Farz

Farz, also transliterated farḍ, is an Islamic legal term referring to an act that God has mandated as an obligation. The word originates from Arabic and conveys duty or necessity. In classical Islamic jurisprudence, farz denotes duties that must be performed, and neglect is considered a serious violation of religious law.

Different schools distinguish levels of obligation. One common framework divides duties into fard (or farḍ) and wajib. In many texts, fard and wajib are used interchangeably to mean obligatory acts, though some jurists reserve fard for the strongest, clearly required duties and treat wajib as a closely related but slightly less definitive obligation. Additionally, some schools differentiate fard ’ayn (obligations that each individual must perform) from fard kifaya (communal obligations that, if fulfilled by some members, absolve the rest).

Examples traditionally described as farz ’ayn include core acts of worship and duties essential to Islamic practice, such as the five daily prayers, fasting during Ramadan, zakat (almsgiving) on eligible wealth, and the obligation to perform the Hajj if one is physically and financially able. Acts outside this core set may be categorized as wajib or sunnah (recommended) depending on the school and context.

The precise scope of farz varies among Islamic legal schools. In practice, farz represents duties deemed essential to a Muslim’s faith and community, contrasted with sunnah and recommended practices that reward rather than mandate worship.