Mwanadamu anapopatwa na msiba, huomba kwa Mola wake, akimgeukia Yeye apate msaada; lakini Anapompa neema kwa fadhila Yake, husahau aliyoyalilia na kuyaomba hapo awali, na hudai kuwa wengine ni sawa na Mungu, hivyo kuwapoteza wengine mbali na njia Yake. Sema [kwake]: Jistarehe kidogo katika kufuru yako; kwani wewe ni miongoni mwa watu wa Motoni.' (Aya ya 8)
When man suffers affliction, he cries out to his Lord, turning to Him for help; but once He bestows upon him a favour by His grace, he forgets what he cried and prayed for earlier, and claims that others are equal to God, thus leading others astray from His path. Say [to him]: Enjoy yourself a while in your disbelief; for you are one of those destined to the fire.’ (Verse 8)
Asili ya mwanadamu huonekana wazi pale mtu anapopatwa na mtihani. Vinyago huvuliwa, vifuniko huondolewa, na udanganyifu hutoweka. Katika hali hii, asili ya mwanadamu hugeukia Mola wake peke yake, ikijua kwamba Yeye pekee ndiye awezaye kuondoa mtihani. Hutambua kwamba madai yake yote kwamba Mungu ana washirika ni ya uongo.
Human nature appears naked when man suffers affliction. Masks are torn off, covers are removed and disillusionment disappears. At this point, human nature turns to its Lord alone knowing that only He can remove affliction. It realizes that all its claims about God having partners are false.
Mtu anapoondolewa dhiki na kuanza kufurahia wingi wa neema za Mwenyezi Mungu, tena huulemea moyo wake kwa marundo ya mvuto wa uongo. Husahau dua zake za dhati kwa Mungu wakati wa dhiki yake, na sasa huchagua kupuuza kukiri kwake umoja wa Mungu na kwamba ni Yeye peke yake anayeweza kuondoa taabu yake. Husahau yote haya na kuanza kudai kwamba wengine ni sawa na Mungu. Hao wanaodaiwa kuwa sawa na Mungu wanaweza kuwa miungu anayoabudu mtu kama ilivyokuwa siku za mwanzo za jāhiliyyah, au wanaweza kuwa katika umbo la maadili, watu, au hali ambazo yeye huwapa katika fahamu zake sehemu ya kile ambacho ni cha Mungu peke yake. Tunaona hili katika mengi ya hali za jāhiliyyah tunazokutana nazo kila mahali. Kwa hiyo mtu anaweza kuabudu matamanio yake, mielekeo yake, matumaini yake, hofu zake, mali yake, watoto wake, watawala wake na wakuu wake kwa namna ile ile anavyomwabudu Mungu, au hata kwa kujitolea zaidi. Kwa kweli, anaweza kuwapenda zaidi kuliko anavyompenda Mungu. Ushirikina unaweza kuchukua aina tofauti, baadhi yake zikiwa za hila. Watu wanaweza wasifikirie hizi kuwa ushirikina kwa sababu hazichukui sura inayojulikana ya kukiri miungu mingi; hata hivyo, kimsingi ni za kishirikina.
When affliction is gone and man finds himself enjoying an abundance of God’s favours, he again burdens his nature with heaps of false influences. He forgets his earnest pleas to God during the time of his affliction, choosing now to overlook his acknowledgement of God’s oneness and that it is He alone who can relieve his hardship. He forgets all this and begins to claim that others are equal to God. These alleged equals may be deities man worships just like in the early days of jāhiliyyah, or they may be in the shape of values, persons, or situations to which he gives in his consciousness a share of what belongs exclusively to God. We see this in many of the jāhiliyyah situations we encounter everywhere. Thus man may worship his desires, inclinations, hopes, fears, wealth, children, rulers and chiefs in the same way as he worships God or even in greater devotion. In fact, he may love them more than he loves God. Polytheism can take different forms, some of which are subtle. People may not think of these as polytheism because they do not take the familiar form of acknowledging multiple deities; yet they are essentially polytheistic.
Matokeo yake ni kupotea, kuondoka kutoka njia ya Mwenyezi Mungu ambayo ina umbo moja, nalo ni kukiri umoja Wake na kuelekeza ibada na mapenzi Kwake Yeye peke yake.
The result is to go astray, moving away from God’s way which has one form, namely, acknowledging His oneness and addressing worship and love to Him alone.
Kuamini Mungu hakukubali ushirikiano wowote moyoni mwa mtu, awe ni ushirikiano wa mali, watoto, nchi ya asili, ardhi, rafiki au jamaa. Iwapo ushirikiano wa namna hiyo utapatikana moyoni mwa mtu, maana yake ni kukiri kwamba baadhi ya viumbe ni sawa na Mungu. Hivyo huruhusu starehe ya muda mfupi katika maisha haya na huishia katika moto wa jahannamu: “Sema [wewe, Muhammad ﷺ, kwa wakanushaji]: Jistarehe kwa muda katika ukafiri wako, kwani wewe ni miongoni mwa watu wa moto.” (Aya ya 8) Kila starehe katika maisha haya ni ndogo, bila kujali inadumu kwa muda gani.
Believing in God does nor admit any partnership in man’s heart, be that a partnership of wealth, children, home country, land, friend or relative. Should such a partnership be found in man’s heart, it means acknowledging some beings as equal to God. Thus it allows a brief enjoyment in this life and ends in the fire of hell: “Say Ito him]: Enjoy yourself for a while in your disbelief for you are one of those destined to the fire.” (Verse 8) Every enjoyment in this life is small no matter how long it endures.
Zaidi ya hayo, muda wa maisha ya mtu yeyote ni mfupi, bila kujali ni uzee gani anaoufikia.
Furthermore, anyone’s span of life is brief no matter to what old age he attains.
Hakika, maisha ya jamii nzima ya binadamu duniani hapa ni starehe ya muda mfupi tu ikilinganishwa na siku za Mungu.
Indeed, the life of the entire human race on this earth is merely a brief enjoyment when compared to God’s days.
Sambamba na picha hii ya kusikitisha ya mwanadamu, kuna nyingine inayomwonyesha akisimama kwa unyenyekevu na hofu ya heshima, akimkumbuka Mungu katika hali zote, za furaha na za huzuni. Anaishi maisha yake duniani bila kamwe kupoteza fahamu ya Siku ya Hukumu. Daima anamwelekea Mola wake, akitumaini rehema Yake. Ni kutokana na uhusiano wa namna hii na Mungu ndipo elimu ya kweli hujitokeza, ikimpa ufahamu kamili wa ukweli.
Juxtaposed with this depressing picture of man is another showing him standing in awe, remembering God in all situations, pleasant or distressing. He goes through his life on earth without ever losing consciousness of the Day of Judgement. He always looks up to his Lord, hoping for His grace. It is from such a bond with God that true knowledge emerges, providing full awareness of the truth:
Je, yule anayemwabudu Mungu kwa unyenyekevu wakati wa saa za usiku, akisujudu au akisimama katika sala, akiwa na hofu ya Akhera na akitumaini rehema ya Mola wake? Sema: 'Je, wale wanaojua na wale wasiojua wanaweza kuchukuliwa kuwa sawa?' Ni wale tu walio na akili ndio wanaozingatia.' (Aya ya 9)
How about one who devoutly worships God during the hours of the night prostrating himself or standing in prayer, ever mindful of the life to come, and hoping for his Lord’s mercy? Say: ‘Can those who know and those who do not know be deemed equal?’ Only those who are endowed with insight will take heed. (Verse 9)
Vitu vyote vilivyotajwa hapa, yaani ikhlasi ya dhati, khofu ya yale yanayoweza kutokea katika maisha ya akhera, matumaini ya rehema ya Mungu, na usafi wa moyo unaofungua kufuli zinazozuia ufahamu, na kuyapa mioyo yetu baraka ya utambuzi ulio wazi, vyote hivyo vinachora picha angavu ambayo ni kinyume cha ile iliyochorwa katika aya iliyotangulia.
All the elements provided here, sincere devotion, the dread of what may happen in the life to come, the hope for God’s grace, the purity of heart that opens the locks that prevent understanding, giving our hearts the blessing of clear perception all draw a bright picture which is the opposite of the one drawn in the previous verse.
Hivyo, ni lazima kufanya ulinganisho: “Je, wale wanaojua na wale wasiojua wanaweza kuwa sawa?” (Aya ya 9) Elimu ya kweli ni ile inayoelewa ukweli na kufungua akili ya mtu kwa haja ya kuwa karibu na kweli za msingi zilizomo katika ulimwengu. Elimu ya kweli si mkusanyiko wa taarifa nyingi zinazojaza akili bila kuleta uelewa wowote wa misingi ya kuwepo.
Hence, it is necessary to draw the comparison: “Can those who know and those who do not know he deemed equal?” (Verse 9) True knowledge is that which understands the truth and opens one’s mind to the need to be in touch with the fundamental truths in the universe. True knowledge is not a host of pieces of information that clutter the mind without leading to any understanding of the fundamentals of existence.
Njia ya kupata elimu ya kweli na taarifa zenye nuru basi ni ibada ya dhati, moyo nyeti, kuwa na kumbukumbu ya maisha ya Akhera, kuwa na matumaini makubwa ya kunufaika na rehema ya Mwenyezi Mungu, na kumcha Mwenyezi Mungu. Wale wanaojizuia kwenye uzoefu wa mtu binafsi na maono ya juu juu si chochote zaidi ya wakusanyaji wa taarifa. Hawatafikia kamwe daraja la watu wenye elimu.
The way to true knowledge and enlightened information then is devout worship, a sensitive heart, being mindful of the life to come, entertaining strong hopes of benefiting from God’s mercy and of being conscious of God. Those who limit themselves to individual experiences and superficial vision are no more than collectors of information. They will never attain the rank of people with knowledge.
"Ni wale tu wenye akili ndio watakaozingatia." (Aya ya 9)
“Only those who are endowed with insight will take heed.” (Verse 9)