Each of the five daily prayers has its own name: fajr, zuhr, asr, maghrib, and isha. Although the words and postures are the same for all, the number of repetitions differs. Each repetition is called a rakaat. A Muslim is required to pray seventeen rakaat daily, and optional prayers can be offered alongside these. In our jamaat, all told, we were taught to pray thirty-one rakaat per day whenever possible.
