Isha, The Night Prayer
The night prayer. 4 fard rak’at, first two aloud, last two silent. Followed by witr (the night’s odd-numbered prayer) before sleeping.
At a glance
| Fard rak’at | 4 |
| Recitation | Aloud in rak’at 1 & 2; silent in rak’at 3 & 4 |
| Time window | After red twilight disappears → midnight (preferred), or true dawn (last possible) |
| First tashahhud (after rak’ah 2) | Iftirash |
| Final tashahhud (after rak’ah 4) | Tawarruk |
| Sunnah rawatib | 2 rak’at after Isha (part of the 12 rawatib) |
| Witr | Pray after Isha, at least 1 rak’ah, total must be odd |
The walkthrough assumes you are praying alone. For imam/follower differences, see The Three Modes of Praying.
Before you begin
Valid wudu, facing qibla, awrah covered, sleeves down, Isha time entered.
Form the intention in your heart: I am about to pray Isha fard, 4 rak’at. Do not speak it.
The walkthrough
Isha is structurally a combination of what you have already learned:
- Rak’ah count and tashahhud structure = same as Dhuhr (4 rak’at, first tashahhud in iftirash after rak’ah 2, final tashahhud in tawarruk after rak’ah 4)
- Jahr/sirr pattern = first two aloud (like Fajr or Maghrib), last two silent (like Dhuhr/Asr)
Rak’ah 1 (aloud)
Like rak’ah 1 of Fajr. Opening takbir + raful yadayn + opening du’a + ta’awudh and basmalah silently + Al-Fatiha aloud + “Aameen” aloud + short surah aloud + takbir + raful yadayn → ruku → tasbih → rise (raful yadayn) with “Sami’allahu liman hamidah” aloud and “Rabbana wa lakal hamd” standing (hands at sides or refolded above navel, both valid) + sujood × 2 with iftirash between.
Rak’ah 2 (aloud)
Like rak’ah 2 of Fajr. No opening du’a, no ta’awudh. Basmalah silently → Al-Fatiha aloud → Aameen aloud → short surah aloud → ruku → rise → sujood × 2 with iftirash between.
Stay seated for the first tashahhud after the second sujood.
First tashahhud (after rak’ah 2), Iftirash
Sit in iftirash with hands on the thighs. Right hand in the tashahhud shape (thumb-middle, ring + pinky closed, index extended forward and pointing). Index points throughout. Look at the pointed finger.
Recite only the testimony, stop after “wa rasuluh.”
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
At-tahiyyatu lillahi, wa s-salawatu wa t-tayyibat. As-salamu 'alayka ayyuha n-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahi s-salihin. Ash-hadu al la ilaha illa Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
All compliments, prayers, and good things are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
Rising for rak’ah 3, raful yadayn (the 4th place)
Stand with takbir, raising your hands (the fourth and final raful yadayn of the prayer).
Rak’ah 3 (silent)
Basmalah silently → Al-Fatiha silently → Aameen silently. No surah after (only Fatiha in rak’at 3 and 4). Ruku → rise → sujood × 2 with iftirash between.
Rak’ah 4 (silent)
Same as rak’ah 3: Fatiha silently only → ruku → sujood × 2 with iftirash between.
Stay seated for the final tashahhud in tawarruk.
Final tashahhud (after rak’ah 4), TAWARRUK
Sit in tawarruk (left foot extends out under the right leg, sit on the left buttock on the floor, right foot upright with toes to qibla). Hands on thighs with the right hand in the tashahhud shape, index pointing. Look at the pointed finger.
If tawarruk is difficult, sit in iq’a (both heels under, both toes to qibla), fully permissible.
Recite all three parts in full:
Part 1, At-Tahiyyat
(Same as the first tashahhud above.)
Part 2, Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are praiseworthy and glorious. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are praiseworthy and glorious.
Part 3, Du’a before tasleem
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ، وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ، وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min 'adhabi jahannam, wa min 'adhabi l-qabr, wa min fitnati l-mahya wa l-mamat, wa min fitnati l-masihi d-dajjal.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the trial of the false messiah.
Tasleem
Right then left, “As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah” each time.
Sunnah rawatib, 2 rak’at after Isha
The 2 rak’at after Isha are part of the emphasized 12 daily rawatib. Pray them quickly after the fard, before any other voluntary prayers.
Witr, the night prayer that ends with an odd number
After Isha (and the rawatib), the Prophet ﷺ used to pray witr, a voluntary prayer that ends the night’s prayers with an odd number of rak’at.
“Make witr the last prayer of your night.”
Bukhari, Muslim
How to pray witr (most common form)
The simplest and most common way:
- Pray 2 rak’at, like any normal 2-rak’ah prayer, ending with tasleem.
- Then stand up and pray 1 rak’ah by itself, ending with its own tasleem.
That single final rak’ah is the witr. Total of 3 rak’at across two separate prayers.
Other valid forms include 3 rak’at connected as one (one tasleem at the end) without a tashahhud in the middle, that is also from the Sunnah.
When to pray witr
- If you fear you won’t wake before Fajr: pray witr right after Isha (and its rawatib).
- If you usually wake for tahajjud / night prayer: delay witr to the end of the night, after your tahajjud, the last third of the night is the best time.
Witr is highly emphasized, Imam Ahmad’s stronger view treats it as wajib; other scholars say it is sunnah muakkadah. Either way, do not abandon it.
Qunoot in witr
In the final rak’ah of witr, after rising from ruku and saying “Sami’allahu liman hamidah” + “Rabbana wa lakal hamd,” you may raise your hands to chest level and supplicate (qunoot). The well-known qunoot du’a the Prophet ﷺ taught to al-Hasan ibn Ali:
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، وَلَا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
Allahumma-hdini fiman hadayt, wa 'afini fiman 'afayt, wa tawalanni fiman tawallayt, wa barik li fima a'tayt, wa qini sharra ma qadayt, fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda 'alayk, wa innahu la yadhillu man walayt, wa la ya'izzu man 'adayt, tabarakta rabbana wa ta'alayt.
O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me well-being among those You have granted well-being, take me into Your care among those You have taken into Your care, bless me in what You have given, and protect me from the evil You have decreed, for indeed You decree and none decrees over You. The one You befriend is not humiliated, and the one You take as enemy is not honored. Blessed are You, our Lord, and exalted.
After the qunoot, complete the rak’ah normally, go down into sujood, sit for the tashahhud, and tasleem.
(A fuller dedicated witr page with all the variations is coming.)
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:
- Listen to the imam in rak’at 1 & 2 (aloud); recite your own Fatiha silently during pauses; do not recite a surah after
- All takbirs, “Sami’allahu liman hamidah,” “Rabbana wa lakal hamd”, all quietly to yourself
- Move only after the imam has reached each next position
- Say “Aameen” with the imam, aloud, in rak’at 1 & 2