Back to search

What are the priorities of acts of worship or religion, such as eating and performing supererogatory prayers, and what is their order?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

One must obey God's commands and abstain from His prohibitions by observing the obligatory duties (Fara'id), because they are the most beloved acts through which a servant can draw near to God. They take precedence over supererogatory acts (Nawafil), and both obligatory duties and prohibitions vary in their ranks. Therefore, a Muslim should stay away from forbidden acts, observe the obligatory duties, and draw near to God through supererogatory acts to attain His love and pleasure. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explained the fundamentals of this matter to Mu'adh, may God be pleased with him, by saying: "Worship God and associate nothing with Him, establish prayer, give zakat, fast Ramadan, and perform pilgrimage to the House." Then he mentioned the doors of goodness such as fasting, charity, and night prayer. Then he mentioned the head of the matter, its pillar, and its peak: "Islam, prayer, and Jihad." Then he advised him to guard his tongue.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy