Farḍ(Arabic:فرض) orfarīḍah(فريضة) orfardhinIslamis a religiousdutycommanded byGod.The word is also used inTurkish,Persian,Pashto,Urdu,Hindi,Bangla(spelled farz or faraz), andMalay(spelled fardu or fardhu) in the same meaning.Muslimswho obey such commands or duties are said to receivehasanat(حسنة),ajr(أجر) orthawab(ثواب) for each good deed.
Fardor its synonymwājib(واجب) is one of the five types ofahkam(أحكام) into whichfiqhcategorizes acts of every Muslim. TheHanafifiqh, however, does not consider both terms to be synonymous, and makes a distinction betweenwajibandfard,the latter being obligatory and the former slightly lesser degree than being obligatory.[1][2]
Individual duty orfarḍ al-'ayn(فرض العين) relates is required to perform, such as daily prayer (salat), and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if the person can afford the journey (hajj).[3]An individual not performing this will be punished in the afterlife (but can be excused on basis of incapability), but if he enjoins and fulfils its necessity will be rewarded.[4]
Sufficiency duty orfarḍ al-kifāya(فرض الكفاية) is a duty which is imposed on the whole community of believers (ummah). The classic example for it isjanaza(Funeral prayer): the individual is not required to perform it as long as a sufficient number of community members fulfill it.[5]
