Start here › Your first surahs
Lesson 4 of 5
Your first surahs and recitations
With their meaning, not just the sounds.
These are the words you will say in every prayer. Learn them in order — starting with what is recited first in each rak’ah. For each one you will find the Arabic, the transliteration, the meaning, and an audio recitation so you can hear how it sounds before you try.
Obligatory — recited in every rak’ah
The opening prayer of praise and guidance — the heart of every salah.
A taste — the first verse:
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
Grounded with quran.ai: fetch_translation(1:1, en-sahih-international)
Read the full surah →Recited after Al-Fatiha in the first two rak’ahs
After Al-Fatiha, recite any surah you know. These three short surahs are the best ones to learn first.
A pure, complete statement of who God is: the One, absolute and eternal.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ 1
qul huwa l-lahu aḥadun
Say, "He is Allāh, [who is] One,
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ 2
al-lahu l-ṣamadu
Allāh, the Eternal Refuge.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ 3
lam yalid walam yūlad
He neither begets nor is born,
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ 4
walam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥadun
Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
Grounded with quran.ai: Surah Al-Ikhlas (112) · Sahih International — stored from the connection and cited.
Read the full surah →A prayer for God's protection from every kind of harm, seen and unseen.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ 1
qul aʿūdhu birabbi l-falaqi
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak
مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ 2
min sharri mā khalaqa
From the evil of that which He created
وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ 3
wamin sharri ghāsiqin idhā waqaba
And from the evil of darkness when it settles
وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ 4
wamin sharri l-nafāthāti fī l-ʿuqadi
And from the evil of the blowers in knots
وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ 5
wamin sharri ḥāsidin idhā ḥasada
And from the evil of an envier when he envies."
Grounded with quran.ai: Surah Al-Falaq (113) · Sahih International — stored from the connection and cited.
Read the full surah →A prayer for refuge in God, the Lord of all people, from the unsettling whispers within.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ 1
qul aʿūdhu birabbi l-nāsi
Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind,
مَلِكِ النَّاسِ 2
maliki l-nāsi
The Sovereign of mankind,
إِلَٰهِ النَّاسِ 3
ilāhi l-nāsi
The God of mankind,
مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ 4
min sharri l-waswāsi l-khanāsi
From the evil of the retreating whisperer -
الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ 5
alladhī yuwaswisu fī ṣudūri l-nāsi
Who whispers [evil] into the breasts of mankind -
مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ 6
mina l-jinati wal-nāsi
From among the jinn and mankind."
Grounded with quran.ai: Surah An-Nas (114) · Sahih International — stored from the connection and cited.
Read the full surah →Recited in the final sitting of every prayer
The Tashahhud
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu ʻalayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh, as-salamu ʻalayna wa ʻala ʻibadillahis-salihin, ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ʻabduhu wa rasuluh
“All greetings, prayers and good things belong to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.”
Source: Sahih Muslim 402 — from the teaching of the Prophet ﷺ
The Tashahhud is a declaration and a greeting — first to Allah, then to the Prophet ﷺ, then to all righteous believers including yourself. It ends with the Shahada, bringing the prayer full circle back to the declaration of faith you began your journey with.
🔊 Audio for this recitation coming soon.
Recited after the Tashahhud in the final sitting
The Salawat (Ibrahimiyyah)
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma salli ʻala Muhammadin wa ʻala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ʻala Ibrahima wa ʻala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik ʻala Muhammadin wa ʻala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ʻala Ibrahima wa ʻala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid.
“O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Truly You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. Truly You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.”
Source: Sahih Bukhari 3370 — from the teaching of the Prophet ﷺ
The Salawat is a blessing you send to the Prophet ﷺ and his family, and to the Prophet Ibrahim ﷺ and his family. It is one of the most beloved acts in Islam — a moment of connection across all the prophets.
🔊 Audio for this recitation coming soon.