units in each prayer?
These are the obligatory (farḍ) units. Every rakʿah has one bow (rukūʿ) and two prostrations (sujūd).
2rakʿahs
2bows · rukūʿ
4prostrations · sujūd
Fajr is two rakʿahs, prayed aloud before sunrise.
ALL FIVE AT A GLANCE
The whole day in one table.
The obligatory (farḍ) units for every daily prayer.
| Prayer | Rakʿahs | Bows · rukūʿ | Prostrations · sujūd | Time | Recitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr الفجر | 2 | 2 | 4 | Before sunrise | Aloud |
| Dhuhr الظهر | 4 | 4 | 8 | After midday | Silent |
| ʿAṣr العصر | 4 | 4 | 8 | Afternoon | Silent |
| Maghrib المغرب | 3 | 3 | 6 | Just after sunset | Aloud |
| ʿIshāʾ العشاء | 4 | 4 | 8 | At night | Aloud |
The numbers above are the obligatory (farḍ) rakʿahs. The Sunnah (rawātib) prayers, witr, and other voluntary prayers are additional to these. Follow the trusted guidance of your local mosque or a qualified teacher.