Ishraq and duha, the sunrise and morning prayers
See when ishraq begins and duha ends today where you are, then follow the steps, from Fajr to the morning prayer.
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The reward in the hadith of ishraq is for someone who prays Fajr in congregation. Men pray it at the masjid; women and anyone praying at home pray Fajr on time.
Stay where you prayed, making dhikr, reciting Quran or the morning adhkar, until the sun rises.
Do not pray while the sun is rising. Wait until it has risen about a spear's length, roughly 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise. The times above show when that is today.
Intend two rakahs of ishraq (or duha). Pray it like any two-rakah prayer, as in how to pray: thana, Al-Fatiha and a surah, ruku, two sajdahs, then the second rakah, tashahhud, salawat, dua and salam.
اللّٰهُ أَكْبَرُ
Allāhu akbar
Allah is the Greatest.
Duha can be prayed from the same time until shortly before Dhuhr. Pray two, four or eight rakahs, in twos. The best time is when the morning has warmed, about a quarter of the way through the day.
Finish before zawal, the few minutes when the sun is at its highest just before Dhuhr. Praying then is not allowed. Stopping about ten minutes before Dhuhr keeps you clear of it.
- Ishraq
- About 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise
- Duha
- From then until shortly before Dhuhr
- Rakahs
- Ishraq 2 or 4; duha 2 to 8, up to 12
- Ruling
- Mustahabb (recommended)
The method shown first is the Hanafi one. Where the other madhhabs differ, the guide below explains how. Use the arrow keys to move between steps.
Guide
Ishraq and duha, what they are and when
Ishraq is two rakahs prayed once the sun has fully risen, about 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise. Duha is the morning prayer of two to eight rakahs, prayed from then until shortly before Dhuhr. Many scholars count ishraq as the early part of duha; the times above show both for today.
The reward of ishraq
Anas reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two rakahs, will have a reward like that of a Hajj and an Umrah." He said: "Complete, complete, complete."1 Tirmidhi graded it hasan gharib, and al-Albani graded it hasan; some others weakened its chain.
The virtue of duha
The Prophet ﷺ said that every joint of a person owes a charity each morning, and every tasbih, tahmid, tahlil and takbir is a charity, "and two rakahs prayed in the duha time suffice for all of that."2 Abu Hurayrah said his close friend ﷺ advised him to keep three things until he died: three days of fasting each month, the duha prayer, and sleeping after witr.3 Allah mentions the mountains glorifying Him in the morning:
إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا ٱلْجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِشْرَاقِ ﴿١٨﴾
Innaa sakhkharnal jibaala ma'ahoo yusabbihna bil'ashaiyi wal ishraaq
Indeed, We subjected the mountains [to praise] with him, exalting [Allah] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise.
Quran 38:18 (Surah Sad), translation by Sahih International.
Duha is mustahabb. Its least is two rakahs and its most, in the Hanafi books, is twelve; eight is the most the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have prayed, on the day of the conquest of Makkah.4 Its time begins when the sun has risen and the disliked time has passed, and lasts until just before zawal. The best time is when a quarter of the day has passed, the time the Prophet ﷺ called the prayer of the awwabin, "when the young camels feel the heat".5 Many Hanafi scholars treat ishraq as the first part of duha.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- A confirmed sunnah, two to eight rakahs, praying in twos.
- Maliki
- Recommended, two to eight rakahs.
- Hanbali
- Recommended, prayed now and then rather than every day in one view, two to eight rakahs.
How many rakats is duha?
Two is enough. Four, six or eight are better. A hadith of twelve rakahs and a palace in Paradise is in Tirmidhi, but its chain is weak.6
Prayer times near you
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 586.
- Sahih Muslim 720, from Abu Dharr.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1178.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1176, from Umm Hani.
- Sahih Muslim 748, from Zayd ibn Arqam. Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, on salat al-duha.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 473, graded weak by al-Albani. The other madhhabs' positions are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know
What time is ishraq prayer?
About 15 to 20 minutes after sunrise, once the sun has fully risen. The tool above shows it for your location today.
Is ishraq the same as duha?
Many scholars count ishraq as the early part of the duha time. Others treat them as two prayers: ishraq soon after sunrise, and duha later in the morning.
How many rakats is duha prayer?
At least two. The Prophet ﷺ prayed eight on the day of the conquest of Makkah. The Hanafi books give twelve as the most.
When does duha time end?
Shortly before Dhuhr, when the sun reaches its height (zawal). Stop about ten minutes before Dhuhr to be safe.
Do I have to stay seated after Fajr for ishraq?
To get the reward in the hadith, yes: pray Fajr in congregation and stay remembering Allah until sunrise. Ishraq prayed without that is still a rewarded voluntary prayer.