Compiled by Imam Abu Dawud as-Sijistani
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ، سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْعَتَكِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ أَبِي حَكِيمٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ جَارِيَةَ اللَّخْمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو أُمَيَّةَ الشَّعْبَانِيُّ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيَّ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا ثَعْلَبَةَ كَيْفَ تَقُولُ فِي هَذِهِ الآيَةِ { عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ } قَالَ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَ عَنْهَا خَبِيرًا سَأَلْتُ عَنْهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " بَلِ ائْتَمِرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنَاهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ حَتَّى إِذَا رَأَيْتَ شُحًّا مُطَاعًا وَهَوًى مُتَّبَعًا وَدُنْيَا مُؤْثَرَةً وَإِعْجَابَ كُلِّ ذِي رَأْىٍ بِرَأْيِهِ فَعَلَيْكَ - يَعْنِي بِنَفْسِكَ - وَدَعْ عَنْكَ الْعَوَامَّ فَإِنَّ مِنْ وَرَائِكُمْ أَيَّامَ الصَّبْرِ الصَّبْرُ فِيهِ مِثْلُ قَبْضٍ عَلَى الْجَمْرِ لِلْعَامِلِ فِيهِمْ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ خَمْسِينَ رَجُلاً يَعْمَلُونَ مِثْلَ عَمَلِهِ " . وَزَادَنِي غَيْرُهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَجْرُ خَمْسِينَ مِنْهُمْ قَالَ " أَجْرُ خَمْسِينَ مِنْكُمْ " .
I asked AbuTha'labah al-Khushani: What is your opinion about the verse "Care for yourselves". He said: I swear by Allah, I asked the one who was well informed about it; I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about it. He said: No, enjoin one another to do what is good and forbid one another to do what is evil. But when you see niggardliness being obeyed, passion being followed, worldly interests being preferred, everyone being charmed with his opinion, then care for yourself, and leave alone what people in general are doing; for ahead of you are days which will require endurance, in which showing endurance will be like grasping live coals. The one who acts rightly during that period will have the reward of fifty men who act as he does. Another version has: He said (The hearers asked:) Messenger of Allah, the reward of fifty of them? He replied: The reward of fifty of you.