You people recite this verse "You who believe, care for yourselves; he who goes astray cannot harm you when you are rightly-guided," and put it in its improper place.
Khalid's version has: We heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: When the people see a wrongdoer and do not prevent him, Allah will soon punish them all. Amr ibn Hushaym's version has: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If acts of disobedience are done among any people and do not change them though the are able to do so, Allah will soon punish them all.
Adu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by Abu Usamah and a group transmitters similar to the version narrated by Khalid. The version of Shu'bah has: "If acts of obedience are done among any people who are more numerous than those who do them...."
Commentary on the Misapplication of Quran 5:105
The noble verse "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" (Quran 5:105) is often misinterpreted by those who seek to abandon religious obligation. This verse does not absolve Muslims from commanding good and forbidding evil, but rather emphasizes personal responsibility in faith while cautioning that the misguided cannot harm one's spiritual state when firmly grounded in guidance.
Exposition of the Prophetic Warning
The authentic narrations from the Prophet (ﷺ) clarify the collective responsibility of the Muslim community. When Khalid's version states "When the people see a wrongdoer and do not prevent him, Allah will soon punish them all," this establishes the principle of collective accountability. The community bears responsibility for rectifying manifest evil within its midst.
Amr ibn Hushaym's version further elaborates: "If acts of disobedience are done among any people and they do not change them though they are able to do so, Allah will soon punish them all." This emphasizes the condition of capability - those who have the means to prevent evil must do so, otherwise divine punishment may encompass both the wrongdoers and those who remained silent.
Scholarly Analysis of Transmission Variants
Abu Dawud's note regarding the transmission through Abu Usamah and others similar to Khalid's version confirms the authenticity of this teaching. The variant through Shu'bah mentioning "acts of obedience" being outnumbered further illustrates the principle: when righteousness becomes the minority and the community fails to uphold it, divine punishment becomes imminent. This comprehensive understanding from multiple authentic chains emphasizes the grave responsibility of the Muslim ummah in maintaining moral order.