Salah reference
Islamic Prayer Rakats Chart
Every rakat of every salah, counted: fard, sunnah and nafl for Fajr through Isha, the Witr count, and what changes when you travel. Counts shown follow the Hanafi school, with the differences between madhabs noted honestly.
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The five daily prayers at a glance
| Prayer | Before | Fard | After | Witr | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 sunnah | 2 | — | — | 4 |
| Dhuhr | 4 sunnah | 4 | 2 sunnah (+2) | — | 12 |
| Asr | 4 sunnah* | 4 | — | — | 8 |
| Maghrib | — | 3 | 2 sunnah (+2) | — | 7 |
| Isha | 4 sunnah* | 4 | 2 sunnah (+2) | 3 | 17 |
* Sunnah ghair muakkadah — emphasised in the Hanafi school, optional elsewhere. The (+2) after Dhuhr, Maghrib and Isha are voluntary nafl, not part of the required count.
What the columns mean
Not all rakats carry the same weight. Knowing which category each one falls into tells you what you may drop when life squeezes you — and what you never should.
- Fard — obligatory. The prayer is invalid without it. Missing one deliberately is a sin; it must be made up (qada).
- Sunnah muakkadah — the Prophet ﷺ kept them persistently and did not abandon them without excuse. Witr sits in this category in the Hanafi school (wajib); the other schools count it as strongly recommended sunnah.
- Sunnah ghair muakkadah — established in his practice but not bound to. The 4 before Asr and the 4 before Isha fard fall here.
- Nafl — purely voluntary. Pure profit: nothing lost by skipping, much gained by keeping.
Each prayer, broken down
Fajr — 4 rakats (2 + 2)
Two sunnah muakkadah before the two fard. The Prophet ﷺ said the two sunnah of Fajr are better than the world and everything in it (Sahih Muslim 725) — the one prayer whose sunnah carries that weight.
Dhuhr — 12 rakats (4 + 4 + 2 + 2)
Four sunnah open the midday prayer, then the 4 fard, then 2 sunnah muakkadah. Two final nafl round off the block for those who keep them.
Asr — 4 fard (8 in Hanafi practice)
The fard is 4 rakats. Hanafi practice adds 4 sunnah ghair muakkadah beforehand; Shafi'i and Hanbali sources instead mention 4 voluntary rakats before Asr as recommended for whoever wishes. If you pray only the 4 fard, your Asr is complete.
Maghrib — 7 rakats (3 + 2 + 2)
The only prayer with 3 fard, followed by 2 sunnah muakkadah and commonly 2 nafl.
Isha — 17 rakats (4 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 2)
The longest count. After 4 sunnah (ghair muakkadah) and the 4 fard come 2 sunnah muakkadah, then 3 Witr, then 2 nafl. Without the voluntary bookends, Isha's core is 4 fard + 2 sunnah + Witr.
Travel chart (qasr): what shortens
| Prayer | At home | Travelling |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 fard | 2 — never shortens |
| Dhuhr | 4 fard | 2 |
| Asr | 4 fard | 2 |
| Maghrib | 3 fard | 3 — never shortens |
| Isha | 4 fard | 2 |
- Only the four-rakat fards shorten. Sunnah and nafl rakats technically remain, though many travellers lighten the load — the Prophet ﷺ did not pray nafl while riding.
- Combining (jamʿ) is also permitted: Dhuhr with Asr, and Maghrib with Isha, prayed together at one of the two times.
Common mistakes the chart prevents
- Praying Asr as 2. Confusion with qasar rules — Asr only shortens when genuinely travelling.
- Treating sunnah muakkadah as disposable. They are not fard, but the Prophet ﷺ warned against abandoning them habitually.
- Counting Witr inside Maghrib. Witr closes the day after Isha (or half the night, for night-prayers).
- Skip-the-sunnah-by-default. The reverse error: treating nafl layers as obligations and exhausting yourself. The chart separates required from rewarded.
Frequently asked questions
How many rakats is the whole day?
20 fard rakats across the five prayers (2+4+4+3+4). With the emphasised sunnah and Witr, the Hanafi daily total comes to 48; the minimum practised daily is the 20 fard.
Is Jumu'ah different?
Yes — Jumu'ah replaces Dhuhr on Friday for those attending: 2 fard rakats behind the khutbah replace the 4-fard Dhuhr. Those who miss it pray Dhuhr as normal.
What about Tahajjud and other voluntary prayers?
Voluntary night prayers have no fixed count — anywhere from 2 to 13 rakats is transmitted. See our guide to how to pray Tahajjud.
Sumber teks
Teks Arab rasm Utsmani dan terjemahan Kementerian Agama Republik Indonesia, diambil langsung dari basis data quran.com — tidak diketik ulang. Rujukan hadits: Standard positions of classical Sunni fiqh (fard counts agreed by all four madhabs; sunnah layers shown per the Hanafi school). Confirm madhab-specific practice with a qualified scholar. (penomoran sunnah.com).