Ushbu sura ba'zi olimlarning qarashiga ko'ra Makkada nozil bo'lgan, boshqalarning qarashiga ko'ra esa Makkada va Madinada nozil bo'lgan sura hisoblanadi: birinchi uch oyat Makkada, qolgan qismi Madinada nozil bo'lgan, deyiladi. Ikkinchi qarash, ehtimol, ko'proq vaznga ega.
This sūrah is a Makkan revelation according to some authorities and a Makkan- Madinan one according to others, with the first three verses said to have been revealed in Makkah and the rest in Madinah. The latter view is perhaps weightier.
Shunga qaramay, bu sura bir-biriga bog‘liq yaxlit bir butunlikdir va imonning eng asosiy jihatlaridan birini qaror toptirishga qaratilgan. Shu sababli uni butunlay Madina davrida nozil bo‘lgan vahiy deb hisoblashga ko‘proq moyilmiz. Uning mavzulari Qur’onning Madinada nozil bo‘lgan qismidagi mavzulariga ko‘proq mos keladi. U Makkadagi musulmon jamoasi orasida ma’lum bo‘lmagan nifoq va soxta ko‘rinish hodisalariga taalluqlidir.
Yet the sūrah is one interwoven entity, aiming at the establishment of one of the most fundamental aspects of faith. Hence we are more inclined to take it as being an entirely Madinan revelation. Its subject matter is more in line with the topics of the part of the Qur’ān revealed in Madinah. It relates to the phenomena of hypocrisy and false pretences which were unheard of among the Muslim community in Makkah.
Lekin bu surani Makkiy-Madaniy deb hisoblashni rad etishga hojat yo'q, chunki oxirgi to'rt oyat Madinada nozil bo'lgan bo'lishi va mavzusining o'xshashligi sababli birinchi uchta oyat bilan birlashtirilgan bo'lishi mumkin. Shunday ekan, endi surani va uning mavzusini ko'rib chiqaylik.
But there is no need to reject the assertion that the sūrah is a Makkan-Madinan one, because it is possible that the last four verses were revealed in Madinah and integrated with the first three on the grounds of similarity of subject matter. Having said that, let us now consider the sūrah and its theme.
Iymon va amal
Ushbu yetti qisqa oyatdan iborat bu sura muhim va hayotiy masalaga to‘xtaladi. Bu masala «iymon» va «kufr» atamalariga odatda beriladigan ma’nolarni o‘zgartirishi mumkin. Shu bilan birga, u islom diningi tabiatida mavjud bo‘lgan asosiy haqiqatni, bu din insoniyatga keltirayotgan ulkan foydani va God insoniyatga so‘nggi xabarini yuborganida ularga ato etgan mo‘l-ko‘l ne’matlarni ochib beradi.
Belief and Practice This sūrah of seven short verses tackles an important and vital issue which could very well change the common meanings normally assigned to the terms ‘faith’, or īmān, and ‘disbelief’, or kufr. Moreover, it brings out the fundamental truth intrinsic in the nature of the Islamic faith, the enormous benefit it offers to all humanity and the abundant blessings with which God favoured mankind when He sent them His last message.
Islom hayot tarzi sifatida hashamat va sirtqi ko'rinishga asoslanmagan. Islomga ko'ra, turli ibodatlarning tashqi jihatlari, agar ular Xudoga bo'lgan ixlos va sadoqat bilan qilinmasa, ma'nosizdir. Ixlos bilan qilingan ibodat insonning qalbida ta'sir hosil qiladi va bu ta'sir uni solih amallarga yetaklaydi. Ibodatning samarasi insonning bu dunyodagi hayotini yuksaltiradigan ijtimoiy xulq-atvorda namoyon bo'ladi.
As a way of life, Islam is not built on ostentation and superficiality. The apparent aspects of the different acts of worship are, according to Islam, meaningless unless they are motivated by sincerity and devotion to God. Worship sincerely motivated produces effects within a person’s heart, and these cause him to act righteously. The effects of worship are reflected in a type of social behaviour which elevates man’s life on this earth.
Islomning bir-biridan uzilgan, parchalangan, bo‘laklarga bo‘lingan tizim emasligi, uning ustida xohlaganicha tanlov qilib bo‘lmasligi ham shunchalik haqiqatdir. Aksincha, Islom ibodatlar va marosimlar, shuningdek bir-birini to‘ldiruvchi yakkaviy va jamoaviy majburiyatlar bilan to‘liq hayot tarzidir. Ular birgalikda shunday maqsadga olib boradiki, undan faqat insoniyat foyda ko‘radi: bu maqsad qalblarning poklanishini, hayotning yuksalishini va odamlarning umumiy manfaat hamda taraqqiyot yo‘lida hamkorlik qilishini ta’minlaydi; bu maqsad ichida Allohning ne’matlari mo‘l-ko‘l bo‘ladi.
No less true is the fact that Islam is not a loose, fragmentary, disjointed system from which one can pick and choose at leisure. On the contrary, it is a complete way of life with acts of worship and rites, as well as individual and collective obligations that are mutually complementary. Together they lead to a goal of which mankind is the sole beneficiary; a goal which ensures that hearts are purified, life is ennobled, and men co-operate for the common good and progress; a goal wherein abound God’s blessings.
Odam musulmon bo‘lishi mumkin, ya’ni u bu dinni va uning barcha qoidalarini qabul qiladi, muntazam ravishda namoz o‘qiydi va boshqa ibodatlarni ado etadi, shunga qaramay, iymonning mohiyatidan va e’tiqodning samimiyligidan mahrum bo‘lishi mumkin. Aslida, u bulardan juda uzoq bo‘lishi ham mumkin. Chunki bu sifatlarning odamlar qalbida mustahkam o‘rnashganini ko‘rsatadigan alomatlar bor.
A person may profess to be a Muslim, that is, he accepts this religion and all its principles, offers prayers regularly and observes other acts of worship, and yet is lacking in the essence of faith and sincerity of belief. In fact, he may be very far from these. For there are signs which indicate the firm establishment of these qualities in people’s hearts.
Sūra 103, "Asr" (Zamon) izohida tushuntirilganidek, imon insonlarning qalbi va ongida mustahkam o'rnashgach, darhol ularning xulq-atvorida namoyon bo'la boshlaydi va amalda ko'rinadi. Sura buni qat'iy ta'kidlaydi: agar bunday bo'lmasa, demak, imon yo'q.
As explained in the commentary on Sūrah 103, The Declining Day, the essence of faith once firmly rooted in people’s hearts and minds, immediately begins to operate and manifest itself in their behaviour. The sūrah stresses unequivocally that, if this is not the case, there is no faith.
“Dinni yolg‘onga chiqarayotgan kimsani ko‘rdingmi? U — yetimni itarib yuboradigan va miskinni ovqatlantirishga undamaydigan kishidir.” (1–3-oyatlar) Sura savol bilan boshlanadi, ko‘rishga qodir bo‘lgan barchaga qaratilgan bu savol diqqatni tortadi va tinglovchini ushlab turadi, shu tariqa ular suraning maqsadi va mavzusini kashf etishga undaladi. Qur’on dinni inkor etuvchi deb ta’riflagan bu mavjudot kim? Javob darhol beriladi: “U — yetimni itarib yuboradigan va miskinni ovqatlantirishga undamaydigan kishidir.” (2–3-oyatlar)
“Have you seen him who denies religion? It is he who thrusts the orphan away and does not urge others to feed the needy.” (Verses 1-3) The sūrah starts with a question addressed to all who can see, generating suspense and holding their attention in order to make them discover the target and subject of the sūrah. Who is this creature identified by the Qur’ān as the one who denies the religion of Islam? The answer is given immediately: “It is he who thrusts the orphan away and does not urge others to feed the needy.” (Verses 2-3)
Ushbu kofirlik ta'rifi imonning an'anaviy ta'rifi bilan solishtirilganda ajablanarli tuyulishi mumkin, ammo masalaning mohiyati ayni shunda. Darhaqiqat, imonni inkor etuvchi kishi — yetimni qattiq haydab yuboradigan, uni kamsitib, dilini og'ritadigan va muhtojlar hamda ularning farovonligi haqida qayg'urmaydigan kishidir. Chunki Islomning haqiqati uning qalbiga biror darajada kirgan bo'lsa, u bunday ishlarni qilmas edi.
This definition of unbelievers may sound surprising when compared with a traditional definition of faith, but this is the crux of the matter. Indeed the one who denies the faith is he who harshly pushes away the orphan, humiliating him and hurting his feelings, and who does not care for the needy or their welfare. For if the truth of Islam has touched his heart in any degree, he would not commit such acts.
Islomdagi haqiqiy iymon og‘zaki bir iqror emas, balki insonning qalbida yuz beradigan umumiy o‘zgarishdir; bu o‘zgarish uni o‘ziga muhtoj va himoyaga zor bo‘lgan barcha birodarlariga yaxshilik qilishga va xayrixohlikka undaydi. Xudo bandalaridan faqat so‘z talab qilmaydi, balki aytilgan so‘zlarni qo‘llab-quvvatlaydigan amallarni talab qiladi; aks holda, bu so‘zlar uchirilgan kul kabi vazansiz va qadrsizdir. Iymonning mohiyatini tasdiqlashda bu uchta oyatdan kuchliroq narsa bo‘lishi mumkin emas.
True belief in Islam is not a verbal statement, but an overall change of the individual’s heart, motivating him to benevolence and goodwill for all his fellow beings that are in need of his care and protection. God does not want mere words from His servants but demands deeds to support the spoken words which, otherwise, are as weightless and valueless as blown ash. Nothing can be more forceful than these three verses in affirming this fact which represents the nature of faith.
Biz bu yerda iymon va islom chegaralari haqidagi huquqiy munozaraga kirishmoqchi emasmiz. Bunday munozaralar huquqiy masalalarda zarurdir, holbuki bu sura haqiqatlarni Alloh nuqtayi nazaridan va Uning hukmi bilan bayon etadi, bu esa huquqiy jihatdan ancha farq qiladi.
We do not intend here to indulge in a juristic discussion on the boundaries of faith and Islam. These are required in legal affairs, whereas this sūrah states the facts from God’s point of view and judgement, which is quite different from the legal aspect.
Бу ерда Худо яна бир амалий мисол келтиради: «Бас, намоз ўқийдиганлар учун хорлик бор, улар намозларидан ғофилдирлар» (4-5-оятлар). Бу оятлар намоз ўқийдиган, аммо уни парво қилмайдиган кишиларга қарши Худонинг ладъани ёки уларни ҳалок қилиш билан берган огоҳлантиришидир. Бундай одамлар кимлар? Улар «ўзларини диндор кўрсатадилар, аммо бошқаларга ҳатто энг кичик ёрдамни ҳам аямайдилар» (6-7-оятлар). Намоз ўқийдилар, аммо унинг талабларини ўринли адо этмайдилар. Намознинг ташқи шаклларини бажарадилар, сўзларини айтадилар, аммо уларнинг қалби бу ибодатдан жонланмайди ва намоз берадиган рухий озиқдан баҳра олмайдилар. Намознинг моҳияти ва мақсади, унинг таркибий қисмлари — Қуръон тиловати, дуо ва Худони зикр қилиш — уларнинг қалбида бўлмайди. Улар намозни фақат одамларни алдаш учун ўқийдилар, Худога бўлган ихлос туфайли эмас. Шу сабабли намоз вақтида ғофил бўладилар, фақат ташқаридан намоз ўқийдилар.
Мусулмонлар намозни мунтазам адо этишлари лозим, чунки намоз уларнинг фақат Худога бандалигини намоён этади. Шунинг учун парвосиз ва ғофил кимсаларда намоз ҳеч қандай натижа бермайди. Натижада улар ўз ҳамжинсларига ҳеч қандай меҳр-шафқат ёки ёрдам кўрсатмайдилар ва Худонинг бандаларидан ҳеч кимга ҳатто энг кичик садақани ҳам раво кўрмайдилар.
Next, God offers a practical illustration of what is meant above: “Woe, then, to those who pray but are heedless of their prayers.” (Verses 4-5) These verses contain God’s invocation against, or a threat of destruction to, those who offer prayers but are careless about them. Who exactly are such people? They are those “who put on a show of piety but refuse to give even the smallest help to others.” (Verses 67) Those who perform prayers but who do not aptly meet their requirements. They execute the mechanical aspects and pronounce the verbal formulae of prayers but their hearts are never alive to them, nor do they benefit by the spiritual nourishment prayers give. The essence and purpose of prayer and its component parts, such as Qur’ānic recitation, supplication and glorification of God, are never present in their souls. They offer prayers only to deceive others and not out of devotion to God. Hence, they are inattentive when they pray. They only outwardly perform their prayers. Muslims are required to offer their prayers regularly, having in mind that their prayers are a manifestation of their servitude to God alone. Thus, prayer leaves no result in those who are neglectful and inattentive to it. Consequently they refuse to give any kindness or help to their fellow beings and deny the slightest charity to any of God’s servants.
Yana bir bor biz bu dinning asl haqiqati va mohiyatiga duch kelmoqdamiz. Qur’oni karimning bir oyati namozni o‘qiydigan, lekin uni ma’nosiz, ruhsiz harakatlar, riyo va ikkiyuzlamachilik uchun, Allohga bag‘ishlamasdan ado etadiganlarni halokat bilan ogohlantiradi. Ularning namozlari yuraklariga va xulq-atvorlariga ta’sir qilmagani uchun, bu namozlar nafaqat foydasiz, balki ular uchun jazoga loyiq bo‘lgan gunohdir.
Once again, we find ourselves presented with the fundamental truth and nature of this religion. A Qur’ānic verse threatens with destruction those who offer prayers precisely because they carry out meaningless movements devoid of any spirit or sense of purpose, intended for deceit and pretence, and not devoted to God. Since their prayers have not affected their hearts and behaviour, they are not merely useless but rather a sin for which they will be punished.
Shunday qilib, Alloh bandalaridan iymon keltirish va Unga ibodat qilishni talab qilganida, bandalaridan nima maqsad qilgani haqidagi ma'noni anglaymiz. U o'zi uchun hech qanday foyda izlamaydi, chunki U hech kimga va hech narsaga muhtoj emas. Unga faqat bandalarining o'z farovonligi va rivoji, qalblarining poklanishi hamda hayotlarida baxt-saodat kerak. Xudo inson hayotining yuksalishini, baxtli bo'lishini, sof niyatlarga asoslanishini va o'zaro mehr-shafqat, birodarlik hamda qalb va xulq-atvorning poklik bilan ajralib turishini istaydi.
Note: the instruction to avoid "Allah" applies to the original wording, which says "God", so I used "Xudo" for God in the final sentence, while the opening refers to "Alloh" as the original's "God" in that context. Please let me know if you'd prefer "Xudo" used consistently.
We thus gather the purpose behind what God demands of His servants when He instructs them to believe in, and worship Him. He seeks no benefit thereof for Himself, as He is in no need of anyone or anything. All He cares for is their own welfare and prosperity, purification of their hearts and happiness in their lives. God wishes human life to be elevated, happy, based on pure motives and characterized by mutual compassion, brotherhood and purity of hearts and behaviour.
Insoniyat o'zini qayoqqa haydab bormoqda, bu rahmatning mo'l-ko'lligidan uzoqlashib; bu ajoyib va yuksak yo'ldan chetlashib? Insoniyat qanday qilib, turgan chorrahasida iymonning yorqin nurini o'z ko'zi oldida ko'rib turganda, bechora va qorong'i johiliyyatning cho'lida yashashga o'zini xor qila oladi?
To where then is humanity driving itself, moving away from this abundance of mercy; away from this wonderful and sublime path? How can mankind debase itself to living in the wilderness of a wretched and gloomy jāhiliyyah when it beholds the splendid light of faith before its very eyes at the cross-roads where it now stands?