Children often worry that they do not know enough Quran to pray. In fact, a few short surahs are all they need.
The simple rule
- Rak’ah 1 and 2: Al-Fatihah, then a short surah.
- Rak’ah 3 and 4: Al-Fatihah only.
This follows the practice of the Prophet ﷺ, who recited Al-Fatihah and a surah in the first two rak’ahs of Dhuhr, and Al-Fatihah alone in the last two (Sahih al-Bukhari 776).
Prayer by prayer
| Prayer | Rak’ahs | With a surah | Al-Fatihah only |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fajr | 2 | 1st, 2nd | none |
| Dhuhr | 4 | 1st, 2nd | 3rd, 4th |
| Asr | 4 | 1st, 2nd | 3rd, 4th |
| Maghrib | 3 | 1st, 2nd | 3rd |
| Isha | 4 | 1st, 2nd | 3rd, 4th |
A starter set of 3 surahs
- Al-Kawthar (3 verses)
- Al-Asr (3 verses)
- Al-Ikhlas (4 verses)
A common habit is to recite a different one in each of the first two rak’ahs, such as Al-Kawthar then Al-Ikhlas.
As they learn more
Encourage your child to use every new surah in prayer within a week of memorising it. Using it in salah is one of the best ways to keep it strong.
Teacher’s tip: write the starter set on a small card and keep it by the prayer mat for the first month.
