Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:105

"O you who have believed, [take care of] yourselves..."

The believers used to let their souls pine away in regret over the people of arrogance and obstinacy among the disbelievers, wishing for them to enter Islam. So it was said to them:

"Upon you are your own selves" Meaning: You are tasked with reforming them and guiding them along the paths of righteousness.

"It will not harm you" The misguidance of others will not harm you regarding your religion, provided you are guided. Just as the Almighty said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "So do not let yourself perish in regret over them" (Fatir: 8).

Likewise, whoever grieves over the immorality and sins of the corrupt, and constantly dwells on their faults and abominations, is addressed by this verse. It does not mean abandoning the commanding of good and forbidding of evil; for whoever abandons these two while having the ability to perform them is not "guided," but rather is among those who have gone astray—those whom the verse distinguishes from the guided.

Ibn Mas'ud was present when this was recited, and he said: "This is not its time. Today, [the command] is accepted. But a time will soon come when you will command, yet it will not be accepted from you; then, 'Upon you are your own selves.'" Thus, according to this, it is a consolation for the one who commands and forbids but is not heeded, and an explanation of his excuse. It was also narrated from him: "This is not the time for its interpretation." When asked when that time would be, he said: "When the sword, the whip, and the prison are placed before it."

Abu Tha'labah al-Khushani was asked about this, and he said to the questioner: "You have asked an expert about it. I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about it, and he said: 'Command the good and forbid the evil, until you see greed being obeyed, desires being followed, this world being preferred, and every person with an opinion being impressed by his own opinion. Then, take care of yourself and leave the affairs of the common people. For indeed, behind you are days where patience in them is like grasping a burning coal; for the one who acts during them is the reward of fifty men who do the like of his work.'"

It is also said: When a man would convert to Islam, they would say to him, "You have belittled your forefathers," and they would blame him. So this was revealed: "Upon you are your own selves."

"Alaykum" (Upon you) is a verbal noun meaning: "Commit yourselves to the reform of your own souls." This is why the response to it is in the jussive mood.

Regarding "la yadurrukum" (it will not harm you):

• Nafi' read it in the nominative (marfu').
• There are two aspects to the reading "la yadurrukum":
  1. That it is a declarative sentence in the nominative, supported by the reading of Abu Haywah: "la yadurrukum."
  2. That it is a jussive response to the imperative. The ra is given a damma as a vowel harmony to the damma of the dad, which was transferred to it from the assimilated ra. The original form is la yadurrukum.
• It is also possible that it is a prohibition, and "la yadurrukum" can be read with a kasra or a damma on the dad, from the verb dara-yadurru (to harm).