What to Recite in Salah

Certain recitations are said at fixed points in Salah. The most essential is Surah Al-Fatihah, which is recited standing (Qiyam) in every single rak’ah of every prayer.

Al-Fatihah (the Opening):

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ مَٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ٱهْدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ ٱلْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا ٱلضَّآلِّينَ

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds – The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. It is You we worship and You we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path – The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

In the first two rak’ahs of every prayer, Al-Fatihah is followed by a short additional portion of the Qur’an — often a short surah such as Al-Ikhlas or An-Nas for beginners, though any portion is valid.

Beyond Al-Fatihah, short fixed phrases are said at each position: “Allahu Akbar” at each change of position, “Subhana Rabbiyal Adheem” in Ruku’, “Subhana Rabbiyal A’la” in Sujood, and the Tashahhud while seated. These are covered position by position in the previous lesson.

For the full Qur’an text with audio, translation and Tafsir alongside it, see the Qur’an Reader and Tafsir Ibn Kathir elsewhere on this site.