How Many Rakats in Each Prayer? Full Explanation

Table of Contents

Welcome, readers! Are you searching for an explanation of "How many rakats in each prayer"? If your answer is "Yes," congratulations! You've come to the right article. Why? Because that's exactly what I will explain here. As Muslims, understanding this topic is essential, and that's why I wrote this article. So, make sure you read it till the end!

Specifically, there are three key points about "How many rakats in each prayer" that I will explain:

1. What Is a Rakat in Prayer?
2. The General Hadith About Rakats in Each Prayer.
3. How Many Rakats Are in Each Specific Prayer?

Let's dive into these topics in detail.

What Is a Rakat in Prayer?

The first important point to discuss is, "What is a rakat in prayer?" It's crucial to understand this because some Muslims may not fully comprehend the concept.

Does Farting Without Sound or Smell Break Prayer (Salat)?

In general, a rakat refers to a part of prayer. However, more specifically, we can understand its meaning through the following definition:

الرَّكَعَاتُ أَوْ رَكَعَاتُ الصَّلَاةِ هِيَ : أَقْوَالٌ وَأَفْعَالٌ مَخْصُوْصَةٌ ، فِيْ الدِّيْنِ الْإِسْلَامِيِّ ، تَتَكَوَّنُ مِنْهَا الصَّلَاةُ ، وَكَيْفِيَتُهَا مُحَدَّدَةٌ بِاتِّبَاعِ الشَّرْعِ

Rakats in prayer are specific sayings and movements in Islam that form the components of prayer. Their performance is prescribed by the sharia (Islamic law).

Thus, rakats are not merely parts of prayer. More precisely, they represent the distinct sayings and movements that differentiate one rakat from another.

For example, the first rakat of the Isha prayer differs from the second. The most noticeable difference is the tashahhud (testimony of faith), which is performed in the second rakat but not in the first or third.

Understanding the concept of rakats is fundamental for every Muslim.

The General Hadith About Rakats in Each Prayer

The second key point to understand is the general hadith that explains the rakats in each prayer. This is essential knowledge, as it provides the foundation for understanding how many rakats are required in each prayer.

The hadith in question is as follows:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَا افْتُرِضَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الصَّلَاةُ رَكْعَتَانِ رَكْعَتَانِ إِلَّا الْمَغْرِبَ فَإِنَّهَا كَانَتْ ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ أَتَمَّ اللَّهُ الظُّهْرَ وَالْعَصْرَ وَالْعِشَاءَ الْآخِرَةَ أَرْبَعًا فِي الْحَضَرِ وَأَقَرَّ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَى فَرْضِهَا الْأَوَّلِ فِي السَّفَرِ

From Aisha, the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), she said: Among what was obligated upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was prayer consisting of two rakats, except for Maghrib, which had three. Later, Allah completed Zuhr, Asr, and Isha as four rakats when not traveling, while maintaining the original number (two rakats) during travel.

This hadith offers a general understanding of the number of rakats in each prayer, which I will elaborate on in the next section.

How Many Rakats Are in Each Prayer?

Now, let's explore the specific number of rakats for each prayer:

Rakats in Fajr Prayer

If you ask, "How many rakats are in Fajr prayer?" the answer is two rakats. This is supported by the following hadith:

عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ رَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلًا يُصَلِّي بَعْدَ صَلَاةِ الصُّبْحِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ

From Qays ibn Amr, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw a man praying after the congregational dawn prayer and said, "The prescribed prayer consists of two rakats."

Rakats in Zuhr Prayer

The number of rakats in Zuhr prayer is four rakats. This is mentioned in the following hadith:

عَنْ أَنَسٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَّى الظُّهْرَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ أَرْبَعًا

From Anas: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prayed four rakats of Zuhr in Medina.

Rakats in Asr Prayer

Asr prayer also consists of four rakats, as indicated in this hadith:

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prayed Asr, completing four rakats.

Rakats in Maghrib Prayer

Maghrib prayer consists of three rakats, as mentioned in the general hadith explained earlier.

Rakats in Isha Prayer

The Isha prayer consists of four rakats, as indicated in the following hadith:

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ : شَكَا أَهْلُ الْكُوفَةِ سَعْدًا إِلَى عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَعَزَلَهُ وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمَّارًا فَشَكَوْا حَتَّى ذَكَرُوا أَنَّهُ لَا يُحْسِنُ يُصَلِّي فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ : يَا أَبَا إِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّكَ لَا تُحْسِنُ تُصَلِّي . قَالَ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ : أَمَّا أَنَا وَاللَّهِ فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ أُصَلِّي بِهِمْ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا أَخْرِمُ عَنْهَا أُصَلِّي صَلَاةَ الْعِشَاءِ فَأَرْكُدُ فِي الْأُولَيَيْنِ وَأُخِفُّ فِي الْأُخْرَيَيْنِ

From Jabir bin Samura, he said: The People of Kufa complained against Sa'd to Umar and the latter dismissed him and appointed Ammar as their chief. They lodged many complaints against Saad and even they alleged that he did not pray properly. Umar sent for him and said, "O Aba Ishaq! These people claim that you do not pray properly." Abu Ishaq said, "By Allah, I used to pray with them a prayer similar to that of Allah's Apostle and I never reduced anything of it. I used to prolong the first two rakats of Isha prayer and shorten the last two rakats."

Conclusion

Understanding the number of rakats in each prayer is essential for every Muslim. To summarize:

1. Fajr: 2 Rakats
2. Zuhr: 4 Rakats
3. Asr: 4 Rakats
4. Maghrib: 3 Rakats
5. Isha: 4 Rakats

I hope this article has provided you with a clear understanding of "How many rakats in each prayer." If you have further questions, feel free to ask!