Quran Universe
5:105

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَنفُسَكُمۡۖ لَا يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا ٱهۡتَدَيۡتُمۡۚ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ جَمِيعٗا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo AAalaykum anfusakum la yadurrukum man dalla itha ihtadaytum ila Allahi marjiAAukum jameeAAan fayunabbiokum bima kuntum taAAmaloona

O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is you return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do.

Word by word
  1. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO you
  2. ٱلَّذِينَwho
  3. ءَامَنُواْbelieve
  4. عَلَيۡكُمۡUpon you
  5. أَنفُسَكُمۡۖ(is to guard) yourselves
  6. لَاNot
  7. يَضُرُّكُمwill harm you
  8. مَّن(those) who
  9. ضَلَّ(have gone) astray
  10. إِذَاwhen
  11. ٱهۡتَدَيۡتُمۡۚyou have been guided
  12. إِلَىTo
  13. ٱللَّهِAllah
  14. مَرۡجِعُكُمۡ(is) your return
  15. جَمِيعٗاall
  16. فَيُنَبِّئُكُمthen He will inform you
  17. بِمَاof what
  18. كُنتُمۡyou used to
  19. تَعۡمَلُونَdo
Al-Ma'idah · 5:105Madinah

Tend your own soul first.

Responsibility for yourself, without abandoning others

The instruction
take care of yourselvesreform your own self
then
no harm from the astraywhen you are guided
How Abu Bakr read it
mind your own businessignore the wrong around you
reform yourselfand still change what you see

Ibn Kathir says Allah tells the believers to reform themselves first, and that one who does so is not harmed by others' wrongdoing, even relatives. Abu Bakr once stood and warned people they were reading this verse the wrong way, quoting the Prophet ﷺ: if people see evil and do not change it, punishment may cover them all.

You get absorbed in what everyone else is doing wrong: your sibling's choices, your colleague's shortcuts, the comments under a post. Meanwhile your own prayer is slipping. Start with your own heart. That is not the same as shrugging at wrong. It is fixing yourself so your voice carries.

Either I focus on others' wrongs, or I mind my own business completely.

I reform myself first, and from there I can still help others kindly.

Try this

Before commenting on anyone else's faults today, fix one small thing in your own routine.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

O you who believe! Take care of yourselves. If you follow the right guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who are in error. The return of you all is to Allah, then He will inform you about (all) that you used to do (105)

One is Required to Reform Himself First

Allah commands His believing servants to reform themselves and to do as many righteous deeds as possible. He also informs them that whoever reforms himself, he would not be affected by the wickedness of the wicked, whether they were his relatives or otherwise.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Qays said, "Abu Bakr As-Siddiq stood up, thanked Allah and praised Him and then said, 'O people! You read this Ayah,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُم مَّن ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ

(O you who believe! Take care of yourselves. If you follow the right guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who are in error.)

You explain it the wrong way. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say,

إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الْمُنْكَرَ وَلَا يُغَيِّرُونَهُ، يُوشِكُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمْ بِعِقَابِهِ

(If the people witness evil and do not change it, then Allah is about to send His punishment to encompass them.)

I (Qays) also heard Abu Bakr say, 'O people! Beware of lying, for lying contradicts faith.'"