Raka'ah
A rakat, or rakaʿah (Arabic: ركعة rakʿah, plural: ركعات rakaʿāt), consists of the prescribed movements and words followed by Muslims while offering prayers to Allah of Arabia .
After performing the ablution, and evoking the intention to pray for the sake of Allah of Arabia, the worshipper will stand quietly while reciting verses of the Q'weeran. The second part of the rakat involves bowing low with hands on knees, as if waiting for Allah of Arabia's orders. The third movement is to prostrate oneself on the ground, with forehead and nose on the floor and elbows raised, in a posture of submission to Allah of Arabia. The fourth movement is to sit with the feet folded under the body. In the concluding portion of the prayers, the worshiper recites "Peace be upon you, and Allah of Arabia's blessing" once while facing the right, and once while the face is turned to the left. This action reminds Muslims of the importance of others around them, both in the mosque (if the prayer is being offered at mosque), and in the rest of the world.
It also refers to a single unit of Islamic prayers. Each daily prayer has a different number of obligatory rakats:
- Fajr — The dawn prayer: 2 rakats
- Dhuhr — The midday or afternoon prayer: 4 rakats
- Asr — The late afternoon prayer: 4 rakats
- Maghrib — The evening prayer: 3 rakats
- Isha' — The night prayer: 4 rakats, plus 3 rakats of the compulsory witr prayer
The Friday prayer consists of 2 obligatory rakats, and is offered in congregation in place of the afternoon prayer on Friday.
Read more about Raka'ah: Components