Watch: Salah for Kids — How to Pray Step by Step

Prefer to watch instead of read? This short video from Quran Book Academy walks through the same positions in a simple, visual way — ideal for kids, new Muslims, and anyone who learns better by seeing each position performed.

After watching, follow the written steps below to practise each position slowly — and book a free trial lesson to have a teacher correct your prayer live.

Step 1 — Stand and Make Niyyah (Intention)

Stand upright, face the Qibla, and make your intention in your heart for the specific prayer you are about to perform. The niyyah is silent — it is not spoken aloud.

Step 2 — Raise Hands and Say Takbir

Raise both hands and say “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Greatest). This takbir officially begins your salah, and from this moment, you should not speak, look around, or engage in any worldly action. Raising the hands to shoulder level and raising them to around ear level are both reported forms, and neither one is specific to men or to women.

Step 3 — Place Hands and Recite the Opening Dua (Thana)

Place your right hand over your left hand on your chest. You may then recite a recommended opening supplication (du’a al-istiftah). Several wordings are reported from the Prophet ﷺ, and this well-known form is recommended rather than required for the prayer to be valid: “Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, wa tabarakasmuka, wa ta’ala jadduka, wa la ilaha ghairuk.” (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.)

Step 4 — Recite Surah Al-Fatiha

Recite the complete Surah Al-Fatiha (Quran 1:1-7), then say “Ameen.” According to the majority of scholars, reciting Al-Fatiha in every rakat is essential for the imam and for the person praying alone. Scholars differ over whether a follower also recites it behind the imam, especially in the prayers recited aloud — if you pray in congregation, follow the teaching of a trusted local scholar, mosque, or qualified teacher.

Step 5 — Recite a Short Surah

After Al-Fatiha, in the first two rakats only, recite any short Surah from the Quran. Beginners often start with Surah Al-Ikhlas (Quran 112), Surah Al-Falaq (Quran 113), or Surah An-Nas (Quran 114).

Step 6 — Perform Ruku (Bowing)

Say “Allahu Akbar” and bow forward. Keep your back straight and parallel to the ground, place your hands firmly on your knees, and say “Subhana Rabbiyal Adheem” (Glory to my Lord, the Most Great). Saying it three times is the widely taught recommended practice; the exact minimum and its legal classification carry recognised scholarly detail, so if you accidentally say it fewer times, that does not automatically mean your prayer is invalid.

Step 7 — Rise from Ruku

Stand fully upright. If you are praying alone or leading as the imam, say “Sami’a Allahu liman hamidah” (Allah hears the one who praises Him) as you rise, then say “Rabbana wa laka al-hamd” (Our Lord, all praise is for You) once standing. If you are praying behind an imam, you say “Rabbana wa laka al-hamd” when the imam says “Sami’a Allahu liman hamidah” (Sahih al-Bukhari 796).

Step 8 — Perform First Sujud (Prostration)

Say “Allahu Akbar” and go down into prostration. Prostration is made on seven points: the forehead together with the nose (counted as one point), both hands, both knees, and the toes of both feet (Sahih al-Bukhari 812). In this position, say “Subhana Rabbiyal A’la” (Glory to my Lord, the Most High). As with ruku, saying it three times is the widely taught recommended practice rather than a fixed condition whose accidental reduction invalidates the prayer. Sujud is the closest a servant gets to Allah — make dua here.

Step 9 — Sit Between the Two Sujud

Rise from sujud and sit on your left leg with your right foot upright. In this brief sitting, say “Rabbi ighfir li” (O my Lord, forgive me).

Step 10 — Perform Second Sujud

Say “Allahu Akbar” and repeat the prostration exactly as in Step 8.

Step 11 — Rise for the Next Rakat or Sit for Tashahhud

What happens next depends on how many rakats the prayer has:

In a two-rakat prayer (such as fard Fajr), the second rakat is the last one. Sit after it, recite the Tashahhud, add the Salawat, and end with the Tasleem.

In a three- or four-rakat prayer, sit after the second rakat for the first Tashahhud, then stand for the third rakat saying “Allahu Akbar.” In the third rakat — and in the fourth where there is one — the normal beginner instruction is to recite Surah Al-Fatiha without adding another surah, though there are recognised scholarly details around this.

Maghrib ends after the third rakat, while Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha continue to a fourth. In every prayer, the final Tashahhud and the Salawat are recited in the last sitting, before you end the prayer with the Tasleem.

Step 12 — End with Tasleem (Salam)

Turn your head to the right and say “Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah” (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you). Then turn your head to the left and repeat the same words. Your salah is now complete.

“And establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing.” (Quran 29:45)

Standing (Qiyam): Recite Surah Al-Fatiha — essential in every rakat for the imam and for the person praying alone according to the majority, with recognised scholarly disagreement about the follower behind an imam — followed by a short Surah in the first two rakats.

Bowing (Ruku): Say “Subhana Rabbiyal Adheem,” commonly taught as three times.

Rising from Ruku: The imam and the person praying alone say “Sami’a Allahu liman hamidah,” then “Rabbana wa laka al-hamd.” A follower behind an imam says “Rabbana wa laka al-hamd.”

Prostration (Sujud): Say “Subhana Rabbiyal A’la,” commonly taught as three times.

Sitting between Sujud: Say “Rabbi ighfir li.”

Tashahhud (Sitting after 2 rakats): Recite At-Tahiyyatu, followed by the Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ in the final sitting.

Tasleem (Ending): Say “Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah” turning right, then left.

1. Rushing through the prayer without khushu (focus): Salah is a conversation with Allah, not a race. Slow down, feel each word, and be present in every position.

2. Not straightening the back fully during ruku: Your back should be flat and parallel to the ground during bowing, not curved or hunched.

3. Not placing the forehead and the nose properly in sujud: Both the forehead and the nose should rest on the ground in prostration, together with the hands, the knees, and the toes. Prostrating on the forehead alone leaves the prostration incomplete.

4. Moving too quickly between positions: Tranquillity — allowing the body to settle in each essential posture before moving to the next — is required, and seriously omitting it can affect the validity of the prayer. Praying at an ordinary pace is not automatically invalid; what matters is whether the body actually settled in each position.

5. Reciting Surah Al-Fatiha too quietly or skipping it entirely: According to the majority of scholars, Al-Fatiha is essential in every rakat for the imam and for the person praying alone, so in the silent prayers you still recite it quietly to yourself. Scholars differ over the follower’s recitation behind an imam — follow the guidance of a trusted local scholar, mosque, or qualified teacher.

6. Forgetting to face the qibla direction: Always verify the qibla direction before starting your salah, especially when praying in a new location.

7. Praying without valid wudu: The Prophet ﷺ said that prayer without wudu is not accepted (Sahih Muslim 224a). If your wudu breaks, you must renew it before praying.

Psychological Chunking

We break salah down into small, manageable “chunks.” You first learn wudu, then master just one rakat, then two, building your confidence step by step before adding complexity. This mirrors the evidence-based approach educational psychologists recommend for skill acquisition.

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Every student learns salah in real-time with a certified Quran teacher via Zoom — not through pre-recorded videos. You can ask questions on the spot, get your posture corrected live, and hear proper Arabic pronunciation directly from your instructor.

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