Isha (Night Prayer)
The fifth and final daily prayer, performed when darkness has fallen.
Isha (Arabic: عشاء) is the fifth and final of the daily obligatory prayers in Islam. The word "isha" means "night" or "evening" in Arabic and refers to the prayer that is performed after the red twilight has disappeared from the sky.
The Isha prayer consists of four rak'ah. It is prayed from the time the red or white twilight disappears (depending on the school of law) and lasts until midnight or the beginning of the Fajr prayer. It is permissible — but not recommended — to delay the Isha prayer until late in the evening.
At higher latitudes, the Isha time can be challenging in summer, as the astronomical twilight never fully disappears in the northernmost months. Therefore, angle-based calculation methods are used to determine the Isha time, typically with a solar angle of 15°-18° below the horizon. In summer, this can mean very late prayer times.
During Ramadan, the Tarawih prayer (a voluntary night prayer) is performed immediately after Isha. The Witr prayer, which is strongly recommended, is performed after Isha and before Fajr.
Related terms
Sunnah Mu'akkadah (Emphasized Sunnah)
Voluntary prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed regularly and rarely omitted.
Qabd (Folding the Arms in Prayer)
The practice of folding the arms over the chest or below the navel during the standing position in prayer.
Ijma' (Consensus)
Agreement among Islamic scholars on a legal question, considered the third source of Islamic law.
Salat al-Tasbih (The Prayer of Glorification)
A special voluntary prayer with 300 tasbih recitations, recommended for forgiveness of sins.
Tabi'in (The Successors)
The generation of Muslims who met the Prophet's companions but did not themselves meet the Prophet.
Mafatih al-Jinan (Keys to Paradise)
The most widely used Shia prayer book, compiled by Shaykh Abbas al-Qummi.