Sūrah hii ina mdundo ambao ni wa kifahari na wa kuvutia hofu; ni kama sauti ya mwonyaji aliyesimama mahali pa juu, akiitoa sauti yake kwa msisitizo mzito unaovuma. Anawaita watu waliolegea, walevi, waliochanganyikiwa. Wanakaribia kwenye ukingo wa shimo kwa macho yaliyofumba na hisia zilizofa ganzi. Kwa hiyo mwonyaji anaongeza sauti yake hadi kikomo: “Mmeshughulishwa na tamaa ya kupata zaidi na zaidi, mpaka mkashuka makaburini mwenu.” (Aya 1-2)
This sūrah has a rhythm that is both majestic and awe-inspiring; as if it were the voice of a warner standing on a high place, projecting his voice as it rings out in weighty emphasis. He calls out to people who are drowsy, drunken, confused. They approach a precipice with their eyes closed and their feelings numbed. So the warner increases the volume of his voice to the limit: “You are preoccupied by greed for more and more, until you go down to your graves.” (Verses 1-2)
Enyi mlevi na mchanganyiko! Ninyi mnaofurahia na kujiingiza katika ushindani wa mali, watoto na starehe za maisha haya, ambayo hakika mtayaacha! Ninyi mnaozama katika yale mliyo nayo, bila kujua yanayokuja baadaye! Ninyi mtakaouacha mtanzania wa ushindani huu, na yale mnayojivunia, mtaenda kwenye shimo jembamba ambako hakuna ushindani wala kiburi! Amkeni na tazameni pande zote, enyi nyote! Kwa kweli, "mmeshughulishwa na tamaa ya kuzidi kupata, mpaka mshuke makaburini mwenu." (Aya 1-2)
You drunken and confused lot! You who take delight and indulge in rivalry for wealth, children and the pleasures of this life, from which you are sure to depart! You who are absorbed with what you have, unaware of what comes afterwards! You who will leave the object of this rivalry, and what you seek pride in, and go to a narrow hole where there is no rivalry or pride! Wake up and look around, all of you! For indeed, “you are preoccupied by greed for more and more, until you go down to your graves.” (Verses 1-2)
Kisha kwa mdundo mzito na wa kutisha, sura hiyo inayagusa mioyo yao kwa hofu ya yale yanayowangojea baada ya kuachwa makaburini mwao: "Sivyo kabisa, mtakuja kujua hivi karibuni." (Aya ya 3) Kisha inarudia maneno yaleyale, kwa mdundo uleule thabiti na wa kutisha: "Tena, hivi karibuni mtakuja kujua!" (Aya ya 4) Kisha inaongeza kina na hofu kwa uhakika huu, na inadokeza mustakabali mzito unaokuja baadaye, ambao kiini chake cha kutisha hawakitambui katika ulevi wao na ushindani wao wa kupata mali za dunia: "Hakika mngelijua kwa yakini..." (Aya ya 5)
With a deep and grave rhythm the sūrah then strikes their hearts with the terror awaiting them after they are left in their graves: “Nay, in time you will come to know.” (Verse 3) Then it repeats the same note, employing the same words and the same firm and terrifying rhythm: “Again, in time you will come to know!” (Verse 4) Then it adds to the depth and awe of this assurance, and hints at the grave prospect that lies beyond, the terrifying essence of which they do not recognize in their flush of intoxication and rivalry for worldly riches: “Indeed, were you to know [the truth] with certainty...” (Verse 5)
Sentensi ya masharti haijakamilika katika maandishi. Hili linakubalika kama namna iliyoboreshwa ya Kiarabu. Linaongeza hisia ya uchaji zinazotolewa na sūrah hii. Dhana iliyopo hapa ni kwamba, lau wangalijua yale ambayo wangepaswa kuyajua kwa hakika, wasingejiingiza katika ushindani wa namna hiyo kwa ajili ya faida ndogo. Kisha sūrah inafichua ukweli wa kutisha ambao ulikuwa umefichwa: “Hakika mtaiona Moto wa Jahannam.” (Aya ya 6)
The conditional sentence is not completed in the text. This is acceptable as a refined form of Arabic. It adds to the feeling of awe generated by the sūrah. The inference here is that had they known what they should know for certain, they would not have indulged in such rivalry for petty gain. The sūrah then discloses the fearful fact which has been withheld: “You would, most certainly, see the fire of hell.” (Verse 6)
Kisha inasisitiza ukweli huu na kuongeza athari yake katika nyoyo za watu: "Tena, hakika mtauona kwa macho yenu wenyewe." (Aya ya 7)
It then emphasizes this fact and enhances its impact on people’s hearts: “Again, you will, most certainly, see it with your very eyes.” (Verse 7)
Hatimaye, sura inatoa kauli ya mwisho ambayo humfanya mlevi kuwa na kiasi, mzembe kuwa macho, aliyechanganyikiwa kuwa makini, na mwenye kujifurahisha kutetemeka na kuhisi hofu kwa kujiingiza kwake katika starehe na raha: "Kisha siku hiyo mtaulizwa kwa hakika kuhusu neema na starehe zenu." (Aya ya 8)
Mtaulizwa kuhusu haya yote: Mliyapataje? Mliyatumiaje? Je, yalipatikana kwa njia halali na kutumiwa kwa njia halali? Au yalipatikana kwa njia haramu na kutumiwa kwa njia ya dhambi? Je, mmemsifu na kumshukuru Mwenyezi Mungu kwayo?
Finally, it puts the last statement which makes the drunkard sober, the lethargic conscious, the confused attentive and the self-indulgent tremble and feel apprehension at his indulgence in comfort and pleasure: “Then on that day you will certainly be questioned about your joys and comforts.” (Verse 8) You will be questioned concerning all this: How did you get it? How did you dispense with it? Was it obtained from a lawful source and dispensed with lawfully? Or was it gained unlawfully and used in a sinful manner? Have you praised and thanked God for it?
Je, umewapa maskini haki yao? Je, umetumia sehemu yake kwa wengine? Au umejilimbikizia yote kwa ajili yako mwenyewe? "Mtaulizwa" kuhusu ushindani wenu katika kukusanya na kulimbikiza mali, na kuhusu mambo mnayojivunia. Ni mzigo ambao, kwa kujishughulisha na starehe zenu, mnaona ni jambo dogo. Lakini zaidi yake kuna majukumu makubwa.
Have you given the poor their due? Have you spent some of it on others? Or monopolized it all for your selves? “You will be questioned” about your rivalry in gathering and amassing wealth and about what you take pride in. It is a burden which you, in your preoccupation and enjoyment, think little of. But beyond it lie heavy responsibilities.
Hii ni sūrah inayojieleza yenyewe. Inatuachia athari yake kupitia maana yake na mdundo wake. Inaiacha moyo ukiwa umejawa na tatizo la Akhera, umesahau mambo madogo madogo ya maisha haya ya dunia na mahangaiko yake ya kawaida.
This is a self-expressing sūrah. It leaves its impact on us by its meaning and rhythm. It leaves the heart occupied, burdened with the problem of the hereafter, inattentive to the trivialities of this worldly life and its petty concerns.
Inaonyesha maisha ya dunia kama kupepesa kwa jicho la muda mfupi katika urefu mkubwa wa kuwepo kwa viumbe:
It portrays the life of this world as a fleeting wink in the long span of existence:
"Mmekengeushwa na kutaka mali zaidi na zaidi, mpaka mkaingia makaburini." (Aya 1-2) Muda mfupi wa maisha haya umepita na ukurasa wake mdogo umegeuzwa. Baada ya hapo wakati unaendelea kunyoosha na mizigo inazidi kuwa mizito. Mtindo wa sura hii unaonyesha hitimisho hili, ukipatanisha uhalisia wenyewe na namna ya kuuelezea.
“You are preoccupied by greed for more and more, until you go down to your graves.” (Verses 1-2) The wink of this life is over and its small leaf is turned. Thereafter time stretches on and the burdens become heavier. The style of the sūrah presents this inference, achieving harmony between the actual reality and its manner of expression.
Tunapoisoma sura hii yenye heshima na enye mshangao, tunahisi mdundo wake ukipaa juu angani mwanzoni, na kushuka chini kwenye kina kirefu sana mwishoni. Tunahisi mzigo wa maisha haya ya kupepesa jicho tu ukiwa mabegani mwetu tunapotembea kwa uzito njiani. Kisha tunaanza kujihoji kuhusu matendo yetu madogo kabisa na yasiyo na maana.
Whenever we read this awe-inspiring and majestic sūrah, we feel its rhythm travelling upwards in space at the beginning and downwards to the deep, deep level at the end. We feel the burden of this wink of a life on our shoulders as we walk heavily along the road. Then we start questioning ourselves about the smallest and most trivial of our deeds.