How to pray: step by step

The prayer has a precise order taught by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A man who prayed badly came to ask him how to pray; his answer is the basic description of every prayer:

When you stand up for the prayer, say Allahu akbar, then recite what you can of the Quran. Then bow until you are calm in the bowing, rise until you stand upright, then prostrate until you are calm in the prostration, rise until you are calm sitting, and do so throughout your prayer.al-Bukhari 724, Muslim 397

The order of the acts in prayer is a pillar

The jurists teach that the order of the pillars belongs to the prayer itself: whoever prostrates deliberately before bowing invalidates his prayer by consensus, for he plays with the rite. Whoever forgets must go back: bow then prostrate, for the Prophet prayed in this order and said: "pray as you have seen me pray".

Bowing and prostration in prayer

Bowing and prostration are pillars by consensus, as indicated by Allah's words: "bow and prostrate" (22:77). For prostration, the Prophet specified:

I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: the forehead (and he pointed to his nose), the two hands, the two knees and the tips of the two feet.al-Bukhari 776, Muslim 490

Stillness in every position of the prayer

The Shafi'is, the Hanbalis and Abu Yusuf among the Hanafis make stillness (tuma'nina) a pillar, based on the hadith above. The Malikis hold that a brief stillness of the limbs suffices; the Hanbalis accept an instant of stability, and another opinion ties it to the obligatory dhikr of each position.

Practical note on praying step by step

Slow down: most prayer faults come from haste. Take a moment of calm in each position, place the seven members on the ground without pressing, and check that your recitation, bowing and prostration follow the order learned from the Prophet.