Fard: Difference between revisions

'''Fard''' (الفرض‎), mostly synonymous with ''wajib'', is a term of [[Islamic law]] meaning ''Compulsory''. It is one of the five rulings (or ''[[Fiqh#Ahkam|ahkam]]'') that [[Fiqh|Islamic jurisprudence]] applies to any action a person can do.

Fard refers to religious duties incumbent upon all Muslims, of which there are two types:

Meaning something that is a collective duty among the body of believers, but may not require each individual Muslim to perform. This type of duty is fulfilled so long as ''someone'' in the local community of Muslims is doing it.

Hanafi fiqh differentiates between fard as that which is obligatory and wajib as that which is necessary. An example of wajib is the performance of ritual [[ablution]], or ''wudu'', prior to performing the daily [[Salah|prayers]], which are themselves fard. In this example, it is simply necessary that a person perform wudu in order to complete their prayers, which are themselves obligatory, but performing wudu is not itself an obligation (that is to say, a person is not required to make wudu at any point in the day)

The most famous examples of fard, or obligatory, actions in Islam are the [[Five Pillars of Islam|five pillars of Islam]], which include: stating the [[Shahadah]] (testimony of faith), praying [[Salah]], completing the [[Hajj]], [[fasting]] during [[Ramadan]], and giving [[Zakat]].