Al-Gazali classed theological study as a collective not individual religious duty.

Evidence

Al-Gazali argues interestingly in this work that the study of theology itself is a fard kifai, that is to say a universal obligation, although one that rests on the community as a whole, not necessarily on absolutely every individual personally. — L. P. Harvey, Muslims in Spain, 1500 to 1614, 738

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains fard kifai, a community-level rather than individual obligation — a concept useful beyond this context.
• XREF: Connects to the sociological insight (Milgrom/Shapiro) that community-level enforcement and division of labor can substitute for individual responsibility.