performed:

Before you connect with Allah, you must start by setting an intention in your heart for the prayer you are about to perform. There is no need to verbalize your intention. 

Now you are ready to start the prayer. You start by raising both your hands to shoulder or ear height– do not place your hands together, instead keep them shoulder apart and your feet shoulder apart, and you say 'Allah Akhbar,' which translates to 'Allah is Greater' – in almost every movement of the prayer, you will say 'Allah Akhbar' which will constantly remind you Allah is Greater than what you were doing, saying, thinking, and is Greater than everything. You keep your eyes looking down at the ground in front of you where your head would be placed when you prostrate. It's essential to stay concentrated on your prayer and not look around, which would disturb you from your prayers. You should not close your eyes during prayers.