Taken from: "Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith", Volume 02
Is the opening Takbir (Takbir al-Tahrimah) in Salah considered Fard (obligatory), Wajib (compulsory), or Sunnah (recommended)?
Is there any verse or Hadith that defines these terms (Fard, Wajib, Sunnah), or are these distinctions man-made?
✦ Takbir al-Tahrimah is established by the action and command of the Prophet ﷺ, and it is essential for initiating the Salah.
It is called "Tahrimah" because it prohibits all worldly actions once it is said.
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said:
"I saw the Prophet ﷺ say the first Takbir (Allah Akbar) and raise his hands to the level of his shoulders."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Bab Ila Ayna Yarfʿu Yadayh)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Its prohibition is the Takbir, and its release is the Taslim (saying al-salāmu ʿalaykum).”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Taharah; Ibn Majah; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi)
This means the entry into prayer is marked by saying "Allahu Akbar", and one exits it with Taslim.
A man prayed incorrectly and came to greet the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet told him, “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.”
When the man asked for instruction, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"When you stand for prayer, perform wudu properly, face the Qiblah, and say the Takbir..."
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
This Hadith shows that the Takbir is a necessary step in starting prayer—the Prophet ﷺ taught it first among the actions of Salah.
There is no specific verse or Hadith that directly defines these terms in the technical way jurists later adopted.
① Takbir al-Tahrimah is necessary for initiating prayer.
② It is established by the explicit command and practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
③ While technical classifications like Fard, Wajib, and Sunnah are not found word-for-word in the Qur’an or Hadith, they are derived through scholarly methodology.
④ The evidence strongly supports that Takbir al-Tahrimah is Fard (obligatory).
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
❀ Question:
Is the opening Takbir (Takbir al-Tahrimah) in Salah considered Fard (obligatory), Wajib (compulsory), or Sunnah (recommended)?
Is there any verse or Hadith that defines these terms (Fard, Wajib, Sunnah), or are these distinctions man-made?
❀ Answer:
✦ Takbir al-Tahrimah is established by the action and command of the Prophet ﷺ, and it is essential for initiating the Salah.
It is called "Tahrimah" because it prohibits all worldly actions once it is said.
✿ Evidence from the Sunnah:
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said:
"I saw the Prophet ﷺ say the first Takbir (Allah Akbar) and raise his hands to the level of his shoulders."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adhan, Bab Ila Ayna Yarfʿu Yadayh)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Its prohibition is the Takbir, and its release is the Taslim (saying al-salāmu ʿalaykum).”
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Taharah; Ibn Majah; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi)
This means the entry into prayer is marked by saying "Allahu Akbar", and one exits it with Taslim.
A man prayed incorrectly and came to greet the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet told him, “Go back and pray, for you have not prayed.”
When the man asked for instruction, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"When you stand for prayer, perform wudu properly, face the Qiblah, and say the Takbir..."
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim)
This Hadith shows that the Takbir is a necessary step in starting prayer—the Prophet ﷺ taught it first among the actions of Salah.
✿ On the Terms Fard, Wajib, Sunnah:
There is no specific verse or Hadith that directly defines these terms in the technical way jurists later adopted.
- These are usul al-fiqh classifications developed by scholars to understand and categorize obligations and recommendations from the Shari‘ah.
- Their definitions are based on scholarly consensus (ijmaʿ), reasoning (qiyas), and analysis of prophetic texts.
✔ Summary:
① Takbir al-Tahrimah is necessary for initiating prayer.
② It is established by the explicit command and practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
③ While technical classifications like Fard, Wajib, and Sunnah are not found word-for-word in the Qur’an or Hadith, they are derived through scholarly methodology.
④ The evidence strongly supports that Takbir al-Tahrimah is Fard (obligatory).
Wallāhu Aʿlam.
