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
Salah (Prayer)
The Islamic ritual prayer, performed five times daily.
Akhirah (The Hereafter)
Life after death — the eternal life that prayer prepares the believer for.
Raf' al-Yadayn (Raising the Hands)
The practice of raising the hands to the shoulders or ears at specific points in the prayer.
Qasr (Shortened Prayer)
The permission to shorten the four-rak'ah prayers to two rak'ah during travel.
Adhan (Call to Prayer)
The Islamic call to prayer, recited by a muezzin.
Laylat al-Qadr (The Night of Decree)
The most sacred night in Islam, when the Quran was revealed.