Farḍ ʿAyn
Definition
Farḍ ʿAyn refers to religious duties that every individual Muslim must personally fulfil — they cannot be delegated or discharged by someone else performing them. In the context of knowledge, al-Ghazali argues that learning enough to perform one's obligatory worship correctly is farḍ ʿayn for every Muslim. This includes knowing the conditions and pillars of prayer, the rulings of purification, and the basic tenets of belief. Neglecting this category of knowledge is a sin regardless of one's other accomplishments, since no other achievement can substitute for the minimum religious literacy every believer owes Allah and themselves.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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