Sura boshida to'rtta alohida harf keladi, bu harflar ikkinchi va uchinchi suralarning boshida kelgan harflarga o'xshaydi. Ushbu alohida harflar haqida o'z tafsirimizda bu suralarni sharhlaganimizda, ular Qur'on Arablar o'z tillarida qo'llaydigan Arab alifbosidan tuzilgan so'zlardan iborat ekanligiga ishora qiladi, degan qarashni qo'llab-quvvatlaganmiz. Shunga qaramay, ular bu harflar va tovushlardan Qur'onga o'xshash nutq tuzishga ojiz. Bu o'zi Qur'onning inson tomonidan yaratilmaganini isbotlaydi. Aks holda, nega bu harflar, tovushlar va so'zlar arablarning qo'lida bo'lsa-da, ular ulardan Qur'onga o'xshash hech narsa yarata olmaganini qanday izohlash mumkin? Demak, Qur'onga o'ziga xos xususiyat beradigan boshqa bir omil bo'lishi kerak. Bizningcha, bu surralarning boshida keladigan alohida harflarning eng ehtimolli izohi ham shudir. Ularni qanday maqsadda ishlatishni Alloh yaxshi biladi. Shu sababli, bu to'rt harfni birgalikda gapning ega qismi sifatida ko'rib chiqish mumkin, tarjimada u "bu" deb berilgan. Bu shuni anglatadiki, bu harflar va ulardan hamda boshqa harflardan tuzilgan narsa "yuqoridan nozil qilingan kitob"dir. Boshqa tomondan, bu harflarni ortidan kelayotgan ma'noga diqqatimizni tortadigan tovushlar sifatida qarash mumkin, bu esa kitobning yuqoridan nozil qilinganligini bildiradi.

The sūrah begins with four separate letters, similar to those that occur at the beginning of the second and third sūrahs. When we discussed such separate letters in our commentary on these sūrahs, we expressed our support of the view that these letters are meant as a reference to the fact that the Qur’ān is composed of words made up of the Arabic alphabet which Arabs use in their language. Nevertheless, it is impossible for them to make up from these letters and sounds a discourse similar to that of the Qur’ān. This in itself proves that the Qur’ān is not composed by a human being. How else can we explain the fact that these letters, sounds and words were available to the Arabs and yet they could not make of them anything similar to the Qur’ān. There must be, then, some other element which gives the Qur’ān its unique character. We feel that this is perhaps the most likely interpretation of these separate letters occurring at the beginning of some sūrahs. God knows best the purpose He has in mind for using them. It is possible, therefore, to consider these four letters together as the subject of a sentence, which is given in the translation as, “this”, which means that those letters and what is composed of them and of other letters are “the book bestowed from on high”. On the other hand, we may take these letters as sounds serving to alert us to the meaning that follows which suggests that the book has been revealed from on high.

“Bu sizga yuqoridan nozil qilingan kitobdir.” (2-oyat) Demak, bu kitob ogohlantirish uchun nozil qilingan, shunda Payg‘ambar ﷺ odamlarni, garchi ular bunga yoqtirmasalar ham, uning xabari bilan yuzma-yuz qila oladilar. Uning xabari shu tariqa e’tiqodlarga, an’analarga, ijtimoiy me’yorlarga va mavjud tuzumlarga qarshi qo‘yiladi. Bu esa kitob yuklagan vazifa borasida shubha va qiyinchilik hislarini paydo qilishga yetarli sababdir. Bunga faqat shu ko‘rsatmani amalga oshirishni xohlaydigan va bu kitobning xabarini jamiyatda baland ko‘tarishni istaydiganlargina tushuna oladi. Shunday qilib, ular insoniyat jamiyatining tuzumini butunlay va to‘liq o‘zgartirishni maqsad qiladilar: poydevoridan boshlab tashqi ko‘rinishi va mayda tafsilotlarigacha. Demak, bu kitobning xabarini birinchi bo‘lib yetkazishi lozim bo‘lgan Payg‘ambar ﷺ Arabistonda va butun dunyoda hukm surgan johiliyat holatiga yuzma-yuz kelganida, bularning hammasini his qilgan bo‘lishi kerak.

Islam is not merely an event of history that took place at a particular point in time and then completed its role. Today it has a role to play similar to the one it played when it first confronted humanity. Indeed, the circumstances, social systems, beliefs, values and traditions that prevail in the world today are not unlike those that prevailed when Islam first addressed mankind. The term jāhiliyyah refers to a state of affairs, not to a particular period in history. Today it prevails everywhere and applies to all types of beliefs, doctrines, systems and circumstances. It is based on assigning sovereignty and legislative authority to human beings instead of acknowledging that such authority belongs to God alone. The very foundation of this state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, makes human caprice, desire or thought the ultimate arbiter in human affairs, instead of adopting the divine code as the law to be implemented. Jāhiliyyah may take different shapes and forms, adopt different names and follow a variety of creeds, but in all its versions it has the same basic role in determining its nature.

Islam is not a mere event of history that took place at a particular point in time and completed its role. Today it has a role to play similar to that which it played when it first confronted humanity. Indeed, the circumstances, social systems, beliefs, values and traditions that prevail in the world today are not dissimilar to those which prevailed when Islam first addressed mankind. The term jāhiliyyah refers to a state of affairs, not to a particular period in history. Today, it prevails everywhere and applies to all types of beliefs, doctrines, systems and circumstances. It is based on assigning sovereignty and legislative authority to human beings instead of acknowledging that such authority belongs to God alone. The very foundation of this state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, makes human caprice or desire or thought the ultimate arbiter in human affairs instead of adopting the divine code as the law to implement. Jāhiliyyah may take different shapes and forms, adopt different names, follow a variety of creeds, but in all its versions it has the same basic role determining its nature.

Ushbu mezonni qabul qilsak, bugun butun dunyoda johiliyat holati hukm surayotgani aniq ko‘rinadi. Islom esa bir vujud sifatida mavjud bo‘lmay qoldi. Uning da'vatchilarining maqsadi xuddi Allohning Elchisi ﷺ o‘zlarini bag‘ishlagan maqsad bilan bir xil. Ular ham o‘sha paytda Payg‘ambar ﷺ duch kelgan turdagi qarshilikka duch kelmoqdalar. Shu sababli ular ushbu Qur'on oyatidagi eslatmani tinglashlari kerak: {Bu sizga yuqoridan nozil qilingan kitobdir — unda hech shubha qilmang — toki uning xabari bilan odamlarni ogohlantirasiz va mo‘minlarga nasihat qilasiz.} Bu haqiqatni batafsilroq tushuntirish zarur.

Adopting this criterion, it is clear that a state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, prevails today throughout the world. Islam, on the other hand, has ceased to exist as an entity. Its advocates have the same objective for which the Prophet Muhammad, God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) dedicated himself. They face the same type of opposition he faced. Hence, they should listen to the same reminder contained in this Qur’ānic verse: “This is a book that has been bestowed on you from on high — so do not entertain any doubt about it — in order that you may warn people with its message, and admonish the believers.” This fact needs some elaboration.

Shu vazifani Alloh O'z Elchisiga topshirar ekan, uni Qur'on tomonidan birinchi marta xitob qilingan arablarga, shuningdek Islom johiliyyat zanjirlaridan qutqarishga intilgan barcha xalq va jamoalarga berilgan buyruq bilan davom ettiradi. Bu barcha jamoalarga ushbu ilohiy kitobda nozil qilingan narsaga ergashish va Xudodan boshqa hech qanday xo'jayinlarga ergashmaslik buyuriladi. Masalaning mohiyati ana shunda.

As God assigns this task to His Messenger, He follows it with an order given to the Arabs addressed by the Qur’ān for the first time, and indeed to all nations and communities whom Islam tries to save from the shackles of jāhiliyyah. All such communities are ordered to follow what is revealed in this divine scripture and to refrain from following any masters other then God. This is the crux of the matter:

Biz, insonlar, hayotimizni tartibga solishda kimga ergashishimiz kerak? Agar ilohiy buyruqlarga ergashsak, biz o‘zimizni Allohga bo‘ysunduruvchi musulmonmiz. Boshqa mavjudotlarning buyruqlariga ergashganlar esa mushriklardir. Ikki holat bir-biriga butunlay zid bo‘lib, ular o‘rtasida hech qanday umumiy nuqta bo‘lishi mumkin emas. Islom xabarining markaziy masalasi ana shudir: «Parvardigoringiz tomonidan sizga nozil qilinganga ergashing va Undan boshqa homiylarga ergashmang. Qanchalik kam eslaysiz» (3-oyat).

whom are we, human beings, to follow in conducting our lives? If we follow divine orders, then we are Muslims who submit ourselves to God. Those who follow the orders of other beings are idolaters. The two situations are diametrically opposed and there cannot be any meeting point between them. This is the central issue in the message of Islam: “Follow what has been sent down to you by your Lord, and follow no masters other than Him. How seldom do you keep this in mind” (Verse 3)

Shuni ta'kidlash kerakki, Payg'ambar ﷺ bevosita murojaat qilinganda, kitob unga shaxsan nozil qilingan deb tasvirlanadi: “Bu sizga yuqoridan nozil qilingan kitobdir.” (2-oyat) Shu bilan birga, butun insoniyatga murojaat qilinganda, kitob ularning Rabbi tomonidan ularga nozil qilingan deb tasvirlanadi:

It should be noted here that when the Prophet was addressed in person, the hook is described as having been sent down to him personally: “This is a book that has been bestowed on you from on high.” (Verse 2) At the same time, when all mankind are addressed, the book is described as having been sent down to them from their Lord:

"Rabbingiz tomonidan sizga nozil qilinganga ergashing." (3-oyat) Payg'ambar (alayhissalom) holatida kitob unga nozil qilingan, shunda u unga ishonishi, odamlarni ogohlantirishi va uning xabari bilan ularni eslatishi uchun. Boshqa insonlar holatida esa kitob ularga nozil qilingan, shunda ular unga ishonishi va boshqa har qanday manbadan voz kechib, unga ergashishi uchun. Ikkala holatda ham ushbu vahiy orqali sharaf-ehtirom beriladi. Yer yuzidagi biror kishiga Alloh kitob nozil qilib, uni shu vazifa uchun tanlab, unga shuncha ne'mat va baraka ato etgan ekan, u eslab, shukr qilishi kerak. U shuningdek, vazifaga kuch-quvvat va qat'iyat bilan kirishishi lozim.