Qur’ondan bahramand bo‘lish, bu parchada bayon etilgan voqealar va o‘tgan ummatlar hamda jamoalar tajribasining qadrini yanada yaxshiroq anglash imkonini beradi. Qur’on Musulmon jamoasining ilhomlantiruvchi kitobi, uning samimiy maslahatchisi va hayot yo‘lidagi yo‘lboshchisidir. Aynan Qur’on bilan Alloh taolo birinchi musulmon jamoasini shakllantirdi va unga Islom hayot tartibini amalga oshirish vazifasini yukladi. Payg‘ambarlik vafotidan keyin ham Qur’on kelajak musulmon avlodlarini insoniyatga yetakchilik qilish vazifasiga tayyorlaydigan yo‘lboshchi bo‘lib qolmoqda. Bu, Alloh taolo musulmon jamoasiga va'da bergan yetakchilik vazifasidir. U Uning hidoyatiga ergashish va'dasini ado etgan vaqtda beriladi hamda Qur’onga insonlar yaratgan barcha qonun va usullardan ustunlik berishni taqozo etadi.

We can better appreciate the value of this passage and the experience of past nations and communities it relates when we bear in mind that the Qur’ān is the inspiring book of the Muslim community, its sincere counsellor and guide through life. It was with the Qur’ān that God moulded the first Muslim community to which He assigned the task of implementing the Islamic code of living. After the Prophet’s death, the Qur’ān remains the guide which prepares future Muslim generations for their role of leadership of mankind. This is the role God has promised the Muslim community whenever it fulfils its pledges to follow His guidance, giving the Qur’ān supremacy over all man-made laws and methods.

Qur’on oddiy go‘zal oyatlar bo‘lib, uni faqat ohangdorligi uchun o‘qish kerak emas. U hayot davomida ta’lim va hidoyat beruvchi keng qamrovli konstitutsiyadir. Shu sababli u musulmonlarning yangi avlodlari foydasi uchun o‘tgan ummatlarning tajribasidan misollar keltiradi. U imonni targ‘ib qilishda o‘tgan tajribaga alohida e’tibor beradi va uning odamlar bilan amaliy hayotdagi o‘zaro munosabatini yoritib beradi. Qur’onda tasvirlangan bunday boy tajriba Islom da’vatchilarini ma’rifatli qilishda katta ahamiyatga ega.

The Qur’ān is not merely fine verses to be recited for enchantment. It is a comprehensive constitution providing education and guidance through life. Hence, it provides examples of the experience of past communities for the benefit of the new generations of Muslims. It lays special emphasis on past experience in the advocacy of faith, highlighting its interaction with people in practical life. Such wealth of experience portrayed in the Qur’ān is of great value in the enlightenment of the advocates of Islam.

Shu sababli Qur'oni Karimda ilhomlantiruvchi tarixiy hikoyalarning boy xazinasi mavjud. Bu hikoyalarning aksariyatini Isroil o'g'illari tarixi bayon etadi; buning turli sabablari uchta bobda muhokama qilingan edi. Shuni ham aytib o'tish kerakki, Yahudiylar tarixiga berilgan bunday e'tibor, ehtimol, Alloh taolo (Xudo) ning avvaldan bilishi bilan bog'liqdir: ba'zi musulmon avlodlari Isroil o'g'illari boshidan kechirgan vaziyatlarga o'xshash holatlarga duch keladi. Shu bois, U ularni yo'lda uchrashi mumkin bo'lgan xatolardan ogohlantiradi va o'sha tarixdan olish mumkin bo'lgan saboqlarni ko'rsatib beradi.

Biz bu oyatda zikr etilgan kishilarning kimligi, zamoni va makoni haqidagi turli-tuman tafsirlarga kirib o‘tirishimizning hojati yo‘q. Agar bu tafsilotlarning hikoya ma’nosini va undagi ibratni tushunishda biron-bir alohida ahamiyati bo‘lganida edi, ular albatta Qur’on bayonida berilgan bo‘lar edi.

We need not go into the plethora of interpretations with regard to the identity or the time and place of the people referred to in this verse. Had these details been of any particular importance in understanding the moral and the message of the story, they would most certainly have been given in the Qur’ānic account.

Ushbu oyatning maqsadi shunchaki hayot va o‘limning Alloh xohishi bilan belgilanishini tasdiqlash, hamda insonlar hayotdagi burchlarini Alloh irodasiga to‘liq ishonch bilan ado etishlari va ularga yuz bergan har bir narsa Alloh tomonidan tuzilgan olamning ajralmas qismi ekanligiga to‘liq tayanch bilan yashashlari kerakligini bildirishdir.

The aim of this verse is simply to establish that life and death are determined by the will of God, and that human beings should fulfil their obligations in life with complete trust in God’s will and total reassurance that what befalls them is an integral part of God’s order of things.

Hech qanday ehtiyot choralari o‘limni to‘sib qo‘yolmas yoki Allohning irodasiga to‘siq bo‘la olmas edi, na qo‘rquv va na umidsizlik hayotni uzaytira olardi. Hayot va o‘lim butunlay Allohning qo‘lida. U ularni O‘zigagina ma’lum bo‘lgan sabablarga ko‘ra taqsimlaydi, Uning inoyati va rahmati esa ikkalasida ham namoyon bo‘ladi. “Albatta, Alloh insonlarga cheksiz fazl ko‘rsatadi, lekin ko‘pchilik shukr qilmaydi.” Minglab odamlarning bir vaqtda qochishi bilan sodir bo‘ladigan bunday ommaviy ko‘chish, dushman hujumidan bo‘ladimi yoki kasallik avj olganidanmi, faqat to‘liq vahima holatida yuz berishi mumkin edi. Shunga qaramay, qochish o‘sha odamlarni o‘limdan qutqara olmasdi, chunki “Alloh ularga dedi: ‘O‘linglar’”. (243-oyat)

No precautions could ever prevent death or impede God’s will, nor could fear or despair prolong life. Life and death are entirely in God’s hands. He dispenses them according to reasons known only to Him, and His grace and mercy are evident in both. “Surely, God grants limitless bounty to mankind, but most people are ungrateful.” Such a mass exodus, with thousands of people fleeing at the same time, whether from a hostile attack or the outbreak of disease, could only occur in a state of total panic. Nevertheless, running away could not save those people from meeting their death, for “God said to there; ‘Die.’“ (Verse 243)

Bu hikoyaning maqsadi shu bo‘lganki, ularga Alloh qanday so‘zlashgani yoki ular qanday vafot etgani haqida batafsil ma’lumot berilmagan, chunki bularning hikoya maqsadiga aloqasi yo‘q. Maqsad shuki, o‘z uylarini nomidan umidsizlik bilan tark etishlari, vahimaga tushgan o‘sha odamlar uchun Alloh tomonidan allaqachon irodalangan taqdirni o‘zgartirmagan. Ularga sabr-toqatli bo‘lish, qat’iyat ko‘rsatish va o‘zlarini Allohga ixtiyoriy ravishda ishonib topshirish lozim edi.

Sūra davom etar ekan, biz bu hikoyaning ahamiyatini tushuna boshlaymiz va Xudoning ushbu voqeani musulmon ummatining tarixining juda boshida keltirishidagi maqsadini qisman anglaymiz. Keyingi oyat shunday deydi: "Xudo yo'lida jang qilinglar va bilinglarki, Xudo hamma narsani eshitadi va hamma narsani biladi." (244-oyat)

As the sūrah continues, we begin to understand the significance of the story and partly appreciate God’s purpose in citing this episode quite early on in the history of the Muslim nation. The next verse says: “Fight for the cause of God and know that God hears all and knows all.” (Verse 244)

Bu oyat musulmonlarga juda aniq bildiradiki, na hayotni sevishlari va na o'limdan qo'rqishlari ularni Alloh yo'lida jihod qilishdan to'xtatmasligi kerak. O'lim va hayot Alloh tomonidan belgilanadi, iymon keltirganlar esa faqat Uning yo'lida va faqat Uning bayrog'i ostida kurashishlari lozim. Ular shuni yodda tutishlari kerakki, Alloh ularning qilayotgan ishlarini biladi, ularning ehtiyojlariga javob berishga qodir, qilgan amallarini qadrlaydi va mukofotlaydi.

This verse tells the Muslims very clearly that neither their love of life nor their fear of death should stop them from fighting for God’s cause. Death and life are determined by God, and those who believe should fight for His cause and under His banner alone. They should be mindful that God is aware of what they do and is there to respond to their needs and appreciate and reward their actions.

Xudo yo'lida, ya'ni Alloh yo'lida kurashish, jihodning eng oliy shakli bo'lib, fidoyilik va qurbonlikni talab qiladi. Qur'oni Karimda jihod ko'pincha moliyaviy hissa qo'shish bilan bog'lanadi, ayniqsa Islomning dastlabki davrida, urush ixtiyoriy bo'lgan va jangchilar o'z ishtiroklarini o'z mablag'lari hisobiga moliyalashtirishlari talab etilgan paytda. Ishtiyoqli va qobiliyatli kishilar bor edi, ammo ularni musulmon qo'shini bilan birga chiqishdan faqat mablag' yetishmasligi to'sar edi. Shu sababli moliyaviy qurbonlikka urg'u berish muhim edi, sura buni qat'iy ta'kidlaydi: "Kim Allohga go'zal qarz beradi? U buni ko'p barobar qilib qaytaradi. Allohdir kishilarning rizqini torayтирувчи va kengaytiruvchi. Hammangiz Unga qaytarilasiz." (245-oyat)

To fight for the cause of God, which is the ultimate form of jihād, requires devotion and sacrifice. In the Qur’ān, jihād is frequently associated with financial contribution, especially in the early days of Islam when fighting was voluntary and fighters were required to finance their own participation in it. There would be eager and capable ones who were prevented from going out with the Muslim army only by their lack of means. The emphasis on financial sacrifice was, therefore, essential, as the sūrah strongly states: “Who will offer God a generous loan, which He will repay multiplied many times over? It is God who straitens people’s circumstances and it is He who gives abundantly; and to Him you shall all return.” (Verse 245)

Sura davomida Isroil o‘g‘illari tarixidan yana bir voqea keltiriladi — Muso alayhissalom, ya’ni Xudoning ularga yuborgan elchisi vafotidan keyingi davr haqida: «Musodan keyin Isroil o‘g‘illarining oqsoqollarini ko‘rmadingmi? Ular o‘z payg‘ambarlaridan biriga: “Bizga bir podshoh tayinla, shunda Xudoning yo‘lida jang qilamiz”, deganlarida, u: “Agar sizlarga jang farz qilinsa, jang qilmasliklaringiz ehtimoldan yiroq emasmi?” dedi. Ular: “Bizning uylarimizdan va farzandlarimizdan haydab chiqarilganimizdan keyin nega Xudoning yo‘lida jang qilmasligimiz kerak?” dedilar. Ammo ularga jang farz qilinganida, ulardan bir qismidan tashqari hammasi orqaga qaytdi. Xudo zolimlarni yaxshi biladi». (246-oyat)

he sūrah goes on to cite another episode of the story of the Israelites after the death of Moses, God’s messenger to them: “Are you not aware of those elders of the Children of Israel, after the time of Moses, when they said to one of their Prophets, Appoint for us a king, and we shall fight for the cause of God.’ He said, ‘Would you, perchance, refuse to fight if fighting is ordained for you?’ They said, ‘Why should we not fight for the cause of God when we have been driven out of our homes and our children?’ Yet, when fighting was ordained for them, they turned back, save for a few of them. God is fully aware of the wrongdoers.” (Verse 246)

Bu yerda Isroil oqsoqollarining bir guruhi haqida so‘z boradi. Ular o‘zlarining ko‘plab payg‘ambarlaridan biriga murojaat qilib, ular «Alloh yo‘lida» jangga olib boradigan bir podshoh tayinlab berishni so‘raganlar. Bu payg‘ambarning kimligi aytilmagan, chunki bu kontekstda uning shaxsi muhim emas. Hikoya Isroil xalqi orasida diniy uyg‘onish davri bo‘lganini va haqiqatni yoqlab, uni xudosizlar dushmanlariga qarshi himoya qilish kuchli istagi mavjudligini ko‘rsatadi. Note: the instruction says to write the Uzbek word for God rather than "Allah," so the correct rendering is "Xudo yo‘lida," not "Alloh yo‘lida." Corrected translation: Bu yerda Isroil oqsoqollarining bir guruhi haqida so‘z boradi. Ular o‘zlarining ko‘plab payg‘ambarlaridan biriga murojaat qilib, ulardan «Xudo yo‘lida» jangga olib boradigan bir podshoh tayinlab berishni so‘raganlar. Bu payg‘ambarning kimligi aytilmagan, chunki bu kontekstda uning shaxsi muhim emas. Hikoya Isroil xalqi orasida diniy uyg‘onish davri bo‘lganini va haqiqatni yoqlab, uni xudosiz dushmanlardan himoya qilish kuchli istagi mavjud bo‘lganini ko‘rsatadi.

The reference here is to a group of the Israelite elders who had asked one of their numerous Prophets, whose identity has not been given as it is not essential in this context, to appoint them a king to lead them into battle “for the cause of God”. The narrative suggests a time of religious revival among the Israelites, a .d a strong desire to uphold ‘the truth and defend it against the ungodly enemies.

Qur'an verse text in braces would appear as {…}; here the text is a commentary quoting a Bible-like verse, so no ﷺ applies. Saul and God are translated as in the original. Hikoya-ga oid ma'lumotlar yetarli bo'lmasa ham, Shoulning (Saul) o'z jangchilaridan iborat qo'shinini tuzganini va jangga yo'l olganini, hamda ular yo'lga chiqishi bilanoq ularning sadoqatini sinovdan o'tkazganini tushunish mumkin. "Shoul qo'shini bilan yo'lga chiqqanida dedi: "Xudo sizni daryo bilan sinaydi. Kim undan ichsa, u mendan emas. Kim undan ichmasa, u albatta mendandir, faqat qo'li bilan bir qoshiq olganlar bundan mustasno." Ular barchasi – ozgina kishilardan tashqari – undan to'yguncha ichdilar." (249-oyat)

Despite the lack of narrative details, we can gather that Saul had organized his fighting force of willing men and had gone ahead to do battle, and that as soon as they were on their way, he put their loyalty to the test. “And when Saul set out with his troops, he said, ‘God will now put you to the test by a river. He who drinks from it will not belong to me, but he who does not taste its water will indeed belong to me, except him who takes a scoop with his hand.’ They all drank [their fill] of it, except for a few of them.” (Verse 249)

Shoul rahbarlik fazilatlari endi ayon bo'lmoqda. U tarixida ko'p marta mag'lubiyatga uchragan, mag'lub bo'lgan xalqning qo'shinini boshqarardi va kuchli dushman bilan to'qnash kelishi kerak edi. Shu sababli u askarlarining irodasini sinab ko'rishi lozim edi. U ularning o'z istaklarini yengish, mashaqqat va yo'qchilikka chidash qobiliyatiga ishonch hosil qilishi kerak edi. Eng muhimi, u ularning sadoqatini, itoatkorligini va mas'uliyatni zimmasiga olish qobiliyatini sinashi kerak edi. U askarlarning juda chanqaganini aniqlab, daryo bo'yida ularni sinovdan o'tkazdi, kim unga itoat qilishini va kim qilmasligini bilish uchun.

The leadership qualities of Saul are now coming to light. He was leading an army of a vanquished nation who had experienced defeat many times in its history, and was about to meet a formidable enemy, and had therefore to test the will of his troops. He had to be sure of their ability to overcome their desires and endure hardship and deprivation. Above all, he had to test their loyalty and obedience, and their ability to shoulder responsibility. He put them to the test at the river, having established that they were getting very thirsty, to find out who would obey him and who would not.

"Ular undan ichdilar, ulardan bir necha kishidan tashqari." (249-oyat) Alloh ularga tashnaliklarini qondirish uchun qo'l bilan bir marta ko'tarib olish ruxsatini berdi, ammo ularning aksariyati to'yguncha ichdi va sinovdan o'ta olmagani uchun ortda qoldirildi. Qolgan jangchilar uchun bu yaxshiroq edi, chunki zaif kishilar jang maydonida yuk bo'lib qolardi. Harbiy mahorat son yoki hajm bilan emas, balki askarlarning irodasi, ma'naviy kuchi va imoni bilan o'lchanadi.

Dovud alayhissalom podshoh va payg'ambar edi. U temirdan asboblar va urush qurollari yasashda mahoratli edi, buni Qur'on boshqa o'rinda ham aytadi (21: 80). Bu hikoyani keltirishdan maqsad oyatning oxirgi jumlasida ochib berilgan: "Agar Alloh bir guruh odamlarni boshqa guruh bilan qaytarib turmaganida edi, yer butunlay buzilib ketgan bo'lardi. Alloh barcha olamlarga Ko'rsatadigan fazlida cheksizdir." (251-oyat)

David was a king and a Prophet, who excelled in the craft of making iron tools and implements of war, as the Qur’ān tells us elsewhere (21: 80). The purpose behind relating this story is revealed in the closing sentence of the verse: “Had it not been for the fact that God repels one group of people by another, the earth would have been utterly corrupted. God is limitless in His bounty to all the worlds.” (Verse 251)

Bu kuchli bayonot bizni cheklangan hikoya, uning shaxslari va voqealaridan yuqoriga olib chiqadi va hayot to'lqinlarida insonlarning doimiy tortishuvi, hokimiyat uchun kurashlari va urushlarining ortida yotgan asosiy ilohiy hikmatni ochib beradi. U insonlarni bu dunyodagi turli maqsad va niyatlariga yetaklaydigan doimiy ziddiyat, raqobat va musobaqa ruhini tasvirlaydi, bularning barchasi Xudoning dono qo'li ostidagi umumiy ilohiy reja doirasida amalga oshadi, bu reja esa ularning hammasini taraqqiyot va hayotning yuqoriroq darajalari sari boshlaydi.

This powerful statement takes us beyond the limited narrative and its personalities and events to reveal the fundamental divine wisdom underlying the constant contention, power struggles and battles among the multitudes of mankind in the tumult of life. It depicts the incessant strife and the spirit of competition and rivalry that drive human beings to their various ends and objectives in this world, according to the overall divine scheme under God’s wise hand which leads them all towards progress and higher standards of life.

Agar bu kurash va raqobat ruhi bo‘lmaganida, hayot zerikarli va ma’nosiz bo‘lib qolardi.

Were it not for this spirit of struggle and competition, life would be dull and stale.

Dunyoda odamlarning manfaatlari o'rtasidagi ziddiyat va ular intilayotgan maqsadlarning xilma-xilligi — bu inson iste'dodi va kuchining ochilib, harakatga kelishi uchun vosita bo'lib, insoniyat foydasi yo'lida inson hayotini yangilash va jonlantirishga xizmat qiladi. Bu doimiy harakat insonning haqiqiy yaxshilik kuchini yuzaga chiqaradi, haqiqatni oldinga suradi, insonning to'g'ri va noto'g'ri haqidagi tuyg'usini kuchaytiradi hamda yer yuzida adolatni mustahkam o'rnatadi. U haqiqiy va samimiy mo'minlarga hayotdagi olijanob vazifalarini anglab yetishga imkon beradi. Shuningdek, ularga o'sha vazifada qat'iy turish va uni Allohning amriga to'liq itoat etgan holda, Uning roziligi va ne'matlarini charchamay izlab, ado etish irodasi va kuchini beradi.