What to Recite in Namaz: Every Step + Easiest Short Surahs

In namaz you recite, in order: Allāhu akbar to begin, the Sana, the taʿawwudh and Bismillah, Surah Al-Fatiha, then a short surah (in the first two rakʿahs); in ruku Subḥāna rabbiya l-ʿaẓīm; rising Samiʿa llāhu liman ḥamidah and Rabbanā wa laka l-ḥamd; in sajdah Subḥāna rabbiya l-aʿlā; while sitting the Attahiyat, then in the final sitting Durood Ibrahim and a dua; and finally the salam. Below is a quick table of every step, then the easiest short surahs to learn.

A quick note: the structure of namaz is shared by all Muslims, but the schools of fiqh differ in some details — hand positions, what is recited aloud or silently, what a follower recites behind the imam. This page follows common practice in India and Pakistan and focuses on what is recited and what it means. For rulings, follow your trusted scholars.

Namaz me kya padhe — the quick table

The full Arabic of the longer parts (Sana, Attahiyat, Durood) with English and Roman Urdu is in namaz ka tarjuma.

What changes from rakʿah to rakʿah

This reflects the common practice; the details of the taʿawwudh and Bismillah in later rakʿahs, and of the last two rakʿahs, are explained differently by different schools.

Namaz ki duayen — the duas inside the prayer

People often search for "namaz ki duayen". The fixed duas and phrases inside the prayer are:

1. Sana — the opening praise. Word by word in Sana dua meaning.
2. Ruku and sajdah tasbih — short glorifications of "my Lord", explained in ruku and sajdah tasbih meaning.
3. Attahiyat — greetings and the testimony of faith (Sahih al-Bukhari 831, Sahih Muslim 402).
4. Durood Ibrahim — blessings on the Prophet ﷺ (Sahih al-Bukhari 3370, 6357).
5. Dua before salam — commonly Allāhumma innī ẓalamtu nafsī (Sahih al-Bukhari 834, Sahih Muslim 2705), or the Quranic dua Rabbanā ātinā fi d-dunyā ḥasanatan (2:201).

Short surahs for namaz — easiest first

Here are the short surahs most people learn first, with their verse counts. The first verse is shown so you can recognise each one.

Each has its own meaning page: Surah Ikhlas and Surah Kausar are good places to start, and the last 10 surahs with meaning covers the rest.

Why understanding your short surah matters

Take Surah Al-Kawthar. Its second verse is literally about prayer:

Reciting "so pray unto your Lord" while you are praying — once you know the meaning, that moment feels completely different.

How to learn a new short surah in a week

1. Day 1–2: Listen to it several times from a reliable reciter. Read the meaning once.
2. Day 3–4: Memorise one verse at a time. Say the meaning of each verse after it.
3. Day 5: Recite the whole surah from memory, slowly.
4. Day 6–7: Use it in your sunnah or nafl prayers first, where there's less pressure, and then in fard.

The words you learn in one surah come back in others. Rabb ("Lord", word #12 in our book, 975 times in the Quran) is in Al-Kawthar, Al-Falaq, An-Nas, An-Nasr and Al-Fil. Qul ("say!") opens Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, An-Nas and Al-Kafirun — it comes from qāla, "he said" (word #6, 1,618 times).

From reciting to understanding

Knowing what to recite is the first step. Knowing what it means is where namaz comes alive. If you'd like to go further, our book 600 Words of the Quran teaches the most common Quran words — the same words you meet in Fatiha and these short surahs — in 30 short lessons with meanings in English and Roman Urdu. One of its free bonuses is the Salah Surahs with meaning.