التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَىٰ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
At-tahiyyatu lillahi wa-s-salawatu wa-t-tayyibat. As-salamu 'alayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahi-s-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
"All greetings, prayers and pure words are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger."
You recite Attahiyat in every sitting of every salah. Many Muslims were never taught its origin: these are the words exchanged between the Prophet ﷺ and Allah on the night of Mi'raj, with the angels' reply joined at the end.
How to recite Attahiyat — line by line
Read the Arabic above slowly, then match each line to the transliteration. Practise one line per day before joining lines in a full sitting.
The beautiful story behind Attahiyat
Many scholars relate that these words echo the exchange of the Mi'raj: the Prophet ﷺ greeted Allah with "At-tahiyyatu lillahi…", Allah replied with "As-salamu 'alayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu…", and the Prophet ﷺ — refusing to keep the greeting for himself alone — responded "As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahi-s-salihin", including every righteous servant until the Day of Judgment. When you sit in Tashahhud, you join that conversation.
When exactly to recite it in salah
| Prayer | Sittings with Attahiyat |
|---|---|
| Fajr (2 rakats) | 1 — final sitting (+ Durood and dua) |
| Dhuhr, Asr, Isha (4 rakats) | 2 — after 2nd rakat (Attahiyat only) and final sitting |
| Maghrib (3 rakats) | 2 — after 2nd rakat and final sitting |
In the final sitting, follow Attahiyat with Durood Ibrahim and a closing dua before salam. Full prayer walkthrough: how to pray salah step by step.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Rushing the words — Tashahhud has no time pressure; recite each phrase clearly.
- Merging words like "wasalawatu-wattayyibatu" into a blur — learn word-by-word once with a teacher and it stays correct for life.
- Skipping the finger movement — raise the index finger at ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah (methods vary by madhab; follow your teacher).
- Wrong pronunciation of ط and ص — heavy letters in tayyibat and salawat change meaning if softened. A quick Tajweed session fixes this permanently.
How to memorize Attahiyat (kids & new Muslims)
- Split it into 4 lines (greeting → salam to Prophet → salam to believers → Shahada).
- Learn one line per day with audio repetition — 10 minutes daily.
- Recite it aloud in every practice salah for a week.
- Have a teacher listen once for pronunciation before it becomes habit — kids classes and adult classes both cover salah recitation with live correction.
UK families building Salah fluency (including Attahiyat) can request live 1-to-1 support via our online Quran classes in the UK page — GMT/BST matching, confirmed after your request.
Frequently asked questions
What is Attahiyat and when is it recited?+
Attahiyat (Tashahhud) is the dua recited while sitting in salah — after every two rakats and in the final sitting of every prayer. It begins with At-tahiyyatu lillahi… and includes the Shahada.
Where can I find the full Arabic and English text?+
The full Arabic, transliteration and English meaning are at the top of this page under “Full Attahiyat · Arabic + English.”
Is Attahiyat obligatory in salah?+
The final Tashahhud sitting is essential in every prayer. Follow your madhab and teacher for rulings on the first sitting in longer prayers.
Related: Durood Ibrahim · How to pray salah · Female Quran teacher online