His words, Exalted is He:

“O you who believe, take care of yourselves. Those who go astray will not harm you if you are rightly guided.”

Being rightly guided is only complete through fulfilling one’s obligations. Thus, when a Muslim fulfills his duty to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, just as he fulfills his other obligations, the misguidance of those who go astray will not harm him. This duty is carried out sometimes with the heart, sometimes with the tongue, and sometimes with the hand. As for rejecting wrong in the heart, this is obligatory in all circumstances, since doing so causes no harm. Whoever does not do so is not a believer, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“That is the lowest—or weakest—level of faith.”

He also said:

“Beyond that there is not a mustard seed’s weight of faith.”

Ibn Masʿūd was asked, “Who is dead among the living?” He replied, “The one who neither recognizes what is right nor rejects what is wrong.” This is the person who has succumbed to temptation described in the hadith of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān.

Two groups of people fall into error here. One group neglects the obligatory duty of enjoining right and forbidding wrong because of its interpretation of this verse. As Abū Bakr al-Siddīq, may Allah be pleased with him, said in his sermon:

“You recite this verse, ‘Take care of yourselves. Those who go astray will not harm you if you are rightly guided,’ but you apply it where it does not belong. I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: ‘When people see wrongdoing and do not change it, Allah may soon afflict them all with punishment from Him.’”