What to Recite in Salah: Words, Meanings, Transliteration
Everything said in the prayer with transliteration and meaning: al-Fatiha, three short surahs, ruku' and sujud phrases, tashahhud, salawat, learning order.
This guide explains common views and sources. It is not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a scholar or imam you trust.
Salah uses a small vocabulary: around a dozen phrases, one chapter of the Qur'an and a few short surahs. This page lists all of them with transliteration and meaning, in the order they appear in the prayer, followed by a plan for learning them in stages. For the movements, see how to pray.
Transliteration note: ' marks the Arabic letter 'ayn (a deep sound from the throat); dh is the "th" in "this"; kh is like the "ch" in "loch". Listening to any recording while reading will fix pronunciation faster than any spelling.
1. Opening
Allahu akbar. "Allah is the greatest." Said at the start, and at every change of position.
Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta'ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghayruk. "Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You; blessed is Your name, exalted is Your majesty, and there is no god but You." (Recommended, first rak'ah only. Shafi'is and Malikis commonly use other reported openings, or none in the Maliki case.)
A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim. "I seek refuge in Allah from the rejected devil."
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim. "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful." (Hanafis and Hanbalis say it quietly; Shafi'is say it aloud as the first verse of al-Fatiha; Malikis usually omit it in the obligatory prayer.)
2. Al-Fatiha (required in every rak'ah, Bukhari 756)
- Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil-'alamin. "All praise is for Allah, Lord of all the worlds."
- Ar-Rahmanir-Rahim. "The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful."
- Maliki yawmid-din. "Master of the Day of Judgement."
- Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in. "You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help."
- Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim. "Guide us to the straight path."
- Siratal-ladhina an'amta 'alayhim, "the path of those You have favoured,"
- ghayril-maghdubi 'alayhim wa lad-dallin. "not of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray."
Amin. "O Allah, answer." A deeper look is in understanding al-Fatiha.
3. Three short surahs for after al-Fatiha
Used in the first two rak'ahs of each prayer. Learn one, then the next.
Al-Ikhlas (112), 4 verses
Qul huwallahu ahad. Allahus-samad. Lam yalid wa lam yulad. Wa lam yakul-lahu kufuwan ahad. "Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him."
Al-Kawthar (108), 3 verses
Inna a'taynakal-kawthar. Fasalli li-Rabbika wanhar. Inna shani'aka huwal-abtar. "We have given you abundance. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice. It is the one who hates you who is cut off."
Al-'Asr (103), 3 verses
Wal-'asr. Innal-insana lafi khusr. Illal-ladhina amanu wa 'amilus-salihati wa tawasaw bil-haqqi wa tawasaw bis-sabr. "By time. Humanity is surely in loss, except those who believe, do good, and urge one another to truth and to patience."
Later additions that are equally short: al-Falaq (113), al-Nas (114), al-Nasr (110), al-Fil (105), Quraysh (106). See Qur'an basics for how the chapters are arranged.
4. Bowing (ruku')
Subhana Rabbiyal-'Azim. "Glory be to my Lord, the Mighty." Three times is the common practice; once is the minimum in most views.
Rising: Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah. "Allah hears the one who praises Him." Then standing: Rabbana wa lakal-hamd. "Our Lord, and to You belongs all praise." Some add hamdan kathiran tayyiban mubarakan fih ("abundant, good, blessed praise").
5. Prostration (sujud)
Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la. "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High." Three times.
Sitting between the two prostrations: Rabbighfir li. "My Lord, forgive me." A longer reported form: Rabbighfir li, warhamni, wahdini, wa 'afini, warzuqni ("forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, keep me well, provide for me").
6. Tashahhud (the sitting)
At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat. "All greetings, prayers and good things are for Allah." As-salamu 'alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. "Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings." As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahis-salihin. "Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah." Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh. "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger."
This is the version reported from Ibn Mas'ud in al-Bukhari and Muslim, used by Hanafis and Hanbalis. Shafi'is use the version reported from Ibn Abbas (Muslim), which begins "At-tahiyyatul-mubarakatus-salawatut-tayyibatu lillah"; Malikis use a version reported from Umar. The meaning is the same.
7. Salawat (final sitting only)
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. "O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious."
Then a dua of your choice, for example Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban-nar (Qur'an 2:201: "Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the next, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire").
8. Ending
As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah. "Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah." To the right, then to the left. What to say after the prayer is in dhikr after salah.
Learn it in stages
| Stage | Learn | Time for most people |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Allahu akbar; Subhana Rabbiyal-'Azim; Sami'a Allahu liman hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal-hamd; Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la; Rabbighfir li; the salam | 1–2 days |
| 2 | Al-Fatiha, one verse a day | 1 week |
| 3 | Al-Ikhlas; tashahhud | 1 week |
| 4 | Salawat; opening supplication; al-Kawthar and al-'Asr | 2 weeks |
In stage 1 you can already pray validly in the Hanafi view by reciting whatever Qur'an you know, and in all views you are doing what you are able. Pray every prayer at its time while learning; the words will settle through repetition far faster than through study alone. New Muslims may want to read first steps in salah as well.
Useful tools
Questions and answers
Can I read from a card during prayer while I learn?
Many scholars allow glancing at a card or a phone screen placed on the mat while learning, especially for new Muslims; others prefer saying only what you know by heart. Keep movements minimal and remove the card as soon as you can.
Can I pray in English?
The recitation of the Qur'an in prayer must be in Arabic in the majority view; the phrases of glorification should be learned in Arabic too. While learning, say what you can in Arabic and praise Allah in your own language for the rest. Hanafi scholars allow non-Arabic recitation only for someone genuinely unable to pronounce Arabic, until they learn.
Which surah is best after al-Fatiha?
Any portion of the Qur'an is valid, even three short verses. Al-Ikhlas, al-Kawthar and al-'Asr are the easiest to learn. The Prophet recited long and short passages depending on the prayer.
Do I say the surah in the third and fourth rak'ahs?
No. Only al-Fatiha in the third and fourth rak'ahs of Dhuhr, Asr and Isha, and in the third of Maghrib (Shafi'is consider adding a surah there permissible but not the norm).
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari 756 (no prayer without al-Fatiha)
- Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim (tashahhud as taught by the Prophet; the phrases of ruku' and sujud)
- Qur'an 1; 112; 108; 103