The categories of Islamic rulings, and the meaning of religion (din)
The eight categories Islamic rulings fall into, from obligatory (fard) to permitted (mubah), and how belief (iman) and practice (Islam) together make up religion (din).
Islam has rules about the things we do. Each rule fits into one of eight categories, called levels.
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Fard (Obligatory) | You must do it. Skipping it without a real reason is a serious sin. |
| Wajib (Necessary) | Important to do, but not held to as strictly as Fard. |
| Sunnah (Recommended) | Something the Prophet ﷺ did. Doing it brings reward, but skipping it is not a sin. |
| Mustahabb (Preferred) | A good act that earns reward, but you don't have to do it. |
| Halal (Permissible) | Something you are allowed to do. |
| Haram (Forbidden) | Something you must never do. Doing it without a valid excuse is a major sin. |
| Makruh (Disliked) | Something not encouraged, but not sinful either. |
| Mubah (Neutral) | Something you get no reward or blame for, either way. |
Every rule in Islam fits one of these eight levels. What is Fard, like the five daily prayers, you must do; what is Haram you must never do; the Prophet's ﷺ Sunnah brings reward; and what is allowed or neutral carries no sin.
12345Believing (Iman) and practising (Islam) together make up Din, a Muslim's religion. Every Muslim must hold firmly to these correct beliefs and stay away from wrong ideas.
1Islam has rules relating to our actions, and these fall into the following categories.
| Category | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fard (Obligatory) | Actions that are mandatory; ignoring them without a valid reason is a serious sin. |
| Wajib (Necessary) | Actions that are important but not held to as strictly as Fard. |
| Sunnah (Recommended) | Actions the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ practiced; doing them brings reward, but ignoring them isn't a sin. |
| Mustahabb (Preferred) | Good actions that earn reward but are not compulsory. |
| Halal (Permissible) | Things that are allowed to do. |
| Haram (Forbidden) | Actions that are strictly prohibited; doing these without a valid excuse is a major sin. |
| Makruh (Disliked) | Actions that are not encouraged but aren't sinful. |
| Mubah (Neutral) | Actions that are neither rewarded nor punished. |
Every Islamic ruling falls into one of these eight categories. What is fard, such as the five daily prayers, must be done and its omission is a serious sin; what is haram must be avoided; the Sunnah is followed for reward; and the permissible and neutral carry no blame.
12345Religion (Din) is belief (Iman) and practice (Islam) together. Holding firmly to the correct beliefs set out here, and avoiding ideas that lead away from Islam, is obligatory on every Muslim.
1The rulings (aḥkām) of the Sharīʿah governing human acts fall into the following eight categories, as given here.
| Category | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Farḍ (Obligatory) | Mandatory acts; their omission without a valid excuse is a major sin. |
| Wājib (Necessary) | Important acts, though not held to with the same strictness as farḍ. |
| Sunnah (Recommended) | The established practice of the Prophet ﷺ; performed for reward, but their omission is not sinful. |
| Mustaḥabb (Preferred) | Good acts that earn reward without being compulsory. |
| Ḥalāl (Permissible) | Acts that are lawful to perform. |
| Ḥarām (Forbidden) | Acts strictly prohibited; committing them without valid excuse is a major sin. |
| Makrūh (Disliked) | Acts that are discouraged but not sinful. |
| Mubāḥ (Neutral) | Acts carrying neither reward nor blame. |
Every Sharʿī ruling on human acts falls within these eight categories. The farḍ, such as the five daily ṣalāh, must be performed and its omission without excuse is a major sin; the ḥarām must be avoided; the Sunnah is revived and followed for reward; and the ḥalāl and mubāḥ carry no blame, for what the Sharīʿah is silent on is pardoned.
12345Dīn is the combined reality of īmān and Islām. Steadfastness in the ʿaqīdah set out here, and vigilance against ideas that draw one away from Islam, is obligatory on every Muslim.
1This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 158 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
(25) Islamic Rulings
Islam has rules related to our actions. These rules include:
1. Fard (Obligatory): Actions that are mandatory. Ignoring them without a valid reason is a serious sin.
2. Wajib (Necessary): Actions that are important but not as strictly required as Fard.
3. Sunnah (Recommended): Actions that the Prophet Muhammad did. Doing them brings rewards, but ignoring them isn’t a sin.
4. Mustahabb (Preferred): Good actions that earn rewards but are not compulsory.
5. Halal (Permissible): Things that are allowed to do.
6. Haram (Forbidden): Actions that are strictly prohibited. Doing these without understanding is a major sin.
7. Makruh (Disliked): Actions that are not encouraged but aren’t sinful.
8. Mubah (Neutral): Actions that are neither rewarded nor punished.
(26) Faith (Din)
The combined understanding of belief (Iman) and Islam is called Din (faith).
(26) Faith (Din) Important Note
The above statements are about correct beliefs. It is very important to stay firm in these beliefs and avoid incorrect ideas that can lead us away from Islam.
Terms on this page
Related
- Belief in destiny (Qadr) The sixth article of faith: that Allah has written all that happens, while people still choose and are answerable for their own actions.
- Disbelief (kufr), associating partners with Allah (shirk), and treating a sin as permitted What counts as disbelief or associating partners with Allah, the two kinds of sin, and the three steps of repentance.
- Islam and its five pillars What Islam means, and the five pillars its practice is built on: the declaration of faith, prayer, fasting, zakat, and Hajj.
- Saints, jinn, and further matters of belief Sainthood (wilayah) and the miracles of saints (karamat), seeking a means of approach (wasilah), why no one is exempt from the sacred law (Shariah), the jinn, why we exist, and following a school of law (madhhab) and a Sufi teacher.