Dhuhr, The Noon Prayer

The first of the two midday prayers. 4 fard rak’at, all Sirr , recite silently . The window opens just after the sun’s decline from its zenith, and closes when an object’s shadow equals its length.

At a glance

The walkthrough below is for praying alone (munfarid). If you are praying behind an imam, see The Three Modes of Praying for the recitation and timing differences, most importantly, you do not recite a surah after Fatiha, and you move only after the imam has reached each next position.

On Fridays: for men, the midday prayer is replaced by Jumu’ah, 2 rak’at in congregation after two khutbahs, not Dhuhr. See Jumu’ah, the Friday prayer. Women, and any man who misses the Jumu’ah, pray Dhuhr as below.

A note on what is silent in Dhuhr

Dhuhr is a Sirr , recite silently prayer: Al-Fatiha and the surah after it are recited silently in every rak’ah, your lips and tongue move but no one beside you hears a sound. The takbir transitions (Allahu Akbar) and the “Sami’allahu liman hamidah” on rising from ruku are dhikr, not Qur’an recitation, so they may be said quietly to match the silent prayer (saying the tasmi’ a little audibly when alone is also fine, since it is dhikr). The internal tasbih of ruku and sujood is always quiet.

Before you begin

1. You have valid wudu
2. You are facing the qibla
3. Your awrah is properly covered, and your sleeves are down (not rolled up)
4. The Dhuhr time has entered (the sun has passed its zenith)
5. Form the intention in your heart: I am about to pray Dhuhr fard, 4 rak’at. Do not speak it.

Rak’ah 1

1. Takbir al-ihram, the opening takbir

Raise your hands to the level of your ears (or shoulders), palms facing the qibla, this is the first of the four places of raful yadayn. Say:

This is the moment you enter the prayer. From this point until tasleem you cannot speak about worldly things, eat, drink, or turn away.

After saying it, place your right hand over your left. The right palm rests on top of the back of the left hand, the left wrist, or the left forearm. You may also grasp the left wrist with the right hand (al-qabd), both methods are from the Sunnah.

Lower your gaze to the spot where your forehead will rest in sujood, and keep it there throughout the prayer (except when raising the index finger in tashahhud). Do not look up at the ceiling or close your eyes.

2. The opening du’a (du’a al-istiftah)

Quietly to yourself, recite one of the authentic opening du’as. A short, well-known one:

3. Ta’awudh and basmalah (silently)

Then:

The basmalah is recited silently before Fatiha.

4. Recite Al-Fatiha (silently)

This is the key difference from Fajr: in Dhuhr, both Fatiha and the surah after it are recited only to yourself.

After “wa la d-dallin,” say “Aameen” silently.

5. Recite a short surah (silently)

Reciting a surah after Al-Fatiha in the first two rak’at is a strong sunnah (highly emphasized), the Prophet ﷺ did this every time. Pick any surah you have memorized, recited silently. Good choices when starting out: Al-Ikhlas, Al-Kafirun, An-Nas, Al-Falaq.

6. Takbir for ruku, raful yadayn

Raise your hands again to ear/shoulder level (the second of the four places of raful yadayn) and say “Allahu Akbar” as you bow into ruku, the takbir accompanies the motion, not before it.

7. In ruku, tasbih

Place your hands flat on your knees, fingers spread, gripping. Keep your back flat and level, not arched up, not curved down. Your head should be in line with your back. Say at least three times (more is better):

8. Rise from ruku, raful yadayn

Straighten up. Raise your hands again (the third of the four places of raful yadayn) and say:

Standing fully, say:

You may extend this praise with more of the authentic wording the Prophet ﷺ taught:

Hand position while standing here: Imam Ahmad permitted both, you may release your hands at your sides (sadl / irsal), or refold them above your navel (qabd) as you did before ruku. Either is from the Sunnah and either is valid. Pick whichever feels natural to you.

Stand still long enough to be at rest before going down to sujood. Rushing this standing breaks the prayer’s tranquility (tuma’ninah).

9. Takbir for sujood, knees first

Saying “Allahu Akbar” as you go down (no raful yadayn here), descend into sujood. Place your knees on the ground first, then your hands, then your forehead and nose. This is the order the Prophet ﷺ taught.

10. In sujood, seven body parts touch the ground

Seven body parts must touch the ground:

1. Forehead (with the nose pressed alongside, both touch as one)
2. Right palm
3. Left palm
4. Right knee
5. Left knee
6. Right foot (toes bent under, pointing toward qibla)
7. Left foot (toes bent under, pointing toward qibla)

Your fingers are together (not spread), pointing toward the qibla. Your elbows are lifted off the ground, kept away from your sides. Say at least three times (more is better):

You may also add wa bihamdih, “and by His praise,” after each.

11. Sit between the two sujood (julus), iftirash

Saying “Allahu Akbar” as you come up, sit between the two sujood. The way you sit during this julus is in iftirash:

• Left foot is laid flat on the ground, and you sit on it
• Right foot is upright with the toes bent and pointing toward the qibla
• Both hands rest on the thighs, palms down, fingers together, right hand on the right thigh, left hand on the left thigh

If iftirash is difficult for you (knee or hip issues, etc.), use iq’a instead: sit on both heels with both feet upright and both toes pointing toward the qibla. This is also from the Sunnah, reported in Sahih Muslim from Ibn Abbas. It is fully permissible whenever sitting on the left foot is uncomfortable.

While sitting, say (repeating it is better):

12. Second sujood

Saying “Allahu Akbar” as you descend, return to sujood, same as the first (knees first, then hands, then forehead and nose). Say “Subhana rabbiya l-a’la” at least three times.

That completes rak’ah 1.

Rak’ah 2

Say “Allahu Akbar” as you rise to a standing position for the second rak’ah. Once standing, place your hands as you did at the start of rak’ah 1 (above the navel for men, on the chest for sisters).

1. Basmalah silently → Al-Fatiha silently → Aameen

In the second rak’ah you skip the opening du’a and the ta’awudh, those are only for the first rak’ah. Go straight from standing into the silent basmalah, then the silent Fatiha, then “Aameen” silently.

2. A short surah silently

A different surah from the first rak’ah, if you can. If not, repeating is also fine. (Reciting a surah after Fatiha in the first two rak’at is a strong sunnah.)

3. Takbir, raise hands, ruku → tasbih → rise

Same as rak’ah 1: raful yadayn for the takbir into ruku, “Subhana rabbiya l-‘azim” three times, then raful yadayn again on rising with “Sami’allahu liman hamidah,” then standing with “Rabbana wa laka l-hamd” (optionally extended), hands at your sides or refolded above the navel (whichever you chose in rak’ah 1).

4. Sujood twice (with iftirash between)

Same as rak’ah 1. Knees first, “Subhana rabbiya l-a’la” three times each. Sit between in iftirash with hands on the thighs, “Rabbi-ghfir li.”

After the second sujood of rak’ah 2, you do NOT stand up. You stay seated for the first tashahhud.

First tashahhud (after rak’ah 2), Iftirash

Sit in iftirash, left foot laid flat under you, right foot upright with toes pointed toward the qibla. Both hands rest on your thighs, palms down.

With your right hand, form the tashahhud shape:

• Thumb touches the middle finger, forming a circle
• Ring finger and little finger are closed into the palm
• Index finger extends straight forward, pointing toward the qibla

Your index finger points throughout the entire tashahhud (it is not moved up and down). The left hand rests flat on the left thigh, fingers together. Look at your pointed finger.

Recite only the first part, At-Tahiyyat:

Stop after “wa rasuluh.” Do not recite the salawat (the Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad…) here, that is reserved for the final tashahhud. (Some scholars say you may recite the salawat in the first tashahhud too, but the established practice is to keep the first tashahhud short.)

Rising for rak’ah 3, raful yadayn (the 4th place)

Say “Allahu Akbar” and stand up. Raise your hands to ear/shoulder level as you rise, this is the fourth and final place of raful yadayn in the prayer, per the hadith of Ibn Umar (Bukhari).

Once standing, place your right hand over your left as before, and proceed to rak’ah 3.

Rak’ah 3

In the third and fourth rak’at of a 4-rak’ah fard prayer, you recite only Al-Fatiha, no surah after.

1. Basmalah silently → Al-Fatiha silently → Aameen silently. No surah after.
2. Takbir + raful yadayn → ruku → “Subhana rabbiya l-‘azim” three times.
3. Rise with “Sami’allahu liman hamidah” then standing “Rabbana wa laka l-hamd.”
4. Takbir → sujood (knees first) → “Subhana rabbiya l-a’la” three times → sit in iftirash with “Rabbi-ghfir li” → second sujood.

Rak’ah 4

Same as rak’ah 3: Fatiha only, then ruku, rise, sujood, iftirash sitting, second sujood.

After the second sujood of rak’ah 4, sit up, but again you do not stand. You stay seated for the final tashahhud, in tawarruk.

Final tashahhud (after rak’ah 4), TAWARRUK

This sitting is different from the first tashahhud.

In Dhuhr (and in any fard prayer with more than 2 rak’at), the final tashahhud uses tawarruk, not iftirash.

Tawarruk means:

• The left foot extends out and across, passing under the right leg
• You sit on the left side of your buttocks directly on the floor, not on the foot
• The right foot remains upright, toes bent under, pointing toward the qibla
• Hands rest on the thighs as before; same tashahhud shape on the right hand (thumb and middle finger touching, ring and pinky closed, index extended forward and pointing). Index pointing throughout. Look at the pointed finger.

This is the position the Prophet ﷺ used in the final tashahhud of prayers with more than one tashahhud (Bukhari, from Abu Humayd al-Sa’idi).

If tawarruk is difficult for your hips, knees, or back, you may sit in iq’a instead, both heels under, both toes pointing to the qibla. This is permissible (jaiz) for anyone who finds the standard positions physically difficult.

Now recite all three parts in full, testimony, salawat, and the du’a before tasleem.

Part 1, At-Tahiyyat

Part 2, Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ

Part 3, Du’a before tasleem

You may add other authentic du’as before the tasleem.

Tasleem, ending the prayer

Turn your head to the right so your cheek is visible from behind, and say:

Then turn to the left in the same way and say it again.

The prayer is complete.

Sunnah rawatib, 4 before + 2 after Dhuhr

The Prophet ﷺ regularly prayed:

• 4 rak’at before Dhuhr (the common practice is 2 + 2 with tasleem between, but praying all 4 with one tasleem is also from the Sunnah)
• 2 rak’at after Dhuhr

These are part of the 12 daily rawatib the Prophet ﷺ never missed:

“Whoever maintains 12 rak’at of voluntary prayer every day, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise: 4 before Dhuhr, 2 after Dhuhr, 2 after Maghrib, 2 after Isha, and 2 before Fajr.” Sahih Muslim

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

The walkthrough above is for praying alone. If you are following an imam, see The Three Modes of Praying for the full differences. And if you arrive after the imam has already begun, see Joining the prayer late. The key points:

• Do not recite a surah after Fatiha, recite only your own Fatiha quickly and quietly (the imam recites silently to himself in sirr prayers like Dhuhr)
• Move only after the imam has reached each next position, never anticipate
• 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