“先知啊！你当敬畏真主，不要顺从不信道者和伪信士。真主确是全知的，确是至睿的。你当遵从主所启示你的，真主确是洞察你们所作所为的。你当信赖真主，真主足为万事的保护者。”（第1至3节）这一章开篇如此，它规范了新生穆斯林社会的某些社会与道德生活层面。这样的开端告诉我们伊斯兰制度的本质及其根本原则。伊斯兰不仅仅是一套指令和劝诫，或是礼仪与道德价值观，也不只是一组法律与规章，或传统与习俗。所有这些都包含在伊斯兰之中，但它们并不构成伊斯兰的全部。伊斯兰意味着顺服真主的旨意，乐意遵从其命令、遵守其禁令，不仰望其他体系，也不采纳其他道路。它本质上是一种确认：人类服从主所制定的总体神圣法则，这一法则支配着人类的生活、他们所居住的大地，以及其他星球和星辰，实际上支配着整个宇宙，包括我们一无所知的领域。它也是一种确信：作为人类，我们唯一应当做出的选择，就是去做真主所命令的，戒除真主所禁止的，接受真主所赐予的，并等待真主所带来的结果。这是奠定一切法律、规章、传统、礼仪与道德价值观的基本准则。所有这些都是信仰与顺服真主的实际体现。伊斯兰是一种信仰，它制定了一套规范，并由此确立了特定的社会秩序。

“Prophet! Have fear of God and do not yield to the unbelievers and the hypocrites. God is certainly All-Knowing, Wise. Follow what is revealed to you by your Lord; for God is well aware of all that you do. Place your trust in God; for God alone is worthy of all trust.” (Verses 1-3) Thus begins the sūrah which regulates certain aspects of the social and moral life of the newly born Muslim community. It is a beginning that tells us something about the nature of the Islamic system and its underlying principles. Islam is not merely a set of directives and admonitions, or manners and moral values, or a collection of laws and regulations, or traditions and practices. All these are included in Islam, but they do not make up Islam in its totality. Islam means submission to God’s will, a willingness to obey its orders, observe its prohibitions, looking up to no other system and adopting no other way. It is essentially an acceptance that mankind are subject to the overall divine code that governs their life and the earth they live on, as well as other planets and stars, and indeed governs the whole universe including the realms we know nothing about. It is also a certainty that as humans the only choice we should make is to do what God orders, refrain from what He forbids, take what He makes available and await the results He brings about. This is the basic rule on which are then established laws, regulations, traditions, manners and moral values. All these represent the practical manifestation of faith and submission to God. Islam is a faith that lays down a code which puts in place a specific social order.

在他们紧密的相互关系中，这三者构成了伊斯兰教。

In their close interaction, these three make up Islam.

正是在这一层意义上，我们应当理解：本章的第一条指令虽然关乎伊斯兰社会秩序的规范，却是对先知的吩咐，要求他始终敬畏真主。敬畏真主，并铭记祂时刻在看顾我们，会使人保持警觉，促使我们遵守每一条规定，执行每一项指令：“先知啊！你当敬畏真主。”（第1节）

It is in this light that we should understand that the first directive in this sūrah, concerned as it is with the regulation of the Islamic social order, is addressed to the Prophet, requiring him to remain God-fearing. To stand in awe of God and remember that He watches over us, makes us alert, urging us to abide by every rule and implement every directive: “Prophet! Have fear of God.” (Verse 1)

第二项训示禁止屈从于不信道者和伪信士,禁止顺从他们的建议,或采纳他们的观点和方法:"你不要顺从不信道者和伪信士。"(第1节)这项训示先于遵循真主启示的命令,这表明麦地那及其周边地区的伪信士和不信道者所施加的压力非常大。尽管如此,这项训示在任何情况下都依然有效,警告信士们不要追随伪信士和不信道者,尤其是在信仰、律法和社会秩序的问题上。这保证了穆斯林社群的制度保持纯正,不被真主之外的指令所掺杂。

本章接着废除某些习俗，以使家庭成为社会的基础："他也没有使你们所谓'拟你们为母'的妻子真的成为你们的母亲。他也没有使你们的养子真的成为你们的儿子。这些都只是你们口头上说的话，而真主说的是真理，唯独他指引正路。你们应当以他们父亲的名字称呼他们，这在真主看来更为公正。如果你们不知道他们的父亲是谁，那么就把他们当作你们的宗教弟兄和被保护者。你们若有错失，并不受罪，但你们内心的故意才算数。真主确是至恕的，至慈的。"（第33章第4-5节）

The sūrah now moves on to abolish certain practices in order to make the family the basis of the community: “Nor does He make your wives whom you declare to be as unlawful to you as your mothers’ bodies truly your mothers. Likewise, He does not make your adopted sons truly your sons. These are only words you utter with your mouths, but God says the truth and He alone shows the right path. Call them by their fathers’ names; that is more just in God’s sight. If you do not know who their fathers are, then treat them as your brethren in faith and your proteges. You shall not be blamed if you make a mistake, but for what your hearts intend. God is indeed Much-Forgiving, Merciful.” (Verses 4-5)

在伊斯兰教之前的时代，一个男人会对妻子说：“你对我而言就像我母亲的背”，这意味着她对他来说是不可婚配的。从那一刻起，两人之间的性行为被视为乱伦。然而她仍处于悬而未决的状态：她既没有被休离，以致可以嫁给另一个男人，也没有作为合法妻子与丈夫保持正常的夫妻关系。这是前伊斯兰时代妇女所遭受的残酷对待的一个方面。 当伊斯兰开始重新组织社会关系，使家庭成为基本的社会单位，让每一代新人都在健康的环境中成长时，它极为重视消除这类针对妇女的不公，并赋予家庭关系以公正的基础和轻松和谐的氛围。它的一项新律例是：“你们所说的‘与母亲同样’的妻子，他并不因此就成为你们的母亲；生育你们的，只是她们的母亲。”（第4节） 一个人所说的话并不能改变事实。母亲与妻子截然不同，一种关系的本质不会因为一句话而改变。因此，这样的宣告，即“zihār”，并不会使妻子在丈夫眼中永远成为像母亲一样不可接近的人。

In pre-Islamic days a man would say to his wife, ‘you are to me like my mother’s back’, which meant that she was forbidden for him to marry. From that moment sex between them was regarded as incestuous. Yet she remained suspended: she was neither divorced such that she could marry another man, nor married having a lawful relationship with her husband. This was one aspect of the cruelty to which women were subjected in pre-Islamic days. As Islam started to reorganize social relations, making the family the basic social unit where each new generation grows in a sound environment, it attached great importance to removing such injustices against women and to giving family relations a basis of fairness and an easy, relaxed atmosphere. One of its new laws was “Nor does He make your wives whom you declare to be as unlawful to you as your mothers’ bodies truly your mothers.” (Verse 4) The words a man utters do not change facts. Mothers and wives are totally different, and the nature of a relationship cannot be changed by the uttering of a word. Therefore, a pronouncement like this, or żihār, did not make a wife permanently forbidden to her husband as if she were his mother.

有一些记载表明,żihār 是由《辩诉》(第58章)中的其他经文所禁止的,那是在奥斯·本·萨米特对其妻子胡拉·本特·马立克·本·萨阿莱卜实施 żihār 之时。她向先知ﷺ申诉,说:“真主的使者啊!他拿走了我的钱财,在我年轻力壮的岁月里享用我,我也为他生了孩子。如今我年老了,不能再生育,他却把我比作他的母亲!”先知ﷺ对她说:“我担心你对他已不再合法。”[伊本·马哲、哈基姆和拜赫赫ي所传]她多次重复她的申诉。之后,真主降示了以下经文:

Some reports suggest that żihār was outlawed by other verses in Sūrah 58, The Pleading, when Aws ibn al-Şāmit pronounced żihār against his wife Khawlah bint Mālik ibn Tha`labah. She complained to the Prophet, saying: “Messenger of God! He took my money and used me throughout my years of strength, and I have given him children. Now when I have grown old and can no longer bear children, he makes me like his mother!” The Prophet said to her: “I am afraid you are no longer lawful to him.” [Related by Ibn Mājah, al-Ĥākim and al-Bayhaqī]. She repeated her complaint several times. God then revealed the following verses:

同样，收养孩子的做法也反映出家庭和社会根基中的缺陷。尽管阿拉伯人极为重视贞洁，并且众所周知，他们以自己的血统为荣，但也存在一些朝相反方向发展的现象。这些现象普遍被接受，但在显赫的家族和部落中并不被接受。事实上，有些人甚至无法说出自己的父亲是谁。

Similarly, the practice of adopting a child reflected flaws in the foundation of the family and society. Although chastity was highly valued by the Arabs who, as is widely known, took pride in their ancestry, there were other phenomena that moved in the opposite direction. These were generally accepted, but not in the prominent families and clans. Indeed, some individuals could not tell who their fathers were.

此外，如果有人喜欢这些“养子”中的某一个，他可以收养他，称其为自己的儿子，二人之间便可相互继承。对于那些生父为人所知的人，同样如此，他们也可以被收养。这在俘虏身上尤其常见：在对某个部族的袭击或战争中，儿童或少年被俘虏。如果有人想收养这样的俘虏，他便会宣布收养，这名俘虏此后就被视为收养他的父亲的儿子。他将享有作为儿子的权利，也须履行作为儿子的义务。

Furthermore, if a man liked one of these ‘off-spring’, he could adopt him, calling him his son, and the two would then inherit each other. The same applied to some people whose real fathers were even known. In this respect, they too could be adopted. This was particularly so with captives, when children or adolescents were taken captive in a raid on a clan or during a war. If a man then wished to adopt such a captive, he would declare such adoption, and the captive would then be known as a son of his adopting father. He would then enjoy the privileges of being a son and was required to fulfil his duties as a son.

其中一位是来自阿拉伯卡勒卜部落的宰德·本·哈里萨。他年幼时在伊斯兰之前的蒙昧时代被俘，随后被卖给哈基姆·本·希扎姆，哈基姆将他赠送给了自己的姑母赫蒂佳。赫蒂佳与先知ﷺ成婚后，便将宰德赠予先知ﷺ。但宰德的父亲和叔叔前来恳请先知ﷺ释放宰德。

One of these was Zayd ibn Ĥārithah, of the Arab tribe of Kalb. He was taken captive when young in pre-Islamic days, then sold to Ĥakīm ibn Ĥizām who gave him as a gift to his aunt Khadījah. When she was married to the Prophet, she gave him Zayd as a gift, but Zayd’s father and uncle appealed to him for Zayd’s release.

然后，先知决定让他自行选择，他选择留在先知身边。于是，先知释放了他，并收他为养子。此后他被称为宰德·本·穆罕默德。数年后伊斯兰教兴起，他是社会下层中第一个接受伊斯兰教的人。

The Prophet then decided to give him a choice, and he chose to remain with the Prophet. Therefore, the Prophet set him free and adopted him as his son. He was then called Zayd ibn Muĥammad. When Islam started several years later, he was the first man to accept Islam from among the lower classes in society.

随后，当伊斯兰教开始将家庭关系奠定在其自然基础之上，加强家庭纽带，并清除其中的一切扭曲时，它废除了收养制度，使真正的血缘关系成为子与父得以如此称呼的唯一依据。

Subsequently, when Islam began to set family relations on their natural basis and strengthen family bonds, purging these of any distortion, it abolished adoption, making the true blood relation the only cause for a son and father to be so called.

因此,《古兰经》说:“真主也没有使你们所收养的人成为你们的亲生儿子。这些只是你们口中说的话。”(第4节)言辞既不能改变事实,也不能建立起与血缘关系相当的替代关系。血缘关系带来怀胎、孕育与分娩所产生的遗传特征,并由此引发天然的情感。事实是,孩子被视为其亲生父母活生生的一部分。

在废除收养制度之后,本章接着废止了兄弟关系制度。这一制度是伊斯兰教在穆斯林从麦加迁徙到麦地那之后确立的。这是一项切实的措施,用以应对那些离开麦加、舍弃亲属与财产的迁徙者的处境,以及麦地那穆斯林因信奉伊斯兰而与家人断绝关系的处境。与此同时,先知对所有信徒的个人权威得到强调,并被置于高于一切血亲关系的地位,而他的妻子则被视为所有信徒的精神母亲:"先知对信士的权力,胜于他们自己;他的妻子是他们的母亲。依照真主的命令,血亲彼此之间比其他信士[麦地那的信士]和迁徙者[为了真主而迁徙的人]享有更优先的权利。尽管如此,你们仍应善待你们的亲密朋友。这已写在真主的命令之中。"(第6节)

Having abolished adoption, the sūrah moves on to put an end to the brotherhood institution, established by Islam following the migration of the Muslims from Makkah to Madinah. This was a practical measure to address the situation of those immigrants who had abandoned their relations and property in Makkah, and the situation of Muslims in Madinah whose relations with their families were severed as a result of their embracing Islam. At the same time, the Prophet’s personal authority over all believers is emphasized and given a higher position than all blood relations, while his wives are to be seen as the spiritual mothers of all believers: “The Prophet has more claim on the believers than they have on their own selves; and his wives are their mothers. Blood relatives have, according to God’s decree, a stronger claim upon one another than other believers [of Madinah] and those who have migrated [for God’s sake]. Nonetheless, you are to act with kindness towards your close friends. This is written down in God’s decree.” (Verse 6)

当穆哈吉隆（即从麦加迁往麦地那的穆斯林）启程前往麦地那时，他们不得不抛下一切，宁愿舍弃亲人、部族、财产、生计、朋友和一生的回忆，也要保全自己的信仰。他们为了信仰，放弃了这一切。他们这样的迁徙，舍弃了所有珍视之物，包括自己的家人，为人们树立了信仰如何充盈整个生命的榜样。他们以实际行动展现了伊斯兰人格的完整性，印证了《古兰经》中的经文：“真主没有在一个人的身体里放两颗心。”（第4节）

When the Muhājirīn, i.e. the Muslims from Makkah, left for Madinah, they had to leave everything behind, preferring their faith to their relatives, clans, property, livelihood, friends, and life memories. They abandoned all this for their faith. Their migration in this way, abandoning all that was dear, including their own families, provided an example of how faith grips one’s whole being. They provided the practical example of the integrity of the Islamic personality, confirming the Qur’ānic statement: “Never has God put two hearts in one man’s body.” (Verse 4)

然而,在麦地那出现了另一种情况:伊斯兰教开始渗入家庭之中。结果,一个家庭中有些成员成为了穆斯林,另一些人却没有。人与人之间的关系常常被割断;家庭纽带变得摇摇欲坠,社会联系更是遭受了更大的冲击。当时穆斯林社会仍处于初创阶段,穆斯林国家与其说是一个根基稳固、持久的政权,不如说还只是一种理念。

A different situation, however, arose in Madinah as Islam began to infiltrate homes. The result was that some members of a family became Muslims while others did not. Relations between people were often severed; family bonds became shaky; and there was an even greater disruption of social bonds. The Muslim society was still in its infancy and the Muslim state was still more of an idea than a solid regime with lasting roots.

这给了新的信仰一种强大的道德推动力，它超越了一切情感、传统、社会制度和纽带，使信仰成为唯一连结人心的纽带。与此同时，它将那些脱离了家庭和氏族等自然根基的小单位团结起来，从而取代了血缘、家庭、利益、友谊、种族和语言的联系。它把这些穆斯林单位联合成一个紧密、协调的整体，展现出高度的团结、合作与相互关怀。

与此同时,这段经文再次强调了先知对所有穆斯林的权威,使他拥有高于血缘的权利,实际上这种权利甚至高于一个人自己的意愿和欲望:“先知对信士们的关系,比他们自己更为密切。”(第6节)伊斯兰教还使先知的妻子成为所有信士的精神上的母亲:“他的妻子就是他们的母亲。”(第6节)

At the same time, it re-emphasized the Prophet’s authority over all Muslims, which gave him a higher claim than that of blood, indeed one that is higher than one’s own wishes and desires: “The Prophet has more claim on the believers than they have on their own selves.” (Verse 6) Islam also makes the Prophet’s wives spiritual mothers to all believers: “and his wives are their mothers.” (Verse 6)

先知对所有穆斯林的权威是全面的。这必然包括为他们规划一套完整的生活方式。他们自己不能选择先知为他们选定之外的任何东西，而先知所选定的，都依据真主启示给他的内容。在一段真实可靠的圣训中，先知说：“你们中任何人，若他的意愿不顺从我所带来的信息，他就不是真正的信士。”这种顺从深入到人的情感之中，以至于先知ﷺ比他们自己的生命更为亲近。因此，信士不会把自己的安危置于先知的安危之上，也不会在心中把任何人置于他之前。关于此义的真实圣训有很多，这里只举两例：“你们中任何人都不算真正的信仰者，直到我比他自己的灵魂、财产、子女以及所有世人都更为他所爱。”“欧麦尔对先知ﷺ说：‘凭真主起誓！我爱您胜过爱除我自己以外的任何人。’先知ﷺ说：‘不，欧麦尔！我应当比你自己更受你的爱。’欧麦尔接着说：‘真主的使者啊！我爱您胜过爱任何人，包括我自己。’先知ﷺ说：‘欧麦尔，你现在做到了。’”这并不是某种仅仅口头上的言辞，而是一个标准，一个极高的标准。人们若没有一种特殊的触动，无法达到这一标准。这种触动会为他们的心灵开启一片崇高的境界，净化他们根植于天性之中的自爱。事实上，人们对自己的爱，远远超出他们所能想象的程度。我们或许以为自己已经成功地控制了自爱，但……

The Prophet’s authority over all Muslims is comprehensive. Inevitably, this includes charting a complete way of life for them. They cannot choose for themselves anything other than what he chooses for them in accordance with what God reveals to him. In an authentic ĥadīth, the Prophet is quoted as saying: “No one of you is a true believer until his preferences are subject to my message.” This is so pervasive as to include their own feelings whereby the Prophet (peace be upon him) is dearer to them than their own lives. Thus, believers do not prefer their own safety to his, and they do not place anyone ahead of him in their hearts. Authentic aĥādīth speaking of this are many, and here we give just two examples: “None of you attains to true faith until I am dearer to him than his own soul, his property, offspring and all mankind.” “`Umar said to the Prophet: ‘By God! I love you more than I love anyone other than my own self.’ The Prophet said: ‘No, `Umar! I should be dearer to you than your own self.’ Then `Umar rejoined: ‘Messenger of God! I love you more than anyone else, including myself.’ The Prophet said: ‘You have got it now, `Umar.’ This is not some mere utterance of a word. It is a standard, an extremely high one that people cannot attain to without possessing a special touch that opens a sublime horizon before their hearts, purging them of the self love that is deeply rooted in their very natures. Indeed, human beings love themselves far more than they can imagine. We may think that we have managed to bring our self love under control.

但凡有人对我们说一句侮辱性的话，我们便会像被毒蛇咬了一样作出反应。甚至可能无法控制自己的反应；即便我们克制住自己，不将情绪表现出来，仍会深深感到那份伤害。我们或许愿意为所信之事舍弃生命，也可能声称自己毫无私心，但我们依然无法接受侮辱或贬低性的批评。这是一个很高的标准，若没有长期的训练、时刻的警觉以及对神的求助，是很难达到的。这就是先知所称的大圣战，即为主道而奋斗。我们只需记住，即便是欧麦尔·本·哈塔卜，也需要先知的教导，才让他纯净的心敞开接受这一点。

提到真主的定命，即祂意欲使此制度永久存续，该章经文论及真主与众先知的盟约，尤其是与先知穆罕默德以及其他意志坚定的使者所立的盟约。这一盟约要求他们传达真主的启示，其中包含真主为人类生活所定的法则，并在他们所被派遣的民众中实行和倡导这些法则。当他们完成这一使命之后，人们便要为自己对神圣指引的态度，以及自己的信仰或不信负责。在真主的使者向他们传达了祂的启示之后，人们便无可推诿地为自己不遵循神圣指引而承担责任。经文说："我确曾从所有先知那里取得盟约：从你，穆罕默德ﷺ，以及从努哈、易卜拉欣、穆萨和麦尔彦之子尔撒那里取得。我从他们所有人那里取得了庄严而坚定的盟约。真主必将询问诚实者，关于他们所承载的真理。祂为不信道者预备了痛苦的刑罚。"（第7-8节）

Referring to God’s decree that He willed it to be the permanent system, the sūrah refers to His covenant with prophets in general, and with the Prophet Muĥammad and other messengers of firm resolve in particular. This covenant commits them to deliver God’s message containing His code for human life, and to implement and advocate it among the communities to which they were sent. When they have done so, people will then be responsible for their own attitudes towards divine guidance, and for their belief or disbelief. They are now accountable for themselves having no justification whatsoever for not following divine guidance after God’s messengers delivered His message to them: “We did accept a solemn pledge from all the prophets: from you, [Muĥammad], and from Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus son of Mary. From all did We accept a weighty, solemn pledge. God will question the truthful about the truth [entrusted to them]. He has prepared painful suffering for the unbelievers.” (Verses 7-8)

如果说从挪亚到穆罕默德（愿众先知平安）——诸先知的封印——始终有一个不变的盟约或誓约，那么它就是一个盟约、一套体系、一份托付，由每一位先知承担起来。下面两节经文概括了这一盟约的总体内容：“我确已从众先知那里接受了庄严的盟约。”接着特别提到了接受《古兰经》、其使命面向全人类的那位使者：“从你——穆罕默德ﷺ——那里，”随后又提到其他具有坚定意志的使者：“从挪亚、易卜拉欣、穆萨和麦尔彦之子尔撒那里。”这些人是在穆罕默德ﷺ之前，承受神圣重大启示的使者，而穆罕默德ﷺ是最后一位。随后，该章描述了盟约本身：“我确已从他们那里接受了重大而庄严的盟约。”这里对盟约的描述赋予了它一种可感的、坚实的形态。它确实是神与那些被神选中、接受其启示、传达其讯息并确立其律法的人们之间的誓约，他们始终忠于所被托付的使命。

If It is a single covenant or pledge that remained the same from Noah to Muĥammad, the seal of all prophets (peace be upon them all). It is one covenant, one system and one trust taken up by each and every one of them. The following two verses outline the covenant in general: “We did accept a solemn pledge from all the prophets.” A specific reference to the Messenger who received the Qur’ān and whose message is addressed to all mankind then follows: “from you, [Muĥammad’,” and then makes mention of other messengers endowed with strong and firm resolve. These were the ones entrusted with the major divine messages prior to Muĥammad, the last one: “and from Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus son of Mary.” Then the sūrah describes the covenant itself: “From all did We accept a weighty, solemn pledge.” The description of the covenant here gives it a tangible, solid form. It was indeed a pledge between God and the individuals He chose to receive His revelations, deliver His messages and establish His code, being all the time faithful to what He had entrusted them with.

“真主将就真理向诚实者提问[他们所被托付的真理]。”诚实者即信士。他们说出了真理的话语，并相信真理的讯息。其余的人都是说谎者，因为他们相信并说出的是虚假的东西。这里把信士描述为诚实者，意义十分明确。在后土日，他们将被问及真理，就像老师请一位成绩优异的学生说出那使他得高分的答案一样。这是一种提问，目的是尊重被问者。它也告诉在场的所有人：在万人聚集的伟大日子里，诚实者理应受到尊崇。