The five daily prayers and their times

Prayer, called salah in Arabic, is the regular conversation between a believer and God. Muslims pray five times a day. Each prayer has its own window of time, and the five windows follow the movement of the sun.

Fajr is the dawn prayer. It begins when the first light appears before sunrise and ends at sunrise. It has two units of prayer, called rak'ahs.

Dhuhr is the midday prayer. It begins soon after the sun has passed its highest point and lasts into the afternoon. It has four units.

Asr is the afternoon prayer. It begins when the afternoon is well advanced and lasts until shortly before sunset. It has four units.

Maghrib is the sunset prayer. It begins right after the sun has set and lasts while the evening twilight remains. It has three units.

Isha is the night prayer. It begins when the twilight has gone and lasts into the night. It has four units.

The exact times change with your city and with the season, so most people use a local prayer timetable or a trusted app. In many places a call to prayer, called the adhan, announces each time.

Nobody expects a new Muslim to pray perfectly from the first day. Many people begin with one or two prayers and add the others over time, learning the movements and the words little by little. A mentor or your local community can pray beside you and help you.

If you are unsure about a detail, for example how to pray at work or while travelling, ask a scholar. Schools of thought differ on some details, and it is fine to learn at your own pace.