Sema: Nimeamrishwa kumwabudu Mwenyezi Mungu, nikiwa mwenye kumtakasia dini yangu peke yake; na nimeamrishwa niwe wa kwanza katika Waislamu. Sema: Hakika mimi naogopa, iwapo nitamwasi Mola wangu, adhabu ya siku kubwa yenye kutisha.
Say: I am commanded to worship God, sincere in my faith in Him alone; and I am commanded to be the first to submit myself to Him. Say: Indeed I would dread, were I to disobey my Lord, the suffering of an awesome day. (Verses 11-13)
Tangazo hili la Mtume linaloeleza anachoamriwa kufanya kuhusu ibada, kujitolea na kunyenyekea ni muhimu sana katika kuhifadhi imani ya umoja wa Mungu kuwa safi, kama Uislamu unavyotaka iwe. Kwa mtazamo huu, Mtume ﷺ ni mmoja wa watumishi wa Mungu. Hapiti nafasi hiyo. Katika utumwa wao kwa Mungu, watu wote wamesimama katika safu moja, ilhali Mungu yuko juu ya viumbe vyote kwa nafasi yake tukufu.
This declaration by the Prophet outlining what he is commanded to do with regard to worship, devotion and submission is very important in keeping the belief in God’s oneness pure, as Islam wants it to be. In this respect, the Prophet is one of God’s servants. He does not exceed that position. In their servitude to God, all people stand in one rank, while God has His sublime position over all creation.
Kwa hiyo dhana mbili za uungu na ubaraka zimethibitishwa vizuri na zimetofautishwa wazi. Hapakuwa na mkanganyiko wowote kati yake. Umoja unaonekana wazi kuwa sifa ya Mungu peke yake, na hakuna mwingine mwenye sehemu yoyote ndani yake. Muhammad ﷺ anaposimama katika nafasi ya mja wa Mungu akitoa tamko hili la wazi, akiogopa kufanya uasi wowote dhidi ya Mungu, hapawezi kuwa na nafasi ya dai lolote la uombezi wa masanamu au malaika, linalopatikana kwa kuelekeza ibada kwao badala ya Mungu.
Thus the two concepts of Godhead and servitude are well established and clearly distinguished. There can be no confusion between the two. Oneness is clearly seen as an attribute of God alone, in which no one else has any share. When Muĥammad (peace be upon him) stands in the position of God’s servant making this clear declaration, fearing to commit any disobedience of God, there can be no room for any claim of intercession by idols or angels granted through addressing worship to them instead of God.
Tamko hilo linatolewa tena, pamoja na tangazo la Mtume ﷺ kwamba atashikamana na njia yake, huku akiwaacha washirikina katika njia yao na mwisho wa uchungu unaotokana nayo:
The declaration is made once more, with the Prophet’s announcement that he will stick to his way, leaving the idolaters to their way and the painful end to which that leads:
Sema: Namwabudu Mungu peke yake, nikimtakasia dini yangu Yeye peke yake. Basi mwabuduni mtakayo badala yake. Sema: Hakika waliopata hasara ni wale waliojipoteza nafsi zao na watu wao siku ya Kiyama. Hiyo ndiyo hasara iliyo dhahiri.
Say: God alone do I worship, sincere in my faith in Him alone. You can worship whatever you please instead of Him. Say: True losers indeed are those who shall have lost their own selves and their families on Resurrection Day. Such is the ultimate loss.
(Aya 14-15)
(Verses 14-15)
Tena Nabii anatangaza: Mimi ni thabiti katika kufuata njia yangu, nikielekeza ibada yote kwa Mungu na kujisalimisha kwake Yeye peke yake. Kwa upande wenu, mnaweza kufuata njia yoyote mnayotaka, kuabudu yeyote mnayemtaka, lakini hili litawaongoza kwenye hasara mbaya kabisa inayowezekana: hasara ya nafsi zenu mnapoenda motoni, na hasara ya familia na jamaa, wawe ni waumini au wasioamini. Ikiwa jamaa hao ni waumini, washirikina watakuwa wamewapoteza kwa kuwa kila kundi linaenda njia yake tofauti, na ikiwa ni wasioamini, hasara ni ile ile kwa kuwa wote watakuwa wamejipoteza nafsi zao motoni: “Hiyo ndiyo hasara kubwa kabisa.” (Aya ya 15)
Once more the Prophet announces: I am unwavering in following my way, addressing all worship to God and submitting myself to Him alone. As for you, you can follow any way you want, worship whomever you wish, but this will lead you to the worst imaginable loss: a loss of oneself as one goes to hell, and the loss of family and kin, be they believers or unbelievers. If those relatives are believers, the idolaters will have lost them as each group goes their separate ways, and if they are unbelievers, the loss is the same as they all will have lost themselves in hell: “Such is the ultimate loss.” (Verse 15)
Tunaona picha inayoonyesha ukubwa wa hasara hiyo: "Juu yao kutakuwa na tabaka za moto, na chini yao kutakuwa na tabaka za moto. Hivyo ndivyo Mwenyezi Mungu anavyowatia hofu waja Wake: Enyi waja Wangu! Niogopeni!" (Aya ya 16) Ni tukio linalotia hofu ya kweli mioyoni mwa watu, likionyesha moto wa tabaka unaowazunguka watu kutoka juu na kutoka chini.
We then have a picture showing the extent of the loss: “Above them there shall be layers of fire, and layers of fire shall be beneath them. In this way God puts fear into His servants’ hearts: My servants! Fear Me!’“ (Verse 16) It is a scene that strikes real fear in people’s hearts, showing the fire in layers that engulfs people from above and below.
Wanaonekana ndani ya tabaka hizi wanapozidi kuwakaribia kutoka pande zote. Hata hivyo, tabaka hizi ni moto. Mwenyezi Mungu anawaonyesha waja Wake picha hii wakiwa duniani, bado wana nafasi ya kubadilisha mwenendo wao: “Kwa namna hii Mwenyezi Mungu huwatia hofu waja Wake mioyoni.” (Aya ya 16) Anawaita wakiwaonya ili waweze kuchagua njia ya usalama: “Enyi waja Wangu! Mcheni Mimi” (Aya ya 16)
They are seen within these layers as they close in on them from all sides. Yet these layers are fire. God shows this picture to His servants while they are on earth and still have the chance to change their ways: “In this way God puts fear into His servants’ hearts.” (Verse 16) He calls on them warning them so that they may choose the way to safety: “My servants! Fear Met” (Verse 16)
Upande wa pili wamesimama wale walio salama, waliohofu hatima hii na kufanya yale yanayohitajika ili kuiepuka:
On the other side stand those who are safe, having feared this fate and done what is necessary to avoid it:
Kuna habari njema kwa wale wanaojiepusha na kuabudu miungu ya uongo na kumgeukia Mwenyezi Mungu. Basi wape habari njema waja Wangu, ambao husikiliza kwa makini kile kinachosemwa na kufuata lililo bora zaidi kati yake. Hao ndio ambao Mwenyezi Mungu amewaneemesha kwa uongofu Wake, na hao ndio wenye akili timamu.
(Aya 17-18)
There is good news for those who shun the worship of false deities and turn to God, so give good news to My servants, who listen carefully to what is said and follow the best of it. These are the ones whom God has graced with His guidance, and these are the ones endowed with insight. (Verses 17-18)
“Miungu ya uongo” hutajwa hapa kwa neno ţāghut, linalodokeza hisia ya kupita kiasi mipaka. Wale wanaokataa kuabudu ţāghut ni wale wanaokataa kuabudu mwingine yeyote asiyekuwa Mungu kwa namna yoyote ile. Ni wale wanaomgeukia Mungu, wanaosimama mbele Yake na kumwabudu Yeye peke yake. Hawa wana habari njema zinazotolewa kwao moja kwa moja kutoka juu mbinguni. Mtume ﷺ anawapa habari hizi njema kwa amri ya Mungu: “Basi wape habari njema waja Wangu.” Ukweli kwamba habari hii inatoka juu mbinguni na inawasilishwa na Mtume mtukufu ﷺ ni baraka kubwa yenyewe.
‘False deities’ are referred to here by the word ţāghut, which implies an exaggerated sense of exceeding the bounds. Those who shun the worship of ţāghut are the ones who reject the worship of anyone other than God in any form whatsoever. They are the ones who turn to God, stand in front of Him and worship Him alone. These have good news issued to them directly from on high. The Prophet is giving them this good news by God’s order: “So give good news to My servants.” The fact that this news comes from on high and is delivered by the noble Messenger is in itself a great blessing.
Mojawapo ya sifa za watu hawa ni kwamba husikiliza chochote kinachosemwa, lakini mioyo na akili zao huchukua yaliyo bora tu na kuyatupa mengine. Hivyo, maneno pekee wanayoyapokea ni yale mema zaidi yanayoboresha na kutakasa mioyo na nafsi za watu. Nafsi njema huwa tayari kila wakati kupokea maneno mema na kuyajibu, wakati nafsi chafu hupokea yale machafu tu. "Hao ndio ambao Mwenyezi Mungu amewaneemesha kwa uongofu Wake." (Aya ya 18) Yeye anajua kwamba wao ni wema kweli katika mioyo na nafsi zao, na kwa hiyo amewaongoza kusikiliza na kujibu yaliyo bora kati ya yanayosemwa. Uongofu hutoka kwa Mwenyezi Mungu pekee.
One quality of such people is that they listen to whatever is being said, but their hearts and minds pick up only the best of it and discard the rest. Thus, the only words that they actually receive are the best words that improve and purify people’s hearts and souls. A good soul is always ready to receive good words and respond to them, while the one which is foul receives only what is foul. “These are the ones whom God has graced with His guidance.” (Verse 18) He knows that they are genuinely good in their hearts and souls and He, therefore, guided them to listen and respond to the best of what is said. Guidance comes only from God.
"Na hao ndio wenye akili." (Aya ya 18) Ni akili timamu inayomwongoza mtu kwenye utakaso wa nafsi na usalama. Yeyote asiyefuata njia inayohakikisha usalama kama huo anaonekana kunyimwa akili timamu na busara, ambazo ni neema alizopewa na Mwenyezi Mungu.
“And these are the ones endowed with insight.” (Verse 18) It is a sound mind that leads a person to self-purification and safety. Anyone who does not follow the way that ensures such safety appears to be deprived of a sound mind and insight, which are blessings given by God.
Kabla ya kuonyesha baraka ambazo watu hawa watazifurahia katika maisha ya Akhera, sura inaeleza kwamba wale waliowaabudu miungu ya uongo tayari wamefikia Jahannamu. Basi ni nani atakayewaokoa kutoka moto wake? "Je, vipi kuhusu yule ambaye hukumu ya adhabu ya Mungu imekwishampasa? Je, wewe waweza kuwaokoa wale ambao tayari wamo motoni?" (Aya ya 19) Anwani hii inaelekezwa kwa Mtume ﷺ. Ikiwa yeye hawezi kuwaokoa kutoka motoni, basi ni nani mwingine anayeweza?
Before showing us the blessings these people enjoy in the life to come, the sūrah states that those who worshipped false deities have already reached hell. Who can save them from its fire, then? “How about one on whom God’s sentence of punishment has been passed? Can you rescue those who are already in the fire?” (Verse 19) This address is made to the Prophet (peace be upon him). If he cannot save them from the fire, who else can?
Wanaonyeshwa hapa kana kwamba tayari wamo motoni, kwa kuwa hukumu ya adhabu imeshatolewa juu yao. Sambamba na hayo ni taswira ya wale waliomcha Mungu kwa kweli.
They are pictured here as if they are already in the fire, since the sentence of punishment has been passed on them. Juxtaposed with this is the image of those who truly feared God:
Lakini wale wanaomcha Mungu watapata majumba ya juu yaliyojengwa juu ya majumba mengine, chini yake yakitiririka mito. Hiyo ni ahadi ya Mungu. Mungu hakai kutimiza ahadi yake.
As against this, those who are God-fearing will have lofty mansions raised upon mansions high, beneath which running waters flow. This is God’s promise. Never does God fail to fulfil His promise. (Verse 20)
Onyesho hili linaonyesha makasri yaliyojengwa juu ya makasri mengine, huku mito ikitiririka chini yake. Yote haya yanatofautiana na picha ya tabaka za moto zinazowazunguka kundi jingine kutoka juu na chini. Kuchora tofauti za namna hii ni sifa ya mtindo wa Qur'ani. Hivyo ndivyo ahadi ya Mungu ilivyo, nayo daima itatimia.
The scene depicts mansions raised upon high mansions, with streams flowing below. All this contrasts with the image of layers of fire engulfing the other group from above and below. Drawing such contrasts is a characteristic of the Qur’ānic style. Such is God’s promise, which will always come true.
Waislamu wale waliokuwa wa kwanza kupokea Qur'ani walizishuhudia na kuziishi hali hizi katika maisha yao ya kila siku. Kwao, hizi hazikuwa ahadi au vitisho vilivyotolewa kutoka mbali, vikizungumzia wakati ujao wa mbali; zilikuwa uhalisia ambao waliuona na kuuhisi.
Those Muslims who were the first to receive the Qur’ān interacted with these scenes in their practical lives. To them, they were not mere promises or threats issued from afar, speaking about a distant future; they were a reality they saw and felt.
Kwa hiyo, kwa kweli waliathiriwa nao. Maisha yao duniani yalionyesha uhalisia wa Akhera ambao waliuhisi na karibu kuuishi wakiwa bado hai katika maisha haya.
Hence, they were truly influenced by them. Their lives on earth reflected the reality of the Hereafter which they felt and almost experienced while still extant in this life.
Hivi ndivyo Muislamu anavyopaswa kupokea ahadi ya Mungu.
It is in this way that a Muslim should receive God’s promise.