Naapa kwa mwanga wa asubuhi, na usiku unapotulia na kuwa giza, Mola wako hakukuacha, wala hakuchukia. Hakika Akhera itakuwa bora kwako kuliko dunia hii. Na hakika baada ya muda Mola wako atakupa kwa ukarimu, nawe utaridhika.
By the bright morning hours, and the night when it grows still and dark, your Lord has neither forsaken you, nor does He hate you. Surely the life to come will be better for you than this present life. And, certainly, in time your Lord will be bounteous to you and you will be well pleased. (Verses 1-5)
Mwenyezi Mungu anaapa kwa vipindi hivi viwili vya wakati vyenye utulivu na kuvutia, na kuanzisha uhusiano kati ya matukio ya kimaumbile na hisia za binadamu. Kwa njia hiyo, mwitikio wa pande mbili unahimizwa kati ya nyoyo za binadamu na ulimwengu, ambao ni mzuri, hai na wenye huruma kwa viumbe vyote vilivyo hai. Hivyo basi, nyoyo huishi kwa amani na dunia, zikiwa zimetulia na zenye furaha.
God vows by these two calm and inspiring periods of time and establishes a relationship between natural phenomena and human feelings. Thus, mutual response is encouraged between human hearts and the universe, which is beautiful, alive and sympathetic to all living beings. Hence, hearts live in peace with the world, relaxed and happy.
Mtindo huu wa kujieleza unafaa sana katika sura hii kwa kuwa hisia ya urafiki na ushirikiano inasisitizwa hapa. Ni kana kwamba Mtume ﷺ anaambiwa mara moja kwamba Mola wake Mlezi alishamjaalia ushirika wa ulimwengu uliomzunguka, na kwamba hakuachwa kamwe wala hakuwa peke yake.
This mode of expression is particularly appropriate in this sūrah as the feeling of fellowship is stressed here. It is as if the Prophet is being told straightaway that his Lord had already blessed him with the fellowship of the world around him and that he was by no means forsaken or left alone.
Kisha linakuja tamko lenye msisitizo mkubwa na lililo wazi: "Mola wako hakukuacha, wala hakukuchukia." (Aya ya 3) Hakukuacha, wala hakukuwa mkali kwako kama wanavyodai wale wanaotaka kuuumiza moyo na nafsi yako. Kwa kuwa yeye ni Mola wako, nawe ni wake. Yeye ni mtegemezi wako na mlinzi wako. Neema za Mungu kwako hazijaisha wala hazijakatika. Wewe, Muhammad ﷺ, utapata neema nyingi zaidi na bora zaidi Akhera kuliko unazopata katika maisha haya. "Kwa hakika, maisha ya Akhera yatakuwa bora kwako kuliko maisha haya ya sasa." (Aya ya 4)
Then follows a clear and emphatic assertion: “Your Lord has neither forsaken you, nor does He hate you.” (Verse 3) He has not left you, nor has He been harsh to you as is alleged by those who want to afflict your heart and soul. For He is your Lord and you belong to Him. He is your sustainer and protector. God’s favours on you have neither run out nor have they been stopped. You, Muĥammad, are to get much more and better favours in the hereafter than you are getting in this life. “Surely the life to come will be better for you than this present life.” (Verse 4)
Mungu anakuandalia, ewe Muhammad, kile kitakachokuridhisha katika utume wako, kitakachorahisisha njia yako ngumu, na kitakacholeta ushindi wa ujumbe wako, kikithibitisha ukweli unaousimamia. Mawazo haya ndiyo yaliyokuwa yakiushughulisha moyo wa Mtume ﷺ alipokumbana na ukaidi mkali wa watu wake, unyanyasaji wao, na chuki yao. "Hakika Mola wako Mlezi atakupa hadi ukaridhika." (Aya ya 5)
God is saving for you, Muĥammad, what will satisfy you in your mission and ease your hard path and bring about the victory of your message, vindicating the truth you advocate. These thoughts were in fact preoccupying the Prophet’s mind as he encountered his people’s adamant rejection, ill-treatment, and malice. “In time, your Lord will be bounteous to you and you will be well pleased.” (Verse 5)
Sura kisha inamkumbusha Mtume ﷺ jinsi Mola wake alivyomtendea tangu mwanzo wa utume wake, ili aweze kutafakari jinsi Mungu anavyomtendea wema. Hii ni kumkumbusha kumbukumbu njema za fadhila za Mungu: {Je, hakukukuta yatima, akakupa makazi?* Na akakukuta umepotea, akakuongoza?}
The sūrah then goes on to remind the Prophet of his Lord’s attitude towards him from the very beginning of his mission so that he can reflect on how favourably God treats him. This to make him recall the happy memories of divine kindness: “Has He not found you an orphan and given you a shelter? And found you in error, and guided you?
"Je, hakukukuta yatima akakupa makazi? Na akakukuta umepotea akakuongoza? Na akakukuta maskini akakutajirisha?" (Aya 6-8)
Tafakari maisha yako ya sasa na yale ya zamani. Je, Mwenyezi Mungu (SWT) amewahi kukuacha au kukuchukia, hata kabla ya kukupa wadhifa wa unabii?
And found you poor and enriched you?” (Verses 6-8) Reflect on your present life and on your past. Has He ever forsaken you or hated you even before He charged you with prophethood?
Ulilelewa yatima lakini Mwenyezi Mungu alikulinda. Alimfanya watu wengi wawe wema kwako, hasa mjomba wako Abū Ţālib, ingawa alifuata dini tofauti na yako ﷺ. Ulikuwa maskini, lakini Mwenyezi Mungu aliufanya moyo wako uwe tajiri kwa kuridhika, na akakufanya tajiri kupitia faida za biashara yako na mali ya mkeo, ili usiteseke kwa umaskini wala usitamani utajiri uliojaa kila mahali karibu nawe ﷺ.
You were born an orphan but God protected you. He made so many people kind to you, especially your uncle Abū Ţālib, though he followed a religion different from yours. You were poor and He made your heart rich with contentment, and made you rich through your business gains and wife’s wealth, so that you would not suffer from poverty or yearn for the riches that abound all around you.
Wewe pia ulilelewa katika jamii ya ujinga, iliyojaa imani, dhana na mazoea yaliyochanganyikiwa, ambamo njia potofu na desturi zilikuwa nyingi. Haukuzipenda imani, dhana na desturi hizo, lakini haukuweza kupata njia iliyo wazi na inayofaa ya kutoka humo. Haukuweza kujipatia mwongozo wala katika ulimwengu wa jāhiliyyah, wala pamoja na wafuasi wa Musa na Isa ambao waliichanganya imani yao, wakaipotosha umbo lake la asili, na wakapotea. Lakini Mungu amekuongoza kupitia wahyi Wake na njia ya maisha aliyoiweka, akianzisha uhusiano thabiti kati Yake na wewe.
You were also brought up in an ignorant society, full of confused beliefs and concepts, where erring ways and practices abounded. You did not like those beliefs, concepts and practices but you could not find a clear and suitable way out. You could find your way neither in the world of jāhiliyyah, nor with the followers of Moses and Jesus who adulterated their beliefs, distorted their original form and went astray. But God has guided you through His revelations and the way of life He has laid down, establishing a firm bond between Him and you.
Mwongozo huu katikati ya jangwa la kutoamini na mkanganyiko ndio neema kubwa kuliko zote. Furaha na utulivu unaoleta haviwezi kulinganishwa na chochote. Mtume ﷺ alikuwa amesumbuka na kuumizwa sana kwa sababu ya kukatika kwa wahyi, na kwa tabia ya uadui ya makafiri wakati wa kipindi hicho cha kukatika kwake. Kwa hiyo linakuja kumkumbusha huu ili kuituliza moyo wake na kumhakikishia ahadi ya Mola wake kwamba hatatelekezwa kamwe.
This guidance in the wilderness of disbelief and confusion is the greatest favour of them all. The happiness and reassurance it brings about cannot be matched. The Prophet had been greatly perturbed and afflicted because of the cessation of revelation, and the malicious attitude of the unbelievers during the period of its cessation. Hence comes this reminder to put his heart at ease and to reassure him of his Lord’s promise that he will never be abandoned.
Mungu anatumia fursa ya kutaja yatima wa Mtume ﷺ wa zamani, upotevu wake na umaskini wake ili kumwelekeza yeye, pamoja na Waislamu wote, kulinda kila yatima, kuwa mkarimu kwa kila mwombaji, na kuzungumzia neema kubwa ambazo Mungu amewapa. La kwanza na muhimu zaidi kati ya hizi ni kuongozwa kwenye Uislamu.
God takes the opportunity of mentioning the Prophet’s earlier orphanhood, error and poverty in order to instruct him, and all Muslims, to protect every orphan, be charitable to every beggar, and to speak of the great favours God has bestowed on them. The first and most important of these is having been guided to Islam.
"Basi usimdhulumu yatima, wala usimkemee aliyeomba, bali useme neema za Mola wako."
(Aya 9-11)
“Therefore do not wrong the orphan, nor chide away the beggar, but speak of your Lord’s favours.” (Verses 9-11)
Kama tulivyowahi kutaja mara nyingi, maagizo haya yanaakisi mahitaji ya wakati huo, katika jamii yenye tamaa na ya kupenda mali, ambamo wanyonge, ambao hawakuweza kutetea haki zao wenyewe, hawakujaliwa. Uislamu ulikuja kuirekebisha jamii hiyo kwa sheria za Mwenyezi Mungu zinazoweka usawa, haki na wema. Kuzungumzia neema za Mwenyezi Mungu, hasa zile za uongofu na imani, ni kumshukuru Yeye aliyetupa kila tulichonacho. Ni udhihirisho wa vitendo wa shukrani ya mpokeaji.
As we have frequently mentioned, these instructions reflect the needs of the day, in that greedy and materialistic society in which the weak, who could not defend their own rights, were not catered for. Islam came to reform that society with God’s laws which establish equity, justice and goodwill. Speaking of God’s bounties, especially those of guidance and faith, expresses gratitude to Him who has given us all that we have. It is the recipient’s practical manifestation of thanks.