Quran Universe
10:108

قُلۡ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدۡ جَآءَكُمُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمۡۖ فَمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهۡتَدِي لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيۡهَاۖ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ عَلَيۡكُم بِوَكِيلٖ

Qul ya ayyuha alnnasu qad jaakumu alhaqqu min rabbikum famani ihtada fainnama yahtadee linafsihi waman dalla fainnama yadillu AAalayha wama ana AAalaykum biwakeelin

Say, "O mankind, the truth has come to you from your Lord, so whoever is guided is only guided for [the benefit of] his soul, and whoever goes astray only goes astray [in violation] against it. And I am not over you a manager."

Word by word
  1. قُلۡSay
  2. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO mankind
  3. ٱلنَّاسُO mankind
  4. قَدۡVerily
  5. جَآءَكُمُhas come to you
  6. ٱلۡحَقُّthe truth
  7. مِنfrom
  8. رَّبِّكُمۡۖyour Lord
  9. فَمَنِSo whoever
  10. ٱهۡتَدَىٰ(is) guided
  11. فَإِنَّمَاthen only
  12. يَهۡتَدِي(he is) guided
  13. لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖfor his soul
  14. وَمَنand whoever
  15. ضَلَّgoes astray
  16. فَإِنَّمَاthen only
  17. يَضِلُّhe strays
  18. عَلَيۡهَاۖagainst it
  19. وَمَآAnd I am not
  20. أَنَا۠And I am not
  21. عَلَيۡكُمover you
  22. بِوَكِيلٖa guardian
Yunus · 10:108Makkah

The truth has come. What you do with it is yours.

Guidance is for your own soul

The choice
the truthfrom your Lord
whoever
is guidedgains for himself
goes astrayloses for himself
Who benefits
doing Allah a favorHe needs my faith
for my own soulthe gain is mine

The Prophet ﷺ was told to announce that the truth has come, with no doubt in it. Whoever is guided benefits himself, and whoever strays suffers against himself. Ibn Kathir explains he said: I am not a guardian over you. I am only a warner. Guidance belongs to Allah.

You think of your prayers as something you give Allah, like a bill you pay. On tired days you resent it. Every prayer lands in your own account. He does not need it. You do.

Being religious is something I do for Allah.

Every step of guidance is a gift to my own soul.

Try this

Before your next prayer, tell yourself: this is for me. Notice if it feels different.

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

Say: "O people! Now the truth has come to you from your Lord. So whoever receives guidance, he does so for the good of himself. And whoever goes astray, he does so at his own loss. And I am not set over you as a guardian (108)And follow what is revealed to you, and be patient until Allah gives judgment. And He is the best of the judges (109)

Allah, the Exalted, commands His Messenger ﷺ to inform the people that that which he has brought them from Allah is the truth. It is a message concerning which there is no doubt or suspicion. Therefore, whoever is guided by it and follows it, then he only benefits himself by doing so. Likewise, whoever is misguided away from this message, then he will suffer the consequences against his own self.

وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُم بِوَكِيلٍ

(And I am not set over you as a guardian) This means, 'I am not a guardian over you in order for you to become believers. I am only a warner to you and guidance belongs to Allah, the Exalted.' Concerning Allah's statement,

وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَاصْبِرْ

(And follow what has been revealed to you, and be patient) This means, 'Adhere to that which Allah has revealed to you, and inspired you with, and be patient with the opposition that you meet from the people.'

حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ

(until Allah gives judgment) This means, 'Until Allah judges between you and them.'

وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ

(And He is the best of judges.) This means that He is the best of those who pass judgment, due to His Justice and His wisdom.