Asr, The Afternoon Prayer
The afternoon prayer. 4 fard rak’at, all Sirr , recite silently . The window opens when Dhuhr ends and closes at sunset.
At a glance
| Fard rak’at | 4 |
| Recitation | Silently (sirr) in all 4 rak’at |
| Time window | When an object’s shadow equals its length (end of Dhuhr) → sunset |
| First tashahhud (after rak’ah 2) | Iftirash |
| Final tashahhud (after rak’ah 4) | Tawarruk |
| Sunnah rawatib | 4 rak’at before (recommended; not from the most-emphasized 12) |
| After Asr | No voluntary prayers allowed until Maghrib |
Asr has the same shape as Dhuhr, 4 rak’at, all silent, first tashahhud in iftirash, final in tawarruk. For the full walkthrough see Dhuhr. This page covers what’s specific to Asr.
The walkthrough assumes you are praying alone. For imam/follower differences, see The Three Modes of Praying.
The importance of guarding Asr
Asr is sometimes called al-salat al-wusta, “the middle prayer”, which Allah specifically commanded preservation of:
حَافِظُوا عَلَى الصَّلَوَاتِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ قَانِتِينَ
Hafizu 'ala s-salawati wa s-salati l-wusta, wa qumu lillahi qanitin.
Guard strictly your prayers, especially the middle prayer, and stand before Allah devoutly.
The Prophet ﷺ also warned:
“Whoever misses Asr prayer, it is as if he has lost his family and his property.” Bukhari, Muslim
Make sure not to delay it past sunset, which is its strict cutoff.
Before you begin
Valid wudu, facing qibla, awrah covered, sleeves down, Asr time entered.
Form the intention in your heart: I am about to pray Asr fard, 4 rak’at. Do not speak it.
The walkthrough
Asr follows the exact same shape as Dhuhr. The steps are identical, only the prayer’s name (the intention) differs.
If you have read the Dhuhr walkthrough, follow it exactly with the Asr intention:
- Rak’ah 1, opening takbir + opening du’a + ta’awudh and basmalah silently + Al-Fatiha silently + Aameen silently + short surah silently + ruku + sujood × 2 (iftirash between)
- Rak’ah 2, Fatiha silently + short surah silently + ruku + sujood × 2 + sit for first tashahhud in iftirash (testimony only, stop after wa rasuluh)
- Stand for rak’ah 3, with raful yadayn (the 4th place)
- Rak’ah 3, Fatiha silently only (no surah after) + ruku + sujood × 2
- Rak’ah 4, Fatiha silently only + ruku + sujood × 2 + sit for final tashahhud in tawarruk (all three parts: testimony + salawat + du’a before tasleem)
- Tasleem, right, then left
All the hand positions, raful yadayn places, recitations, and sitting positions are identical to Dhuhr.
Sunnah rawatib, 4 rak’at before Asr (recommended)
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged 4 rak’at before Asr:
“May Allah have mercy on the one who prays 4 rak’at before Asr.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi (graded hasan)
These are ghair muakkadah (not from the most-emphasized 12 rawatib) but still highly recommended. Pray them as 2 + 2 with tasleem between.
There is no sunnah rawatib after Asr. In fact, voluntary prayers are not permitted between Asr and Maghrib, this is one of the forbidden times for nafl per multiple authentic hadiths.
After the prayer
Stay seated briefly and recite the post-salah adhkar. See What to say after salah.
If you are praying with an imam
See The Three Modes of Praying. Key points:
- Do not recite a surah after Fatiha, the imam recites silently for himself in sirr prayers; just listen quietly and recite your own Fatiha quickly during his silence
- Move only after the imam has reached each next position
- Recite Fatiha silently to yourself in every rak’ah
- Say all takbirs quietly to yourself
- Say “Sami’allahu liman hamidah” AND “Rabbana wa lakal hamd” both quietly to yourself