Assalaamu alaykum. I wanted to ask whether it is obligatory, or rather, what is the ruling on calling non-Muslims to Islam in a country where the government or administration is non-Muslim and the intelligence bureau prohibits it?

All perfect praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Calling non-Muslims to Islam is one of the most honorable means of inviting to all that is good and enjoining what is right, which Muslims are commanded to do in the verse: {And let there be (arising) from you a nation inviting to (all that is) good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.} [Quran 3:104]

At-Tahreer wa At-Tanweer reads, “Inviting to (all that is) good in the verse means inviting people to Islam and communicating the message of the Prophet to them. The term ‘good’ incorporates all the teachings of Islam...”

Shaykh Ibn ʻUthaymeen said, “Calling to Islam is one of the obligations of the religion; it is the Sunnah of the Messengers of Allah. The Prophet, sallallahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, commanded us to communicate his message to people in all times and places...”

The Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Fiqh reads, “It is obligatory on the Muslims to invite non-Muslims to Islam; Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.} [Quran 16:125]”

Inviting them to Islam is a communal obligation; if a sufficient number of Muslims undertake this duty as required, it is waived from the rest. If no one carries out this duty, all Muslims bear the sin because it falls into the category of enjoining good and forbidding evil. The fact that the government is not Muslim does not entail waiving the obligation of inviting people to Islam. There are many non-Muslim countries that do not prevent calling to Islam therein. The obligation of inviting people to Islam is waived only when that government prevents the Muslims from doing so and they actually fear harm if they invite people to Islam.

An-Nawawi wrote:

“Enjoining good and forbidding evil is a collective obligation (Fardh Kifaayah) upon the Muslims, so if it is properly carried out by a sufficient number of them, then the obligation is lifted from the rest of the Muslim community. However, if it is neglected, then all the Muslims who are able to carry out that obligation but neglected it without a valid excuse or fear of incurring harm are sinful. There are cases in which an individual is obliged to enjoin good and forbid evil, such as if he is the only one who knows about the evil or if no one else can remove the evil except him...” [Sharh Saheeh Muslim]

If a Muslim is unable to call people to Islam because of being prevented from it and fearing for himself, then he bears no sin.

Allah knows best.