Dhuhr prayer: 4 silent rak‘ahs, step by step
The midday prayer: what is recited in each rak‘ah and the recommended surahs
Dhuhr, the midday prayer, has 4 obligatory rak‘ahs, recited silently. You recite Al-Fatiha and a surah in the first two rak‘ahs and Al-Fatiha alone in the last two. You sit for a first tashahhud after the second rak‘ah, then for the last one at the end.
What the schools agree on
Dhuhr has 4 rak‘ahs, and all of its recitation is silent, even for the imam. The first two rak‘ahs carry Al-Fatiha and a surah, the last two Al-Fatiha alone.
You sit twice: for the first tashahhud after the second rak‘ah, then for the last one, before the salam.
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.
Dhuhr, rak‘ah by rak‘ah
4 rak‘ahs, two sittings, all silent: the table shows what is recited in each rak‘ah of Dhuhr. The movements and dhikr of each position are on 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
Ibn ‘Umar memorised ten sunnah rak‘ahs from the Prophet ﷺ: two before Dhuhr and two after, two after Maghrib, two after Isha and two before Fajr.
According to ‘A’isha, the Prophet ﷺ did not leave four rak‘ahs before Dhuhr, nor two before Fajr.
Which surahs to recite at Dhuhr?
The Prophet ﷺ recited surahs such as At-Tariq and Al-Buruj at Dhuhr. Practice is to make the first two rak‘ahs a little longer.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Buruj | 22 | 2 min 59 s | Sunan Abi Dawud 805 |
| At-Tariq | 17 | 1 min 34 s | Sunan Abi Dawud 805 |
| Qaf | 45 | 10 min 41 s | Mufassal, long |
| Adh-Dhariyat | 60 | 8 min 55 s | Mufassal, long |
| At-Tur | 49 | 8 min 09 s | Mufassal, long |
| An-Najm | 62 | 9 min 33 s | Mufassal, long |
| Al-Qamar | 55 | 8 min 42 s | Mufassal, long |
| Ar-Rahman | 78 | 10 min 37 s | Mufassal, long |
| Al-Waqi'ah | 96 | 10 min 37 s | Mufassal, long |
| Al-Hadid | 29 | 16 min 17 s | Mufassal, long |
Frequently asked questions
How many rak‘ahs does Dhuhr have?
4 obligatory rak‘ahs. Before it, 2 or 4 sunnah rak‘ahs depending on the school, and 2 after.
Why is Dhuhr recited silently?
That is how the Prophet ﷺ prayed it, and the four schools follow this. You still pronounce the words, without making others hear them.
What is recited in the third and fourth rak‘ahs?
Al-Fatiha alone, silently, as the Prophet ﷺ did at 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