Learning to pray

Washing before prayer

Before each prayer you wash — with clean water, three times each, starting on the right.

1. Intention and hands

   Make the intention inwardly, say “Bismillah”, then wash your hands up past the wrists.

2. Mouth and nose

   Rinse your mouth three times, then draw water into your nose three times and blow it out.

3. Face

   Wash the whole face three times — from hairline to chin, from ear to ear.

4. Arms

   Wash the right arm, then the left, three times each, up past the elbow.

5. Head and ears

   With wet hands, wipe over your head, then the inside and outside of the ears, and lastly the back of the neck.

6. Feet

   Wash the right foot, then the left, three times each, up past the ankles and between the toes.

Which they are — and when, here with us

These are today's real times, according to Diyanet.

How a prayer goes

Every prayer is made up of units called rak'ah. One rak'ah goes like this:

1. Kıyam

   Standing

   Stand upright, facing the qibla. The prayer begins with “Allahu akbar”.

2. Kıraat

   Recitation

   Standing, recite al-Fatiha, then a short surah.

3. Rükû

   Bowing

   Bow with a straight back, hands on your knees.

4. Kavme

   Rising

   Straighten up again and stand for a moment.

5. Secde

   Prostration

   Forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes touch the floor — twice, with a short sitting in between.

6. Ka’de

   Sitting

   At the end, sit, recite the testimony and finish with the greeting to the right and left.

Arabic, transliteration, meaning

Side by side, so you can follow along.