Mwishoni mwa sura, sura hii inatoa wito wa jumla kwa watu wote, kama ule uliofuata mjadala na Mayahudi mapema katika sura. Inawaambia watu kwamba ujumbe huu wa mwisho unaleta ushahidi wake kutoka kwa Mungu, na kwamba ni nuru tukufu inayoondoa shaka yote. Wale wanaokubali uongozi wake watapata rehema ya Mungu na neema Yake. Watajikuta wakiongozwa na nuru hii kwenye njia iliyonyooka.
As the sūrah moves to its conclusion, it makes a general call to all mankind, similar to the one that followed the confrontation with the Jews earlier in the sūrah. It tells people that this final message brings its own proof from God and that it is a glorious light which removes all doubt. Those who accept its guidance will receive God’s mercy and His grace. They will find themselves guided by this light along a straight path.
Enyi watu, hakika dalili iliyo wazi imekwishakuja kwenu kutoka kwa Mola wenu, nasi tumeteremsha kwenu nuru yenye utukufu. Wale wanaomwamini Mungu na kushikamana naye, Yeye bila shaka atawaingiza katika rehema yake na fadhili zake, na atawaongoza kwake kupitia njia iliyo nyoofu.
Mankind, a clear proof has now come to you from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a glorious light. Those who believe in God and hold fast to Him, will He surely admit to His mercy and grace, and will guide them to Himself along a straight path.
(Aya 174-175) Tena, Qur'ani inaleta ushahidi wake kwa wanadamu kutoka kwa Mola wao: "Enyi watu, ushahidi wa wazi umekwishakufikieni kutoka kwa Mola wenu." (Aya 174) Alama ya Kimungu inaonekana wazi katika Qur'ani, inayoitofautisha na yale wanayosema au kuandika binadamu, kwa upande wa muundo na maudhui. Jambo hili ni dhahiri kiasi kwamba wakati mwingine hukubaliwa, kwa mshangao mkubwa, hata na watu ambao hawaelewi lugha ya Kiarabu kabisa.
(Verses 174-175) Again, the Qur’ān brings its own proof to mankind from their Lord: “Mankind, a clear proof has now come to you from your Lord.” (Verse 174) The Divine mark is apparent in the Qur’ān which distinguishes it from what human beings say or write in both construction and message. This is so clear that it is sometimes acknowledged, quite remarkably, by people who do not understand Arabic at all.
Mara moja tulikuwa tukisafiri kwa bahari kuvuka Bahari ya Atlantiki kuelekea mahali pa kufikia, New York. Sisi, abiria sita kutoka nchi mbalimbali za Kiarabu na wafanyakazi wengi wa meli waliotoka Nubia, kusini ya mbali mwa Misri, tulipanga Sala ya Ijumaa. Ilinipasa mimi kutoa khutba, ambamo nilijumuisha aya kadhaa za Qur’ān. Abiria wote waliokuwa ndani ya meli walikusanyika kutuzunguka ili kutazama.
We were once travelling by sea across the Atlantic towards our destination, New York. We, six passengers from different Arab countries and most of the crew who came from Nubia in the remote south of Egypt, organised Friday Prayer. It was left to me to deliver the sermon, in which I included several verses from the Qur’ān. All the passengers on board gathered around us to watch.
Baada ya kumaliza Sala, abiria wengi walikuja kutueleza kuvutiwa kwao na ibada yetu. Mmoja wao alikuwa mwanamke wa Kiyugoslavia aliyekuwa akikimbia dhuluma ya Ukomunisti, akitumaini kuishi Marekani. Machozi yalikuwa machoni pake na sauti yake ilitetemeka alipokuwa akisema kwa Kiingereza kilichovunjika: “Siwezi kuficha kuvutiwa kwangu sana na Sala yenu ya ajabu. Hata hivyo, hii si kile ninachotaka kusema. Sielewi neno hata moja la lugha yenu, lakini ninahisi kwamba ina mdundo wa kipekee ambao sijawahi kuukuta katika lugha nyingine yoyote. Kulikuwa na aya fulani katika hotuba zilizokuwa za ajabu zaidi na zilizonigusa zaidi.”
Ilikuwa wazi kwamba alikuwa akimaanisha aya za Qur’ani nilizozijumuisha katika hotuba, kwa sababu hizi zina mdundo wake maalum. Sisemi kwamba hili linawahusu wote wasiozungumza Kiarabu, lakini hakika ni jambo lenye umuhimu mkubwa.
After we finished Prayer, many passengers came to express to us their admiration for our worship. One of them was a Yugoslav lady fleeing the tyranny of Communism, hoping to settle in the United States. There were tears in her eyes and her voice was trembling as she said in broken English: “I cannot hide my great admiration of your remarkable Prayer. However, this is not what I want to say. I do not understand a single word of your language but I feel that it has an exceptional rhythm which I have not come across in any other language. There were certain paragraphs in the sermon which were even more remarkable and had a greater effect on me.” It was clear that she was referring to the Qur’ānic verses that I had included in the speech, because these have their own special rhythm. I do not say that this applies to everyone who does not speak Arabic, but it is certainly very significant.
Kwa wale wanaoijua lugha hii na kuelewa mtindo wake, na wanaoweza kuthamini maneno yake mazuri na namna zake za kujenga sentensi, kisa chao kilikuwa cha pekee walipowasilishiwa Qur'ani na Muhammad, Mjumbe wa Mungu ﷺ. Tunaijua habari maarufu ya al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq, Abū Sufyān na Abū Jahl, watatu kati ya maadui wakali kabisa wa Uislamu, walipotaka kuisikiliza Qur'ani kwa siri chini ya giza la usiku. Walikuja kwa lengo la kuisikiliza Qur'ani tu, wakati kabila la Quraysh lilikuwa limeamua kutosikiliza chochote alichosema Mtume ﷺ.
As for those who know this language and understand its style and can appreciate its finer expressions and methods of construction, theirs was a special case when they were presented with the Qur’ān by Muĥammad, God’s Messenger, (peace be upon him). We know the famous story of al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq, Abū Sufyān and Abū Jahl, three of the fiercest opponents of Islam, when they sought to listen to the Qur’ān secretly under the cover of darkness. They came only to listen to the Qur’ān, when the Quraysh tribe had decided not to listen to anything the Prophet said.
Hata hivyo, viongozi hawa wa Kiquraishi walitoka mmoja mmoja, kila mmoja bila kujua kwamba wengine wawili walikuwa wanafanya jambo hilo hilo, na bila kutambua kwamba alikuwa na wenzake wanaofanya kitu kama alichokuwa akifanya yeye. Walikaa nje ya mahali alipokuwa Mtume ﷺ pamoja na wafuasi wake wachache wakisoma Qur’ani, ili kuisikiliza. Alfajiri walirudi, wakitumaini kufika nyumbani kabla ya mtu yeyote kuwaona. Lakini walikutana njiani, na kila mmoja akawalaumu wenzake. Walaiana kwamba hawatarudia kitendo hicho tena. Hata hivyo, wote watatu walifanya jambo hilo hilo kwa usiku tatu mfululizo, kabla ya kufanya ahadi nzito ya kutorudia kitendo chao. Hii ni hadithi moja tu miongoni mwa hadithi nyingi zinazofanana. Wenye kuthamini usemi mzuri wanaweza kuelewa asili ya kipekee ya Qur’ani, athari yake ya kuvutia kwa watu, na ushahidi wazi unaotolewa nayo wa ukweli wa ujumbe wake.
Nevertheless, these Quraysh leaders came out individually, none knowing anything about what the other two were doing, and none realising that he had companions doing the same thing as he. They sat there, outside the place where the Prophet and his few followers were reading the Qur’ān, to listen to it. At dawn, they went back, hoping to arrive home before anyone could see them. But they met on the road and each then blamed the others. They pledged to one another that they would never do it again. However, all three did the same thing for three consecutive nights, before they made a solemn pledge never to repeat their deed. This is only one among many similar stories. People who appreciate fine style can understand the unique nature of the Qur’ān and its captivating effect on people and the clear proof it provides of the truthfulness of its message.
Hatuwezi kuzungumza kwa kina hapa kuhusu mada ya Qur’ani, dhana ya maisha inayowasilisha, mtazamo wake kuhusu maisha ya mwanadamu, na mfumo inaoweka. Katika kila moja ya haya, tuna ushahidi wazi wa asili yake, na kwamba haiwezi kamwe kuwa neno la mwanadamu. Inabeba alama ya Mwandishi wake, Mungu, Mtukufu.
We cannot speak in detail here on the subject matter of the Qur’ān, the concept of life it presents, its approach to human life and the system it lays down. In each of these, we have a clear proof of its origin and that it can never be the word of man. It carries the mark of its author, God, the Glorious.
Qur'ani pia hutoa nuru: "Na tumeteremsha kwako nuru iliyo wazi." (Aya ya 174) Ni nuru inayofichua kiini halisi cha mambo, na inayobainisha njia mbili za haki na batili ndani ya mwanadamu mwenyewe na katika maisha ya binadamu kwa ujumla. Inapothaminiwa ipasavyo, nuru hii humpa mtu uwezo wa kujiona yeye mwenyewe na kila kitu kinachomzunguka kwa uwazi, bila chochote kufunika kiini chake au kujionyesha katika hali au nafasi ya uongo. Kila kitu kinakuwa wazi na rahisi, hivyo mtu hushangaa jinsi alivyoshindwa kuona kwa uwazi na urahisi kiasi hicho kabla hajaweza kunufaika na nuru ya Qur'ani.
The Qur’ān also provides light: “And We have sent down to you a glorious light.” (Verse 174) It is a light which lays bare the very nature of things, and defines the parting of the ways of truth and falsehood within man himself and in human life altogether. When it is properly appreciated, this light gives man the ability to see himself and everything around him clearly, without anything covering its nature or presenting itself in a false light or position. Everything then becomes clear and simple so that man wonders how he could not see it so clearly and simply before he was able to benefit by the light of the Qur’ān.
Mtu anaporuhusu nafsi yake iongozwe na Qur’ani na kupokea kutoka kwake maadili na vipimo vyake, huhisi kuwa amepata kipengele kipya, ambacho humwezesha kuona mambo yote kwa urahisi kamili na uwazi. Mambo mengi yaliyokuwa yakimsumbua sasa yanajipanga mahali pake, yote yakionekana kama sehemu ya mfumo mmoja mkuu, ulio rahisi, wa kawaida na wazi.
When man allows his soul to be guided by the Qur’ān and receives from it its values and standards, he feels that he has acquired a new element, one which allows him to see all matters with perfect ease and clarity. Many things that used to worry him now fall into place, all appearing as part of a general system, which is simple, natural and clear.
Tunaweza kulijadili neno hili kwa urefu: "na Tumekuteremshia nuru tukufu". Lakini kwa lolote tutakalosema, hatutaweza kamwe kueleza ujumbe wake kwa maneno yetu wenyewe, wala kuwafikishia umuhimu wake mtu ambaye hajawahi kulipitia. Dhana kama hizi zinaweza kuthaminiwa tu kwa uzoefu wa kibinafsi.
We can dwell at great length on this expression: “and We have sent down to you a glorious light”. But whatever we say, we will never be able to describe its message in our own words and we cannot impart its significance to anyone who has not experienced it. Such concepts can only be appreciated by personal experience.
"Wale wanaomwamini Mungu na kushikamana Naye, bila shaka Atawaingiza katika rehema Yake na fadhila Zake, na atawaongoza kwake kwa njia iliyo nyoofu." (Aya ya 175) Kushikamana na Mungu ni sifa ya msingi ya imani, pale inapoeleweka na kushikiliwa ipasavyo. Mtu anapoelewa kweli asili ya Mungu na ukweli kwamba viumbe vyote ni waja Wake, hutambua kwamba chaguo lake ni kushikamana na Mungu peke yake, ambaye ana uwezo juu ya kila kitu. Yeye huwaingiza katika rehema Yake na fadhila Zake wale wanaomshikilia. Mambo haya yanadhihirika kwao hapa duniani, kwani wananufaika kwa utulivu wa imani na kujiepusha na wasiwasi wote unaowapata wale wasio na imani. Zaidi ya hayo, imani hiyo ndiyo msingi unaojengwa juu yake maisha ya jamii na mfumo wake, safi, huru, wa kweli na wenye heshima. Kila mtu anajua mahali pake stahiki. Yeye ni mja wa Mungu na mtu mwenye heshima kubwa mbele ya wengine wote. Hili ni jambo la kipekee katika mfumo wa imani kama unavyotolewa na Uislamu, mfumo unaowaweka huru watu kutokana na utumishi kwa viumbe wengine, na unaowafanya wanyenyekee kwa Mungu peke yake.
“Those who believe in God and hold fast to Him, will He surely admit to His mercy and grace, and will guide them to Himself along a straight path.” (Verse 175) Holding fast to God is an essential quality of faith, when it is properly understood and held. When man appreciates the true nature of God and the fact that all creation are His servants, he realises that his own choice is to hold fast to God alone who has all power over all things. He admits to His mercy and grace those who hold fast to Him. These aspects are shown them in this life as they benefit by the reassurance of faith and spare themselves all the worry experienced by those who have no faith. Moreover, it provides the basis upon which the life of the community and its system is established, clean, free, honest and dignified. Everyone knows his proper place. He is a servant of God and a person of great honour in relation to everyone else. This is something unique to the system of faith as provided by Islam, the system that frees people from service to other creatures, and which makes them submit to God alone.
Inahakikisha usawa wao kamili kwa kuwa inampa Mungu peke yake mamlaka yote.
It ensures their absolute equality as it gives all sovereignty to God alone.
Kwa hiyo, waumini wanafurahia rehema na neema ya Mwenyezi Mungu katika maisha haya pamoja na katika maisha ya Akhera. Yeye "atawaongoza kwake kupitia njia iliyo nyoofu." Maneno "kwake" yanaongeza kiwango cha ajabu cha uwazi katika usemi huu, kwani yanaonyesha waumini wakiongozwa na Mungu kupitia njia iliyonyooka inayowaelekeza kwake, hatua kwa hatua. Yeyote anayemwamini Mungu kwa dhati na kumshikilia kwa uthabiti atauthamini usemi huu, kwani atajihisi akiongozwa kila wakati katika maisha yake na kabla ya kila hatua. Atatambua kwamba anazidi kumkaribia Mungu kupitia njia iliyonyooka. Lakini hili haliwezi kuthaminiwa ipasavyo isipokuwa na wale wanaolipitia.
The believers, then, enjoy God’s mercy and grace in this life as well as in the life to come. He “will guide them to Himself along a straight path.” The phrase, “to Himself”, adds an exceptional measure of vividness to this expression, as it portrays the believers being guided by God along the path which is straight and which leads them to Him, step by step. Anyone who consciously believes in God and confidently holds fast to Him will appreciate this expression for he feels himself being guided at every moment in his life and before every step. He or she realises that they are drawing closer to God along a straight path. But this cannot be properly appreciated except by those who experience it.