The following eight steps are the pillars or essential elements of Salah, the ritual prayer. All observance of salah includes these essential elements. 

1. After a ritual ablution with water (wudu), make the intention to pray. Stand facing the House of God. (The Qiblah, ritual facing, is usually considered north-east in North America.)

2. Raise your hands to ear level, palms open, and say ALLÂHU AKBAR, God is Supreme!

3. Lower your hands. Recite the Fatihah, the Opener, in Arabic. 

4. Bow from the waist, keeping your back straight. Put your weight on your knees with your hands. Be still and glorify Allah in your heart for a moment. Return to standing.

5. Prostrate onto the earth on your toes, knees, palms and face. Be still and glorify Allah for a moment, then sit up. Ask for mercy and forgiveness, then prostrate again as before.

6. One rak‘ah or cycle is done. Stand up. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for a second rak‘ah.

7. After the second prostration, remain kneeling. Say (minimum is in italics):

8. You have completed two rak‘at. Close the salah, turning your head to the right and left, saying:

After the salah, sit in remembrance of Allah & supplicate to Him.