MakkahDaily Salah Guide: How Many Rakats in Each Prayer?
The five daily prayers are obligatory upon all adult Muslims and are the foundation of Islamic worship. They were emphasized repeatedly by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Below is a simple breakdown of each of the five daily prayers, including obligatory (Fard), confirmed Sunnah (Mu’akkadah), optional (Nafl), and Witr prayers.
| Prayer | Sunnah Before | Fard | Sunnah After | Nafl | Witr | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 (Mu’akkadah) | 2 | – | – | – | 4 |
| Dhuhr | 4 (Mu’akkadah) | 4 | 2 (Mu’akkadah) | 2 | – | 12 |
| Asr | 4 (Ghayr Mu’akkadah) | 4 | – | – | – | 8 |
| Maghrib | – | 3 | 2 (Mu’akkadah) | 2 | – | 7 |
| Isha | 4 (Ghayr Mu’akkadah) | 4 | 2 (Mu’akkadah) | 2 | 3 | 15 |
What is Fard, Sunnah, and Nafl?
Obligatory. Missing this prayer without a valid excuse is considered a major sin.
An emphasized practice of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ); regularly performed and highly recommended.
A non-emphasized Sunnah; the Prophet (ﷺ) performed it, but not as consistently as Mu'akkadah prayers.
Optional prayers performed for extra reward and closeness to Allah (ﷻ).
A highly emphasized prayer performed at night after Isha. The Prophet (ﷺ) never omitted it, even while traveling.
Hadith Evidence for Each Prayer
Fajr (2 Sunnah + 2 Fard)
“The two rak‘ahs before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are better than this world and all that it contains.”— Sahih Muslim 725a
Dhuhr (4 Sunnah + 4 Fard + 2 Sunnah)
“Whoever prays four rak‘ahs before Dhuhr and four after, Allah will forbid him to the Fire.”— Jami` at-Tirmidhi 428
Asr (4 Sunnah + 4 Fard)
“May Allah have mercy on the one who prays four rak'ahs before Asr prayer.”— Jami` at-Tirmidhi 430, Sunan Abi Dawud 1271
Maghrib (3 Fard + 2 Sunnah)
The companion Abdullah bin Umar said: "I remember ten Rak'ah of optional prayers from the Prophet (ﷺ), two Rak'ah before the Dhuhr prayer and two Rak'ah after it; two Rak'ah after Maghrib..."— Sahih al-Bukhari 1180
Isha & Witr
The Sunnah prayers associated with Isha are confirmed, and the Witr prayer is so emphasized that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The Witr is a duty, and whoever does not pray Witr is not one of us.”— Sunan Abi Dawud 1419
Reward for 12 Daily Sunnah Rak‘ahs
“Whoever prays twelve voluntary rak‘ahs in a day and night, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.”(These are the 2 before Fajr, 4 before and 2 after Dhuhr, 2 after Maghrib, and 2 after Isha).
— Sahih Muslim 728b
How the Number of Rakats Was Derived
The exact number of rakats for each prayer is not detailed in the Quran. Rather, this knowledge comes directly from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), as authentically recorded in Hadith collections. These practices were established by the Prophet (ﷺ) and passed down through generations.
“Pray as you have seen me praying.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 631