How Do Shia Muslims Pray? Key Differences from Sunni Prayer – A Simple Guide


Muslims around the world pray five times a day. This practice is called Salat, and it's one of the main pillars of Islam. While both Shia and Sunni Muslims follow the same religion, there are some small differences in the way they perform their daily prayers.


Let’s take a simple look at how Shia Muslims pray, and how this may differ from the Sunni way.

🕋 1. Same Basics, Shared Belief


First of all, it’s important to know that both Sunni and Shia Muslims:


Believe in the same God (Allah)


Pray five times a day


Face the same direction (towards Mecca)


Use similar words in their prayers


Perform the same main steps: standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting


So, the core of prayer is the same. The differences are mostly in small details.

🙏 2. Position of the Hands


One of the most visible differences is hand placement during the standing part of the prayer:


Sunni Muslims usually fold their hands (right hand over the left, on the chest or stomach).


Shia Muslims usually keep their hands straight down at their sides.

This may seem small, but it’s one of the easiest ways to spot the difference.

🧱 3. Prostration on a Clay Tablet (Turbah)

During prostration (when the forehead touches the ground), Shia Muslims often place their forehead on a small clay tablet called a turbah, usually made from soil of Karbala (a holy city for Shia).

They believe prostration should be done on natural earth, not carpet or synthetic material.

Sunnis usually prostrate directly on the prayer rug.

This practice is spiritual and symbolic in Shia belief.

⏳ 4. Combining Prayers

Islamic prayer times are five per day, but Shia Muslims often combine the noon (Dhuhr) and afternoon (Asr) prayers, and also sunset (Maghrib) and night (Isha) prayers.

So, they may pray three times a day, but still complete all five prayers.

Sunnis usually pray each prayer separately.

This combining is based on Shia traditions and hadiths (sayings of the Prophet and Imams).

🗣 5. Slight Differences in Wording

The basic words in prayer are almost the same, but there are a few minor differences:

In the call to prayer (Adhan), Shia Muslims add a phrase: "Hayya ala khayr al-amal" (Come to the best of deeds).

Also, after the name of Prophet Muhammad, Shia Muslims always say: "Peace be upon him and his family", giving special respect to his family (Ahl al-Bayt).

🌙 Final Thought

The differences between Shia and Sunni prayer are small but meaningful. Both groups share the same heart of Islamic belief and devotion to God. The variations reflect different traditions and interpretations, not division in faith.

For anyone learning about Islam, it’s beautiful to see how diversity can exist within unity — and how both Shia and Sunni Muslims seek closeness to God through their daily prayers.