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
Mustahab (Recommended)
Actions that are recommended but not obligatory, and that give extra reward.
Minaret (Prayer Tower)
The mosque's tower, from which the adhan (call to prayer) is traditionally recited.
Taslim (Concluding Greeting)
The concluding peace greeting that marks the end of the prayer.
Ruku (Bowing)
Bowing from the waist during prayer as a sign of humility.
Masjid al-Aqsa (The Farthest Mosque)
The third holiest mosque in Islam, in Jerusalem, connected to the Prophet's nocturnal journey.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections, known for its classification of narrations by strength.