Je, yule ambaye moyo wake Mungu ameufungulia Uislamu, kisha anapokea nuru kutoka kwa Mola wake, (atakuwa sawa na yule asiyefanya hivyo)? Basi ole wao wale ambao mioyo yao imekuwa migumu kwa kumtaja Mungu. Hao wamo katika upotofuulio wazi kabisa. Mungu ameteremsha mafundisho bora kabisa: kitabu kinachoendana ndani yake chenyewe, kikirudia kauli zake [za ukweli] katika namna nyingi. Hukifanya ngozi za wale wanaomcha Mola wao kutetemeka, kisha ngozi zao na mioyo yao hulainika wanapomtaja Mungu. Huu ndio uongofu wa Mungu: Huwaongoa nao kwao amtakaye, na yule ambaye Mungu amemwacha apotee hawezi kamwe kupata mwongozi.
How about one whose heart God has opened to Islam, and thus receives light from his Lord? Woe, then, betide those whose hearts harden at the mention of God. These are most obviously in error. God has bestowed from on high the best of all teachings: a book that is consistent within itself repeating its statements [of the truth] in manifold forms. It causes the skins of those who stand in awe of their Lord to shiver, but then their skins and hearts soften at the mention of God. Such is God’s guidance: He guides with it him that wills, whereas the one whom God lets go astray can never find any guide. (Verses 22-23)
Kama vile Yeye hutuma maji kutoka mbinguni ili kuotesha mimea ya rangi na aina mbalimbali, Mwenyezi Mungu hushusha kutoka juu ukumbusho unaopokelewa na nyoyo zilizo hai, ambazo hufunguka na kuitikia uhai huo. Kinyume chake, nyoyo ngumu huupokea kama jiwe lisiloweza kukumbatia uhai. Mwenyezi Mungu huifungulia Uislamu nyoyo ambazo Yeye anajua kuwa ni njema. Nyoyo hizi hupokea nuru ya Uislamu, nazo huangaza na kutoa mwanga. Pengo kati ya nyoyo hizi na zile zilizo ngumu ni kubwa sana:
Just like He sends water from the skies to cause vegetation of various colours and forms to grow, God bestows from on high a reminder which is received by hearts that are alive, and that open up and react to such life. By contrast, hardened hearts receive it like a rock that cannot embrace life. God opens to Islam those hearts that He knows to be good. These hearts receive the light of Islam and they shine and radiate. The gulf between these hearts and the ones that are hardened is wide indeed:
Ole kwao wale ambao mioyo yao huwa migumu wanapotajwa Mwenyezi Mungu. Hao ndio wako katika upotevuulio dhahiri.
“Woe, then, betide those whose hearts harden at the mention of God. These are most obviously in error.” (Verse 22)
Aya hii inaelezea hali ya mioyo inayopokea Uislamu na kuupenda, ikijazwa uhai. Inaeleza jinsi inavyochanua, ikiwa safi na yenye mng'ao. Pia inaeleza aina nyingine ya mioyo, ambayo ni migumu, yenye giza na isiyo na uhai. Bila shaka, mioyo inayofunguka kwa Uislamu, inayoupokea na kuakisi nuru yake, ni tofauti kabisa na ile inayoganda inapotajwa jina la Mwenyezi Mungu. Pengo kati ya hizo mbili ni kubwa mno.
This verse depicts the nature of the hearts that receive Islam and warm to it, becoming full of life-. It describes how they blossom, becoming fresh and radiant. It also describes the other type of hearts which are hard, dark and lifeless. Needless to say, the hearts that open up to Islam, receive and reflect its light are totally different from those which are hardened at the mention of God’s name. The gap between the two is enormous.
Aya inayofuata inaeleza jinsi waumini wanavyoipokea Qur'ani, kitabu chenye mshikamano kamili katika asili yake, mwelekeo wake, ujumbe wake na sifa zake. Hivyo, ni 'chenye mshikamano ndani yake chenyewe', na 'hurudia kauli zake za ukweli kwa namna nyingi,' kikitoa maelekezo yanayoendana na kubadilisha njia za kuwasilisha picha na visa vyake bila kuleta mgongano wowote. Zinarudiwa katika sehemu tofauti kwa madhumuni ambayo yanaweza kutimizwa vizuri zaidi kupitia marudio hayo. Marudio hayo hayapunguzi upatanifu na mshikamano wa ukweli wa msingi unaotajwa katika Qur'ani yote.
The next verse describes how the believers receive the Qur’ān, a book that is fully coherent in nature, direction, message and characteristics. Thus, it is ‘consistent within itself’ and it ‘repeats its statements of the truth in manifold forms,’ giving consistent directives and varying the ways it presents its images and stories without causing any contradiction. They are repeated at different places for a purpose that can be best served through such repetition. Such repetition does not detract from the harmony and consistency of the basic truth stated throughout the Qur’ān.
Wale wanaomcha Mungu hudumisha mtazamo unaochanganya hofu ya Mungu na matumaini ya rehema Yake. Hao ndio wanaoathiriwa sana wanapopokea neno la Mungu, kiasi kwamba ngozi zao hutetemeka. Baadaye hulainika, na mioyo yao hupata faraja wanaposikiliza maneno ya Mungu. Hii ni taswira hai sana, inayotoa kwa maneno maelezo yaliyojaa mwendo na vitendo.
Those who stand in awe of God maintain an attitude that mixes fear of God with hope of His mercy. They are the ones who are very strongly influenced when they receive God’s word to the extent that their skins shiver. They later soften and their hearts find reassurance as they listen to God’s words. This is a very vivid image giving in words a description that is full of movement and action.
"Hivyo ndivyo mwongozo wa Mungu: Huwaongoza kwa nao Yeye apendavyo." (Aya 23) Nyoyo hazitetemeki namna hii isipokuwa mwongozo wa Mungu unazichochea kuitikia. Mungu anajua hisia za kweli za nyoyo hizi na huzituza, ama kwa mwongozo wake au kwa kuziacha zipotee: "lakini yule ambaye Mungu amemwacha apotee, hawezi kamwe kupata mwongozi." (Aya 23) Huwaacha watu kama hao wapotee kwa sababu anajua kwamba wamezama katika upotovu kiasi kwamba hawatawahi kuitikia mwongozo.
“Such is God’s guidance: He guides with it him that wills.” (Verse 23) Hearts do not shiver in this way unless God’s guidance prompts them to respond. God knows the true feelings of these hearts and rewards them with either His guidance or by letting them go astray: “whereas the one whom God lets go astray can never find any guide.” (Verse 23) He allows such people to go astray because He knows that they have gone so far into error that they will never respond to guidance.
Sūrah hiyo kisha inaonyesha yatakayokutana nayo wale waliochagua kupotea siku ya Hukumu. Inachora picha ya kuhuzunisha sana wakati matokeo yanapotolewa:
The sūrah then shows what awaits those who chose to go astray on the Day of Judgement. It paints a very depressing picture at the time when results are given:
Je, vipi kuhusu yule ambaye hatakuwa na chochote isipokuwa uso wake mtupu wa kumlinda na adhabu kali siku ya Kiyama? Itasemwa kwa waliodhulumu: "Onjeni sasa yale mliyokuwa mkiyachuma." (Aya ya 24)
How about one who shall have nothing but his hare face to protect him from the awful suffering on Resurrection Day? It will be said to the wrongdoers: ‘Taste now what you have earned.’ (Verse 24)
Kwa kawaida mtu hutumia mikono na mwili wake kulinda uso wake dhidi ya moto au vitu vyenye madhara. Lakini katika hali hii, hawezi kutumia mikono wala miguu yake kujiokoa na moto; badala yake, anautumia uso wake kujikinga, jambo linaloelezea hali ya machafuko makubwa na taabu. Katikati ya dhiki na mateso haya yote, wanakabiliwa na lawama kali na wanapewa matokeo ya matendo ya maisha yao. Ni matokeo mabaya kiasi gani wanayopaswa kukabiliana nayo: "Itasemwa kwa wadhalimu: Onjeni sasa mliyokuwa mkiyachuma." (Aya ya 24)
Normally a person uses his hands and body to protect his face from fire or harmful objects. In this case, however, he cannot use his hands or legs to save himself from the fire; instead, he uses his face for protection, which describes a case of great confusion and hardship. In the midst of all this difficulty and suffering they are faced with strong censure and given the results of their lives’ actions. What a terrible result they have to face: “It will be said to the wrongdoers: Taste now what you have earned.” (Verse 24)
Sūrah kisha inazungumzia kuhusu makafiri waliosimama kinyume na Nabii ﷺ, ikiwaonyesha yaliyowapata makafiri wa jamii zilizotangulia, ili wajiokoe na hatima kama hiyo:
The sūrah then speaks about the unbelievers who stood in opposition to the Prophet, showing them what happened to the unbelievers of earlier communities, so that they may save themselves from a similar fate:
Wale waliokuwa kabla yao nao pia walikanusha, basi adhabu ikawajia kutoka mahali ambapo hawakuweza kuona. Mwenyezi Mungu aliwaonjesha fedheha katika dunia hii. Na adhabu ya Akhera ni kubwa zaidi, lau wangalijua!
(Aya 25-26)
Those who lived before them also disbelieved, and so suffering befell them from where they could not perceive. God gave them a taste of humiliation in this world. Yet much greater will be the suffering of the life to come, if they but knew it! (Verses 25-26)
Hili ndilo tokeo linalowakabili makafiri katika maisha yote mawili, hapa duniani na Akhera. Katika maisha haya, Mwenyezi Mungu aliwaonjesha udhalilifu, na katika maisha ya Akhera watakabiliwa na adhabu kubwa zaidi. Sheria ya Mwenyezi Mungu itaendelea kufanya kazi, hatima za vizazi vilivyotangulia zinabaki kuwa shahidi wa ukweli, maonyo ya Mwenyezi Mungu kuhusu Siku ya Hukumu yanabaki kuwa na nguvu, fursa yao ya kujiokoa inaendelea, na Qur'ani hii inabaki kupatikana kwa wale watakaozingatia maonyo.
Such is the outcome faced by the unbelievers in both lives, in this world and the next. In this life, God made them taste humiliation, and in the life to come they will face a greater suffering. God’s law will continue to operate, the fates of past generations remain witnesses to the truth, God’s warnings concerning the Day of Judgement remain in force, their chance to save themselves continues, and this Qur’ān remains available to those who will heed the warnings.