Fard (Obligatory)
The obligatory acts in Islam, including the five daily prayers.
Fard (Arabic: فرض) means "obligatory" or "commanded" and refers to actions in Islam that are strictly required of every adult Muslim. The five daily prayers are fard — neglecting them is a sin, and performing them brings great reward.
In the context of prayer, a distinction is made between two types of fard: fard 'ayn (individual obligation) and fard kifayah (collective obligation). The five daily prayers are fard 'ayn — each individual Muslim is personally obligated to pray them. The Jumu'ah prayer (Friday prayer) is fard 'ayn for men who are able to attend.
Within the prayer itself, certain actions are fard (obligatory for the prayer's validity): standing upright, reciting Surah Al-Fatiha, performing ruku and sujud, and sitting for the final tashahhud. If one omits a fard action, the prayer is invalid.
Related terms
Isha (Night Prayer)
The fifth and final daily prayer, performed when darkness has fallen.
Mutahhirat (Purifying Agents)
The agents and methods that purify impure things according to Shia fiqh.
Qibla (Prayer Direction)
The direction toward the Kaaba in Mecca, which Muslims face during prayer.
Amr bil-Ma'ruf wa Nahy 'an al-Munkar
Enjoining good and forbidding evil — an Islamic duty connected with prayer.
Salat al-Wahsha (The Prayer of Loneliness)
A prayer performed on the first night after burial for the soul of the deceased.
Shafa'ah (Intercession)
The Prophet's and the Imams' intercession with Allah for the believers on the Day of Judgment.