Salah Guide: Counting and Praying Your Rakats
Start with the rakat guide for how many rakats each prayer has, then use sajdah sahw and forgetting during prayer if you lose count.
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Counting Your Rakats
The rakat guide lists fard, sunnah and Witr for all five prayers in one table. For a single prayer see Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha, and for the voluntary prayers see the sunnah prayers and Tahajjud.
When You Lose Count or Doubt Your Prayer
If you are not sure how many rakats you prayed, build on the number you are certain of and finish with two prostrations of forgetfulness. The sajdah sahw guide explains before-or-after-salam, and forgetting during prayer answers whether you repeat the prayer.
Ramadan Prayers
How to pray Taraweeh covers 8 or 20 rakats, praying at home and the reward, and Witr covers the odd-numbered prayer that closes the night.
Tools
Count dhikr with the free tasbih counter, learn the steps of wudu, or compare rakat counter apps. To have the count kept for you while you pray, see the Prayer Memory app.
- Forgetting During PrayerNot sure how many rakaa you prayed? Start here.
- Sajdah Sahw GuideWhat to do when you doubt your prayer.
- Tasbih CounterFree online dhikr counter — tap to count.
- Rakat GuideHow many rakats in every prayer, Witr and Taraweeh.
- Compare Rakat Counter AppsPrayer Memory vs rakaah.ai, Niya and others.
- Rakat Counter AppPrayer Memory is a rakat counter app for salah and Taraweeh: silent haptic taps on Apple Watch, a manual counter on iPhone and Android, offline and no account. Free to download.
- Prayer Memory ProPrayer Memory is free to download. Pro costs $1.99 a month in most countries with the first month free, and unlocks the automatic counter for the five daily prayers. Prices by country and how to cancel.
- Wudu StepsHow to perform wudu (ablution) step by step: the steps in order, the obligatory acts from the Quran, what breaks wudu, the dua after wudu and the madhhab differences.
- How to Pray TaraweehHow to pray Taraweeh: when it starts, how many rakats (8 or 20 plus Witr), the steps in sets of two, praying at home or alone, the reward and the madhhab views.
- How to Pray WitrHow to pray Witr: 1 to 11 rakats (most commonly 3), two ways to pray 3 rakats, the surahs, the qunut dua, its time and whether it is wajib or sunnah.
- How to Pray TahajjudHow to pray Tahajjud (qiyam al-layl): the best time, how many rakats (sets of 2, no fixed limit), the steps, and how it differs from Taraweeh and Witr.
- Sunnah PrayersHow many sunnah rakats before and after Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha: the 12 confirmed rawatib, the reward, and the madhhab differences, with a table.
- Rakats in FajrFajr has 2 fard rakats and 2 confirmed sunnah rakats before it, 4 in total. A clear table, how Fajr is prayed, its time, travel and what the madhhabs say.
- Rakats in DhuhrDhuhr has 4 fard rakats, with 4 sunnah rakats before and 2 after in the widely taught count, 10 in total. Table, recitation, time, travel and madhhab views.
- Rakats in AsrAsr has 4 fard rakats and no confirmed sunnah; 4 rakats before it are recommended. Table, recitation, time, travel and what the madhhabs say.
- Rakats in MaghribMaghrib has 3 fard rakats followed by 2 confirmed sunnah rakats, 5 in total. Table, how it is prayed, its short time, travel and madhhab views.
- Rakats in IshaIsha has 4 fard rakats, then 2 confirmed sunnah rakats and Witr (commonly 3), 9 in total. Table, recitation, time, travel and what the madhhabs say.
- Losing Count During Prayer? You're Not AloneForgetting which rakah you're on? Struggling to focus in salah? You're not alone. Learn how silent haptic vibrations on your wrist can help you stay focused — without looking at a screen.
- Praying Taraweeh at Home? Here's How to Keep CountPraying Taraweeh alone at home this Ramadan? Losing count of rakaas without an imam? Here's how a silent counter on your wrist keeps you on track — no distractions.
- From Watch Face to Prayer in One TapMost prayer apps get forgotten. Prayer Memory lives on your Apple Watch face and iPhone lock screen — one tap and you're praying. No unlocking, no searching, no friction.
Never lose count in salah again
Prayer Memory keeps the count for you, silently, so you can give your attention to the prayer. Free to download, with an optional Pro upgrade inside the app.
