Question:
Is d’awah fardh’ayn (waajib upon every individual) or kifaayah (if a group carries it out then the sin is lifted from the rest) (1)?
Answer:
It is from the acts of worship which are fardh kifaayah, if the act is carried by some, then the sin is dropped from the rest.
(وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ۚ….)
Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden)…
So it is a must that a group are built for d’awah.
And from another aspect then it is fardh’ayn upon anyone who is witness to a evil and he knows that it is evil:
“من رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره..”
Whoever from you sees a evil then let him change it…
[Narrated by Muslim]
As for carrying out the affairs of dawah from guiding the people and advising the people then this is fardh kifaayah which is carried out by the people of knowledge and by those who are entrusted with this good then it is incumbent upon them to carry it out.
As for forbidding evil in regards to some issues that the individual may have some knowledge of then it is incumbent upon him to forbid it and this is from da’wah.
“من رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره..”
Whoever from you sees a evil then let him change it…
So the origin in dawah that it is fardh kifaayah upon that which was previously mentioned.
Translators notes:
(1) For example, the funeral prayer, as long as a group pray on the deceased then the sin is lifted upon everybody else, however if nobody prays on him then everybody is sinful.
Answered by: Shaykh Abu Bilaal Al-Hadhramy – may Allah preserve him
Source: https://t.me/abubilalhami/2933
Answered on: 9th Rabee’ul Awwol 1441
Translated by: Abu Huthayfah Saamy Al-hindy