What is the difference between fard and wajib?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Fards are the deed ordered by Allah or His Messenger with proofs that are definite in terms of certainty and meaning. Fards become certain with definite proofs such as verses, mutawatir or mashhur hadiths, or consensus, which have no possibility of having other meanings; for instance five daily prayers, zakah, hajj and reading a piece from the Quran in prayer. There are both verses about them and the Prophet (pbuh)'s words or practices that are as strong as mutawatir or mashhur hadiths.

It is absolutely necessary to fulfill fards. A person who abandons a fard deserves severe punishment; if a person denies a fard, it is decreed that he has exited the religion.  

The decree of fard: It is definitely obligatory to do. A person who abandons it deserves severe punishment. A person who denies a fard exits the religion; for instance, denying prayers, fasting or pilgrimage.

Wajib lexically means " fixed, necessary, something that exists and is necessary"; according to the majority of fiqh scholars, it is synonymous with fard; it means what the Creator wants definitely and bindingly a responsible person to do. Hanafis call a decree that is certain by definite evidence fard and a decree that is certain by highly probable evidence wajib, dividing it into two. However, Hanafis think that wajib has to be fulfilled like fard.  This differentiation of theirs aims to show the strength of the evidence and the religious consequences of denial. For this reason, Hanafis often call wajib "practical(ly) fard". For example, sadaqah al-fitr, witr prayer, eid prayers sacrificing animals are certain by highly probable evidence; therefore, they are not fard, but wajib according to Hanafis.

According to the Hanafis, wajib is divided into two parts:

a) Wajibs that are certain based on highly probable evidence that seems close to definite evidence. The wajibs in this category are also called practical fard or probable fard.

b) The wajibs that are certain based on probable evidence coming from one source only are below practical fard and over sunnah in terms of importance. For instance, reading the chapter of al-Fatiha in prayers, uttering qunut takbir in witr prayer, takbirs in eid prayers and the wajibs of the prayer that are completed by sajdah as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness).  

Decree about wajib:  Denying wajib does not make a person an unbeliever. However, it is regarded as a cause of being accused with heresy. Abandoning wajib is a sin and makes a person responsible though not as much as fard.  For example, abandoning one of the wajibs of prayer by mistake necessitates sajdah as-sahw. However, abandoning one of the wajibs of prayer intentionally is makruh tahrimi and necessitates the performance of that prayer again.  

Questions on Islam