Katika kijitabu hiki, nimekupa wazo la wajibu ambao sisi kama Waislamu tunao kwa Qur'ani. Mwishoni, ninakusihi kwa msisitizo wote niliouweza kuwa ufanye juhudi za dhati kutekeleza wajibu huu kwa uangalifu mkubwa kabisa. Sisi ndio watu wenye bahati zaidi duniani kwa maana kwamba tunamiliki Kitabu cha Allah (SW) kikiwa kimehifadhiwa kikamilifu katika umbo lake la asili. Ingawa hili ni chanzo cha heshima kubwa kwetu, pia linatutwika dhamana nzito. Kabla ya kuja kwa Nabii Muhammad ﷺ, Waisraeli ndio walikuwa walinzi wa Kitabu cha Allah, lakini waliposhindwa kutekeleza majukumu yao na kuthibitika kutostahili heshima waliyopewa, Allah Mtukufu (SWT) aliinua Ummah mpya (yaani Waislamu) na kuwapa Mwongozo Wake katika umbo la Qur'ani. Katika Suratu Al-Jumu'ah tuna mfano wa watu ambao hawakutekeleza wajibu waliokabidhiwa kama walinzi wa Kitabu cha Allah.

In this booklet, I have given you an idea of the duties which we as Muslims owe to the Qur'an. In the end, I must urge you with all the emphasis at my command to make an earnesj effort to discharge these duties with utmost care. We are the most fortunate people in the world in the sense that we possess the Book of Allah (SW) perfectly intact in its original form. Whereas it is a cause of great honor for us, it also lays upon us a heavy responsibility. Prior to the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the Israelites were the custodians of Allah's Book, but when they did not discharge their responsibilities and proved unworthy of the honor conferred upon them, Almighty Allah (SVVT) raised a new Ummah (i.e., the Muslims) and vouchsafed His Guidance to them in the form of the Qur'an. In Surah Al-Jumu'ah we have a similitude of the people who did not fulfill the duties that devolved upon them as custodians of Allah's Book.

Mfano wa wale waliopewa jukumu la Taurat, kisha wakashindwa kulitekeleza, ni kama wa punda anayebeba vitabu vikubwa ... (Al-Jurnu'ah 625)

The similitude of those who were charged with the (obligation of) Torah, but who subsequently failed in this (obligation) is that of a donkey which carries huge volumes ... (Al-Jurnu'ah 625)

Katika sehemu inayofuata ya aya, imebainishwa wazi kwamba kushindwa kwao kutekeleza wajibu wao kuelekea Kitabu chao kitakatifu ni sawa na kukikanusha ukweli wake.

In the subsequent part of the ayah, it has been plainly stated that their failure to discharge their obligations towards their Holy Book is tantamount to their denying its truth:

... Mfano wa watu wanaokanusha aya za Allah ni mbaya kiasi gani .... (Al-Jumu 'ah 625)

... How bad is the similitude of people who deny the ayaat of Allah .... (Al-Jumu 'ah 625)

Aya inahitimishwa kwa tamko la wazi kabisa kwamba si katika tabia ya Allah kuwaongoza watu wa aina hiyo.

The ayah ends in the categorical declaration that it is not in Allah's nature to grant guidance to such people:

... na Mwenyezi Mungu hawaongoi watu madhalimu. (Al-Jumu'ah 625)

... and Allah guides not the people who are wrongdoers. (Al-Jumu'ah 625)

Mwenyezi Mungu apishie mbali sisi wenyewe au yeyote miongoni mwa wale wanaokanusha na kuikataa Kitabu cha Mwenyezi Mungu (SWT) kwa kuzembea kutimiza wajibu wetu kwake, na hivyo kujipatia ghadhabu ya Mwenyezi Mungu. Ninamwomba kwa dhati kabisa Mwenyezi Mungu (SWT) atufanye kuwa walinzi wa Qur'an kwa maana halisi ya neno hilo, na atuwezeshe kutekeleza wajibu wetu kwake kwa njia bora kabisa, ambayo itatuwezesha kupata radhi zake.

God forbid that you or I be included among the people who are guilty of denying and rejecting the Book of Allah (SVVT) by their negligence in the discharge of their obligations towards it and thus incur Allah's wrath. I most earnestly pray that Allah (SVVT) may make us custodians of the Qur'an in the real sense of the term, and enable us to fulfill our duties towards it in the best way, which may enable us to win His good pleasure.

Tunapaswa kukumbuka wakati ambapo Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ atasimama kama shahidi wa mashtaka katika Mahakama ya Mwenyezi Mungu (SWT), na atawashtaki watu wake kwa kuiacha Qur'ani.

We should remember the time when Allah's Messenger (SAW) will appear as a prosecution witness in the Court of the Almighty (SVVT) and charge his people with forsaking the Qur'an:

Na Mtume atasema: "Ee Mola wangu! Hakika watu wangu waliliacha Qur'ani hii." (Al-Furqan 25:30)

And the Messenger will say: "0 my Lord! Verily my people deserted this Qur'an. (Al-Furqan 2530)

Ingawa katika aya hii maneno "watu wangu" yanamaanisha makafiri waliozipuuza masikio yao kwa Qur'ani na kuidharau, bado linatumika kwa nguvu ile ile kwa watu kama sisi wanaoamini Qur'ani lakini kwa vitendo tumeikataa na kuiona kuwa kitu cha umuhimu mdogo au hakina maana yoyote.

Although in this ayah the words "my people" refer to the unbelievers who turned a deaf ear to the Qur'an and treated it with disdain, nevertheless it applies with equal cogency to people like us who believe in the Qur'an but have practically rejected it as a thing of least moment or consequence.

Hmm, I'm ready to translate, but the message you've sent is only a request to quote Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, and no English text for me to translate yet. Please paste the passage you'd like translated into Swahili, and I'll translate it.

Let me quote for your what Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (RA) has to say on this point.

Ingawa aya hii kwa hakika inahusu mwenendo wa makafiri, bado (ina upeo mpana zaidi, na) wote ambao hawathibitishi ukweli wa Qur'ani (kwa kuifuata kikweli mafundisho yake katika maisha yao), hawatafakari maana zake, hawaisomi ipasavyo, hawajitahidi kujifunza matamshi yake sahihi, bali hujishughulisha na aina zote za mambo ya kupoteza muda na yasiyo na maana wakiigeuzia Qur'ani migongo yao, nao pia (wanaingia katika maana yake na) wangehesabiwa kuwa na hatia ya kuiacha Qur'ani.19

Although the ayah really refers to the conduct of the unbelievers, yet (it has a wider application, and) all those who do not confirm the truth of the Qur'an (by actually following its teachings in their life), do not ponder over its meanings, do not recite it properly, do not try to learn its correct reading; but indulge in all sorts of vain and frivolous pursuits turning their back upon it (also come under its purview and) would be considered guilty of abandonment of the Qur'an.19

Niruhusu tena nitafute kinga ya Mwenyezi Mungu dhidi ya kujumuishwa kwetu miongoni mwa watu kama hao, na nihitimishe hotuba yangu kwa duaifuatayo, ambayo kwa kawaida hutolewa mara baada ya kumaliza kusoma Qur'ani yote, lakini ninaamini inapaswa kutolewa mara kwa mara ili Mwenyezi Mungu (SW) atupe nguvu za kutekeleza wajibu tulio nao kwa Kitabu Chake.

Let me once again seek Almighty's protection against our being included among such people, and conclude my discourse with the following prayer which is generally offered on completing the recitation of the whole Qur'an but which, I believe, should frequently be offered so that Almighty Allah (SW) may grant us strength to fulfill the duties we owe to His Book.

Ee Mola wangu! Uturehemie kwa sababu ya uhusiano wetu na Qur'an; ifanye kwetu kiongozi, nuru, mwongozo na rehema; tufanye tukumbuke kutoka ndani yake yale tuliyoshindwa kuyafahamu; tupe nguvu ya kuisoma usiku na mchana; na uifanye kuwa dua ya wokovu wetu, Ee Mola wa viumbe vyote. Amina! Hatimaye nakuletea kama zawadi dua moja inayopatikana katika hadithi iliyosimuliwa na Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (RAA). Ni dua ambayo Mtume Mtukufu ﷺ

0 my Lord! Be merciful to us because of (our link with) the Qur'an; make it for us a leader, (and a source of) light, guidance, and mercy, cause us to recall from it what we have failed to understand; give us strength to recite it .day and night; and make it a plea for our salvation, 0 Lord of the worlds. Ameen! Let me in the end present you the gift of a prayer which appears in a tradition narrated by Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (RAA). It is actually a prayer which the Holy Prophet (SAW)

...kuwekwa na Maswahaba wake (RAA) kama tiba ya majonzi na wasiwasi. Lakini hii ni dua tukufu inayoonyesha mtazamo wa mja bora kwa Bwana wake, na inaeleza athari ya uponyaji ya Qur'ani kwa nafsi ya binadamu.

prescribed for his Companions (RAA) as a remedy for cares and worries. But it is a splendid supplication that shows the attitude of an ideal bondsman towards his Master and describes the curative effect of the Qur'an on the human soul.

Pia inaonyesha ni kwa kiwango gani Mtume Mtukufu ﷺ alikuwa na kujitolea kwa Qur'ani na jinsi alivyokuwa akiithamini sana. Dua inaendelea hivi:

It also indicates how deep a devotion the Holy Prophet (SAW) had for the Qur'an and in how high an esteem he held it. The prayer runs as follows:

Ee Allah! Hakika mimi ni mtumwa Wako, mwana wa mtumwa Wako, na mwana wa mjakazi Wako. Niko chini ya Udhibiti Wako. Kipaji changu cha nywele kiko Mkononi Mwako. Hukumu Yako itatekelezwa juu yangu, na hukumu Yako katika shauri langu ni ya haki. Nakuomba kwa majina yote Uliyojiita nayo, au ambayo Umewafundisha baadhi ya viumbe Wako, au ambayo Umeyateremsha katika Kitabu Chako, au ambayo Umependelea kuyaweka siri katika ulimwengu wa Ghaibu, Uifanye Qur'ani kuwa chanzo cha furaha kwa moyo wangu na nuru kwa kifua changu, na chombo cha kuondoa huzuni yangu, na kuondoa wasiwasi wangu na mahangaiko yangu. Ikubali dua hii yangu, Ee Mola wa Maneno!

0 Allah! Verily I am Your bondsman, the son of Your bondsman, and the son of Your bondsmaid. I am under Your Control. My fore-lock is in 'Your Hand. Your decision is to be executed about me, and just shall be Your judgment in my case. I beg You - addressing You with all those names that You have named Yourself with, or that You have taught any of Your creatures, or that You have revealed in Your Book, or that You have preferred to keep secret in the realm of the Unseen - to make the Qur'an a source of delight for my heart and of light for my breast, and an instrument of dispelling my grief, and driving away my cares and worries. Accept this prayer of mine, 0 Lord of the Words!