What is Salat al-Ayat, and how is it prayed?
The prayer of signs: two rak'ahs with five ruku' each, prayed at an eclipse or an earthquake. When it is required and how to pray it.
Guides
Short answers about Ja'fari prayer times.
Do Shia Muslims pray three times a day?
No. Shia Muslims pray all five daily prayers. Dhuhr and Asr share a time, as do Maghrib and Isha, so many pray them in three sittings.
Why do Shia pray with their hands at their sides?
In Ja'fari prayer the hands rest on the thighs while standing, as the Imams showed their students. Many Malikis and Ibadis pray this way too.
Why is Shia Eid sometimes on a different day?
Each Hijri month starts when the new crescent is seen. Where it is seen first, and what counts as seeing it, differ, so Eid can fall a day apart.
What is Imsak, and when must I stop eating?
Imsak is a time printed a few minutes before Fajr, often 10, as a safety margin. The fast itself starts at true dawn.
Why do Shia Muslims break the fast later?
Shia Muslims open the fast at Maghrib, when the red glow in the eastern sky has passed overhead, usually 15 to 30 minutes after sunset.
How many rak'ahs is each Shia prayer?
The five daily prayers have 17 rak'ahs: Fajr 2, Dhuhr 4, Asr 4, Maghrib 3 and Isha 4.
How do Shia Muslims pray when travelling?
On a trip of about 44 km or more, Dhuhr, Asr and Isha are prayed as 2 rak'ahs. Fajr and Maghrib stay the same.
What does Shari'i midnight mean?
On a prayer timetable, midnight is a point in the night worked out from Maghrib and dawn, not the clock turning 12:00.
Why is Shia Maghrib after sunset?
Most prayer apps put Maghrib at sunset. Ja'fari practice waits until the eastern redness has passed overhead, usually 15 to 30 minutes later.