Do I need to learn Arabic to be Muslim? The words of the prayer, made simple

What you say in Arabic in the prayer

The prayer has a small set of fixed words. These are the ones the course teaches as the core, with their meanings:

• The opening Takbir: “Allahu akbar” (Allah is the Greatest). The prayer has not begun without it, and no other wording will do.
• Al-Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Qur'an. Reciting it is a pillar of every Rak'ah (every unit of the prayer), recited in its proper order.
• In bowing: “Subhana Rabbiyal-'Adhim” (Glory be to my Lord, the Magnificent).
• Rising from bowing: “Sami'allahu liman hamidah”, then “Rabbana wa lakal-hamd”.
• In prostration: “Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la” (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High).
• Between the two prostrations: “Rabbighfir li” (My Lord, forgive me).
• The Tashahhud, said while sitting, and the Salam to finish: “As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah” (Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah).

Some other parts, such as the opening Du'a and a short chapter after al-Fatihah, are Sunnah: rewarded, but the prayer is not invalid without them. That is why the course can give you a short list to learn first.

Can I pray in English?

The course teaches these words in Arabic, the way the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught them. He said: “Pray as you have seen me praying” (Bukhari 631). The Qur'an is Allah's own speech, in its wording and in its meaning, and al-Fatihah is part of it. For the opening “Allahu akbar”, no other wording will do.

What you do in English is understand. Every word comes with its meaning, so you know what you are saying to Allah. The lessons themselves are all in plain English.

If you have not yet learned al-Fatihah, you are not alone, and it is not a reason to give up. The course's own instruction is to ask about it straight away: ask a scholar, or your teacher, what to do while you are still learning it.

Learn the meanings in English

Knowing the meaning is what turns the words from sounds into a conversation. One of the course's first practice tasks is simply this: read al-Fatihah once today with a translation, slowly, remembering that these are Allah's own words.

Here is the meaning of al-Fatihah as the course gives it: “All praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds; the Most Merciful, the Bestower of mercy; Master of the Day of Recompense. You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help. Guide us to the straight path: the path of those You have favoured, not of those who have earned anger, nor of those who are astray.”

You do not need every word on day one

The course teaches the prayer as eighteen steps across three short lessons, with a card to keep beside you. Its goal for the end of that first week is to pray all five prayers on your own, start to finish. In its own words, you do not need every word by heart yet: keep learning the words a few lines at a time.

The order is gentle. In the first week you learn the opening Du'a; the other words follow over the coming weeks. Level 1 asks you to record two passages for a teacher, al-Fatihah and the Tashahhud. Level 2 adds the blessings on the Prophet and Surat al-Ikhlas; Level 3 adds Surat al-Falaq and Surat al-Nas.

How the course helps you learn the words

Inside the course, a tool called “Learn the words” is built for people who cannot read Arabic:

• English letters first. Each passage shows how to say it in English letters, with the Arabic beneath and the meaning under that.
• Tap any word to hear it on its own and see what it means.
• Slow it down with a speed control, and use Listen and repeat, which plays one phrase and then leaves a pause for you to say it.
• Test yourself in three stages: with all the words, then with only the first letters, then from memory.
• Spaced review. When you say a passage right, it comes back for review after a day, then three days, a week, three weeks and two months, so it stays with you.
• Send to a teacher. Record yourself on your phone; a teacher listens and replies with kind help on any words to practise.

Sign-up for the course is open now, and the lessons open soon. You can see every lesson and every recitation on the course syllabus. For the movements that go with the words, read How to pray Salah for beginners.