Question Summary:
What is the difference between waajib and fardh ?

Question Detail:

What is the difference between waajib and fardh ?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
 
Fardh and Waajib are academic terms having specific definitions. Literally, Fard means ‘compulsory.’  It refers to those acts and things which are compulsory on a Muslim. Abandoning or abstaining from a Fard act is a major sin. Rejecting a fard act amounts to kufr (disbelief). In principle, any ruling that is deduced from a text that is Qatiyyus-Thuboot (expressly proven) and Qatiyyud-Dalaalah (expressly indicative) is Fardh.
Waajib, literally, means ‘obligatory.’ In Islamic jurisprudence, it refers to that act which has not been established by an absolute proof. Leaving out a Waajib without any valid reason makes one a Faasiq (open sinner) and entails punishment. In principle, if a ruling is deduced from a text that is Qatiyyus-Thuboot but Dhaniyyut-Dalaalah (not expressly proven but through conjecture), it will be Waajib.
[Bahishti Zewar v1 pg 462/474]
 
بحث بيان معنى الفرض لغة وشرعا الفرض لغة هو التقدير ومفروضات الشرع مقدراته بحيث لا يحتمل الزيادة والنقصان وفي الشرع ما ثبت بدليل قطعي لا شبهة فيه  وحكمه لزوم العمل به والاعتقاد به
والوجوب هو السقوط يعني ما يسقط على العبد بلا اختيار منه  وقيل هو من الوجبة وهو الاضطراب سمي الواجب  بذلك لكونه مضطربا بين الفرض
والنفل فرضا في حق العمل حتى لا يجوز تركه  ونفلا في حق الاعتقاد فلا يلزمنا الاعتقاد به جزما  وفي الشرع فصار وهو ما ثبت بدليل فيه شبهة كالآية المؤولة والصحيح من الآحاد  وحكمه ما ذكرنا                                                                             
[Usool us Shashi pg103]
[Al-Mazhab Al-hanafi pg 289-294]
 
And Allah knows best
Wassalamu Alaikum
Ml. Mohammed Moola,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah