Aya hii ya mwisho katika sura inazungumzia washirikina na yale waliyosema dhidi ya Mtume ﷺ na Qur'ani iliyoteremshwa kwake. Inawakumbusha yaliyowapata wengine walio kama wao waliokanusha ufunuo wa Mungu, na jinsi adhabu ya Mungu ilivyowazidi nguvu ingawa walikuwa wenye nguvu zaidi, wenye mali zaidi na wenye elimu zaidi kuliko wakafiri wa Kiarabu.

This last passage in the sūrah speaks about the idolaters and what they said against the Prophet and the Qur’ān that was revealed to him. It reminds them of what happened to others like them who denied God’s revelations and how His punishment overwhelmed them even though they were stronger, wealthier and more knowledgeable than the Arab unbelievers.

Hii inafuatiwa na tahadhari kadhaa kali, kila moja ikigonga kama nyundo. Ya kwanza inawataka wasimame mbele ya Mungu baada ya kuondoa kila ushawishi unaowazuia kupima kwa uadilifu wito unaowaelekezea. Tahadhari ya pili inawaalika kutafakari nia halisi ya Mtume wa Mungu ﷺ anapowasihi mara kwa mara wakubali ujumbe wa Mungu na kumwamini Yeye, ilhali hana chochote cha kupata kutokana na hilo. Kwa kuwa hawaombi malipo yoyote kwa malipo yake, kwa nini wamtilie shaka uaminifu wake na kugeuka? Tahadhari nyingine zinafuata, kila moja ikitikisa nyoyo za watu kwa nguvu.

This is followed by several hard notes, each resounding like a hammer. The first one calls on them to stand before God after shedding all influences that prevent them from objectively assessing the call that is addressed to them. The second note invites them to reflect on the real motives of God’s Messenger when he repeatedly calls on them to accept God’s message and believe in Him, when he has nothing to gain from this. Since he does not ask them for any wages in return, why should they doubt his sincerity and turn away? Further notes follow, each violently shaking people’s hearts.

Sura hii inamalizika kwa onyesho kutoka Siku ya Kiyama lenye harakati kali za kutisha, ambalo linaendana kikamilifu na sauti kali zilizotangulia.

The sūrah concludes with a scene from the Day of Judgement that is full of violent movement and which fits perfectly with the preceding strong tones.

Wakati aya zetu zinaposomwa kwao zikiwa wazi kabisa, husema: "Huyu si chochote ila ni mtu anayetaka kukugeuza na kukuondoa kwenye yale aliyokuwa akiyaabudu baba zenu." Pia husema: "Hii si chochote ila ni uongo uliozuliwa." Zaidi ya hayo, ukweli unapowajia, wasioamini husema: "Hii ni uchawi mtupu." Hata hivyo, hatujawahi kuwapa vitabu vya kusoma, wala hatujakutumia mwonyaji yeyote kabla yako. Waliotangulia kabla yao nao waliukanusha ukweli. Watu hawa hawajafikia hata sehemu ya kumi ya walichopewa wale waliotangulia, lakini walipowakanusha Mitume Wangu, adhabu Yangu ilikuwa ya kutisha namna gani! (Aya 43-45)

When Our revelations are recited to them in all their clarity, they say: ‘This is but a man who wants to turn you away from what your forefathers worshipped.’ They also say: ‘This is nothing but an invented falsehood.’ Furthermore, when the truth comes to them, the unbelievers will say: ‘This is just plain sorcery’ Yet never have We given them any books to study, nor have We sent them any warner before you. Those who have gone before them likewise denied the truth. These people have not attained even one tenth of what We gave their predecessors, yet when they denied My messengers, how terrible was My condemnation. (Verses 43-45)

Walikutana na ukweliulio wazi ambao Mtume ﷺ aliwasomea, lakini walikuwa na urithi uliochanganyikana wa mila za zamani ambazo hazikuwa na msingi wazi wala msingi imara. Walitambua kwamba ukweli rahisi, wazi na thabiti ambao ni Qur’ani ulikuwa tishio kubwa kwa mkusanyiko wao uliochanganyikana wa imani na mila walizorithi. Kwa hiyo walisema: “Huyu si chochote ila ni mtu anayetaka kukugeuza kutoka kile ambacho baba zenu walikuwa wakiabudu.” (Aya ya 43) Hata hivyo, walitambua kwamba hilo halikutosha. Kwamba lilipingana na imani za baba zao halikutosha kumshawishi kila mtu. Kwa hiyo, walihoji pia uaminifu wa Mjumbe aliyeufikisha ujumbe wa Mungu ﷺ: “Pia husema: Hii si kitu ila ni uongo uliozuliwa.” (Aya ya 43) Hakuna shaka kwamba kile kilicho ‘uongo’ lazima kiwe kimezuliwa, lakini walitaka kulipa mkazo zaidi kwa kusema “Hii si kitu ila ni uongo uliozuliwa.” (Aya ya 43) Kwa maneno mengine, walitaka kuudhoofisha, wakiibua shaka juu ya chanzo chake cha kimungu.

They met the clear truth the Prophet recited to them with a confused legacy of past traditions that had neither a clear basis nor solid foundation. They realized that the simple, clear and consistent truth that was the Qur’ān represented a serious threat to their confused medley of inherited beliefs and traditions. Hence they claimed: “This is but a man who wants to turn you away from what your forefathers worshipped.” (Verse 43) They realized, however, that this was not enough. That it contradicted their forefathers’ beliefs was not enough to convince everyone. Hence, they also questioned the honesty of the Messenger who delivered God’s message: “They also say: This is nothing but an invented falsehood.” (Verse 43) Needless to say, what is ‘false’ must be fabricated, but they wanted to give it stronger emphasis by saying “This is nothing but an invented falsehood.” (Verse 43) In other words, they sought to undermine it, raising doubts about its divine source.

Katika hatua hii Mtume ameagizwa kuwaita kwa dhati kabisa watafute ukweli, watofautishe kati ya lililo la uongo na lililo la kweli, na wapime hali waliyomo, bila upotoshaji wala kubuni.

At this point the Prophet is instructed to call on them in all sincerity to search for the truth, to distinguish between what is false and what is true, and to assess the situation they are in, free of distortion and fabrication:

Sema: Nakuusieni jambo moja: simameni mbele ya Mungu, wawili wawili au mmoja mmoja, na mfikiri: hakuna wazimu kwa Mwenzenu [Muhammad ﷺ]. Yeye ni mwonyaji tu kwenu wa adhabu kubwa inayokuja.

Say: I counsel you one thing: stand before God, in pairs or singly, and think: there is no madness in your Companion [Muĥammad]. He is only a warner to you of awesome suffering to come. (Verse 46)

Huu ni mwaliko wa kusimama mbele ya Mungu kwa dhati kamili, huku ukiondoa akilini mwako upendeleo wote wa kibinafsi, maslahi, nia, matamanio, pamoja na athari za mazingira na jamii. Ni mwaliko wa kuangalia ukweli kama ulivyo, wazi na rahisi. Mwaliko huu unalenga kuweka mbele ya macho yako hoja ya wazi ya maumbile ya binadamu, mbali na kila kitu kinachofunika au kuficha kilicho wazi na rahisi. Wakati huo huo, ni njia rahisi ya kutafuta ukweli, ukiyaacha kando mvuto wote wa nje na kumkumbuka Mungu peke yake.

This is an invitation to stand before God, in all sincerity, removing from one’s mind all personal prejudices, interests, motivations, desires, environmental and social influences. It is an invitation to look at the facts, plain and simple. This invitation seeks to put before their eyes the plain argument of human nature, away from everything that blurs or obscures what is clear and simple. At the same time, it is a simple means to search for truth, discarding all outside influences and being mindful only of God.

Kuna jambo moja tu linalohakikisha kwamba njia ni sahihi na mbinu ni thabiti. Jambo hilo ni kusimama mbele ya Mwenyezi Mungu kwa ikhlasi kamili, bila kutafuta kutosheleza upendeleo wowote, wala kuhakikisha faida yoyote ya kibinafsi au maslahi; na kuwa huru kutokana na athari zote na shinikizo zote; kisha kufikiri na kutafakari kwa ikhlasi kamili. Basi jambo hilo moja ni lipi?

There is only ‘one thing’, that ensures that the way is the right one and the method sound. This is to stand before God in all sincerity, looking to satisfy no prejudice, or ensure any personal gain or interest; and to be free of all influences and pressures; and then to think and reflect in complete sincerity. What, then, is this one thing?

"Simameni mbele ya Mungu, wawili wawili au mmoja mmoja:" "wawili wawili" ili mmoja aweze kumwambia mwenzake waziwazi na kujadiliana naye, bila kuathiriwa na umati wa watu na miitikio yao ya papo hapo, na "mmoja mmoja" ili uweze kukabiliana na ukweli kwa utulivu na kwa kutafakari.

Sura hii inamalizika kwa tukio la haraka na lenye nguvu kutoka Siku ya Kiyama, lililojaa mwendo mkali unaozunguka kati ya maisha haya na maisha ya Akhera, kana kwamba yote mawili yako ndani ya uwanja mmoja:

The sūrah concludes with a fast and powerful scene from the Day of Judgement, full of strong movement that goes to and fro between this life and the life to come, as if both are within the same domain:

Laiti ungeweza kuona wakati watakapokamatwa kwa hofu, wasiwe na pa kukimbilia; kwani watakuwa wamekamatwa kutoka mahali palipo karibu. Watasema: ‘Tunaamini hilo,’ lakini wangeweza vipi kulipata kutoka mbali namna hii, ilhali kwanza walikuwa wamelikanusha kabisa. Walikuwa wakilidharau kutoka mbali mambo yasiyoonekana. Kizuizi kitawekwa kati yao na kila kitu walichokitamani, kama kilivyofanyika kwa watu wa aina yao zamani. Walikuwa wamezama katika shaka iliyowachanganya. (Aya 51-54)

If you could but see when they are seized by terror, with nowhere to escape; for they will have been seized from a place nearby. They will say: ‘We do believe in it,’ but how could they attain it from so far away, seeing that they had at first denied it all. They used to cast scorn from far away on what is imperceptible. A barrier will be set between them and all that they desire, just as was done with their kind before. They were lost in perplexing doubt. (Verses 51-54)

"Laiti ungeweza kuona." Tukio liko hapo kutazamwa. "Watakapokamatwa kwa hofu," kwa sababu ya hali mbaya waliyojikuta ndani yake. Inaonekana wanaweza kujaribu kutafuta njia ya kutoka, lakini "hakuna pa kukimbilia." Hawana pa kugeukia: "watakamatwa kutoka mahali palipo karibu." Hawangeweza kwenda mbali kwa jaribio lao la kusikitisha.

“If you could but see.” The scene is there to look at. “When they are seized by terror” because of the terrible situation they find themselves in. It appears they may try to find a way out, but there is “nowhere to escape.” They have nowhere to turn: “they will have been seized from a place nearby.” They could not go far with their miserable attempt.

"Watasema: Sisi tunaamini humo," lakini sasa ni kuchelewa mno. Kwani, "wangewezaje kulipata kutoka mbali hivyo?" Wangewezaje kulirudisha katika hali yao mpya wakati mahali pa kuamini sasa ni mbali sana? Ilikuwa ikiwapatikania katika maisha yao ya duniani, lakini waliuacha wakati huo bila kuzingatia.

“They will say: We do believe in it,” but it is now too late. For, “how could they attain it from so far away?” How can they regain it in their new position when the place to believe is now so far away? It was available to them in their life in this world, but they let the chance go unheeded.