Every Muslim prays five obligatory (fard) prayers each day. This chart shows how many fard rakats each prayer has, which all schools of thought agree on. It is a handy reference for children and new learners.
Fard Rakats in the Five Daily Prayers
| Prayer | Time | Fard rakats |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | Dawn, before sunrise | 2 |
| Dhuhr | After midday | 4 |
| Asr | Afternoon | 4 |
| Maghrib | Just after sunset | 3 |
| Isha | Night | 4 |
That makes 17 fard rakats in a day.
What About Sunnah and Witr?
Alongside the fard prayers, the Prophet, peace be upon him, regularly prayed extra sunnah rakats, and Witr is prayed after Isha. The number of sunnah rakats and how Witr is prayed differ slightly between schools of thought, so follow what your family and local scholars practise. Your teacher can explain this in class.
Teaching Children to Pray
- Start by praying next to your child so they copy the movements
- Teach the short surahs and words of salah a little at a time
- Use this chart on the wall as a daily reminder
Learn salah step by step in our Islamic studies online classes, or add it to online Quran classes for kids.