The Reality of Da'wah, and the Axes on Which Preachers Must Focus

Q: A question from: A. M - from America, he says: How do you assess the reality of da'wah now? And what are the axes that must be focused on in light of the current developments in this world and contemporary challenges?

A: In our present time, Allah has made the matter of da'wah (calling others to Islam) easier through means that were not available to those before us. The affairs of da'wah today are more facilitated, and this is through many means. Establishing the proof upon people today is possible through various ways, for example: through radio, through television, through the press, and there are many other ways.
So it is obligatory upon the people of knowledge and faith and upon the successors of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to perform this duty, and to cooperate in it, and to convey the message of Allah to the servants of Allah, and they should not fear in Allah the blame of any blamer, and they should not show favoritism in that to a great one or a small one, nor a rich one nor a poor one, but rather they should convey the command of Allah to the servants of Allah as Allah revealed it and as Allah legislated it.
And it may be an individual obligation if you are in a place where there is no one to perform it other than you, such as enjoining good and forbidding evil, for then it becomes an individual obligation, so if you are in a place where there is no one capable of this matter and conveying the command of Allah other than you, it is obligatory upon you to perform it, but if there is someone other than you who performs da'wah and conveying and enjoining and forbidding, then it becomes in your case a recommended practice if you hasten to it and strive for it, by which you would be competing in good deeds and racing to acts of obedience.
And among what was cited as evidence that it is a collective obligation is the saying of the Exalted and Majestic: [Al Imran: 104] Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir said in his interpretation of this verse, the meaning of which is: And let there be from you a group established for this great matter, calling to Allah, spreading His religion, and conveying His command (Glorified and Exalted is He).
And it is also known that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) called to Allah and performed the command of Allah in Makkah according to his capacity, and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction) did so as well - according to their capacity - then when they emigrated, they performed da'wah more and more comprehensively, and when they spread in the lands after his death (peace and blessings be upon him), they performed it as well (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction), each according to his capacity and according to his knowledge.
So when preachers are few, and when wrongs are many, and when ignorance prevails as is our condition today, da'wah becomes an individual obligation upon everyone according to his capacity, and if it is in a limited place like a village or a city or the like, and there is found in it someone who takes charge of this matter and performs it and conveys the command of Allah, that suffices, and conveying becomes a recommended practice in the case of others; because the proof has been established by the hand of another and the command of Allah has been executed upon those other than him.
But with regard to the rest of the earth of Allah and the rest of the people, it is obligatory upon the scholars according to their capacities, and upon the rulers according to their capacity, to convey the command of Allah by all means they can, and this is an individual obligation upon them according to capacity and ability.
And by this it is known that its being an individual obligation and its being a collective obligation is a relative matter that varies, for da'wah may be an individual obligation with regard to some groups and individuals, and a recommended practice with regard to other individuals and groups; because there is found in their place and location someone who performed the matter and sufficed for them.
As for the rulers and those with wide capability, more of the obligation is upon them, and they must convey da'wah to as many regions as they can, according to possibility, by the possible means, and in the living languages that people speak, it is obligatory that they convey the command of Allah in those languages so that the religion of Allah reaches everyone in the language they know, in Arabic and otherwise, for the matter is now possible and facilitated by the means whose explanation was mentioned, the means of radio, television, and the press, and other means that have been facilitated today and were not facilitated previously, and it is also obligatory upon preachers in celebrations and in congregations and otherwise to convey as much of the command of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) as they can, and to spread the religion of Allah according to their capacities and according to their knowledge.
And given the spread of da'wah to destructive principles and to atheism and denial of the Lord of the servants and denial of the messengerships and denial of the Hereafter, and the spread of Christian da'wah in many lands, and other misleading da'wahs, given this, da'wah to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) today has become a general obligation and a duty upon all scholars and all rulers who profess Islam, it is obligatory upon them to convey the religion of Allah according to capacity and possibility by writing and preaching, and by radio and by every means they can, and that they do not be lazy about it or rely on Zayd or 'Amr, for the need, indeed the dire necessity, is pressing today for cooperation and participation and unity in this great matter more than it was before; because the enemies of Allah have united and cooperated by every means to turn away from the path of Allah and to cast doubt in His religion and to call people to what takes them out of the religion of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
So it is obligatory upon the people of Islam - the rulers and scholars and others - to counter this atheistic activity with Islamic activity, and with Islamic da'wah at all levels, and by all means and all possible ways, and this is from the category of performing what Allah has made obligatory upon His servants of da'wah to His path.