Knowing how many rak’ahs each prayer has is one of the first things children need when they start praying on their own.
The fard rak’ahs
| Prayer | When | Fard rak’ahs |
|---|---|---|
| Fajr | Before sunrise | 2 |
| Dhuhr | Just after midday | 4 |
| Asr | Afternoon | 4 |
| Maghrib | Just after sunset | 3 |
| Isha | Night | 4 |
| Total | 17 | |
Memory tricks
- The number 2-4-4-3-4: say it like a phone number.
- Fajr is the shortest, because it is early in the morning.
- Maghrib is the only odd one: 3.
Where the sitting comes
- 2-rak’ah prayers: one sitting at the end (tashahhud and salam).
- 3 and 4-rak’ah prayers: a short sitting after rak’ah 2, then the final sitting at the end.
Sunnah prayers
The Prophet ﷺ regularly prayed extra rak’ahs, such as two before Fajr and two after Maghrib. Once your child is confident with the fard prayers, add these one at a time.
Counting help
Children often lose count. A simple trick: move a small bead or fold a finger after each rak’ah. Praying next to a parent also helps.
Teacher’s tip: make a fridge chart with the five prayers and their rak’ahs, and let your child tick each prayer they pray. It teaches the numbers and builds the habit together.
Related: Which surahs should my child recite in each prayer? and how to teach your child to pray.
