Short answer
Muslims pray five fard (obligatory) prayers a day: Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha, with Jumuah in place of Dhuhr on Friday for men. In the Hanafi school witr and the two Eid prayers are wajib (necessary). Then come the sunnah prayers around the fard, and voluntary (nafl) prayers such as tahajjud, duha and istikhara.
Fard: the five daily prayers and Jumuah, and the funeral prayer as a communal duty (fard kifayah). Wajib: witr, the two Eid prayers and two rakats after tawaf. Sunnah mu'akkadah (confirmed sunnah): the 12 daily rakats, the Jumuah sunnah and taraweeh. Everything else is mustahabb (recommended) or nafl.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i
- Only the five prayers and Jumuah are individually obligatory. Witr and the Eid prayers are confirmed sunnah, and the funeral prayer is a communal duty.
- Maliki
- Witr and the Eid prayers are confirmed sunnah, not wajib.
- Hanbali
- Witr is a confirmed sunnah, and the Eid prayer is a communal obligation.
Explanation
The five daily prayers are the second pillar of Islam: Fajr (2 rakats), Dhuhr (4), Asr (4), Maghrib (3) and Isha (4). On Friday, men pray the two-rakah Jumuah after a khutbah in place of Dhuhr. Every other prayer is built around these.
The Hanafi school sorts prayers into levels:
- Fard: proven beyond doubt. Leaving it is a major sin and denying it is disbelief.
- Wajib: binding, one step below fard. Leaving it is sinful and it is made up if missed. Witr and the Eid prayers are here.
- Sunnah mu'akkadah: what the Prophet ﷺ did regularly. Leaving it as a habit is blameworthy.
- Mustahabb or nafl: extra prayers with reward and no blame for leaving them.
The prayers Muslims ask about most:
- Funeral prayer: janazah
- Night prayers: witr, tahajjud, and taraweeh in Ramadan
- Morning prayers: ishraq and duha
- Prayers for a need: istikhara, salat al-hajah, salat al-tawbah and salatul tasbih
- Others: two rakats on entering a masjid, two after wudu, and the prayers for an eclipse and for rain
The confirmed sunnahs around each fard are listed in what are the sunnah prayers. To learn the basic method, start with how to pray.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Baqara 2:238
حَٰفِظُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلصَّلَوَٰتِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ٱلْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا۟ لِلَّهِ قَٰنِتِينَ ﴿٢٣٨﴾
Maintain with care the [obligatory] prayers and [in particular] the middle prayer and stand before Allah, devoutly obedient.
The fard prayers are the core that must be guarded.
Sahih al-Bukhari 46
Sahih... خمس صلوات في اليوم والليلة ...
"Five prayers in the day and night."
Only five prayers a day are obligatory; the rest are voluntary.
Sunan Abi Dawud 1422
Graded sahih... الوتر حق على كل مسلم ...
"Witr is a duty on every Muslim."
The basis for the Hanafi ruling that witr is wajib.
Sahih Muslim 728
Sahih... من صلى اثنتى عشرة ركعة في يوم وليلة بني له بهن بيت في الجنة ...
"Whoever prays twelve rakats in a day and night, a house is built for him in Paradise."
The twelve confirmed sunnah rakats.
Where the ruling is recorded
- Nur al-Idah with Maraqi al-Falah, Kitab al-Salah, and the chapter on witr and nawafil. Lists the fard, wajib, sunnah and recommended prayers.
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Salah, chapter on witr. Witr is wajib according to Abu Hanifa.
- al-Majmu' (Nawawi), Chapter on voluntary prayer. The Shafi'i school holds witr and the Eid prayers to be sunnah.
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.