A page for parents
Teaching your child the salah
Prayer is learned by imitation before it is learned by heart. This page sums up what a child needs to recognise: the five daily prayers and the positions in order. The full module, illustrated and narrated, lives in Foundations.
The five daily prayers
- FajrاَلْفَجْرُAt dawn, before sunrise2 units
- DhuhrاَلظُّهْرُAfter the sun passes its highest point4 units
- AsrاَلْعَصْرُIn the middle of the afternoon4 units
- MaghribاَلْمَغْرِبُJust after sunset3 units
- IshaاَلْعِشَاءُAfter nightfall4 units
The positions, in order
The intention
It is formed in the heart: you know which prayer you are about to perform. Nothing is said out loud.
Standing
You stand upright, hands on the chest, eyes on the spot where the forehead will rest.
Bowing
The back becomes flat, hands rest on the knees, back and neck aligned.
Standing again
You straighten up completely before going down — a short moment, but it counts.
Prostration
Forehead, nose, both hands, knees and toes touch the ground.
Sitting between prostrations
You sit calmly before prostrating a second time.
Final sitting
At the end of the prayer, you sit for the tashahhud before the salutation.
The salutation
You turn your head to the right, then to the left: the prayer is over.
Frequently asked questions
How many prayers are there each day?
Five: Fajr at dawn, Dhuhr after midday, Asr in the middle of the afternoon, Maghrib at sunset and Isha after nightfall.
Where do you start with a child who cannot pray yet?
With the movements, not the words. A child first remembers what they imitate: standing, bowing, prostrating. The words come afterwards, one at a time, without rushing.
My child cannot read Arabic yet. How do they manage?
They listen. Every Animuslim lesson is read aloud, and the Arabic is always written fully vowelled, so a child can follow the sound syllable by syllable before they can read.
Do you need to perform ablutions before praying?
Yes, wudu comes before the prayer. It has its own illustrated and narrated module in Foundations, with the steps in order.
The complete module is in Foundations
Every position is illustrated and narrated there, with fully vowelled Arabic and a quiz at the end. The first lesson is free.
Open Foundations →