Has the collective obligation of da'wah (calling others to Islam) been fulfilled in the lands of the Muslims, such that it is obligatory to obey the rulers if they prohibit da'wah?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. Does your answer imply that the collective obligation of calling people to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has been fulfilled in the regions of Islam?
The Shaykh : No, it has not been fulfilled. However, in our land, praise be to Allah, there are many who undertake this. Most of those who stand at the pulpits today, especially in the cities, are students of knowledge, and all of them, praise be to Allah, guide the people in a purposeful and calm manner that fulfills the collective obligation.
It is true that in the villages, there are those through whom the collective obligation is not fulfilled. But fear Allah as much as you are able. Otherwise, by Allah, we wish that every village had a student of knowledge who is relied upon, to whom people turn for fatwas, to whom they turn for sermons, and to whom they turn for other matters of their religion and worldly affairs. But the matter is not in our hands. As for the other Islamic lands, tell no harm; the deficiency in them is great.
The questioner : What is the summary of the fatwa? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : The summary of the fatwa is: It is obligatory for the one who is told, "Do not speak," not to speak, except if the matter becomes necessary for him. If it becomes necessary, then it is obligatory for him to disobey the ruler, becauseMishkat al-Masabih 3696.
The questioner : I say: Have you grasped this? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : I say: Have you grasped this? If the collective obligation is fulfilled. And you are mentioning now that the collective obligation has not been fulfilled in the lands of Islam, and it is not exclusive to da'wah in a specific part of the country.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Or specific borders.
The Shaykh : In any case, we do not see that a person should be prevented from traveling to another country if he wants to call to Allah. But if his method of calling to Allah is like the method of calling to Allah in our country, then the ruler has the right to prevent him, because the operative cause is all about things that might cause the people and the subjects to dislike the rulers or the like.
The questioner : But you mentioned, May Allah reward you, if the collective obligation is not fulfilled!
The Shaykh : Do you allow for discussion?
Because the man is a debater, not a questioner. Because he knows my opinion, he knows my opinion in this, and that it is obligatory for him to stop if there are people who fulfill the collective obligation. But if there is no one who fulfills the collective obligation, it is not permissible to obey the ruler, because the meaning of that is that we leave what Allah has made obligatory upon us to explain from the Shari'ah for the command of the ruler. This is the summary of the answer. Yes, after that.
The Shaykh : No, it has not been fulfilled. However, in our land, praise be to Allah, there are many who undertake this. Most of those who stand at the pulpits today, especially in the cities, are students of knowledge, and all of them, praise be to Allah, guide the people in a purposeful and calm manner that fulfills the collective obligation.
It is true that in the villages, there are those through whom the collective obligation is not fulfilled. But fear Allah as much as you are able. Otherwise, by Allah, we wish that every village had a student of knowledge who is relied upon, to whom people turn for fatwas, to whom they turn for sermons, and to whom they turn for other matters of their religion and worldly affairs. But the matter is not in our hands. As for the other Islamic lands, tell no harm; the deficiency in them is great.
The questioner : What is the summary of the fatwa? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : The summary of the fatwa is: It is obligatory for the one who is told, "Do not speak," not to speak, except if the matter becomes necessary for him. If it becomes necessary, then it is obligatory for him to disobey the ruler, because
A creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the "Creator.”
لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالقThe questioner : I say: Have you grasped this? May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : I say: Have you grasped this? If the collective obligation is fulfilled. And you are mentioning now that the collective obligation has not been fulfilled in the lands of Islam, and it is not exclusive to da'wah in a specific part of the country.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Or specific borders.
The Shaykh : In any case, we do not see that a person should be prevented from traveling to another country if he wants to call to Allah. But if his method of calling to Allah is like the method of calling to Allah in our country, then the ruler has the right to prevent him, because the operative cause is all about things that might cause the people and the subjects to dislike the rulers or the like.
The questioner : But you mentioned, May Allah reward you, if the collective obligation is not fulfilled!
The Shaykh : Do you allow for discussion?
Because the man is a debater, not a questioner. Because he knows my opinion, he knows my opinion in this, and that it is obligatory for him to stop if there are people who fulfill the collective obligation. But if there is no one who fulfills the collective obligation, it is not permissible to obey the ruler, because the meaning of that is that we leave what Allah has made obligatory upon us to explain from the Shari'ah for the command of the ruler. This is the summary of the answer. Yes, after that.