Huo ndio ukweli usiopingika ambao Muhammad (ﷺ) aliwaita waamini. Basi, wao wana msingi gani kwa ibada zao na khurafa zao za miungu inayodaiwa? Wanawezaje kuhalalisha ibada yao kwa al-Lat, al-'Uzza na Manat? Wanawezaje kuthibitisha madai yao yenye shaka kwamba hawa walikuwa malaika, na kwamba malaika walikuwa binti za Mungu, au kwamba wanaweza kuwaombea watu kwa Mungu? Je, wana chochote cha kuunga mkono madai haya?
Such is the irrefutable truth in which Muhammad (peace be upon him) called them to believe. What basis, then, do they have for their worship and superstitions of alleged deities? How can they justify their worship of al-Lat, al-'Uzza and Manat? How can they prove their dubious claims that these were angels, and that the angels were Gods daughters, or that they can intercede with God on people’s behalf? Do they have anything to support these claims?
Je, umewahi kufikiria kuhusu Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, na Manat, mungu wa tatu mwingine?
Have you considered al-Lat and al- (Uzzd, and Manat, the third other?
Je, ninyi mna mtoto wa kiume na Yeye mtoto wa kike? Hiyo basi ni mgawanyo usio wa haki. Hayo si chochote isipokuwa ni majina mliyoyabuni nyinyi na baba zenu, ambayo Mungu hakuteremsha ruhusa yoyote kwayo. Wao hufuata dhana tu na matamanio ya nafsi zao, ilhali uongofu wa sawa kutoka kwa Mola wao umekwishawajia. Je, mwanadamu atapata kila atakalo? Lakini Akhera na dunia hii ni za Mungu peke yake. Malaika wako wengi mbinguni, lakini uombezi wao hautafaa chochote, mpaka Mungu awaruhusu amtakaye na amridhiaye. Wale wasioamini Akhera huwapa malaika majina ya kike. Lakini hawana elimu yoyote juu ya hilo. Wao hufuata dhana tu, na dhana haiwezi kuchukua nafasi ya haki.
(Aya 19-28)
Are you to have the male and He the female? That would then be an unfair division. These are nothing but names which you have invented - you and your forefathers -for which God has given no authority. They [who disbelieve] follow nothing but surmise and the whims of their own souls, even though right guidance from their Lord has now come to them. Is man to have all that he may wish for, when both the life to come and this present life belong to God alone? Numerous are the angels in the heavens, yet their intercession will avail nothing until God has given leave to whomever He wills and with whom He is pleased. Those who do not believe in the life to come give the angels female names. Yet of this they have no knowledge. They follow nothing but surmise, but surmise can never take the place of truth. (Verses 19-28)
Al-Lat ilikuwa jiwe jeupe lililochongwa, lililofungiwa ndani ya jengo lililofunikwa kwa mapazia, na kulikuwa na watumishi wanaolihudumia. Kuzunguka jengo hilo kulikuwa na ua ambao kabila la Thaqif, wanaoishi Ta'if, pamoja na makabila ya maeneo ya jirani, walikuwa wakiliheshimu. Walizingatiwa kuwa na heshima ya pekee miongoni mwa makabila ya Kiarabu, lakini si zaidi ya Quraysh, kwa kuwa lilikuwa katika mji wao. Bila shaka, Quraysh walikuwa na heshima kubwa zaidi kwa kuwa na Al-Ka'bah, iliyojengwa na Ibrahim, katika mji wao.
Al-Lat was a carved white rock, enclosed within a building covered with curtains, and with attendants serving it. Surrounding the building was a courtyard that the tribe of Thaqlf living in Ta’if, as well as tribes in the surrounding area, venerated. They were considered exceptionally honoured among Arab tribes, not however surpassing the Quraysh, for having it in their hometown. Needless to say, the Quraysh had the greater honour of having the Ka'bah, built by Abraham, in their city.
Inadhaniwa kuwa jina Al-Lat lilichukuliwa kuwa ni umbo la kike la jina la Mwenyezi Mungu katika Kiarabu, Allah.
It is thought that the name al-Lat was considered as being the feminine form of God’s Arabic name, Allah.
Al-'Uzza lilikuwa mti ambao kuzunguka kwake kulijengwa jengo na kuinuliwa mapazia. Ulikuwa Nakhlah, kati ya Makkah na Ta’if. Hasa Quraysh walikuwa wakiheshimu al-'Uzza. Baada ya Vita vya Uhud, kiongozi wa Quraysh alisimama akijivuna, 'Sisi tunaye al-'Uzza, lakini ninyi hamna (Uzza', lakini Mtume ﷺ aliwaagiza Masahaba wake wajibu kwa kusema: "Mwenyezi Mungu ndiye Bwana wetu mlinzi, lakini ninyi hamna bwana wa kuwalinda." Inadhaniwa kwamba jina al-'Uzza lilikuwa umbo la kike la jina la Mungu, al-Aziz, lenye maana ya Mwenye Nguvu Zote.
Al-'Uzza was a tree around which a building was built and with curtains raised. It was at Nakhlah, between Makkah and Ta’if. The Quraysh in particular used to venerate al-‘Uzza. After the Battle of Uhud, the Quraysh leader stood boasting, ‘We have al-‘Uzza, but you have no (Uzza’, but the Prophet instructed his Companions to reply by saying: “God is our protecting Master, but you have no master to protect you.” It is thought that the name al-(Uzza was the feminine form of God’s name, al-Aziz, meaning the Almighty.
Manāt alikuwa amewekwa katika mahali paitwapo al-Mushallal huko Qadīd, kati ya Makka na Madina. Makabila ya Khuza'ah, al-Aws na al-Khazraj yalikuwa yakiliheshimu katika zama zao za kabla ya Uislamu, na yalikuwa yakianzia safari yao ya Hija kutoka hapo.
Manat was stationed at a place called al-Mushallal in Qadid, between Makkah and Madlnah. The tribes of Khuza'ah, al-Aws and al-Khazraj used to venerate it in their pre-Islamic days, and used to start their pilgrimage from there.
Kulikuwa na masanamu mengine mengi yaliyoabudiwa na makabila mbalimbali, lakini haya matatu ndiyo yalikuwa makuu. Inadhaniwa kwamba masanamu haya yalikuwa ishara zinazowakilisha malaika ambao Waarabu waliwachukulia kuwa wa kike, na ambao pia walidai kuwa binti za Mungu. Ndiyo sababu yaliabudiwa hapo mwanzo. Katika hali kama hizi, wazo la asili hupotea, na ishara hiyo huwa, kwa watu wengi, kitu kinachoabudiwa. Ni watu wachache tu wenye elimu wanaoendelea kukumbuka hadithi ya asili.
There were many other idols venerated by different tribes, but these three were the major ones. It is thought that these idols were symbols representing angels whom the Arabs considered to be female and who they also claimed to be God’s daughters. Hence, why they were originally worshipped. What happens in such cases is that the original idea is lost and the symbol becomes, for the majority of people, the thing to be worshipped. Only a handful of knowledgeable people continue to remember the original legend.
Mungu anataja vitu hivi vitatu vinavyoabudiwa, akionyesha katika swali lenyewe analouliza kwamba kuabudu vitu kama hivi ni jambo la kipekee: "Je, mmeziona Al-Lat na Al-Uzza, na Manat, wa tatu, mwingine?" (Aya 19-20) Upekee huu unadhihirishwa wazi kwa kuanza swali kwa maneno "je, mmeziona", na kwa kumwelezea Manat kuwa "wa tatu, mwingine".
God mentions these three worshipped objects, implying in the very question He asks that to worship such things is indeed singular: “Have you considered al-Ldt and al- (Uzzd, and Manat, the third other?” (Verses 19-20) Such singularity is clearly highlighted in His starting the question with, ‘ have you considered, and in describing Manat as 'the third other.
После этого вопроса Он добавляет, что их другое утверждение, будто у Него есть дочери, тогда как у них сыновья, является ещё более нелепым: «Неужели вам — сыновья, а Ему — дочери? Тогда это было бы несправедливым разделением» (аяты 21–22).
Это указывает на то, что эти поклоняемые объекты связаны с легендой о том, что ангелы — женского пола и рождены Богом. Бог несравненно выше всех подобных ложных утверждений.
Это подтверждает сказанное нами об этих арабах: они ненавидели, когда у них рождались дочери, но не стеснялись делать ангелов, о которых ничего не знали, женщинами и утверждать, что они — дети Бога. Бог спрашивает их здесь на основании их собственных представлений, высмеивая это и тех, кто это поддерживает: «Неужели вам — сыновья, а Ему — дочери?» Такое разделение, которое вы проводите между собой и Богом, крайне несправедливо!
Всё это основано на заблуждении. Оно не имеет никакой опоры ни в человеческом знании, ни в действительности. В подтверждение подобных утверждений нельзя привести ни доказательств, ни аргументов: «Это всего лишь имена, которые вы придумали — вы и ваши предки, — и для которых Бог не ниспослал никакой власти».
After this initial question, He then adds that their other claim that He had daughters while they had sons was even more singular: “Are you to have the male and He the female? That would then be an unfair division” (Verses 21-22) This suggests that these worshipped objects related to the legend that the angels were females, begotten by God - far more exalted is God above all such false claims. This confirms what we have said about those Arabs: they hated that they should beget females, but were not ashamed to make the angels, about whom they knew nothing, females and to allege that they were God’s offspring. God questions them here on the basis of their own concepts, ridiculing these and whoever upholds them: “Are you to have the male and He the female?” Such a division you make between yourselves and God is most unfair! The whole thing is based on illusion. It has no basis in human knowledge or in reality. No evidence or argument can be given in support of such claims: “ These are nothing but names which you have invented-you and your forefathers -for which God has given no authority.
Wao hawafuati lolote ila dhana na matamanio ya nafsi zao, ilhali uongofu wa sawa umeshawajia kutoka kwa Mola wao Mlezi.11 (Aya 23) Majina haya, al-Lat, al-'Uzza, Manat, na yote mengine kama hayo, ambayo yanaitwa miungu, malaika, na binti za Mungu wa kike, ni ya uongo na hayawezi kuthibitishwa. Mungu hakukupa ushahidi wowote wa kuunga mkono madai kama hayo. Kile ambacho Mungu hakiidhinishi hakika ni cha uongo na hakiwezi kuungwa mkono. Hakina uzito wowote.
They [who disbelieve] follow nothing but surmise and the whims of their own souls, even though right guidance from their Lord has now come to them.11 (Verse 23) These names, al-Lat, al-(Uzza, Manat, and all others like them, which are called deities, angels, female and Gods daughters, are false and cannot be substantiated. God has given you no evidence in support of such claims. What God does not sanction is certainly false and insupportable. It carries no weight.
Anwani hii kwa wasiomwamini inaishia katikati ya aya. Sura inageuka mbali nao kana kwamba hawapo hata kidogo. Kwa kweli, inawazungumzia kwa nafsi ya tatu: “Hawafuati chochote isipokuwa dhana na matamanio ya nafsi zao]1 (Aya ya 23)
Hawana hoja, ukweli wala yakini. Wanaegemeza imani zao juu ya dhana, na wanageukia matamanio yao kama ushahidi. Imani, hata hivyo, haiwezi kujengwa juu ya dhana wala matamanio.
This address to the unbelievers ends in the middle of the verse. The surah turns away from them as if they were not even there. Indeed, it speaks of them in the third person: “ They follow nothing but surmise and the whims of their own souls]1 (Verse 23) They lack argument, fact and certainty. They base their beliefs on surmise, and turn to their whims for evidence. Faith, however, cannot be based on either surmise or whim.
Imani ya kweli lazima iwe imejengwa juu ya yakini na ushahidi usiopingika, bila kuzingatia matamanio ya nafsi wala hisia za kibinafsi. Washirikina hawakuwa na udhuru wowote wa kuhalalisha kufuata matamanio yao na dhana zao: "Ingawa uongofu sahihi kutoka kwa Mola wao Mlezi umeshawajia sasa."11 (Aya ya 23) Pale ambapo kinachoamua ni matamanio na hamu ya mtu mwenyewe, hakuna kitu kinachoweza kuwa sahihi, na hakuna mwongozo wowote unaokuwa na manufaa. Tatizo si kukosekana kwa ukweli au ushahidi unaouunga mkono; tatizo ni hamu kubwa inayotaka mambo fulani, kisha kutafuta sababu za kuhalalisha kile inachotaka. Hii ndiyo hali mbaya zaidi ambayo mtu anaweza kujikuta ndani yake, kwa sababu katika hali hiyo hakuna mwongozo wenye manufaa wala ushahidi unaoweza kumshawishi.
True faith must be based on certainty and irrefutable evidence, without reference to whim or desire. The unbelievers had no excuse to justify their following whim and surmise: “Even though right guidance from their Lord has now come to them.11 (Verse 23) When the deciding factor is ones own whim and desire, nothing can be right, and no guidance is of any use. The problem is not the absence of truth or evidence supporting it; the problem is a powerful desire that wants certain things, seeking justification for what it wants. This is the worst situation man can find himself in, because then no guidance is of any benefit and no proof is convincing.
Hivyo basi sura inauliza kwa kukemea: "Je, mwanadamu atapata kila alichokitamani?" (Aya ya 24) Je, kila kitu anachokitamani mwanadamu kitatimia na kuwa halisi?
Hence the surah disapprovingly asks: “Is man to have all that he may wish for]11 (Verse 24) Will everything man wishes come true, have reality?
Mambo si hivyo. Ukweli na uhalisia ni tofauti na matamanio yasiyo na msingi, ambayo hayawezi kubadilisha ukweli. Ukweli ni kwamba mwanadamu hukosea anapofuata matamanio yake mwenyewe. Yeye ni dhaifu mno kiasi cha kutoweza kubadilisha hali halisi ya mambo.
Things are not like that. Truth and reality are different from wishful thinking, which cannot change facts. The fact is that man errs when he follows his own desires. He is too weak to change the nature of things.
Kila kitu katika maisha haya na maisha ya akhera ni cha Mungu, ambaye hutimiza atakalo katika dunia zote mbili: "Na mwisho na mwanzo ni wa Mungu peke yake."11 (Aya ya 25)
Everything in this life and the next belongs to God who accomplishes whatever He wills in both worlds: “Both the life to come and this present life belong to God alone.11 (Verse 25)
Tunapenda kutambua hapa kwamba maisha ya Akhera yametajwa kwanza, kabla ya maisha ya sasa, ili kuhifadhi mdundo wa mashairi (fasila). Hata hivyo, hili linatoa maana iliyokusudiwa, yenye kuashiria kwamba maisha ya Akhera ni muhimu zaidi. Hii ni kawaida katika Qur'an, ambapo maana inaendana vizuri na mdundo na mashairi, bila kuruhusu upande wowote kuufunika mwingine. Jambo hili linahusu kila kitu alichokiumba Mwenyezi Mungu kote ulimwenguni, ambapo uzuri unadumishwa sambamba na kutimiza kazi yake.
We note here that the life to come is mentioned first, ahead of the present life, in order to maintain the rhyme. However, this gives an intended connotation, signifying that the life to come is more important. This is normal in the Quran, where the meaning fits well with the beat and the rhyme, allowing neither aspect to overshadow the other. This applies to everything of Gods making throughout the universe, where beauty is maintained in harmony with the fulfilment of the function.
Kwa kuwa kila kitu ni cha Mungu katika dunia hii na katika maisha ya Akhera, hakuna msingi wowote wa dhana za makafiri kwamba miungu yao ya uongo inaweza kuwaombea shufaa kwa Mungu. Walikuwa wakisema:
Since everything belongs to God in both this world and the life to come, there can be no basis for the unbelievers conjectures that their false deities can intercede with God on their behalf. They used to say:
“Hatumwabudu isipokuwa ili watusogeze karibu na Mwenyezi Mungu” (39: 3) Dhana kama hii haina msingi. Hakuna hata mmoja wa malaika waliomo mbinguni anayeweza kumwombea shafaa Mwenyezi Mungu isipokuwa pale Mwenyezi Mungu anapowapa idhini ya kufanya hivyo: “Malaika wengi wako mbinguni, lakini shafaa yao haitafaa chochote mpaka Mwenyezi Mungu awape idhini amtakaye na amridhiaye.” (Aya ya 26)
“ We worship them for no reason other than that they would bring us nearer to God” (39: 3) Such conjecture is baseless. None of the angels in heaven can intercede with God except when God grants them permission to do so: “Numerous are the angels in the heavens, yet their intercession will avail nothing until God has given leave to whomever He wills and with whom He is pleased." (Verse 26)
Baada ya kuthibitishwa katika aya zilizotangulia kuwa ni za uongo, madai yao sasa yanaanguka. Upotoshaji wote na shaka zote vimeondolewa kutoka katika imani. Kila kitu katika dunia hii na katika ile ya Akhera ni cha Mwenyezi Mungu. Matamanio na matakwa ya nafsi haviwezi kubadilisha uhalisia. Shufaa inaweza kukubaliwa tu kwa idhini ya Mwenyezi Mungu.
Having been proved in the previous verses to be false, their claims now fall apart. All fallacy and doubt is now removed from faith. Everything in this world and the following one belongs to God. Whims and desires cannot change reality. Intercession can only be accepted by God’s leave.
Hukumu ya mwisho ni yake yeye peke yake.
The final judgement is His alone.
Mwishoni mwa sehemu hii, kuna majadiliano ya mwisho kuhusu dhana potofu za wasioamini kuhusu malaika, yanayoonyesha kwamba hazina msingi: "Wale wasioamini Akhera huwapa malaika majina ya kike. Lakini hawana elimu yoyote juu ya hili. Wanafuata tu dhana, na dhana haiwezi kamwe kuchukua nafasi ya ukweli" (Aya 27-28).
Maoni haya ya mwisho yanarejelea kwa njia ya kudokezwa uhusiano kati ya al-Lat, al-'Uzza na Manat, na hadithi inayowafanya malaika kuwa wa kike na kudai zaidi kwamba ni wa Mungu. Hadithi hii yote haina msingi wowote. Wasioamini hawakuwa na njia yoyote ya kujua jambo lolote la kweli kuhusu asili ya malaika.
At the end of this section, a final discussion is given of the unbelievers’ false concepts about the angels, showing them to be baseless: “ Those who do not believe in the life to come give the angels female names. Yet of this they have no knowledge. They follow nothing but surmise, but surmise can never take the place of truth" (Verses 27-28) This final comment implicitly refers to the link between al-Lat, al-'Uzza and Manat and the legend that makes angels female and that further alleges that they belong to God. This whole legend lacks all foundation. The unbelievers had no means whatsoever to learn anything true about the nature of the angels.
Kuhusu madai kwamba malaika ni watoto wa Mungu, hili ni kosa, lililokita katika dhana zao potofu, ambazo haziwezi kamwe kuchukua nafasi ya ukweli.
As for the angels being God’s offspring, this is a fallacy, ingrained in their false surmise, which can never be a substitute for the truth.