When we stand in prayer, we are speaking to Allah. This is every word of the ṣalāh — the Arabic, how to say it, and what it means — so you can pray knowing exactly what you are saying, and why.
How to use this
Each recitation has the Arabic, a transliteration (how to pronounce it), and the meaning. Tap ▶ Arabic to hear the recitation, or ▶ English to hear the meaning read aloud (using your device's voice). They follow the order of the prayer, from the opening takbīr to the final salām.
Qiyām · standing
Beginning the prayer
Takbīrat al-Iḥrām
ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu Akbar
Allah is the Greatest.
Raise the hands and say this to enter the prayer — the moment the world is left behind.
Thanāʾ — the opening praise
سُبْحَانَكَ ٱللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبَارَكَ ٱسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَىٰ جَدُّكَ، وَلَا إِلَٰهَ غَيْرُكَ
Subḥānaka Allāhumma wa biḥamdik, wa tabārakasmuk, wa taʿālā jadduk, wa lā ilāha ghayruk
Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise. Blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god besides You.
Taʿawwudh & Bismillāh
أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَانِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Aʿūdhu billāhi min ash-shayṭān ir-rajīm · Bismillāh ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed. In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Said quietly, before beginning the recitation.
Al-Fātiḥah & a sūrah
The recitation
Sūrah al-Fātiḥah
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّٰهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ
Al-ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbi l-ʿālamīn · Ar-Raḥmān ir-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
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path — the path of those upon whom You have bestowed favour, not of those who have evoked Your anger, nor of those who are astray.
Recited in every rakʿah, opening with Bismillāh said quietly. Say Āmīn at the end.
A short sūrah — al-Ikhlāṣ
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّٰهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّٰهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
Qul huwa llāhu aḥad · Allāhu ṣ-ṣamad · Lam yalid wa lam yūlad · Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥad
Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.
An example — any sūrah or passage may follow al-Fātiḥah in the first two rakʿahs.
Rukūʿ
Bowing
In Rukūʿ
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Subḥāna Rabbiya l-ʿAẓīm
Glory is to my Lord, the Magnificent.
Said three times while bowing.
Iʿtidāl
Rising from bowing
Standing after Rukūʿ
سَمِعَ ٱللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ رَبَّنَا لَكَ ٱلْحَمْدُ
Samiʿa Allāhu liman ḥamidah · Rabbanā laka l-ḥamd
Allah hears those who praise Him. Our Lord, to You belongs all praise.
Sujūd
Prostration
In Sujūd
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ
Subḥāna Rabbiya l-Aʿlā
Glory is to my Lord, the Most High.
Said three times in each prostration. Between the two prostrations one may say Rabbi ghfir lī — “My Lord, forgive me.”
Qaʿdah
The final sitting
Tashahhud
ٱلتَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّٰهِ وَٱلصَّلَوَاتُ وَٱلطَّيِّبَاتُ ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَىٰ عِبَادِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلصَّالِحِينَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّٰهُ 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 · Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illa llāh, wa ash-hadu anna Muḥammadan ʿabduhu wa rasūluh
All greetings, prayers, and pure words 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 ﷺ is His servant and messenger.
At “Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illa llāh,” raise the right index finger.
Durood Ibrāhīm — blessings on the Prophet ﷺ
ٱللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ٱللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd · Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd
O Allah, send Your mercy upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your mercy upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm; indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm; indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Duʿā before the salām
رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۚ رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ رَبَّنَا ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَىَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ ٱلْحِسَابُ
Rabbij-ʿalnī muqīma ṣ-ṣalāti wa min dhurriyyatī, Rabbanā wa taqabbal duʿāʾ · Rabbanā ghfir lī wa li-wālidayya wa lil-muʾminīna yawma yaqūmu l-ḥisāb
My Lord, make me an establisher of prayer, and from my descendants. Our Lord, accept my supplication. Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established.
One of many duʿās that may be said here (Qurʾān 14:40–41).
Taslīm
Ending the prayer
The Salām
ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ
As-salāmu ʿalaykum wa raḥmatullāh
Peace and the mercy of Allah be upon you.
Turn the head to the right, then repeat turning to the left — completing the prayer.
Duʿā al-Qunūt
For the Witr prayer
Duʿā al-Qunūt
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْتَعِينُكَ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنُؤْمِنُ بِكَ وَنَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْكَ وَنُثْنِي عَلَيْكَ الْخَيْرَ وَنَشْكُرُكَ وَلَا نَكْفُرُكَ وَنَخْلَعُ وَنَتْرُكُ مَنْ يَفْجُرُكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَلَكَ نُصَلِّي وَنَسْجُدُ وَإِلَيْكَ نَسْعَىٰ وَنَحْفِدُ وَنَرْجُو رَحْمَتَكَ وَنَخْشَىٰ عَذَابَكَ إِنَّ عَذَابَكَ بِالْكُفَّارِ مُلْحِقٌ
Allāhumma innā nastaʿīnuka wa nastaghfiruka wa nuʾminu bika wa natawakkalu ʿalayka wa nuthnī ʿalaykal-khayr, wa nashkuruka wa lā nakfuruka wa nakhlaʿu wa natruku man yafjuruk · Allāhumma iyyāka naʿbudu wa laka nuṣallī wa nasjudu wa ilayka nasʿā wa naḥfidu wa narjū raḥmataka wa nakhshā ʿadhābaka inna ʿadhābaka bil-kuffāri mulḥiq
O Allah, we seek Your help and beg Your forgiveness, and we believe in You and put our trust in You. We praise You with goodness, and we thank You and are not ungrateful to You. We renounce and forsake anyone who disobeys You. O Allah, You alone we worship, and to You we pray and prostrate. For Your sake we strive. We hope for Your mercy and fear Your punishment, for Your punishment will certainly reach the disbelievers.
Recited standing in the third rakʿah of the Witr prayer.
Learning to pray step by step? See the full guide to ṣalāh. Transliteration is a bridge — aim, in time, to read the Arabic itself.