A Rak'a ( ', lit. "bow"; plural: ') is a single iteration of prescribed movements and supplications performed by

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

as part of the prescribed obligatory prayer known as

salah ''Salah'' (, also spelled ''salat'') is the practice of formal worship in Islam, consisting of a series of ritual prayers performed at prescribed times daily. These prayers, which consist of units known as ''rak'ah'', include a specific s ...

. Each of the five daily prayers observed by Muslims consists of a number of raka'at.

Procedure

After washing for prayer by performing the ritual ablution, a believer must renew their innermost

intention An intention is a mental state in which a person commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the ''content'' of the intention while the commitment is the ...

, thus purifying their prayer for the sake of

Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...

. An intention Niyyah is not to be said verbally but rather it is made in the heart; but can also be said verbally alongside the intention in the heart. Example: you intended in your heart to pray four units (Rakahs) before you start your prayer. The raka'ah begins when the worshipper initiates the

with the words "Allah is Greater" (Allah-Hu-Akbar), this is known in Arabic as the Takbir (). Takbir must be said at the start of the

Salah ''Salah'' (, also spelled ''salat'') is the practice of formal worship in Islam, consisting of a series of ritual prayers performed at prescribed times daily. These prayers, which consist of units known as ''rak'ah'', include a specific s ...

or the prayer is invalidated. The individual will observe the

standing Standing, also referred to as orthostasis, is a position in which the body is held in an upright (orthostatic) position and supported only by the feet. Although seemingly static, the body rocks slightly back and forth from the ankle in the ...

position while reciting the "Dua al istiftah" followed by the opening chapter of the

Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...

( Al-Fatiha) (Note: reciting the Al-Fatiha is a pillar of prayer. If one forgets to say the Al-Fatiha or makes a major mistake in its Tajweed, then they must redo the prayer from the start) followed by a personal selection of chosen verses or chapters which the worshippers are free to choose to recite for themselves. The second part of the raka'ah involves the worshipper making another Takbir then bowing to a 90-degree angle, placing their hands on their knees with their feet kept shoulder-width apart, eyes are meant to be focused in between your feet or around the area and bowing in humble submission as if awaiting God's command. During this position the words, "Glory be to Allah the most Magnificent" are uttered silently as a form of ritual praise. The third movement of the raka'ah is to return from bowing to the standing position before, with the praise of Allah on your tongue, descending into full prostration on the ground. In prostration, the worshipper's forehead and nose is flatly placed on the floor with the palm of their hands placed shoulder-width apart to the right and left of their ears. During this position the words, "Glory be to Allah the Almighty" are repeated with contemplation as a form of ritual praise. The Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

taught his disciples that "the closest a subject gets to God is when in prostration". The fourth movement is for the worshipper to return from prostration into a sitting position with their legs folded flatly under their body. This concludes one unit of prayer known in Arabic as a raka'ah and would be followed by either standing up for a second raka'ah if the prayer requires it or by proceeding to end the salah with taslim. Although not part of a single raka'ah, the conclusion of the salah takes place in the sitting position. Taslim

Components

* '' Takbir'' * Standing in salah * Supplications or ''iftitah'' Only performed in the first rakat of the prayer and only performed by some schools. * Recitation of '' Sura Al-Fatiha'' * Recitation of another sura * '' Ruku'' (bowing) * Straightening up from ''ruku'' * '' Sujud'' (prostration) * Rising from ''sujud'' * The second ''sujud'' * Sitting in prayersOnly first half of the Tashahhud is recited in the second rakat in a 4- or 3-rakat prayer, e.g. the afternoon prayer or the evening prayer, but all of it is recited in the last rakat of any prayer. * '' Salam'' (salutation)Only performed in the last rakat of a prayer.

Daily prayers

The five daily prayers for Sunnites are each performed with a number of obligatory Rak'at (called fard). * The Fajr prayer (dawn prayer) has 2 Rak'at. * The Zuhr prayer (midday or early afternoon prayer) has 4 Rak'at. * The Asr prayer (late afternoon prayer) has 4 Rak'at. * The Maghrib prayer (dusk prayer) has 3 Rak'at. * The Isha prayer (night prayer) has 4 Rak'at. There is a slight variation of the midday prayer on Fridays, Friday prayer has 2 Rak’at instead of the normal 4 of the Zuhr prayer, if it is read as part of a congregational prayer called the Friday prayer (Jummah prayer). The Friday prayer is preceded by a sermon, usually delivered by the imam. The prayer units remain the same.

Notes

Endnotes

References