Asr prayer: 4 silent rak‘ahs, step by step
The afternoon prayer: what is recited in each rak‘ah and the recommended surahs
Asr, the afternoon prayer, has 4 obligatory rak‘ahs, recited silently like Dhuhr. You recite Al-Fatiha and a surah in the first two rak‘ahs and Al-Fatiha alone in the last two, with a first tashahhud after the second. Practice is to recite medium-length surahs.
What the schools agree on
Asr has the same form as Dhuhr: 4 silent rak‘ahs, two sittings, and Al-Fatiha alone in the last two rak‘ahs.
Its recitation is often shorter than that of Dhuhr.
Khabbab explained that the companions knew the Prophet ﷺ was reciting at Dhuhr and Asr from the movement of his beard.
At Dhuhr, the Prophet ﷺ recited Al-Fatiha and a surah in the first two rak‘ahs and Al-Fatiha alone in the last two, making the first rak‘ah longer; he did the same at Asr and Fajr.
Asr, rak‘ah by rak‘ah
The table follows Asr rak‘ah by rak‘ah: the recitation, the voice and the sittings. For the movements and words of each position, see the positions page.
| Rak‘ah | Recitation | Imam’s voice | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Fatiha, then a surah | silent | stand up |
| 2 | Al-Fatiha, then a surah | silent | first tashahhud, then stand up |
| 3 | Al-Fatiha alone | silent | stand up |
| 4 | Al-Fatiha alone | silent | last tashahhud, prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, salam |
The four schools, all valid
Which surahs to recite at Asr?
The Prophet ﷺ recited surahs such as At-Tariq at Asr. Practice is to recite the medium surahs of the Mufassal, from An-Naba' to Al-Layl.
At Dhuhr and Asr, the Prophet ﷺ recited At-Tariq, Al-Buruj and similar surahs.
Abu Hurayra described a prayer very close to the Prophet’s ﷺ: the first two rak‘ahs of Dhuhr long, Asr lighter, short surahs at Maghrib, surahs like Ash-Shams at Isha and two long surahs at Fajr.
| Surah | Verses | Listening | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| At-Tariq | 17 | 1 min 34 s | Sunan Abi Dawud 805 |
| An-Naba' | 40 | 5 min 06 s | Mufassal, medium |
| An-Nazi'at | 46 | 4 min 43 s | Mufassal, medium |
| 'Abasa | 42 | 3 min 42 s | Mufassal, medium |
| At-Takwir | 29 | 2 min 22 s | Mufassal, medium |
| Al-Infitar | 19 | 2 min 06 s | Mufassal, medium |
| Al-Mutaffifin | 36 | 4 min 47 s | Mufassal, medium |
| Al-Inshiqaq | 25 | 2 min 44 s | Mufassal, medium |
| Al-Buruj | 22 | 2 min 59 s | Mufassal, medium |
| Al-A'la | 19 | 1 min 54 s | Mufassal, medium |
Frequently asked questions
How many rak‘ahs does Asr have?
4 obligatory rak‘ahs, recited silently.
What is the difference between Asr and Dhuhr?
The form is the same: 4 silent rak‘ahs and two sittings. The recitation of Asr is often shorter.
Can a long surah be recited at Asr?
Yes, any surah is valid. Practice is simply to keep Asr lighter than Dhuhr.
How can I check my Fatiha and the surahs I recite in prayer?
Recite them out loud in the Tilawa app: it follows your recitation word by word and shows you the words and tajweed rules to work on. During prayer, it can also follow the verses you recite.
Tilawa editorial team · Updated 2026-10-24 · Report an error