Sura hii inaanza kwa herufi nne zilizotengana, kama zile zinazopatikana mwanzoni mwa sura ya pili na ya tatu. Tulipojadili herufi hizo zilizotengana katika tafsiri yetu ya sura hizi, tulieleza kuunga mkono maoni kwamba herufi hizi zinakusudiwa kuashiria kwamba Qur’ani imeundwa kwa maneno yanayojengwa kutoka alfabeti ya Kiarabu ambayo Waarabu hutumia katika lugha yao. Hata hivyo, haiwezekani kwao kutunga kutokana na herufi hizi na sauti hizi usemi unaofanana na wa Qur’ani. Hilo lenyewe linathibitisha kwamba Qur’ani haikutungwa na binadamu. Vinginevyo, tunawezaje kueleza kwamba herufi, sauti na maneno hayo yalikuwepo kwa Waarabu, lakini hawakuweza kutengeneza kutokana nayo chochote kinachofanana na Qur’ani? Basi lazima kuwepo kipengele kingine kinachoipa Qur’ani tabia yake ya kipekee. Tunaona kwamba hii pengine ndiyo tafsiri inayowezekana zaidi ya herufi hizi zilizotengana zinazotokea mwanzoni mwa baadhi ya sura. Mwenyezi Mungu ndiye anayejua vizuri zaidi lengo analokusudia kwa kuzitumia. Inawezekana, basi, kuzichukulia herufi hizi nne kwa pamoja kama kiima cha sentensi, ambacho katika tafsiri kinatolewa kama “hii”, yaani, herufi hizo na kinachoundwa kutokana nazo na herufi nyingine ni “kitabu kilichoteremshwa kutoka juu”. Kwa upande mwingine, tunaweza kuzichukulia herufi hizi kama sauti zinazotumika kutuamsha kwa maana inayofuata, ambayo inaashiria kwamba kitabu hicho kimeteremshwa kutoka juu.

The sūrah begins with four separate letters, similar to those that occur at the beginning of the second and third sūrahs. When we discussed such separate letters in our commentary on these sūrahs, we expressed our support of the view that these letters are meant as a reference to the fact that the Qur’ān is composed of words made up of the Arabic alphabet which Arabs use in their language. Nevertheless, it is impossible for them to make up from these letters and sounds a discourse similar to that of the Qur’ān. This in itself proves that the Qur’ān is not composed by a human being. How else can we explain the fact that these letters, sounds and words were available to the Arabs and yet they could not make of them anything similar to the Qur’ān. There must be, then, some other element which gives the Qur’ān its unique character. We feel that this is perhaps the most likely interpretation of these separate letters occurring at the beginning of some sūrahs. God knows best the purpose He has in mind for using them. It is possible, therefore, to consider these four letters together as the subject of a sentence, which is given in the translation as, “this”, which means that those letters and what is composed of them and of other letters are “the book bestowed from on high”. On the other hand, we may take these letters as sounds serving to alert us to the meaning that follows which suggests that the book has been revealed from on high.

"Huu ni Kitabu ambacho kimeteremshwa kwako kutoka juu." (Aya ya 2) Kitabu hiki, basi, kimeteremshwa kwa ajili ya kuonya, ili Mtume aweze kukabiliana na watu wote kwa ujumbe wake, ingawa wanaweza wasipende kukabiliwa hivyo. Ujumbe wake hivyo unapingana na imani, mila, kanuni za kijamii na mifumo iliyopo. Hili ni sababu tosha ya kuwa na hisia za shaka na ugumu kuhusu wajibu unaowekwa nao. Hili linaweza kueleweka tu na wale wanaotaka kutekeleza agizo hili na kuinua ujumbe wa kitabu hiki juu katika jamii. Kwa kufanya hivyo, wanalenga kufikia mabadiliko kamili na kabisa ya mfumo wa kijamii wa jumuiya ya binadamu, wakianzia kwenye misingi yake na kumalizia kwa mwonekano wake wa nje na mambo ya kina. Hivyo, Mtume, yule ambaye alikuwa kwanza kuwasilisha ujumbe wa kitabu hiki, lazima alihisi haya yote alipokabiliana na hali ya ujinga, yaani jāhiliyyah, iliyokuwepo Arabia na duniani kote.

Uislamu si tukio la kihistoria tu lililotokea katika wakati fulani na kukamilisha nafasi yake. Leo hii una nafasi ya kutekeleza sawa na ile uliyoitekeleza ulipokabiliana kwa mara ya kwanza na wanadamu. Kwa hakika, hali, mifumo ya kijamii, imani, maadili na mila zinazotawala ulimwengu leo hazitofautiani sana na zile zilizotawala wakati Uislamu ulipowasilishwa kwa mara ya kwanza kwa wanadamu. Neno jāhiliyyah linarejelea hali ya mambo, si kipindi maalum katika historia. Leo, hali hiyo imeenea kila mahali na inahusu aina zote za imani, mafundisho, mifumo na hali. Msingi wake ni kukabidhi mamlaka ya utawala na ya kutunga sheria kwa binadamu, badala ya kukiri kwamba mamlaka hayo ni ya Mungu peke yake. Msingi wenyewe wa hali hii ya ujinga, yaani jāhiliyyah, unafanya matamanio, hisia au fikra za binadamu kuwa mamlaka ya mwisho katika mambo ya kibinadamu, badala ya kukubali hukumu ya Mungu kuwa sheria ya kutekelezwa. Jāhiliyyah inaweza kuchukua maumbo na sura tofauti, kujipa majina mbalimbali, na kufuata itikadi za aina nyingi, lakini katika matoleo yake yote ina nafasi ile ile ya msingi inayoamua asili yake.

Islam is not a mere event of history that took place at a particular point in time and completed its role. Today it has a role to play similar to that which it played when it first confronted humanity. Indeed, the circumstances, social systems, beliefs, values and traditions that prevail in the world today are not dissimilar to those which prevailed when Islam first addressed mankind. The term jāhiliyyah refers to a state of affairs, not to a particular period in history. Today, it prevails everywhere and applies to all types of beliefs, doctrines, systems and circumstances. It is based on assigning sovereignty and legislative authority to human beings instead of acknowledging that such authority belongs to God alone. The very foundation of this state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, makes human caprice or desire or thought the ultimate arbiter in human affairs instead of adopting the divine code as the law to implement. Jāhiliyyah may take different shapes and forms, adopt different names, follow a variety of creeds, but in all its versions it has the same basic role determining its nature.

Kwa kuzingatia kigezo hiki, ni wazi kwamba hali ya ujinga, au jāhiliyyah, inatawala leo duniani kote. Uislamu, kwa upande mwingine, umekoma kuwepo kama kitu kinachojitegemea. Wafuasi wake wana lengo lile lile ambalo Mtume Muhammad ﷺ, Mjumbe wa Mungu, alijitolea kwalo. Wanakabiliwa na aina ile ile ya upinzani aliokabiliana nao. Kwa hiyo, wanapaswa kusikiliza ukumbusho ule ule uliomo katika aya hii ya Qur'ani: {Huu ni Kitabu ambacho kimeteremshwa kwako kutoka juu — basi usiwe na shaka kukihusu — ili uwaonye watu kwa mafundisho yake, na uwaonye waumini.} Jambo hili linahitaji ufafanuzi zaidi.

Adopting this criterion, it is clear that a state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, prevails today throughout the world. Islam, on the other hand, has ceased to exist as an entity. Its advocates have the same objective for which the Prophet Muhammad, God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) dedicated himself. They face the same type of opposition he faced. Hence, they should listen to the same reminder contained in this Qur’ānic verse: “This is a book that has been bestowed on you from on high — so do not entertain any doubt about it — in order that you may warn people with its message, and admonish the believers.” This fact needs some elaboration.

Kwa kuwa Mwenyezi Mungu anamkabidhi Mtume wake kazi hii, anaifuatisha na amri aliyowapa Waarabu waliokuwa wa kwanza kuhutubiwa na Qur-āni, na kwa hakika kwa mataifa na jamii zote ambazo Uislamu unajitahidi kuziokoa kutoka minyororo ya jāhiliyyah. Jamii zote kama hizo zinaamrishwa kufuata yale yaliyoteremshwa katika kitabu hiki cha Kiungu, na kujiepusha kufuata mabwana wengine isipokuwa Mwenyezi Mungu. Hili ndilo kiini cha jambo lenyewe:

As God assigns this task to His Messenger, He follows it with an order given to the Arabs addressed by the Qur’ān for the first time, and indeed to all nations and communities whom Islam tries to save from the shackles of jāhiliyyah. All such communities are ordered to follow what is revealed in this divine scripture and to refrain from following any masters other then God. This is the crux of the matter:

Sisi binadamu tunapaswa kumfuata nani katika kuendesha maisha yetu? Ikiwa tunafuata amri za Mungu, basi sisi ni Waislamu wanaojisalimisha kwa Mungu. Wale wanaofuata amri za viumbe wengine ni washirikina. Hali hizi mbili ni kinyume kabisa, wala hakuna sehemu ya kukutana kati yao. Hili ndilo jambo kuu katika ujumbe wa Uislamu: "Fuateni yaliyoteremshwa kwenu kutoka kwa Mola wenu Mlezi, wala msifuate walinzi wengine badala yake. Ni kidogo mno mnayokumbuka" (Aya ya 3).

whom are we, human beings, to follow in conducting our lives? If we follow divine orders, then we are Muslims who submit ourselves to God. Those who follow the orders of other beings are idolaters. The two situations are diametrically opposed and there cannot be any meeting point between them. This is the central issue in the message of Islam: “Follow what has been sent down to you by your Lord, and follow no masters other than Him. How seldom do you keep this in mind” (Verse 3)

Inapaswa kuzingatiwa hapa kwamba Mtume ﷺ alipoelekezwa moja kwa moja, kitabu kinaelezwa kuwa kiliteremshwa kwake yeye binafsi: "Hiki ni kitabu kilichoteremshwa kwako kutoka juu." (Aya ya 2) Wakati huo huo, wanadamu wote wanapoelekezwa, kitabu kinaelezwa kuwa kiliteremshwa kwao kutoka kwa Mola wao:

It should be noted here that when the Prophet was addressed in person, the hook is described as having been sent down to him personally: “This is a book that has been bestowed on you from on high.” (Verse 2) At the same time, when all mankind are addressed, the book is described as having been sent down to them from their Lord:

"Fuateni yale yaliyoteremshwa kwenu kutoka kwa Mola wenu Mlezi." (Aya ya 3) Kwa upande wa Mtume ﷺ, kitabu kiliteremshwa kwake ili aamini ndani yake na awaonye watu na kuwakumbusha kwa mafundisho yake. Kwa upande wa binadamu wengine, kitabu kiliteremshwa kwao ili waamini ndani yake na kukifuata kwa kutokubali chanzo kingine chochote. Katika pande zote mbili, heshima inapatikana kupitia ufunuo huu. Binadamu ambaye Mungu anamteremshia kitabu, akimchagua kwa kazi hii na kumjalia neema na baraka hizi zote, anapaswa kukumbuka na kushukuru. Pia ni lazima aitekeleze kazi hiyo kwa nguvu na azma thabiti.