Before we delve into how many Rakats each prayer consists of, it’s important to first understand the names and times of the five daily prayers in Islam. These obligatory prayers, performed by Muslims around the world, are:
- Fajr – performed at dawn
- Dhuhr – performed at midday
- Asr – performed in the afternoon
- Maghrib – performed at sunset
- Isha – performed at night
How Many Rakats Each Prayer?
After knowing these prayers, you need to know that they are obligatory worship for all Muslims and it affects their daily lives.
It should be performed during the prescribed times with some conditions and prerequisites that Muslims should follow to pray correctly according to Quran teachings.
The times for each prayer vary depending on your location. And now the key question is How many Rakats each prayer?
The following paragraphs will answer your question.
Fajar Rakats (Morning Prayer)
If you want to know how many rakat in each prayer, you need to start with Al-Fajar prayer because it is the first Salah of the day, as you start your day with. It is considered to be two Rakkats performed as a Fard, preceded by two Rakkats performed as a Sunnah.
However, It is difficult to wake up so early in the morning, yet waking up to worship Allah will make your day more lively and lighter.
There is a hadith in Muslim Bukhari which says;
“Whoever offers the Fajr prayer, Allah will protect him throughout the day.”
“من صلى صلاة الصبح، فهو في ذمة الله”.
So, Pray Fajr regularly, since it will keep you from damnation. Furthermore, Allah rewards them throughout the day and protects them from harm.
As a result, Fajr prayer must be offered every day and never skipped for whatever reason. Furthermore, it is claimed that offering Fajr Salat boosts Rizq.
Zuhur Rakats (Noon Prayer)
How many rakats in zuhr?
Al-Zuhur Salah timing starts in the afternoon when the sun has passed the median point of the sky.
There are four Rakaats Fard and six Rakaats Sunnah divided into four Rakaats before the Fard and two Rakaats after the Fard.
Other Nawafils can be served after it. When it comes to the significance of this, a hadith states that “Verily, gates of heavens are opened when the sun begins to decline. They do not begin to close until the noon prayer is completed. Thus, I love for my good deeds to ascend to the heavens”
“فإنَّ أبوابَ السماءِ تُفْتحُ إلى زوالِ الشمسِ ، فلا تُرْتَجُ حتى يُصلَّى الظهرُ ، فأحبُّ أن يُصعدَ لي فيها خيرٌ”.
So it is vital to give Zuhar’s prayer and perform good deeds during this period.
Allah Almighty showered his blessings on those who completed this Salat until Asar’s prayer. Furthermore, whoever performs Zuhar’s Salat on time and consistently will be spared the fires of hell on the day of judgment.
There are no rewards for those who skip any of the prayers.
Read also about : How Long Does Prayer Last for Muslims?
Asar Rakats (Afternoon Prayer)
Al-Asar Salah timing starts halfway between noon and sunset.
Asar rakat are four Rakaats Fard.
After Zuhar’s Salat, the Asar’s prayer takes place starting in the afternoon. As it is mentioned in a hadith about the Asar prayer’s importance, our Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever offers Fajr and Asar prayer will enter Jannah.”
“من صلى البردين دخل الجنة”.
This Salat opens the gates of heaven for those who perform it and keeps them safe from hell.
According to numerous hadiths, this Salat is critical to Muslims’ success. The Asar prayer ensures that you and your family live a healthy and prosperous life in this world and the next.
Also, offering Asar prayer regularly enhances your wealth and Rizq.
Maghrib Rakats (Evening Prayer)
Al-Maghrib prayer time comes after sunset immediately and it has to be offered before getting dark outside, it is considered to be three Rakaats Fard and two Rakaat Sunnah performed after the Fard.
The Maghrib prayer is as important as the other five daily prayers. It is an obligation that every sane adult Muslim must perform at a specified time.
Isha Rakats (Night Prayer)
How many rakats is isha prayer?
Al-Ishaa prayer time comes when it is dark outside till Fajr prayer as it is the last prayer of the day, and it is four Rakaat Fard.
The Ishaa Prayer has two Rakats Sunnah Muakkad and other scholars have mentioned that you can pray the other two Rakaats to be four Rakaats Sunnah and Nwafil after the Fard.
One who offers this prayer will be kept in blessings till morning, and Allah will set angles to protect the person till Fajr Salat.
Also, as this prayer is performed before sleeping, it will make your night peaceful; therefore, it’s necessary to offer your Salat before sleep.
Mentioned above are the five obligatory prayers that Muslims, in any case, should perform.
Friday or Jummah Rakats
Jummah prayer is performed on Fridays and consists of two Rakats, replacing the regular Dhuhr (noon) prayer. It is a loud prayer, unlike the silent Dhuhr prayer.
If a person misses Jummah, they must pray Dhuhr instead, which consists of four Rakats.
Jummah is obligatory for healthy adult men, while women, the sick, and travelers are exempt and may pray Dhuhr instead. Children are encouraged to attend Jummah for training.
A key condition of Jummah is the two sermons (khutbahs) delivered by the imam, with a short pause between them.
These sermons are essential for the validity of the prayer and address religious and worldly matters. After the sermons, worshippers pray two Rakats behind the imam.
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Other Prayers – Extar Prayer (Nawafil)
In addition to the five daily obligatory prayers, there are voluntary prayers highly recommended in Islam. These include:
• Tahajjud (Qiyam al-Layl) Prayer
Tahajjud and Qiyam al-Layl both refer to night prayers offered between sunset and dawn. The difference is that Tahajjud is prayed after waking from sleep, while Qiyam al-Layl can be prayed before or after sleeping.
These prayers are not obligatory and have no fixed number of Rakats. A Muslim may pray two by two Rakats, as much as they are able.
The Witr prayer is commonly performed after Isha, but it’s recommended to delay it until after Tahajjud if one expects to wake up for it.
• Tarawih Prayer
Tarawih is a special nightly prayer in Ramadan, consisting of eleven Rakats, including Witr. It is a Sunnah prayer that the Prophet ﷺ regularly prayed.
As narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to pray eleven Rakats at night: he would offer them in sets of two and then finish with one Witr. He never exceeded eleven Rakats in Ramadan or otherwise.”(Agreed upon – Bukhari and Muslim)
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