The word · Law & life
فَرْض
Fard
Obligatory: required by decisive evidence, and sinful to abandon without an excuse.
Also written · Fardh · Farz · Fardhu · Fardu · Faridah · Faraid · Farida · obligatory · obligation · compulsory · duty · required
The meaning
What Fard means in Islam
The five daily prayers, the fast of Ramadan and zakat are fard. Hanafis reserve the word for what is proved beyond doubt and use wajib for what rests on a single strong report, so for them denying a fard is disbelief while denying a wajib is not. The other three schools treat fard and wajib as two names for one thing, which explains a good deal of apparent disagreement in books.
Evidence · Scholars differ · The scholars read this one differently
Read beside it
Words that sit beside it
- WajibObligatory. In the Hanafi school, a step below fard, resting on slightly weaker evidence.واجِب
- Fard 'AynAn individual obligation: every responsible Muslim must perform it personally.فَرْضُ عَيْن
- Fard KifayahA communal obligation: if enough people carry it out, it is lifted from everyone else.فَرْضُ كِفاية
- HaramForbidden. Leaving it is rewarded, and doing it deliberately is a sin.حَرام
More from Law & life
- 'AqdA contract: a binding agreement formed by an offer and its acceptance.عَقْد
- DiyahBlood money: compensation paid to a victim's family for a killing or an injury.دِيَة
- Ijma'The agreement of the qualified scholars of one generation on a single ruling.إِجْماع
- MakruhDisliked but not forbidden: leaving it is rewarded, doing it brings no sin.مَكْروه
- Mut'ahTemporary marriage for a fixed term, permitted in Twelver Shia law and prohibited in Sunni law.زَواجُ المُتْعة
- RukhsahA concession: permission to do the easier thing when a recognised excuse applies.رُخْصة