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
Tahajjud (Night Prayer)
The voluntary night prayer performed in the last third of the night.
Tajwid (Proper Quran Recitation)
The science of proper pronunciation and recitation of the Quran during prayer.
Salat al-Istisqa (Rain Prayer)
A special congregational prayer performed to ask Allah for rain during drought.
Rajab (The Venerable Month)
The seventh Islamic month, filled with special prayers and worship.
Sunan Ibn Majah (Ibn Majah's Hadith Collection)
The sixth of the canonical hadith collections in Sunni Islam with unique narrations.
Sunnah Mu'akkadah (Emphasized Sunnah)
Voluntary prayers that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed regularly and rarely omitted.