The ruling on a husband being occupied with da'wah to Allah and leaving his wife and children for a month

Question : My teacher, regarding the matter of a husband who is frequently absent from his wife and children, sometimes for months, under the pretext of da'wah and going out in the path of Allah for calling people to it. And if he is also absent from his work, he says that da'wah is more important than being present with you, and that you are the fighters. Is this the well-known knowledge?

Answer : This action is not prescribed, and it is an error in thinking, because it is obligatory for a person to care for his family before he cares for others, due to the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) . Then, his care for his family and children is from the category of an individual obligation, meaning it is individually obligatory for him to care for his family and children, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) . As for da'wah, it is a collective obligation, and if enough people perform it, it drops from the rest. Therefore, we advise the one whose situation is as the questioner mentioned to look into the matter and to care for his family, for that is greater for him in reward. For this reason, when a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), saying, "O Messenger of Allah, I have a dinar," he ordered him to feed his family before he gave it in charity. So, caring for the family is an individual obligation, whereas calling people is a collective obligation; if enough people perform it, it drops from the rest.