The five prayers: times and rak‘ahs
Each prayer must be prayed within its own time. It is not valid before its time, and letting it pass without excuse is a grave sin.
فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ ۚ فَإِذَا ٱطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَٰبًۭا مَّوْقُوتًۭا ١٠٣Fa izaa qadaitumus Salaata fazkurul laaha qiyaamanw wa qu'oodanw wa 'alaa junoobikum; fa izat maanantum fa aqeemus Salaah; innas Salaata kaanat 'alal mu'mineena kitaabam mawqootaaAnd when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides. But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.Surah An-Nisa 4:103
Prayer times
| Prayer | Begins | Ends |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | True dawn (light spreading across the horizon) | Just before sunrise |
| Dhuhr | Just after the sun passes its highest point | When Asr begins |
| Asr | When a thing’s shadow is twice its length (Hanafi); equal to it in the other schools | Before sunset (best before the sun turns yellow) |
| Maghrib | Right after sunset | When the twilight disappears |
| Isha | When Maghrib ends | Before true dawn (best before midnight) |
For today’s exact times where you are, open the prayer times page — it works them out from your location.
Number of rak‘ahs
| Prayer | Sunnah before | Fard | Sunnah after | Witr | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 (emphasised) | 2 | — | — | 4 |
| Dhuhr | 4 (emphasised) | 4 | 2 (emphasised) | — | 10 |
| Asr | 4 (non-emphasised) | 4 | — | — | 8 |
| Maghrib | — | 3 | 2 (emphasised) | — | 5 |
| Isha | 4 (non-emphasised) | 4 | 2 (emphasised) | 3 (wajib) | 13 |
There are 17 fard rak‘ahs a day. The “emphasised” (mu’akkadah) sunnah prayers were prayed regularly by the Prophet ﷺ and should not be left: whoever prays these twelve rak‘ahs in a day and night, a house is built for him in Paradise. (Muslim 728, Tirmidhi 415)
The three times when prayer is not allowed
At sunrise, when the sun is at its zenith, and at sunset (except that day’s Asr, which may still be completed as the sun sets). (Muslim 831)