Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (28/80)

such as Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī, Abū al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzī, and others: practicing these trades is a communal obligation, for people’s welfare cannot be secured without them. Likewise, jihad is a communal obligation unless it becomes an individual obligation, as when an enemy advances upon a town or the ruler calls someone to arms.

Acquiring religious knowledge is also a communal obligation, except where it becomes an individual duty. For example, each person must learn what Allah has commanded and forbidden him; this is an individual obligation. As reported in the two Sahīh collections, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Whoever Allah intends good for, He grants him understanding of the religion.”

Everyone for whom Allah intends good must therefore be granted understanding of the religion. Whoever is not granted understanding of the religion is someone for whom Allah has not intended good. The religion is what Allah sent His Messenger with: what a person must believe and put into practice. Everyone must affirm the truth of what Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) has conveyed and obey what he has commanded, with a general commitment to belief and obedience. Then, when a particular report from him is established as authentic, one must believe that report specifically. Likewise, when a particular command applies to a person in a given respect, he must obey him in that specific matter.

Similarly, washing the deceased, shrouding them, offering the funeral prayer over them, and burying them are communal obligations. Enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is likewise a communal obligation.

كَأَبِي حَامِدٍ الْغَزَالِيِّ؛ وَأَبِي الْفَرَجِ بْنِ الْجَوْزِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِمْ: أَنَّ هَذِهِ الصِّنَاعَاتِ فَرْضٌ عَلَى الْكِفَايَةِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَا تَتِمُّ مَصْلَحَةُ النَّاسِ إلَّا بِهَا؛ كَمَا أَنَّ الْجِهَادَ فَرْضٌ عَلَى الْكِفَايَةِ؛ إلَّا أَنْ يَتَعَيَّنَ فَيَكُونُ فَرْضًا عَلَى الْأَعْيَانِ؛ مِثْلَ أَنْ يَقْصِدَ الْعَدُوُّ بَلَدًا؛ أَوْ مِثْلَ أَنْ يَسْتَنْفِرَ الْإِمَامُ أَحَدًا. وَطَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ الشَّرْعِيِّ فَرْضٌ عَلَى الْكِفَايَةِ إلَّا فِيمَا يَتَعَيَّنُ؛ مِثْلَ طَلَبِ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ عِلْمَ مَا أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَمَا نَهَاهُ عَنْهُ؛ فَإِنَّ هَذَا فَرْضٌ عَلَى الْأَعْيَانِ كَمَا أَخْرَجَاهُ فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: " {مَنْ يُرِدْ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ} " وَكُلُّ مَنْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يُفَقِّهَهُ فِي الدِّينِ فَمَنْ لَمْ يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ لَمْ يُرِدْ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا وَالدِّينُ: مَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ بِهِ رَسُولَهُ؛ وَهُوَ مَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ التَّصْدِيقُ بِهِ وَالْعَمَلُ بِهِ وَعَلَى كُلِّ أَحَدٍ أَنْ يُصَدِّقَ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيمَا أَخْبَرَ بِهِ وَيُطِيعَهُ فِيمَا أَمَرَ تَصْدِيقًا عَامًّا وَطَاعَةً عَامَّةً ثُمَّ إذَا ثَبَتَ عَنْهُ خَبَرٌ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُصَدِّقَ بِهِ مُفَصَّلًا وَإِذَا كَانَ مَأْمُورًا مِنْ جِهَةٍ بِأَمْرِ مُعَيَّنٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُطِيعَهُ طَاعَةً مُفَصَّلَةً. وَكَذَلِكَ غَسْلُ الْمَوْتَى وَتَكْفِينُهُمْ وَالصَّلَاةُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَدَفْنُهُمْ: فَرْضٌ عَلَى الْكِفَايَةِ. وَكَذَلِكَ الْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيُ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ فَرْضٌ عَلَى الْكِفَايَةِ.