Sūrah hii ni kitengo kimoja, kigumu kukigawanya katika sehemu na vipengele vidogo. Kwa upande huu inafanana na Sūrah 6, Ng'ombe, ambayo inachukua Juzuu ya V ya kazi hii.

This sūrah is a single unit, difficult to divide into sections and subunits. In this respect it is similar to Sūrah 6, Cattle, which takes up Volume V of this work.

Hata hivyo, kila moja kati ya sura hizi mbili lina tabia yake ya kipekee. Sura hii pia hutiririka katika mawimbi mfululizo ili kuamsha nyoyo zetu, ikichagua midundo mbalimbali kwa hotuba yake. Mwanzoni, inastaajabia jinsi wasioamini walivyopokea Qur'ani, ufunuo mpya kutoka juu, kisha inafuatisha na picha za ulimwengu zinazoakisi ukweli wa uumbaji wa Mungu na udhibiti wake juu ya ulimwengu. Hii inafuatiwa na picha za Siku ya Hukumu. Inatafakari jinsi watu wanavyoitikia matukio wanayoyashuhudia, na hatima ya jamii zilizotangulia. Mada zake nyingine zimeshatajwa tayari katika Utangulizi.

However, each of the two sūrahs has its own distinctive character. This sūrah also flows in successive waves to inspire our hearts, choosing various rhythms for its address. It wonders at the outset how the unbelievers received the Qur’ān, the new revelation from on high, and follows this with scenes of the universe which reflect the truth of God’s creation and His control of the universe. This is followed with scenes of the Day of Judgement. It reflects on how people react to the events they witness and on the fate of earlier communities. Its other themes have already been referred to in the Prologue.

Ikiwa tutalazimika kugawanya sūrah katika sehemu, basi sehemu ya kwanza inachukua zaidi ya nusu yake ya mwanzo, na hili linatiririka kwa urahisi kabisa. Inafuatiwa na simulizi fupi kuhusu Nabii Nuhu na utume wake, pamoja na marejeo mafupi kuhusu manabii waliotumwa baada yake, kisha simulizi la historia ya Nabii Musa na marejeo kuhusu Nabii Yunus na jamii yake. Simulizi na marejeo haya yanaunda sehemu nyingine. Aya za mwisho za sūrah zinaunda sehemu yake peke yake.

If we have to divide the sūrah into sections, then the first one occupies more than its first half and this flows with perfect ease. This is followed by a short account of the Prophet Noah and his mission, and a brief reference to the prophets sent after him, before giving an account of the history of the Prophet Moses and a reference to the Prophet Jonah and his community. These accounts and references form another section. The final verses in the sūrah form a section of their own.

Kwa kuzingatia asili ya sura hii, tutajaribu kuijadili kwa makundi ya mawimbi yanayoshughulikia mada zinazohusiana.

In view of the nature of this sūrah, we will attempt to discuss it in groups of waves addressing related themes.

"Alif. Lām. Rā. Hizi ni aya za kitabu cha Mwenyezi Mungu, chenye hekima tele." (Aya ya 1) Hizi ni herufi tatu za alfabeti ya Kiarabu, ambazo kutokana nazo zimeundwa aya zote za kitabu hiki cha Mwenyezi Mungu chenye hekima tele. Makafiri wanakanusha kwamba Mwenyezi Mungu aliteremsha kitabu hiki kwa Mtume Wake. Zaidi ya hayo, ingawa wanatambua kwamba hizi ni herufi za lugha yao, hawawezi kutoa hata aya moja inayofanana na yale yaliyomo ndani ya Qur’ān. Kwa kweli, sura hiyo inajumuisha changamoto kwao ya kufanya hivyo. Hata hivyo, kushindwa kwao kukubali changamoto hiyo hakuwaongoza kutafakari kwamba kitu ambacho Mtume wa Mwenyezi Mungu anacho, na wao hawanacho, ni wahyi anaopokea kutoka juu mbinguni. Lau isingekuwa wahyi, yeye angekabiliwa na tatizo hilo hilo, na asingeweza kutunga kutokana na herufi hizi, ambazo zinapatikana kwa wote, aya hata moja kama ile ya Qur’ān.

“Alif. Lām. Rā. These are verses of the divine book, full of wisdom.” (Verse 1) These are three letters of the Arabic alphabet from which all the verses of this divine book that is full of wisdom are composed. The unbelievers deny that God revealed this book to His Messenger. Furthermore, whilst they realize that these are the letters of their language, they are unable to produce a single verse similar to what the Qur’ān contains. In fact the sūrah includes a challenge to them to do so. Yet their inability to take up that challenge does not lead them to reflect that the thing which God’s Messenger has and they lack is the revelation he receives from on high. Had it not been for revelation, he would have had the same difficulty, and would have been unable to compose out of these letters that are available to all a single verse like the Qur’ān.

“Haya ni aya za Kitabu chenye hekima.” (Aya 1) Hakika ni Kitabu chenye hekima kinachowazungumzia wanadamu kwa yale yanayolingana na maumbile ya binadamu. Katika sura hii kinaeleza baadhi ya mambo ambayo ni ya kweli daima kuhusu maumbile ya binadamu, yanayojidhihirisha katika kila kizazi. Kwa hekima yake, kinawaita wale wasiojali waamke na kutafakari alama wanazoziona kila upande katika ulimwengu mpana, mbinguni na ardhini, jua na mwezi, usiku na mchana, hatima ya jamii zilizotangulia na jinsi zilivyoitikia miito ya Mitume wao, na katika kila kitu kinachoashiria nguvu kubwa inayoendesha na kupanga kuwepo kwote.

“These are verses of the divine book, full of wisdom.” (Verse 1) It is indeed a wise book which addresses human beings with what suits human nature. It portrays in the present sūrah some aspects that are always true of human nature, reflected across every generation. In its wisdom it calls on those who remain unaware to wake up and reflect on the signs they see all around them in the wide universe, in the heavens and the earth, in the sun and the moon, in the night and day, in the fate of earlier communities and how they had responded to the appeals of their messengers, and in everything that points to the great power that conducts and regulates all existence.

Hekima ya Mwenyezi Mungu inaonekana wazi katika kuchagua kuteremsha wahyi Wake kwa mtu miongoni mwao, mtu waliyemjua vizuri. Hivyo wangeweza kupokea na kutoa kutoka kwake bila ugumu wala aibu. Hekima Yake katika kutuma Mitume ni dhahiri zaidi. Kwa asili yake, mwanadamu anaweza kukubali na kufuata jambo jema au baya. Chombo chake cha kutofautisha kati ya hayo mawili ni akili yake. Akili hii inahitaji kipimo sahihi ambacho inaweza kukirejea kila mara mambo yanapokuwa na shaka na kutokuwa wazi, au pale matamanio au maslahi ya papo hapo yanapoathiri hukumu yake. Anahitaji kipimo kisichoathiriwa kabisa na chochote kinachoathiri mwili wa binadamu, fikra zake au tabia yake, ili kumpa jibu sahihi kuhusu jambo lolote lenye kutokuwa na uhakika. Kipimo na kigezo hicho si kingine isipokuwa uongofu wa Mwenyezi Mungu na sheria Yake.

God’s wisdom is clearly apparent in choosing to send down His revelations to a man from among themselves and one whom they knew well. Thus they could give and take from him without difficulty or embarrassment. His wisdom in sending messengers is even clearer. By his very nature, man can accept and follow good or evil. His tool to distinguish between the two is his reason. This reason needs to have an accurate criterion to which it can refer whenever things become doubtful and unclear, or whenever temptations or immediate interests affect his judgement. He needs a measure which is totally unaffected by anything that influences the human body, mentality or temperament, so as to give him the right answer concerning any uncertainty. This measure and criterion is nothing other than God’s guidance and His law.

Hili linahitaji kwamba imani ya kimungu iwe msingi thabiti ambao akili ya binadamu hurejea nao dhana zake zote na mawazo yake yote, ili kubainisha ni yapi kati ya hayo ni sahihi na yapi ni ya uongo. Kusema, kinyume chake, kwamba imani ya kimungu daima huakisi jinsi watu wanavyoielewa imani hii, na kwa hiyo inaweza kubadilika na kukua, ni kufanya msingi wake uathiriwe na dhana na mantiki za kibinadamu. Hili linaudhoofisha msingi wote na halibakishi kipimo wala kigezo kinachofaa cha kupimia dhana za kibinadamu.

This requires that divine faith should provide a firm basis to which the human mind refers all its concepts and ideas in order to determine which of them are correct and which are false. To say, by contrast, that divine faith always reflects how people conceive this faith which is, consequently, liable to evolve and develop, is to make his basis subject to influence by human concepts and logic. This undermines the whole basis and leaves no proper measure or criterion to evaluate human concepts.

Mtazamo kama huo si tofauti sana na kusema kwamba dini imetengenezwa na binadamu.

Such a view is not much different from saying that religion is of human making.

"Bwana wenu ni Mungu aliyeziumba mbingu na ardhi katika siku sita." (Aya ya 3) Bwana wenu anayestahiki kuabudiwa peke yake ndiye Muumba wa kila kitu kilichopo. Ndiye aliyeziumba mbingu na ardhi kwa mpango wa uumbaji wenye kina na kwa kusudi lenye hekima. Alifanya haya yote "katika siku sita". Hatutaingia katika mjadala wowote kuhusu siku hizi sita, kwa kuwa zimetajwa hapa tu kuonyesha hekima iliyo nyuma ya mpango wa kina wa uumbaji, na jinsi mambo ya ulimwengu yanavyoendeshwa ili kulingana na kusudi la Mungu. Hata hivyo, siku hizi sita ziko katika eneo ambalo Mungu amelibakiza kwake mwenyewe. Hatuwezi kujua ni zipi isipokuwa Yeye akichagua kutujulisha.

“Your Lord is God who created the heavens and the earth in six days.” (Verse 3) Your Lord who deserves to be worshipped alone is the Creator of all that is. It is He who created the heavens and the earth according to an elaborate plan of creation and to wise purpose. He did all this ‘in six days’. We will not delve into any argument about these six days, for they are mentioned here only to point to the wisdom behind the elaborate planning of creation and how the affairs of the universe are conducted so as to suit God’s purpose. Anyway, these six days belong to the realm that God has kept to Himself. We cannot find what they are unless He chooses to inform us.

Kwa hiyo, hatupiti kile kilichotajwa kuwahusu katika Qur’ān.

Hence, we do not go beyond what is stated about them in the Qur’ān.

"Na akaketi juu ya Kiti cha Enzi." (Aya ya 3) Usemi huu unaashiria nafasi ya mamlaka thabiti na ya jumla inayotekelezwa na kiumbe cha juu. Unatoa taswira ya kimwili katika mtindo usioigika wa Qur’ani. Kiunganishi, 'na', kimetumika katika maandishi ya Kiarabu kwa umbo la 'kisha', lakini hakionyeshi mpangilio wowote wa kimpangilio wa wakati. Kinaonyesha tu kipimo cha kiakili. Wakati hauna maana katika muktadha huu. Hakuna hali wala umbo linalomhusu Mungu ambalo lilitokea baada ya kutokuwepo. Mungu ametakasika katika utukufu Wake usio na kikomo. Hayuko chini ya tukio linalotokea, wala ya yote ambayo matukio huhusisha ya wakati na mahali. § Kwa hiyo tunasema kwa msisitizo kwamba 'na', katika muktadha huu, linaonyesha kipimo cha kiakili.

“And established Himself on the Throne.” (Verse 3) This expression indicates a position of a firm, overall authority exercised by a higher being. It gives a physical image in the inimitable style of the Qur’ān. The conjunction, ‘and’, is used in the Arabic text in the form of ‘then’, but it does not indicate any chronological order. It only indicates a mental dimension. Time has no significance in this context. There is simply no state or form applicable to God which came into existence after it was not there. Limitless is God in His glory. He is not subject to an event taking place, and all that events entail of time and location. § Hence we emphatically say that ‘and’, in the present context, indicates a mental dimension.