Aayar farko a cikin wannan nassi tana ba da labarin muhawarar da ya faru tsakanin Annabi Ibrahim da wani sarki na zamaninsa wanda ya musanta imaninsa ga Allah. Surar ba ta ambaci sunan sarkin ba, domin ambatonsa ba zai ƙara wa darasin labarin ba. Wannan muhawara tana da alaƙa da Annabi (ﷺ) da al'ummar Musulmi ta hanyar da ke jawo mamaki ga wannan mutum wanda ya musanta gaskiyar Allah. Muna saurare kamar yadda muhawarar take faruwa yanzu, a gaban idanunmu: "Shin ba ka lura da wanda ya yi muhawara da Ibrahim game da Ubangijinsa ba, saboda Allah ya ba shi mulki? Ibrahim ya ce, 'Ubangijina ne yake bayarwa da rai, yana kuma sanya mutuwa.' Shi ma ya ce, 'Ni ma ina bayarwa da rai, ina kuma sanya mutuwa.' Ibrahim ya ce, 'To, Allah yana fitar da rana daga gabas; to, ka fitar da ita daga yamma.' Haka kafirin ya zama bebe. Allah ba ya shiryar da azzalumai." (Aya ta 258)
The first verse in this passage relates an argument between the Prophet Abraham and a contemporary king who disputed his belief in God. The sūrah does not mention the king’s name, because mentioning it will not add to the moral of the story. This argument is related to the Prophet and the Muslim community in a way that invites amazement at this person who disputes the truth of God. We listen as though the argument is taking place now, before our eyes: “Are you not aware of him who argued with Abraham about his Lord simply because God had given him kingship? Abraham said, My Lord gives life and causes death.’ I, too,’ said he, give life and cause death.’ Abraham said, ‘Well, God causes the sun to rise in the east; cause it, then, to rise in the west.’ Thus the unbeliever was dumbfounded. God does not guide the wrongdoers.” (Verse 258)
Mun koya daga cikin nassin cewa sarkin da ya yi jayayya da Ibrahim bai musanta wanzuwar Allah ba a zahiri, sai dai ya musanta cewa Shi kaɗai ne Ubangiji, ko kuma cewa Shi kaɗai ne yake da iko mai cikakken iko akan al'amuran bayin Allah. Wannan imani ya yaɗu a tsakanin Larabawa a lokacin Jahiliyya, wato zamanin duhu. Sun sanya wasu iyayen gida na ƙasa a matsayin abokan tarayya ga Allah, kuma sun musanta cewa Allah yana da damuwa ko wata ikon mulki akan al'amuran duniya da na yau da kullum na mutane.
We learn from the text that the king who argued with Abraham did not, in fact, deny God’s existence, but he denied that He was the only God or that He had sole sovereignty and control over mankind’s affairs. This belief was prevalent among the Arabs during their Dark Ages, or Jāhiliyyah. They assigned lesser gods as partners to God and denied that God had any concern with, or authority over, worldly and daily human affairs.
Sarki mai girman kai da taurin kai yana musun Allah saboda dalilin da ya kamata ya sa shi ya amince da Shi, domin Allah ne ya sa ya samu damar zama sarki kuma mai mulki tun farko. Iko a hannun waɗanda ba su yarda ko kuma ba su godewa alherin Allah da karimcinSa ba, yana lalata mutum kuma yana kai ga zalunci da mulkin kama-karya.
The arrogant, stubborn king denies God for the very reason that he should acknowledge Him, as it was God who had made it possible for him to become king and ruler, in the first place. Power in the hands of those who do not believe or appreciate God’s grace and generosity corrupts and leads to tyranny and despotism.
Masu mulki suna mulki da ikon Allah, kuma Shi ba Ya ba su ikon bautar da al'ummarsu da zalunta su, ko kuma su sanya ra'ayoyinsu da dokokinsu a kansu. Kamar al'ummarsu, su bayi ne na Allah kuma suna karkashin ikonSa. Ikonsu baka ne daga gare Shi.
Rulers govern by God’s authority, and He never empowers them to enslave and oppress their people, or impose their own ideas and laws. Like their subjects, they are servants of God and subject to His authority. Their power is delegated by Him.
Ba su da hakkin su ƙaga ko su ƙirƙiri koyarwa da dokoki na kansu.
They have no right to initiate or devise teachings and legislation of their own.
Hali na sarki da alama yana tayar da mamaki, kamar yadda tsarin tambaya ya nuna. Ta yaya wanda Allah ya ba shi mulki da iko zai ɗauka wa kansa haƙƙin tambayar waɗanda Allah ya yi, ko ya yi iƙirarin yana da iko na kansa?
The king’s attitude seems to evoke astonishment, as the interrogative form indicates. How could one who is given power and sovereignty by God arrogate to himself the right to question those of God, or claim independent powers of his own?
Ibrahim ya kalubalanci sarki, yana cewa: "Ubangijina ne yake bayar da rai, kuma yake sanya mutuwa." (Aya ta 258)
Rai da mutuwa su ne biyu daga cikin manyan al'ajabai na wannan duniya da muke gani kowace rana. Yin tunani a kansu yana tilasta hankalin ɗan adam ya nemi wata sanadi wadda ba ta mutum ba a bayansu. Don haka, babu makawa ga ƙarshe cewa ikon Allah madaukaki, mai cikakken iko, shi ne ke bayan asirin rai da mutuwa, ba wani ba. Mun kasance ba mu san ainihin ma'anar rai da mutuwa ba, amma muna fahimtar bayyanuwarsu a cikin duniyar da ke kewaye da mu, kuma an tilasta mana mu nemi asalinsu da sanadinsu ga wani iko da ba ya kama da kowane iko da mutum ya sani, wato ikon Allah Maɗaukaki.
Abraham challenged the king, saying: “My Lord gives life and causes death.” (Verse 258) Life and death are two of the greatest wonders of this world which we witness every day. Thinking about them compels the human mind to seek a non-human cause behind them. There is, therefore, no escaping the conclusion that the supreme omnipotent power of God, and no other, lies behind the secrets of life and death. We remain ignorant of the true essence of life and death, but we perceive their manifestations in the world around us, and we are forced to seek their origin and cause with a power unlike any power known to man, and that is the power of God Almighty.
Amsar Ibrahim, "Ubangijina ne yake rayarwa, yake kuma kashe," (Aya ta 258) ta ambato wata siffa da ta keɓanta ga Allah Maɗaukaki kaɗai, ba wanda zai iya ɗaukar wani kaso daga cikinta don kansa. Haka kuma, maganar tana nuna cewa Allah ne yake mulki da yin doka a kan komai. A bayyane yake cewa a amsarsa, Ibrahim, Annabi mai daraja, ba ya nufin kafa ikon Allah ne kawai a cikin ayyukan samar da rai da karɓe shi, domin dukansu haƙƙin Allah kaɗai ne.
Abraham’s reply, “My Lord gives life and causes death,” (Verse 258) cites an attribute that is unique to God Almighty, with no one else able to claim a share of it for himself. The statement implies, too, that God rules and legislates over all. It is clear that in his reply Abraham, a noble Prophet, was not seeking to establish God’s power in the mere acts of originating life and taking it away. Both are prerogatives of God alone.
Abraham (Ibrahim) ya kasance tare da wanda ya yi masa muhawara: mutumin ya ga ikon sarautarsa a kan talakawansa, da kuma ikonsa na kashe su ko barin su da rai, a matsayin hujja cewa yana da iko fiye da na duniya a kansu. Amsarsa, "Ni ma ina bayar da rai, ina kuma kawo mutuwa," {Aya ta 258} tana nuna cewa yana da cikakken iko da mulki a kan al'amura da makomar jama'arsa, wadanda suka wajaba su mika wuya ga mulkinsa.
Abraham’s interlocutor saw his sovereign position over his subjects and his ability to kill them or let them live as evidence of his having more than temporal authority over them. His reply, “I, too, give life and cause death,” (Verse 258) implies having absolute power and authority over the affairs and destiny of his people, who are obliged to submit to his rule.
Ibrahim bai so ya ci gaba da muhawara game da ma'anar ƙirƙirar rai da kuma sanadin mutuwa ba tare da mutumin da ke murguɗa gaskiya ba.
Abraham did not wish to pursue the argument about the meaning of originating life and causing death, with someone who twists facts.
Ya kawo wata hujja daban, inda ya ambaci wani sanannen lamari, ya kalubalanci sarkin nan mai taurin kai da ya canza wani al'amari na halitta, wato motsin rana, domin ya fahimci cewa ba za a iya zaton Ubangijin bauta ba saboda kawai yana da cikakken iko a kan wani rukuni na mutane a wani karamin lungu na duniya. Allah, bisa ma'anarsa, yana sarrafa dukkan al'amuran dukkan duniya, kuma shi ne tushen dokoki ga bil'adama.
He simply took the argument to a different sphere, citing another familiar event and challenging the obdurate king to alter a natural phenomenon, the movement of the sun, to make him realize that godhead could not be assumed merely by having absolute power over a group of people in a small corner on earth. God, by definition, controls all the affairs of the whole universe, and He is the source of legislation for mankind.
Ibrahim ya ce: "Allah ne yake fitar da rana daga gabas; to, ka fitar da ita daga yamma" (Aya ta 258). Wani abin da ake gani a kullum da aka kwatanta shi a matsayin hujja bayyananniya ta wanzuwar Allah da ikonsa, har ga waɗanda ba su san ka'idojin ilimin taurari ko dokokin kimiyyar lissafi ba. Wannan magana tana zuwa ne a matsayin ƙalubale kai tsaye ga ainihin yanayin ɗan Adam, tana bayyana gaskiyar da ba za a iya musantawa ba. Wahayin Allah yakan yi magana da yanayin ɗan Adam a matakai daban-daban na ci gaban hankalinsa, al'adunsa da zamantakewarsa, domin ya kai mutum daga inda yake zuwa wani matsayi mafi girma na sani.
Abraham said: “God causes the sun to rise in the east; cause it, then, to rise in the west” (Verse 258) Another familiar daily occurrence is portrayed as a visible proof of God’s existence and power, even for those who are not familiar with the principles of astronomy or laws of physics. This statement comes as a direct challenge to man’s basic nature by expressing a fact that cannot be disputed. God’s Revelations often address human nature at various stages of human intellectual, cultural and social development to lead man from wherever he is to a higher state of consciousness.
"Saboda haka wanda ya kafirta ya ruɗe."(Ayah ta 258)
“Thus the unbeliever was dumbfounded.” (Verse 258)
Ƙalubalen gaskiya ne, bayyananne kuma babu shakka a cikinsa, kuma sarkin mai taurin kai da ya fi dacewa da shi ya mika wuya ga gaskiya, amma girman kai ya rinjaye shi, ya hana shi miƙa wuya ga gaskiyar. Bai iya yin komai ba face mamaki da ruɗewa, don haka ya rasa damar yin imani da samun shiriyar Allah. "Kafiri ya zama abin mamaki. Allah ba ya shiryar da azzalumai." (Aya ta 258) Wannan haɗuwa, wadda Allah ya ambata wa Manzonsa da al'ummarsa na mabiya, har yau tana zama misali na taurin kai da jahilci, da darasi da suke koya daga gare shi yadda za su fuskanci waɗanda suka ƙaryata gaskiya.
The challenge was real, clear, and unambiguous, and the stubborn king would have been better advised to give in, but his pride had the better of him and prevented him from submitting to the truth. He could do no more than be astounded and stupefied, thereby forfeiting the opportunity to believe and win God’s guidance. “The unbeliever was dumbfounded. God does not guide the wrongdoers.” (Verse 258) This encounter, which God cited for His Messenger and his community of followers, remains today an example for obstinacy and ignorance, and a lesson from which they learn how to confront those who deny the truth.
Nassoshi biyu ne masu sauƙi amma masu zurfi da wannan ɗan nassi ya gabatar: ɗaya daga cikin abin da ke cikin zatin mutum, cewa Allah "Yana bayar da rai, yana kuma sa mutuwa", ɗayan kuma daga duniyar halitta da ke kewaye da shi, cewa Allah "Yana sa rana ta fito daga gabas", ba daga yamma ba. Waɗannan abubuwa ne da aka saba da su, da kowa zai iya gani da yin tunani a kansu, ba sai an sami ilimi mai yawa ko ƙoƙari sosai ba kafin a fahimce su. Mutum yana buƙatar kawai ya bar yanayin cikinsa ya amsa ya kuma mayar da martani ga waɗannan abubuwa masu girma, wanda tasirinsu ba za a iya yin kuskure a kansa ba ko a guje shi, sai dai idan mutum yana da taurin kai da gangan ko yana nufin ƙin gaskiya.
The passage presents two simple but profound truths: one taken from within man’s being, that God “gives life and causes death”, and the other from the natural world around, that “God causes the sun to rise in the east”, and not in the west. These are familiar occurrences, available for all to see and contemplate, requiring little knowledge or effort to perceive or understand. Man only needs to allow his inner nature to respond and react to these imposing phenomena, the impact of which cannot be mistaken or escaped, unless one is being deliberately stubborn or bent on rejecting the truth.
Allah ba zai ma Allah ba ce, Ya yi haka ba: Allah yana da rahama fiye da haka, ba zai bukaci a gane Shi ta hanyoyin da ba duk mutane ke iya samunsu ba. Imani da Allah wani muhimmin sashi ne na zaman dan Adam, wanda ba tare da shi ba rayuwar dan Adam za ta rasa duk wata ma'ana ta shugabanci da tsari, kuma dan Adam ba zai samu tushen dabi'u ba, ko dokoki, ko ka'idojin kyawawan halaye.
God is too kind to demand His recognition by means that may not be available to all people. Belief in God is an indispensable ingredient of man’s being, without which human life would lose all sense of direction and order, and man would have no source of values, legislation or moral standards.
Haka ma za a iya faɗa game da sauran muhimman al'amuran rayuwar ɗan adam. Mutum yana neman abinci, abin sha, iska da haihuwa ta hanyar ilhamarsa ta dabi'a. Ba ya buƙatar ya kai wani matsayi na balaga ta hankali ko ta al'ada don samun damar biyan waɗannan buƙatu.
This can be said about all other essential aspects of human life. Man seeks food, drink, air and procreation by his natural instincts. He does not need to attain certain levels of intellectual or cultural maturity to acquire the right to satisfy these desires.
Idan da mutum yana bukatar wadannan, da ya halaka ba tare da ya ci gaba da taka ko mataki daya ba. Imani da Allah (God) yana da muhimmanci daidai da rayuwar dan Adam, kuma ana samun sa cikin sauki ta hanyar amsawa da gaskiya da kuma dabi'a ga hujjojin da suka bayyana a ko'ina cikin duniya, da kuma cikin kansa da kuma wanzuwarsa.
Were he to need these, man would perish without moving one step forward. Belief in God, is equally essential to human life, and it is easily attained by responding honestly and naturally to the compelling evidence present throughout the universe and within man’s own being and existence.