Your First Prayer Checklist
13 small steps between you and your first prayer: ten to learn and three to do. Light each one when you are ready. It is the same order as the first chapter of the Revertly app, and every step links to a free page that teaches it.
Your path
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1. Your first words
Bismillah, Alhamdulillah, SubhanAllah, Allahu Akbar, As-salamu alaykum. Short phrases you can say from day one, and some of them come back in the prayer.
2. Learn wudu
The washing before prayer: hands, mouth, nose, face, arms, head, ears and feet. It takes about two minutes.
3. Make your first wuduMilestone
Make wudu once, on your own. Take your time. Then learn what breaks it, so you know when to make it again.
4. The positions of the prayer
Standing, bowing (ruku), standing up again, prostration (sujud) and sitting. The body of the prayer, before any words.
5. The words for each position
Allahu Akbar to begin, Subhana Rabbiyal Adheem when bowing, Subhana Rabbiyal A’la in prostration, and the short words in between.
6. Al-Fatiha
The opening surah of the Quran, recited in every rakah. Seven short verses, with the meaning line by line.
7. Al-Fatiha from memoryMilestone
Recite it once without looking. Mistakes are fine. Hide the words one line at a time until you know them.
8. A short surah: Al-Ikhlas
Four short verses about the oneness of Allah. You recite it after Al-Fatiha in the first rakah.
9. A second short surah: Al-Kawthar
The shortest surah in the Quran, three verses. You recite it after Al-Fatiha in the second rakah.
10. The tashahhud
The words you say while sitting at the end of the prayer, with the testimony of faith.
11. The salawat
Blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him), said after the tashahhud in the last sitting. Even the short form, Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad, is a good start.
12. The 2 rakat prayer
Put it all together: Fajr, the dawn prayer, from start to finish. Two rakat, with every word and movement in order.
13. Your first prayerMilestone
Two rakat, just you and Allah. Find the time of the next prayer, face the qibla, and pray.
Your ticks are kept in this browser only. Go at your own pace: there is no deadline.
Why this order
The order puts the minimum first: what you need for a valid prayer, before anything extra. Easy words on day one, then wudu, because there is no prayer without it (Quran 5:6). Then the body of the prayer, then the words, then the whole prayer. Longer surahs, dhikr after prayer and the sunnah prayers can wait. They are good, and none of them stands between you and your first prayer.
After your first prayer: Maghrib, 3 rakat, and the 4 rakat prayers. Then all five.
Where the schools differ
The checklist teaches a prayer that is valid in all four Sunni schools. Two of its steps are where they differ:
- Al-Fatiha. “There is no prayer for the one who does not recite the Opening of the Book” (Sahih al-Bukhari 756, Sahih Muslim 394). For the Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools it is a pillar of every rakah. For the Hanafi school it is wajib: required, and forgetting it is repaired with the prostration of forgetfulness.
- The salawat in the last sitting. The Shafi‘i and Hanbali schools hold it is required, the Hanafi and Maliki schools that it is a sunnah. So it is on the checklist. The short form, Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad, is where to start; the full form (the Salat Ibrahimiyya) is the one most people pray.
- The short surah after Al-Fatiha. A sunnah in most schools, wajib for Hanafis in the first two rakat. Al-Ikhlas and Al-Kawthar cover it.
Not sure what your mosque follows? Learn it as taught here, then ask your imam. Small differences are normal; see mistakes in prayer.
There is no deadline
Some reverts pray on the day of their shahada. Others take months. Both are normal. How long has it been for you? Count it with the shahada anniversary calculator. Wondering about the time before you started? A revert owes nothing from before the shahada; the missed prayers calculator explains the rest.
Questions about your first prayer
How do I start praying as a new Muslim?
One small step at a time. Learn wudu, then the positions, then the words, then put them together in a 2 rakat prayer. The checklist above follows that order. You do not need to learn everything before your first prayer: the shortest prayer is two rakat, and each step has a free page that teaches it.
How long does it take to learn the first prayer?
The Revertly app plans this chapter over about three days, at a few minutes a day. Some reverts pray on the day of their shahada, others take weeks or months. There is no deadline. Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear (Quran 2:286).
Can I pray before I know Al-Fatiha by heart?
Yes, start praying while you learn. A man told the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he could not learn any of the Quran, and he taught him to say SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar and La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah in its place (Abu Dawud 832). Keep learning Al-Fatiha alongside. Praying before you know the Arabic
Do I need ghusl before my first prayer?
Take a ghusl after your shahada. The Hanbali school holds it is required; most scholars of the other schools call it recommended, and required if you are in a state that calls for ghusl, which covers most adults. Ghusl is a shower with the intention, with water reaching your whole body. Ghusl after shahada
Which prayer should be my first?
Whichever prayer is due next. The checklist teaches the 2 rakat prayer first because Fajr is the shortest, and once you know two rakat, the 3 rakat Maghrib and the 4 rakat prayers add only a little. If the next prayer is Dhuhr, pray it as you can and keep learning. How many rakat each prayer has
Why 13 steps?
They are the first chapter of the Path in the Revertly app, "Your First Prayer", in the same order: ten things to learn and three milestones where you do them for real (your first wudu, Al-Fatiha from memory, your first prayer).
Are my ticks saved?
Only in this browser, on this device (in its local storage). They are not sent anywhere. A private window or clearing your browser data removes them.