Sura hii ni miongoni mwa sura za mwanzo kushuka baada ya kuhama kwa Nabii Muhammad ﷺ na Maswahaba zake kutoka Makka kwenda Madina mnamo mwaka 622 BK. Ndiyo sura ndefu zaidi katika Qur’ān.

This sūrah is one of the earliest to be revealed soon after the migration of the Prophet Muĥammad and his companions from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. It is the longest sūrah in the Qur’ān.

Kutokana na muktadha mpana na tofauti wa aya zake, ni salama kudhani kwamba hazikushushwa zote kwa mpangilio mfululizo. Sifa ya kawaida ya sura ndefu za Madina ni kwamba aya zake hazikushushwa kwa mpangilio wa kufuatana. Wakati mwingine, sehemu za sura moja zilishushwa kabla ya kukamilika kwa sura iliyotangulia. Kwa hiyo, desturi ya kuamua mpangilio wa kinyakuzi wa sura imekuwa ikitegemea tarehe za kushushwa kwa mistari ya mwanzo, na si ya sura nzima. Katika mfano huu, tunaona kwamba aya 275-280, zinazokataza riba, zilikuwa miongoni mwa ufunuo wa mwisho wa Qur'ani, ilhali sehemu za mwanzo za sura hiyo zilishushwa mapema katika kipindi cha Madina.

From the varied and wide-ranging context of its verses, it is safe to assume that they were not all revealed in sequence. A common feature of the long Madinan sūrahs is that their verses were not revealed in consecutive order. Sometimes, passages of one sūrah were revealed before the completion of an earlier one. Hence, the convention in deciding the chronological order of the sūrahs has been based on the dates of the revelation of the opening passages, and not of the complete sūrah. In this instance, we find that Verses 275-280, prohibiting usury, were among the last Qur’ānic revelations, while the opening parts of the sūrah were revealed early in the Madinah period.

Muundo na mpangilio wa aya ndani ya kila sura ya Qur'ani umewekwa na Mwenyezi Mungu, na ulifunuliwa moja kwa moja kwa Nabii Muhammad ﷺ. Al-Tirmidhī anaripoti kwamba Abdullāh ibn Abbās, Sahaba wa karibu na mwenye elimu wa Nabii ﷺ, alisema kuwa aliwahi kumuuliza Uthmān ibn Affān, Khalifa wa tatu ambaye anakubalika kote kuwa ndiye aliyeidhinisha kukusanywa kwa maandishi ya Qur'ani kama tuliyonayo leo, kwa nini Sura ya 8, al-Anfāl, yenye aya chini ya 100, iliwekwa mbele ya Sura ya 9, al-Tawbah, yenye zaidi ya aya 100, na ambayo, tofauti na sura nyingine, haina maneno ya kawaida ya mwanzo ya "Kwa jina la Mungu, Mwingi wa Rehema, Mwenye Huruma"? Aliendelea kumuuliza kwa nini Sura ya 8 iliunganishwa na zile sura saba ndefu [zinazopatikana mwanzoni mwa Qur'ani].

The composition and arrangement of the verses within each sūrah of the Qur’ān is fixed by God and was directly intimated to Prophet Muĥammad. Al-Tirmidhī reports that `Abdullāh ibn `Abbās, a close and learned Companion of the Prophet, said that he had asked `Uthmān ibn `Affān, the third Caliph who is universally recognized as having authorized the compilation of the Qur’ānic text as we have it today, why Sūrah 8, al-Anfāl, consisting of less than 100 verses, was placed before Sūrah 9, al-Tawbah, which comprises over 100 verses, and which, unlike other sūrahs, does not contain the usual opening phrase of “In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful”? He further enquired from him why Sūrah 8 was grouped with the seven long sūrahs [that appear at the beginning of the Qur’ān].

`Uthmān alijibu, "Mtume (ﷺ) alikuwa akipokea aya au sehemu kutoka sura kadhaa kwa wakati mmoja. Angewaita waandishi na kuwaagiza kuweka aya fulani mahali maalum katika sura zao husika. Al-Anfāl ilikuwa miongoni mwa sura za mwanzo kuteremshwa Madina, na al-Tawbah ilikuwa miongoni mwa za mwisho, lakini maudhui yao yalikuwa yanafanana sana hata nikadhani huenda ni sura moja. Mtume (ﷺ) alifariki bila kufafanua jambo hili mahususi. Kwa hiyo, niliziweka moja baada ya nyingine bila kutenganisha." Simulizi hii inadhihirisha wazi kwamba mpangilio wa aya ndani ya kila sura ulifanywa kwa maagizo ya Mtume (ﷺ).

`Uthmān answered, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to receive verses or passages from several sūrahs at the same time. He would call the scribes and instruct them to put specific verses at specified places in their respective sūrahs. Al-Anfāl was one of the earliest sūrahs revealed in Madinah while al-Tawbah was one of the latest, but their subject matter was very similar that I suspected they might be one sūrah. The Prophet passed away without clarifying this particular point. Therefore, I placed them one after the other without separation.” This account makes it clear that the arrangement of the verses within every sūrah was decided on the Prophet’s instructions.

Zaidi ya hayo, hadithi sahihi zilizopokewa na al-Bukhari na Muslim zinasema kwamba Mtume alikuwa akimsomea Qur'ani Malaika Jibril kila usiku wa mwezi wa Ramadhani, na kwamba Mtume na Jibril walikuwa wakisomeana Qur'ani yote. Haina haja kusema kwamba alikuwa akiisoma Qur'ani kwa mpangilio sahihi wa aya zake na sura zake.

Furthermore, authentic aĥādīth related by al-Bukhārī and Muslim mention that the Prophet used to recite the Qur’ān for the Archangel Gabriel every night during the month of Ramađān, and that both the Prophet and Gabriel recited the whole Qur’ān for each other. Needless to say, he recited the Qur’ān in the right arrangement of its verses and sūrahs.

Yeyote anayesoma Qur'ani kwa makini, na kuonja uzoefu wa kipekee na tajiri wa kuishi ndani ya anga yake, ataweza mara moja kutambua tabia tofauti ya kila sura yake. Kila sura ina haiba na utu wake wenyewe, pamoja na sifa za kipekee na zilizo wazi, na hisia inayoifanya itofautiane na nyingine zote. Zaidi ya hayo, kila sura inazunguka mada kuu, au mada kadhaa kuu zinazohusiana kwa uzi wa pamoja au wazo moja. Kila sura inatoa anga yake ya maana na kiini, ndani yake mada yake, au mada zake, zinajadiliwa kwa kutumia mtindo na mbinu zile zile zilizounganishwa vizuri na kupangwa vizuri. Pia ina mdundo wake maalum na mpigo wake wa muziki unaolingana na maana na muktadha wa mada zake na maudhui yake.

Anyone who studies the Qur’ān closely, and tastes the unique and rich experience of living within its ambience, will immediately identify the distinct character of every one of its sūrahs. Every sūrah has an aura and a personality of its own, with unique and well-defined features, and a feel that makes it stand apart from all the rest. Moreover, every sūrah revolves around a central theme, or a number of major themes related to one another by a common thread or idea. Every sūrah radiates its own atmosphere of meaning and essence, within which its theme, or themes, are discussed using the same well integrated and well coordinated style and approach. It also has its own special rhythm and musical pulse which accord with the meaning and context of its topics and content.

Vipengele hivi vya jumla vilivyo bora ni vya kawaida kwa sura zote, ikiwemo zile ndefu, kama ilivyo sura hii.

These general outstanding features are common to all sūrahs, including the longer ones, such as the present one.

Sūrah hii inashughulikia masuala kadhaa ambayo yanazunguka kwa upatano kamili juu ya mistari miwili mikuu iliyounganishwa kwa karibu sana. Kwa upande mmoja, sūrah inazungumzia mtazamo wa Waisraeli kuelekea Uislamu na jumuiya ya Waislamu inayokua huko Madinah. Inaeleza baadhi ya vipengele vya mapokezi ya uadui waliyoupa dini mpya na mwitikio wao kwa Nabii Muhammad ﷺ na jumuiya inayokua ya wafuasi wake. Inachunguza muungano wa karibu na usio mtakatifu ambao ulikuwa umeshamiri kati ya Wayahudi na wanafiki wa Madinah, waliojidai kuamini Uislamu, kwa upande mmoja, na kati ya Wayahudi na washirikina wa Kiarabu wa sehemu nyingine za Arabia, kwa upande mwingine.

This sūrah deals with several issues which revolve in total harmony around closely interrelated twin central lines. On the one hand, the sūrah discusses the attitude of the Israelites towards Islam and the burgeoning Muslim community in Madinah. It describes aspects of the hostile reception they gave the new religion and their reaction to the Prophet Muĥammad and the growing community of his followers. It explores the close and unholy alliance that had developed between the Jews and the hypocrites of Madinah, professing belief in Islam, on the one hand, and between the Jews and the Arab idolaters of the rest of Arabia, on the other.

Kwa upande mwingine, sura, baada ya kuthibitisha kushindwa kwa Waisraeli kutunza amana ya Mwenyezi Mungu na kutekeleza agano lao naye, inajadili misukosuko iliyowakabili Jumuiya ya Waislamu katika miaka yake ya malezi, pamoja na namna na mazingira ambamo ilikua, na jinsi ilivyojiandaa na kujihamasisha kwa kazi kubwa ya kurithi amana ya kuanzisha utawala wa Mwenyezi Mungu duniani. Sura inawavua kwa uthabiti na haraka Waisraeli uhusiano wao na Ibrahim, mtetezi mkuu wa imani ya tauhidi, na chanzo cha heshima na fadhila zote zinazoambatana nayo.

On the other hand, the sūrah, having established the Israelites’ failure to uphold God’s trust and honour their covenant with Him, discusses the vicissitudes faced by the Muslim community during its formative years, and the manner and environment in which it developed, and prepared and mobilized itself for the great task of inheriting the trust of the establishment of God’s sovereignty on earth. The sūrah decisively and swiftly strips the Israelites of their association with Abraham, the great proponent of monotheistic belief, and the source of all the honours and privileges that go with it.

Mada hii mbili kuu ndiyo uti wa mgongo wa maudhui ya sura nzima, na inaakisi ukuaji na maendeleo ya Uislamu pamoja na jamii ya Waislamu huko Madinah katika kipindi cha mwaka 622 hadi 632 WK.

This two-fold central theme forms the backbone of the sūrah’s subject matter as a whole and shadows the growth and progress of Islam and the Muslim community in Madinah during the period from 622 to 632 CE.

Ili kuweka maudhui ya sura hii katika muktadha wake unaostahili, itakuwa vyema kufafanua zaidi mazingira ya kihistoria, pamoja na mpangilio wa kidini na kijamii ambamo aya hizi ziliteremshwa. Kabla ya kufanya hivyo, hata hivyo, ni muhimu kueleza kwa ujumla kwamba kile Waislamu walichokabiliana nacho katika siku zile za mwanzo kilikuwa ni mfano mdogo wa yale yaliyotokea katika historia yote ya baadaye ya Uislamu, na kilikuwa ni mazoezi ya yale yatakayokuja, ingawa kulikuwa na tofauti fulani za upeo na maelezo. Vikwazo na mafanikio, washirika na wapinzani, vimekuwa daima ni vilevile.

To set the contents of this sūrah in their appropriate context, it would be pertinent to throw more light on the historic environment and the religious and social setting in which the verses were revealed. Before we do that, however, it is important to point out that, in general terms, what the Muslims had to face in those early days was a miniature of, and a rehearsal for, what has occurred throughout the later history of Islam, albeit with some variations of scope and detail. The setbacks and the achievements, the allies and the opponents have invariably been the same.

Ukweli huu unaonyesha nafasi na hadhi ya Qur'āni kama marejeo yasiyopingika, yasiyobadilika na yasiyokanushika kwa kanuni na mifumo ya kidini, kimaadili na kisheria ya Uislamu. Pia unathibitisha sifa ya kipekee ya maandiko ya Qur'āni kuwa mapya daima na yenye kuitikia mabadiliko yasiyoepukika yanayoambatana na kudumu na maendeleo ya maisha ya binadamu.

This fact highlights the role and status of the Qur’ān as the unchallenged, immutable and incontrovertible authoritative reference for the religious, ethical and legislative principles and systems of Islam. It further affirms the unique property of the Qur’ānic text as being ever fresh and responsive to the inevitable changes that come with the perpetuation and progress of human life.

Kwa sifa hizi, Qur'ani inabaki kuwa taa ya uongofu ya milele kwa Waislamu, licha ya magumu na dhiki wanazopaswa kuvumilia, au chuki na uadui wanaopaswa kukabiliana nao. Hili lenyewe ni kipengele cha kutoweza kuigwa kwake, ukweli wake usiopitwa na uzuri wake usio na kifani katika kila aya ya Qur'ani.

With these qualities, the Qur’ān remains the eternal guiding light for Muslims, despite the difficulties and hardships they have to suffer or the animosity and hostility they have to face. This, in itself, is an aspect of the inimitability and unsurpassed veracity and beauty of every verse in the Qur’ān.

Waarabu, hata hivyo, waliamua kutazama kutoka mbali kile walichokiona kuwa ni mzozo wa ndani tu kuhusu madaraka ndani ya kabila la Quraysh. Haingefaa kwao kujiingiza katika kuunga mkono dini ya mtu ambaye kabila lake mwenyewe lilikuwa limemkataa, hasa kwa kuwa kabila hilo ndilo lililoshika ulinzi wa Al-Ka`bah tukufu na kujipa mamlaka ya juu ya kidini kwa Arabia nzima.

Arabs, however, elected to watch from a distance what they viewed as a purely internal dispute over power within the Quraysh. It would not do for them to become embroiled in supporting the religion of a man whose own tribe had denounced him, especially since that tribe held the custodianship of the sacred Ka`bah and assumed supreme religious authority for the whole of Arabia.

Nabii ﷺ ilimbidi kutafuta makao mbadala kwa imani yake mpya, na mahali ambapo angelindwa, ili aweze kuvunja msuguano aliokuwa amefikia huko Makka, na kuruhusiwa kutekeleza dhamira yake bila kuzuiwa. Kwa maoni yangu, hii ndiyo ilikuwa sababu ya kwanza na muhimu zaidi ya kuondoka Makka.

The Prophet had to seek an alternative home for his new faith, and a base where he could be protected, so that he could break the deadlock he had reached in Makkah, and be allowed to pursue his commission unimpeded. This, in my view, was the first and most important reason for leaving Makkah.

Kabla ya Madina, maeneo mengine yalikuwa yamependekezwa na kujaribiwa kama mbadala wa Makka. Mwaka 615, miaka michache tu baada ya wito wa Muĥammad ﷺ wa unabii mwaka 610 CE, baadhi ya Waislamu wa mwanzo walihama kwenda Abyssinia. Si sahihi kusema kwamba waliende huko kwa sababu ya usalama wa kibinafsi peke yake. Kama ingekuwa hivyo, waliohama wangejumuisha watu dhaifu na wasio na msaada zaidi miongoni mwa Waislamu. Hao ndio waliokuwa wakikabiliwa na kampeni endelevu ya mateso. Lakini kilichotokea ni kinyume chake. Waliohama walijumuisha baadhi ya wafuasi wenye nguvu zaidi wa Mtume ﷺ na jamaa zake wa kabila. Wengi wao walitoka kabila la Quraysh, akiwemo Ja`far ibn Abī Ţālib, na vijana kadhaa waliozoea kumlinda Mtume ﷺ, kama al-Zubayr ibn al-`Awwām, `Abdur Raĥmān ibn `Awf, Abū Salamah al-Makhzūmī, `Uthmān ibn `Affān, kutaja wachache tu. Walikuwepo pia wanawake waliotoka katika baadhi ya familia mashuhuri zaidi za Quraysh, kama Umm Ĥabībah, binti ya Abū Sufyān, kiongozi asiyekuwa Mwislamu asiyekuwa na mpinzani wa Quraysh. Wanawake kama hao wasingeweza kamwe kuteswa huko Makka.

Before Madinah, other destinations had been proposed and tried as alternatives to Makkah. In 615, only a few years after Muĥammad’s call to prophethood in 610 CE, a number of early Muslims had emigrated to Abyssinia. It would not be correct to say that they had gone there for reasons of personal safety alone. Had this been the case, the emigrants would have included the weakest and least supported elements among the Muslims. These were the ones at the receiving end of a sustained persecution campaign. But the reverse was the case. The emigrants included some of the most powerful of the Prophet’s followers and tribesmen. The majority of them were from the tribe of Quraysh, including Ja`far ibn Abī Ţālib, and a number of young men who were accustomed to providing protection to the Prophet, such as al-Zubayr ibn al- `Awwām, `Abdur Raĥmān ibn `Awf, Abū Salamah al Makhzūmī, `Uthmān ibn `Affān, to mention but a few. There were women belonging to some of the most prominent families of the Quraysh, such as Umm Ĥabībah, daughter of Abū Sufyān, the Quraysh’s unrivalled non-Muslim leader. Such women would never be persecuted in Makkah.

Muda mfupi baadaye, bahati ya Mtume na ya Uislamu ilibadilika ghafla kuwa bora zaidi. Katika mahali paitwapo `Aqabah karibu na Makkah, Mtume ﷺ alikuwa na mikutano miwili muhimu ya kihistoria mnamo mwaka 621 na 622 Miladia na kundi la Waarabu kutoka Madinah, ambapo walitoa ahadi ya utii wao na msaada wao. Jambo hili lilikuwa na athari kubwa na pana sana juu ya mustakabali mzima wa Uislamu na jamii ya Waislamu.

Not long after that, the Prophet’s, and Islam’s, fortunes suddenly changed for the better. At a place called `Aqabah near Makkah, the Prophet had two crucial historic meetings in 621 and 622 CE with a group of Arabs from Madinah, during which they pledged their allegiance and support. This was to have a profound and far-reaching effect on the whole future of Islam and the Muslim community.

Kuelekea mwisho wa kipindi cha Makka, Mtume Muhammad ﷺ alianza juhudi za makusudi za kuwasiliana na jamii na kabila mbalimbali zenye ushawishi za Waarabu, ili kuwatambulisha Uislamu na kutafuta wafuasi wao na msaada wao.

Towards the end of the Makkan period, the Prophet Muĥammad embarked on a concerted effort of making contact with various influential Arab communities and tribes to introduce Islam to them and seek their following and support.

Kabila za Khazraj na Aws, makabila mawili ya Waarabu wa Madinah, waliokuwa wakiishi pamoja na Mayahudi, mara nyingi walikuwa wamesikia wakijisifu kuhusu "Nabii atakayekuja hivi karibuni" na "ambaye siku yake imekaribia", ambaye angewaongoza Mayahudi kushinda dhidi ya Waarabu. Kundi la mahujaji wa Khazraj lilikutana na Mtume ﷺ, ambaye aliwaeleza ujumbe wake. Mara moja walitambua kwamba yeye ndiye Nabii yule yule ambaye Mayahudi walikuwa wakimzungumzia. Waliazimia kumfikia kabla ya Mayahudi. Baada ya kukutana naye na kusikiliza alichokuwa nacho cha kusema, walimkubali na kuwa Waislamu. Walimwambia: "Tumewaacha watu wetu katika hali ya uadui wa pande zote isiyo na mfano. Mungu akufanye wewe chanzo cha umoja wao." Waliporudi nyumbani, waliwaeleza watu wao kile walichokifanya, nao wakaidhinisha hatua yao.

The Khazraj and the Aws, the two Arab tribes of Madinah, having lived side by side with the Jews, had often heard them boast about “the Prophet who will come soon” and “whose day is at hand”, who would lead the Jews to victory over the Arabs. A group of the Khazraj pilgrims met the Prophet who explained to them his message. They immediately realized that he was the very Prophet the Jews were talking about. They were determined to get to him before the Jews did. Having met him and listened to what he had to say, they accepted him and became Muslims. They said to him: “We have left our people in an unprecedented state of mutual hostility. May God make you the cause of their unity.” On their return home, they reported what they did to their people who approved their action.

Jumuiya iliyokuwa ikiundwa huko Madinah ilikuwa ya kipekee na yenye heshima, na Qur’ani inaisifu mara kwa mara. Sūrah hii inaanza kwa ufafanuzi mfupi, unaoweza kutumika kwa ujumla, wa waumini wa kweli. Hata hivyo, inawahusu hasa wale wahamasishaji wa mwanzo wa Uislamu: “Huu ni Kitabu; hakuna shaka ndani yake, ni mwongozo kwa wacha Mungu. Ambao huamini yaliyo nje ya uwezo wa kuona kwa binadamu, wanasimamisha Sala na hutoa katika vile tulivyowapa. Ambao huamini yaliyoteremshwa kwako na yaliyoteremshwa kabla yako, na wana yakini juu ya Akhera. Hao wanafuata mwongozo wa Mola wao, nao ndio watakaofaulu.” (Aya 1-5)

The community taking shape in Madinah was a unique and distinguished one, praised repeatedly throughout the Qur’ān. This sūrah opens with a concise, generally applicable, definition of true believers. Nevertheless, it refers specifically to those early pioneers of Islam: “This is the Book; there is no doubt about it, a guidance for the God-fearing. Those who believe in what lies beyond the reach of human perception, observe Prayer and give of what We bestow upon them. Those who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and are certain of the Hereafter. Those follow their Lord’s guidance, and they shall surely prosper.” (Verses 1-5)

Kwa upande mwingine, mara moja tunapewa maelezo ya makafiri, ambayo tena ni ya jumla na ya ulimwengu wote lakini yanawahusu hasa wale waliokataa Uislamu na kuupinga, katika Makka na Madina na maeneo yake: "Kwa makafiri, ni sawa kwao ukiwaonya au usiwaonye; hawataamini. Mwenyezi Mungu ameziziba nyoyo zao na masikio yao; macho yao yamefunikwa; na adhabu kubwa inawangojea." (Aya 6-7)

In contrast, we are immediately given a description of the unbelievers, which is again general and universal but applies specifically to those who rejected Islam and opposed it, in and around both Makkah and Madinah: “For the unbelievers, it is alike whether you forewarn them or not, they will not accept the faith. God has sealed their hearts and ears; their eyes are covered; and a grievous punishment awaits them.” (Verses 6-7)

Katika Madina, kundi la tatu liliibuka: wanafiki, au al-Munāfiqūn. Kundi hili halikuwa limejulikana Makka; kuibuka kwake kulisababishwa na kuwasili kwa Mtume ﷺ na kukaa kwake Madina, kama ilivyoelezwa hapo awali. Hii ni kwa sababu huko Makka, Uislamu haukuwa na dola wala nguvu ya kisiasa yenye mamlaka, na Waislamu walibaki shabaha rahisi kwa mateso na ukandamizaji kutoka kwa Waarabu wengine. Wale waliokubali Uislamu walilazimika kuwa jasiri na wakweli, tayari kuvumilia aina zote za taabu na hofu.

In Madinah, a third group emerged, the hypocrites, or al-Munāfiqūn. This faction had not been noticeable in Makkah; its rise was prompted by the Prophet’s arrival and settlement in Madinah, as outlined earlier. That was because in Makkah, Islam had no sovereign political entity or force, and the Muslims remained soft targets for persecution and repression by the rest of the Arabs. Those who accepted Islam had to be brave and sincere, prepared to endure all kinds of hardship and terror.

Sehemu kubwa ya sūrah imejikita katika kuanzisha na kuandaa kwa msingi jamii ya Waislamu ambayo ingebeba ujumbe wa Mwenyezi Mungu kwenda kwa ulimwengu, kwa kuwa Waisraeli walikuwa wameshindwa kwa wazi kutekeleza kazi hiyo tukufu. Kwa kweli, sasa walikuwa wakipinga toleo lake la mwisho, ambalo ni Uislamu.

A significant part of the sūrah is devoted to the foundation and essential preparation of the Muslim community which was to carry God’s message to the world, the Israelites having notably failed to undertake that noble task. Indeed, they were now in opposition to its final version, Islam.

Baada ya kuwatambulisha aina tatu kuu za wanadamu: waumini, makafiri na wanafiki, na baada ya kutoa rejeo lililo wazi ingawa la kudokezwa kwa "maovu", sūrah inawaelekea wanadamu wote kwa ujumla, ikiwaomba wamwabudu Mungu Mmoja na kuyakiri kikamilifu yale mafunuo ambayo Yeye amemteremshia Mjumbe wake. Inathibitisha fadhila za Mungu na hekima yake katika kuumba ardhi na mbingu, na vyote vilivyomo ndani yake, kwa matumizi na manufaa ya binadamu. (Aya 21-29)

Having introduced the three main types of humanity: believers, unbelievers and hypocrites, and having made a clear though implicit reference to the ‘evil ones’, the sūrah addresses mankind as a whole, asking them to worship the One God and fully acknowledge the revelations He has bestowed on His Messenger. It affirms God’s favour and wisdom in creating the earth and the heavens, and all that is in them, for the use and benefit of man. (Verses 21-29)

Hii inafuatiwa na simulizi ya tukio ambalo Mwenyezi Mungu alimteua mwanadamu kuwa khalifa wake na mwakilishi wake duniani, ikieleza masharti na vigezo vya uteuzi huo wenye baraka. (Aya 30-39)

This is followed by an account of the occasion when God appointed man as His vicegerent and representative on earth, outlining the terms and conditions of that auspicious appointment. (Verses 30-39)

Sehemu ifuatayo ya surah imejitolea kabisa kwa mjadala mpana na wa kina na Wana wa Israeli, ukichambua kwa kina mambo mbalimbali ya rekodi yao ya kidini na ya kihistoria. (Aya 40-141)

The following section of the sūrah is devoted entirely to an extensive and wide- ranging debate with the Israelites, dealing critically with various aspects of their religious and historic record. (Verses 40-141)

Majadiliano haya yanalenga mapokezi ya Waisraeli kuhusu Uislamu huko Madinah. Wao ndio waliokuwa wa kwanza kuukataa kwa vitendo. Walichanganya na kuficha ukweli kwa makusudi. Walichukua msimamo wa unafiki kuhusu imani na walijaribu kupotosha maneno ya Mungu. Walidanganya, walisema uongo na kuvunja ahadi kwa Waislamu, wakitumaini kuwageuza wasiifuate dini yao. Walidai kuwa ndio pekee waliokabidhiwa amana ya Mungu na walijiona kuwa ndio wenye haki pekee. Waliwaonea wivu Waislamu na hawakuacha juhudi yoyote ya kuudhoofisha uwepo wao na kuwadhuru. Mwisho, lakini si kwa umuhimu mdogo, walijiunga na maadui wa Uislamu, yaani wanafiki na washirikina wa Kiarabu, na walikuwa tayari kula njama nao dhidi ya jamii ya Waislamu.