Fard
or or fardh in Islam is a religious duty commanded by God. The word is also used in Turkish, Persian, Pashto, Urdu, Hindi, Bangla, and Malay in the same meaning. Muslims who obey such commands or duties are said to receive hasanat, ajr or thawab for each good deed.
Fard or its synonym wājib is one of the five types of ahkam into which fiqh categorizes acts of every Muslim. The Hanafi fiqh, however, does not consider both terms to be synonymous, and makes a distinction between wajib and fard, the latter being obligatory and the former slightly lesser degree than being obligatory.
Individual duty and sufficiency
The fiqh distinguishes two sorts of duties:- Individual duty or farḍ al-'ayn is a personal requirement that each person is expected to fulfill on their own, such as daily prayer, and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime if the person can afford the journey. An individual not performing this will be punished in the afterlife, but if he enjoins and fulfils its necessity will be rewarded.
- Sufficiency duty or farḍ al-kifāya is a duty which is imposed on the whole community of believers. The classic example for it is janaza : the individual is not required to perform it as long as a sufficient number of community members fulfill it.