Short answer
No. The Quran recitation in salah must be in Arabic, and a translation does not count as Quran; the four schools agree on this. New Muslims should learn al-Fatihah and a short surah, and until then say simple dhikr such as "subhanallah" in their prayer. Du'a outside salah can be in any language.
The relied Hanafi position is that recitation in salah must be in Arabic, and the prayer of someone able to recite who recites a translation instead is not valid. A person who cannot yet recite prays with dhikr or silent standing while learning, and must keep learning. Making du'a in salah should be in Arabic.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Allah sent the Quran as an Arabic Quran, and a translation is a meaning in another language, not the Quran itself. The four schools therefore agree that the recitation in salah must be in Arabic. Imam Abu Hanifa was reported to have once allowed recitation in Persian, but he withdrew from that, and the Hanafi fatwa is that Arabic is required.
If you are new to Islam:
- Start praying straight away; do not wait until you have memorised everything.
- Learn al-Fatihah first, then a short surah like al-Ikhlas. Transliteration and audio help.
- Until you can recite, the Prophet ﷺ taught a man who could not learn the Quran to say: subhanallah, al-hamdulillah, la ilaha illallah, Allahu akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah.
- Praying behind an imam is the easiest start: in the Hanafi school the follower does not recite at all.
- Read the English meaning of what you recite outside the prayer, so that your heart follows the words.
Du'a: outside salah, and after the salam, you can make du'a in English or any language. Inside the prayer, the Hanafi school says to use Arabic du'as from the Quran and Sunnah.
Start with our short surahs for salah, then follow how to pray step by step. See also mistakes in recitation and praying in your head.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Yusuf 12:2
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢﴾
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.
The Quran is Arabic, so its recitation in prayer is Arabic.
Quran, Surah Al-Muzzammil 73:20
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًۭا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍۢ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًۭا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًۭا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۢ ﴿٢٠﴾
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur'an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
Recite what you are able to, and build up from there.
Sunan Abi Dawud 832
Graded hasan... قل سبحان الله والحمد لله ولا إله إلا الله والله أكبر ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله ...
"Say: Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the Greatest, and there is no power or strength except through Allah."
What to say in prayer while one cannot yet recite the Quran.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on the description of prayer. Reports Abu Hanifa's withdrawal from allowing recitation in Persian.
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar with Radd al-Muhtar, Chapter on the description of prayer. Recitation in other than Arabic is not valid for one able to recite Arabic, and du'a in salah is in Arabic.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Chapter on the description of prayer. The Shafi'i school also requires recitation in Arabic.
This answer is pending review by the scholars on our team. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.