Rak'ah (Prayer Cycle)
A single cycle of movements and recitations in the Islamic prayer.
Rak'ah (Arabic: ركعة, plural: raka'at) is a single cycle of standing, bowing, and prostration in the Islamic prayer. Each obligatory prayer consists of a set number of rak'ah: Fajr has 2, Dhuhr has 4, Asr has 4, Maghrib has 3, and Isha has 4.
Each rak'ah contains the following elements in order: standing position (qiyam) with recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha and optionally additional Quran verses, bowing (ruku) with glorification of Allah, return to standing position, prostration with the forehead on the ground (sujud) with glorification, sitting position, and another sujud.
The number of rak'ah in the obligatory prayers was established by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and cannot be changed. In addition to the obligatory rak'ah, there are sunnah prayers (voluntary extra rak'ah), which are prayed before or after the obligatory prayers. The Prophet regularly prayed 12 extra rak'ah per day: 2 before Fajr, 4 before Dhuhr, 2 after Dhuhr, 2 after Maghrib and 2 after Isha.
Related terms
Zakat (Alms)
The obligatory alms that the Quran mentions alongside prayer.
Iman (Faith)
Belief in Allah's oneness, His angels, books, messengers, the Day of Judgment, and divine predestination.
Jannah (Paradise)
The eternal paradise, the reward for faith and good deeds.
Irsal (Arm Position in Prayer)
The Shia practice of letting the arms hang at the sides during prayer.
Qibla (Prayer Direction)
The direction toward the Kaaba in Mecca, which Muslims face during prayer.
Rawatib (Regular Sunnah Prayers)
The voluntary prayers regularly prayed before and after the obligatory prayers.