Maeda 105

Maeda 105

105- YOU WHO BELIEVE, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SELVES, THOSE WHO ARE MISGUIDED DO NOT HARM YOU IF YOU ARE RIGHTLY GUIDED, TO ALLAH YOU WILL ALL RETURN TO TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE DOING.

This Ayah can be very easily misunderstood.  Its direct meaning is that every one is responsible for his actions and deeds and has nothing to do with others.  Certainly, this is not the rule.

The rule is that:

1. Every Muslim will be asked about his own deeds first of all, for this is  his first responsibility, the first responsibility for every one is himself and his own actions.
2. With this responsibility, there is the responsibility of the Muslim to every one else, concerning the right and wrong.  We mentioned before in Sorat Baqarah  “YOU ARE THE BEST NATION THAT HAS BEEN RAISED FOR MANKIND; YOU ENJOIN WHAT IS WRITE, FORBID WHAT IS WRONG AND BELIEVE IN ALLAH” (S:2 A:110)

Which tells us that telling others about doing what is right and not doing what is wrong, together with the belief in Allah the Highest; they are the conditions for being the best nation?  Abu Bakr El-Sidiq spoke to the Muslims (After the death of Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him) and said: “O people, you read this Ayah “YOU WHO BELIEVE, YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SELVES…………….” and understand it wrongly, for I heard Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him say: “When people see the wrong and do not do any thing to change it, then Allah will be about to punish them all”.  (Termezi & Abu Dawood & Ibn Magah)

A man called Abi Omyah Al-Shabany asked another of Allah’s messenger’s companions called Amro Ibn Jariah about this Ayah, who answered.  He answered: “By Allah, I asked the one who knows about it (Allah’s messenger) and he said: “But command what is right and forbid what is forbidden, until you see miserliness being liked, and people follow their desires, and people preferring this life, and every one who has an opinion fancies his own, then keep yourself to yourself, and leave the commons, for then you have times those who are patient and persevering are like he who holds a piece of fire, he who does good in these days will have the reward of fifty who do what you do”  He was asked: “Fifty of us or fifty of them”.  He said: “Fifty of you”.  (Termezi & Abu Dawood & Ibn Magah)

3. If or when the time comes when one can not advise or remind the others with what is right and what is wrong.  When wrong and evil prevails and the society considers what is right to be wrong and what is wrong to be right, then every one is responsible for himself only, for then we will not be asked about anyone else.