Bwana wenu ni Mungu aliyeumba mbingu na ardhi katika vipindi sita, kisha akatawala juu ya Kiti cha Enzi. Huufunika mchana kwa usiku unaouandama kwa haraka. Jua, mwezi na nyota vimefanywa kuwa watumishi kwa amri yake. Hakika uumbaji wote na mamlaka yote ni vyake. Amebarikika Mungu, Mola wa viumbe vyote. (Aya ya 54)
Your Lord is God who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne. He covers the day with the night in swift pursuit. The sun, the moon and the stars are made subservient to His command. Surely all creation and all authority belong to Him. Blessed is God, the Lord of the worlds. (Verse 54)
Imani ya Kiislamu yenye kuamini Mungu Mmoja haitoi nafasi yoyote kwa binadamu kujaribu kubuni kwa nafsi yake dhana fulani ya Mungu: ni nini au anavyotenda. Hakuna kitu chochote kinachofanana na Mungu kwa namna yoyote ile. Kwa hiyo, si kazi ya akili ya binadamu kujaribu kuchora picha ya Mwenyezi Mungu. Dhana ya kibinadamu inaweza tu kujengwa ndani ya mfumo ambao akili ya binadamu inaweza kuufafanua, kwa kuzingatia kile inachokifanya kutokana na ulimwengu unaoizunguka. Kwa kuwa hakuna kitu chochote kinachofanana na Mungu, basi akili ya binadamu haiwezi kuchora picha yoyote thabiti ya Mungu alivyo.
The monotheistic Islamic faith allows no room for any attempt by human beings to work out by themselves any particular concept of God: what He is like or how He acts. There is simply nothing similar to God in any way whatsoever. Hence, it is not up to human intellect to try to picture the Supreme Being. A human concept can only be worked out within the framework that the human intellect can define, on the basis of what it makes out of the world around it. Since there is simply nothing similar to God, then the human intellect cannot draw any definite picture of what God is like.
Zaidi ya hayo, akili ya binadamu haiwezi kabisa kuona jinsi vitendo Vyake vinavyotokea. Njia pekee iliyopo kwa binadamu ni kutafakari athari za vitendo vya Mungu katika ulimwengu unaomzunguka.
Moreover, it simply cannot visualize how His actions take place. The only alternative available to man is to reflect on the effects of God’s actions in the universe around him.
Kwa hiyo, maswali kama haya: `Mungu aliziumba vipi mbingu na ardhi?`, `Yuko katika umbo gani juu ya kiti cha enzi?`, na `Ni aina gani ya kiti hiki ambacho Yeye amejiweka juu yake?` hayajitokezi katika akili ya muumini. Kwa kweli, maswali haya yote na mengine kama hayo hayana maana wala umuhimu. Kujaribu kutoa majibu kwa maswali kama haya ni jambo lisilo na umuhimu zaidi, wala haliwezi kufanywa na mtu anayeelewa vizuri kanuni ya msingi tuliyoieleza. Kwa bahati mbaya, baadhi ya makundi ya Kiislamu yaliyojitahidi sana kujadili maswali kama haya na kupoteza muda mwingi juu yake, yaliathiriwa katika juhudi zao na falsafa ya Kigiriki.§ Qur'ani inatumia neno yawm, ambalo maana yake ni ‘siku’, inapozungumzia kipindi cha muda ambacho Mungu aliziumba mbingu na ardhi. Uumbaji wake ulichukua yawm sita kama hizo, yaani siku sita. Tena, jambo hili lipo katika eneo lililo nje ya uwezo wa utambuzi wa binadamu. Hakuna kitu cha uumbaji huu kilichoshuhudiwa na binadamu yeyote, wala kiumbe chochote: “Sikuwaita wawe mashahidi wa kuumbwa mbingu na ardhi, wala wao wenyewe kuumbwa.” (18: 51)
Hence, questions like: `How did God create the heavens and the earth?, `In what form is He established on the throne?’, and `What sort of throne is this on which He has established Himself?’ do not arise in a believer’s mind. In fact, all these and similar questions are totally irrelevant and meaningless. To try to give answers to such questions is even more irrelevant and cannot be attempted by a person who properly understands the basic rule we have explained. Unfortunately, some Islamic groups who have tried hard to discuss such questions and wasted much time over them were influenced in their attempts by Greek philosophy.§ The Qur’ān uses the expression yawm, which means ‘day’, as it speaks of the span of time in which God created the heavens and the earth. Their creation was over six such yawm, or six days. Again, this belongs to the realm that lies beyond the reach of human perception. Nothing of this creation has been witnessed by any human being or indeed by any creature: “I did not call them to witness at the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor at their own creation.” (18: 51)
Chochote kinachosemwa kuhusu siku hizi sita hakitegemei elimu yenye uhakika. Huenda zikawa hatua sita za uumbaji, au vipindi sita, au siku sita za Mwenyezi Mungu ambazo haziwezi kupimwa kwa wakati wetu, ambao ni matokeo ya mwendo wa sayari na nyota fulani. Kabla ya hivi kuumbwa, wakati, kama tunavyoujua, haukuwepo. Hata hivyo, siku sita ambazo aya ya Qur'ani inazirejelea zinaweza kuwa kitu tofauti kabisa. Kwa hiyo, hakuna mtu anayeweza kudai kwamba ana elimu yenye uhakika juu ya maana halisi ya idadi hii.1
Whatever is said about these six days is not based on any certain knowledge. They may be six stages of creation or six epochs, or six of God’s days which cannot be measured by our time which is the result of the movement of certain planets and stars. Before these were created, time, as we know it, did not exist. Still, the six days to which the Qur’ānic verse refers may be something totally different. Hence, no one may claim that he has certain knowledge of what this figure truly means.1
Jaribio lolote la kufasiri kauli hii, na kauli nyingine zinazofanana nayo, kwa kutegemea nadharia za kibinadamu, kisha kuhalalisha tafsiri hiyo kuwa ni ya `kisayansi`, ni jambo la kiholela tu. Hilo linaonyesha kukata tamaa chini ya shinikizo la `sayansi`, ambayo katika eneo hili haiwezi kufanya zaidi ya kutunga nadharia ambazo haziwezi kuthibitishwa.
Any attempt to interpret this statement, and similar ones, on the basis of human theories, and to justify that as being `scientific’ is simply arbitrary. It betrays defeatism under the pressure of ‘science’ which can do no more in this area than the formulation of theories that cannot be proven.
Sisi, kwa upande wetu, tunapendelea kutoingia katika majadiliano ya aina hii kwa sababu hayachangii chochote katika uelewa wetu wa kauli ya Qur'ani.
We, for our part, prefer not to go into such discussion because it contributes nothing to our understanding of the Qur’ānic statement.
Tunaendelea na sūrah hii katika safari yake ya kuvutia ya kuelezea yale tunayoyaona katika ulimwengu na siri zake zilizofichika.
We move along with the sūrah in its inspiring journey through depicting what we see of the universe and its hidden secrets.
Bwana wenu ni Mungu aliyeumba mbingu na ardhi katika vipindi sita, kisha akatawala juu ya Kiti cha Enzi. Huufunika mchana kwa usiku unaouandama kwa haraka. Jua, mwezi na nyota vimefanywa kuwa watumishi kwa amri yake. Hakika uumbaji wote na mamlaka yote ni vyake. Amebarikika Mungu, Mola wa viumbe vyote. (Aya ya 54)
Your Lord is God who has created the heavens and the earth in six aeons, and is established on the throne. He covers the day with the night in swift pursuit. The sun, the moon and the stars are made subservient to His command. Surely all creation and all authority belong to Him. Blessed is God, the Lord of the worlds. (Verse 54)
Mungu, ambaye ameumba ulimwengu huu mkubwa na wa ajabu na kuweka cheo chake cha juu, akiendesha mwenendo wa ulimwengu na kusimamia mambo yake, ndiye anayeufunika mchana kwa usiku unaofuatana nao kwa kasi. Hivyo, usiku hufuatana na mchana kwa mfululizo wa haraka. Ni Yeye aliyeifanya jua, mwezi na nyota vitii mapenzi yake, na Yeye ndiye Muumba na Mwenye kudhibiti vyote. Basi, ni Yeye anayestahili kuitwa "Mola wenu", akikupa riziki. Anakupa mfumo unaohakikisha umoja wenu na sheria inayotatua mizozo yenu. Kwake ni viumbe vyote na mamlaka yote. Kwa kuwa Yeye ndiye Muumba pekee, pia ndiye pekee mwenye mamlaka yoyote. Suala hili la uungu, ubwana na utawala, pamoja na ukweli kwamba vyote ni vya Mungu peke yake, ndilo mada ya kifungu hiki, na kwa hakika ya sura nzima. Lililo sambamba nalo ni suala la binadamu kujisalimisha kwa Mungu na kutekeleza sheria yake katika maisha yao. Hili limeelezwa katika sura hii kuhusiana na masuala ya mavazi na chakula, kama ilivyojadiliwa katika sura iliyotangulia, Ngamia (Juzuu ya V), kuhusiana na masuala ya wanyama, mazao, ibada na nadhiri.
God, who has created this vast and awesome universe and established His own high position, conducting the operation of the universe and administering its affairs, is the One who throws the veil of the night over the day in swift pursuit. Thus, the night follows the day in quick succession. It is He who has made the sun, the moon and the stars subservient to His will and He is the Creator and the controller of all. It is He, then, who is worthy of being “your Lord”, giving you sustenance. He gives you the system which ensures your unity and the legislation which settles your disputes. To Him belongs all creation and all authority. Since He is the only Creator, He is also the only one who has any authority. It is this question of Godhead, Lordship and sovereignty, as well as the fact that all belong to God alone which constitute the theme of this passage, and indeed the whole sūrah. Its correlative is the question of submission by human beings to God and their implementation of His law in their lives. This is outlined in this sūrah in relation to questions of dress and food, as was discussed in the previous sūrah, Cattle, [Volume V], in relation to questions of animals, crops, rituals and pledges.
Jambo muhimu ambalo Qur'ani inakusudia kulimaliza halipaswi kutufanya tusahau asili ya ajabu ya matukio yanayoonyeshwa, uhai wake na msukumo wake wenye nguvu.
The great issue that the Qur’ān wants to settle should not make us overlook the remarkable nature of the scenes portrayed, their liveliness and powerful inspiration.
Hakika, ukuu wa tukio hilo uko sawa na ukuu wa lengo lake.
Indeed, the greatness of the scene is on the same level as the greatness of the objective.
Akili zetu husonga pamoja na mzunguko wa mchana na usiku wanapofuatana kwa kasi. Fahamu zetu haziwezi kubaki tu bila kufuata mzunguko huu, zikiwa zimezidiwa na hofu kuu, karibu zikikosa pumzi, zikisubiri kwa shauku kubwa kitakachokuja baadaye.
Our minds move along with the cycle of the day and night as they succeed each other in quick pursuit. Our consciousness cannot just be idle without following this cycle, overwhelmed with awe, almost out of breath, waiting with great interest for what will come next.
Kuna umahiri wa kipekee katika mashairi haya, kwani yanaonyesha uchangamfu na uzuri wa mwendo, yakiwasilisha mchana na usiku kama watu wenye lengo lililo wazi na nia ya kulifikia. Umahiri huu wa mtindo na usemi uko mbali sana na uwezo wa kisanii wa binadamu.
There is such finesse as these verses reflect the liveliness and beauty of the movement, portraying the day and the night in the form of persons with a clear aim and with a will to achieve the same. Such finesse of style and expression is far beyond the reach of human artistic talent.
Kuzoeana kwa muda mrefu huua uzuri wa matukio makuu ya ulimwengu katika akili zetu, na hutufanya tuyaangalie kwa njia ya kuchosha na isiyo na hamu. Lakini kuzoeana huku kunaweza kuondolewa kwa urahisi hapa, ili kutufanya tuangalie tukio hilo kana kwamba tunaliona kwa mara ya kwanza.
Long familiarity kills the beauty of the majestic scenes of the universe in our minds and makes us look at them in a dull and uninterested way. But this familiarity is easily cast away here to make us look at the scene as if we see it for the first time.
Usiku na mchana si matukio rahisi ya kimaumbile tunayoyaona yakijirudia bila kikomo. Yana uhai uliojaa hisia, mwelekeoulio wazi na kusudi maalum. Yana huruma kwa wanadamu kwa kuwa yanashiriki nao mwendo uleule wa maisha na sehemu yake ya msingi ya mapambano na ushindani.
The night and day are not simple, natural phenomena that we see in endless repetition. They come alive with feeling, clear direction and a definite purpose. They have sympathy with human beings as they share with them the same movement of life and its essential aspect of struggle and competition.
Ni hivyo hivyo kwa jua, mwezi na nyota. Tunaviona kama viumbe hai vyenye uhai na roho. Vinapokea amri zao kutoka kwa Mungu na kuzitekeleza kwa unyenyekevu kamili. Vimefanywa kuwa watiifu kwa maana kwamba hufanya kile vinachoamriwa, kama vile waumini walio hai wanavyomtii Mungu.
The same is the case with the sun, the moon and the stars. We see them as living entities that have lives and souls. They receive their orders from God and carry them out in full submission. They are made subservient in the sense that they do what they are bid just as living believers obey God.
Haya yote yana athari kubwa katika dhamiri ya mwanadamu, yakimhamasisha kujiunga na viumbe vingine vyote vinavyoitikia wito wa Mungu. Hii ndiyo inayoipa Qur’ani athari yake kubwa katika akili ya mwanadamu, athari ambayo hakuna mtindo mwingine wa kifasihi unaoweza kuifikia. Qur’ani inamzungumzia asili ya mwanadamu kwa mamlaka makubwa ya Yule aliyeiteremsha Qur’ani, ambaye anajua kikamilifu yale yanayogusa nyoyo za watu na kuyafanya yaitikie.
All this has its profound effect on the human conscience, motivating it to join the rest of living things that respond to God’s call. This gives the Qur’ān its great effect on the human mind which no other literary style can achieve. It addresses human nature with the great authority that belongs to the One who has revealed the Qur’ān and who is fully aware of what touches human hearts and makes them responsive.