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Muslims pray at five set times each day. This lesson explains when each prayer is, and everything you need to do to prepare before you begin salah.
ALLAH prescribed salah at specific times throughout the day and night. This is not an accident — it means ALLAH is woven into every part of the Muslim's day, not confined to one moment.
Quran 4:103
Quran 17:78
Prayer times are determined by the position of the sun, not by a fixed clock. This means they shift slightly each day and vary by location. Use a prayer times app (such as Muslim Pro or Athan) to get accurate times for your city.
From true dawn until just before sunrise
The first prayer of the day, before the sun rises.
After the sun passes its highest point, until mid-afternoon
The midday prayer, after the sun has begun to decline.
Mid-afternoon until just before sunset
The afternoon prayer. Its time is connected to the length of shadows.
Just after sunset until the red glow fades from the sky
The sunset prayer, performed shortly after the sun goes below the horizon.
When the sky is fully dark until dawn
The night prayer, performed after the sky has completely darkened.
Each prayer also has a specific number of rak'ahs — units of prayer. You will learn the structure of a rak'ah in the next step.
Before you begin salah, make sure each of the following is in order:
Quran 11:114
Next Step
Now that you know when to pray and how to prepare, the next step walks you through the basic structure of salah — standing, bowing, prostrating, and ending with salam.
Continue to Step 05 — The Basic Salah FlowNote: This lesson is marked for scholar review. Detailed timing rules — including exact start and end times, prayers while traveling, and combining prayers — require guidance from a qualified scholar.