Al-Wajib al-Kifa'i: Difference between revisions

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'''Al-Wajib al-Kifa'i''' (Arabic: {{ia|الواجب الكفائي}}) (collective compulsory act) is a kind of compulsory religious act that addresses no specific person and if it is performed by some duty-bound ([[Mukallaf]]) [[Muslim]]s, the other will no longer held accountable. [[Burial|Burying]] a dead, [[enjoining good and forbidding evil]] (al-amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa al-nahy 'an al-munkar) and defensive [[Jihad]] are some examples of al-Wajib al-Kifa'i. Al-Wajib al-Kifa'i is the opposite of al-wajib al-'Ayni (individual compulsory act).

Al-Wajib al-Kifa'i is a compulsory religious act, the purpose of which is ot have that act done with no regard for the specific individuals performing it. Put differently, al-Wajib al-Kifa'i addresses all Muslims in a same manner; thus, if some Muslims undertake the Wajib, the others will no longer held accountable. Al-Wajib al-Kifa'i is the opposite of al-Wajib al-'Ayni, in which every individual must perform the compulsory act, such as: Salat. The performer of al-Wajib al-Kifa'i receives the reward for perfoming it, but if no one undertakes al-Wajib al-Kifa'i, all will held accountable as they have committed a sin by leaving this Wajib.  

The cases of al-Wajib al-Kifa'i are related to society's general interests, i.e. to have the act performed is the most important point in al-Wajib al-Kifa'i; unlike the case of al-Wajib al-'Ayni, in which performing the act by every individual is required. Ghusl al-Mayyit, shrouding the dead, performing Salat al-Mayyit, cleaning Masjid from Najis, enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil (al-Amar bi al-Ma'ruf wa al-Nahi 'an al-Munkar), surviving the life of someone who is indanger and studying theology and other branches of Islamic Studies are some examples of al-Wajib al-Kifa'i.

There is two types of al-Wajib al-Kifa'i:

- General: A collective compulsory act that all Muslims can do, such as Ghusl al-Mayyit and enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil. This type in compulsory on every duty-bound (Mukallaf) Muslim.

- Particular: A collective compulsory act that only a special group of Muslims can perform, such as: treatment of patients, issuing fatwas and judging, which are respectively compulsory on doctors, Faqihs and judges.  

Scholar of al-Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence) maintain that Divine orders address every individual duty-bound person; thus every individual must perform the His orders. Accordingly, when we are doubtful about a Wajib, whether it is al-Kifa'i or al-'Ayni, it will be considered al-'Ayni.