How many rakats are in each prayer?

The obligatory daily prayers are: Fajr 2 rakats, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3, and Isha 4. That is 17 obligatory rakats in a normal day for a resident who is not combining or shortening prayers due to a recognised concession.

Daily prayer rakat chart

“Aloud” and “quiet” describe the imam's regular recitation in the obligatory congregational prayer. They do not mean shouting or complete silence. Detailed rulings for someone praying alone or following an imam belong in a full Salah lesson.

What is a rakat?

A rakat is one unit of prayer. It includes standing and recitation for someone able to stand, bowing, rising, two prostrations, and the sitting between them. The first rakat begins with the opening takbir. Sitting for tashahhud occurs at the appropriate point in prayers of two, three, or four rakats.

What about Sunnah rakats?

Voluntary and emphasised Sunnah prayers surround the obligatory prayers. A report in Sahih Muslim 728a mentions the virtue of maintaining twelve rakats in a day and night. Another narration details a common distribution around the obligatory prayers. The exact classification and some patterns are explained differently by legal schools, so learn a complete routine from a reliable teacher.

Witr is prayed after Isha and before Fajr. Its number and legal classification differ: the Hanafi school treats three-rakat Witr as wajib, while other Sunni schools describe Witr differently and permit other odd numbers. Do not use one compact chart to erase that difference.

Do the numbers change when travelling?

A qualifying traveller may shorten the four-rakat obligatory prayers to two. Fajr remains two and Maghrib remains three. The conditions for travel, distance, duration and combining prayers differ in their details, so ask a qualified scholar before applying the concession.

Friday congregational prayer replaces Dhuhr for those upon whom Jumu'ah is required and validly attended. The obligatory congregational Jumu'ah prayer is two rakats, preceded by the khutbah.

Common questions

How many rakats are in Fajr?

Fajr has two obligatory rakats. Two emphasised Sunnah rakats are normally prayed before them.

How many rakats are in Maghrib?

Maghrib has three obligatory rakats. The first sitting comes after two, then the third rakat is completed before the final sitting.

How many rakats are in Isha?

Isha has four obligatory rakats. Sunnah prayers and Witr are separate from those four.

Learn the sequence, not only the number

Knowing “2, 4, 4, 3, 4” is a useful memory aid. Pair it with a complete lesson on what happens inside each rakat, what is recited, and when to sit.