Fard facts for kids

Farḍ (also spelled fard) is an Arabic word used in Islam. It means a religious duty or command that God has given to Muslims. Think of it as something you must do as a Muslim.

The word fard is also used in other languages like Urdu, Persian, Pashto, Turkish (where it's spelled farz), and Malay (where it's spelled fardu or fardhu). In all these languages, it means the same thing: a required duty.

Muslims who follow these commands and duties are believed to receive special rewards from God. These rewards are called hasanat, ajr, or thawab. Each good deed brings these rewards.

Fard is one of the main types of actions that fiqh (which is like Islamic law) uses to categorize what Muslims do. Another word that is very similar to fard is wājib. Some schools of Islamic thought, like the Hanafi school, see a small difference between wajib and fard. For them, fard is a very strict obligation, while wajib is also necessary but slightly less strict.

Different Kinds of Duties

In Islamic law, there are two main types of duties:

Individual Duties (Farḍ al-'Ayn)

Farḍ al-'ayn means an individual duty. This is a duty that every single Muslim must perform themselves. If someone doesn't do this duty, they might face consequences in the afterlife, unless they are unable to do it. If they do perform it, they will be rewarded.

Some examples of individual duties include:

• The daily prayers (called salat). Muslims must pray five times a day.
• The pilgrimage to Mecca (called hajj). Every Muslim who is able to must try to go on this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.

Community Duties (Farḍ al-Kifāya)

Farḍ al-kifāya means a sufficiency duty or a community duty. This is a duty that is placed on the whole Muslim community. It doesn't mean every single person has to do it. Instead, if enough people in the community perform this duty, then the rest of the community is excused.

A classic example of a community duty is the funeral prayer (called janaza). Not every Muslim needs to perform the funeral prayer for someone who has passed away. As long as a sufficient number of people from the community perform it, the duty is fulfilled for everyone.

Images for kids

• 

  A robot representing a helpful guide.