前面一段经文对人类被造的故事，以及阿拉伯蒙昧社会乃至一切蒙昧社会在得体与端庄问题上的对抗，作了详尽的评述。这些价值观要求身体以得体的衣着遮盖，灵魂以敬畏真主来装饰。整个问题与信仰这一核心议题直接相关。

The previous passage in the sūrah provided a long comment on the story of man’s creation and the confrontation with the ignorant Arabian society, and indeed all jāhiliyyah societies, over the question of propriety and decency. Such values require that bodies be covered with appropriate dress and that souls be adorned with fear of God. The whole question relates directly to the major issue of faith.

这段新的训谕针对的是前一段中与服饰问题相关的核心问题。它涉及在宗教仪式与习俗、法律事务以及生活中的一切事务上应当追随谁的问题。人类必须追随那些从主那里带来启示的使者。在复活日的清算与报酬，正是以人们对这些使者的回应为依据来决定的。

This new address to mankind tackles the central issue to which the question of dress was related in the previous passage. It deals with the question of whom to follow in connection with religious rites and practices, as well as in legal issues, and indeed in all matters of life. Mankind must follow the messengers who bring them revelations from their Lord. It is on the basis of their response to those messengers that accountability and reward on the Day of Judgement will be determined.

“亚当的子孙啊！如果有从你们中间来的使者向你们宣读我的启示，那么凡敬畏我、行为正直的人，必无恐惧，也不忧伤。至于否认并轻视我的启示的人，他们是火狱的居民，将永居其中。”（第35-36节）

“Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you messengers from among yourselves to relate to you My revelations, then those who are conscious of Me and live righteously shall have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve. But those who deny and scorn Our revelations are the ones destined for the fire, where they shall abide.” (Verses 35-36)

这是真主与亚当及其子孙所立的盟约，也是真主所规定的条件：人类被赋予在地上担任哈里发（代治者）的使命。毕竟，正是真主创造了大地，使其适宜生命存续，然后才把建设大地的任务交给人类，并赋予他们必要的才能、禀赋与条件，使他们能够依照真主的盟约履行自己的义务。除非人类遵循真主派遣给他们的使者，否则他们在今世所做的一切都将不被接纳。凡自我顺服真主的人，都不会接受这类行为；这些行为在后日审判之日将成为重负，必然导致火狱。真主说：“亚当的子孙啊！假如使者从你们中间来到你们面前，向你们诵读我的启示，那么敬畏我、行善的人，必无恐惧，也不忧愁。”（第35节）

It is the covenant God has made with Adam and his children, and the condition that He stipulated for man to be given the task of vicegerency on earth. After all, it is God who has created the earth and made it suitable to support life before assigning the task of building it to mankind and giving them the necessary talents, aptitudes and means to fulfil their obligations in accordance with God’s covenant. Unless human beings follow the messengers God sends them, then whatever they do in this life will be rejected. No one who submits himself to God will accept such actions which will become on the Day of Judgement a burden that will inescapably lead to hell: “Children of Adam! Whenever there come to you messengers from among yourselves to relate to you My revelations, then those who are conscious of Me and live righteously shall have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Verse 35)

我们现在有一系列场景,描绘今世的终结与来世的开始。首先,我们看到死亡降临于那些捏造谎言、诬称God已认可其所继承的观念、哲学,以及他们自行制定的传统与律法的人。这些人否认God的启示,即便启示由His使者传达给他们,而这些启示包含完美的神圣法则。于是,他们宁愿选择可疑、未经证实的知识,而不愿接受God启示的确证真理。他们已经得到了为其命定的今世享乐,已经度过了God意欲他们经历的考验期,并且领受了God赐予His使者、再由使者传达给他们的启示中属于他们的那一份:“谁比那捏造关于God的谎言或否认他的启示的人更不义呢?这些人将获得为他们命定的一份[在生活中]。当我们的使者来取他们的灵魂时,他们会说:‘你们过去舍God而祈求的那些东西,如今在哪里?’他们将回答:‘它们已经离弃了我们!’这样,他们便自己作证,证明自己曾是不信道者。”(第37节)

We have now a series of scenes portraying the end of this life and the beginning of the next one. We see first a scene of death as it overwhelms those who fabricate false claims against God, alleging that their inherited concepts and philosophies and the traditions and laws they enact for themselves have been sanctioned by God. Such people deny God’s revelations when they are conveyed to them by His messengers although these contain a perfect divine code. Thus, they prefer their suspect, unconfirmed knowledge to the confirmed truth of God’s revelations. They have already received what was decreed to be their lot of the comforts of this world. They have completed the period of test God had willed them to go through, and received their part of the revelations God has given to His messengers who, in turn, conveyed it to them: “Who is more wicked than one who invents lies about God or denies His revelations? These shall have whatever has been decreed to be their lot [in life]. When Our messengers come to carry off their souls, they will say: `Where, now, are those whom you used to invoke besides God?’ They will reply: ‘They have forsaken us!’ Thus, they will bear witness against themselves that they had been unbelievers.” (Verse 37)

在我们眼前呈现的，是那些对神捏造谎言、否认祂启示的人的情景。天使前来收取他们的灵魂，使他们死去，此时两方之间会有一些对话。天使问他们：“你们过去在神之外所祈求的那些，如今在哪里？”（第37节）你们过去所强调的那些虚构之说，结果怎样了呢？

Here we see portrayed before our eyes the scene of those who invented lies against God and denied His revelations. The angels come to gather their souls and cause them to die, at which point certain remarks are exchanged between the two groups. The angels ask them: “Where, now, are those whom you used to invoke besides God?” (Verse 37) What happened to the fabricated claims you used to emphasize?

你们所祈求和崇拜的那些神灵在哪里？正是它们使你们背离了真主的使者所传达的真理。如今，在你们生命终结、时限已到的这一关键时刻，它们又在哪里？你们找不到任何人能为你们多延长一小时，超过真主为你们所定的期限。

Where are the gods you invoked and worshipped, which caused you to turn away from the truth conveyed to you by God’s messengers? Where are they now at this very critical point in time when your lives have come to an end, and you find no one to give you an extra hour beyond the deadline appointed to you by God?

他们只有一个答案。这是一个清楚、明确、符合事实的答案:“他们已经抛弃了我们!”他们只是离开了,远远地离开了。我们不知道他们在哪里,他们也没有明确的途径回到我们身边。那些神明无法找到他们、或在他们急需之时无法救助他们的人,确实是迷失的。那些在仆人最需要时竟不知如何到达他们身边的神明,毫无价值。

They have only one answer to make. It is a clear, unambiguous and factual answer: “They have forsaken us!” They have simply gone away, far away. We do not know where they are, nor do they have a clear way of returning to us. Lost indeed are those whose gods cannot find them or who cannot help them in their hour of need. Worthless are the gods who know no way to reach their servants when they need them most.

“至于信道并行善的人，我不强求任何人超出他的能力。他们是乐园的居民，将永居其中。我将去除他们心中残留的任何怨恨。”

Let us now look at the opposite scene: “As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We never burden a soul with more than it can bear. They are destined for paradise, where they will abide. We shall remove any rancour that may be lingering in their hearts.

"溪流将在他们脚下流淌；他们将说：一切赞颂都归于真主，是祂引导我们来到这里。若非祂引导我们，我们必不能找到正路。我们的主的使者确已带来真理。”（有声音）将向他们呼喊：“这就是你们因生前所行而继承的乐园。”」（第42-43节）

Running waters will flow at their feet; and they will say: All praise is due to God who has guided us to this. Had He not given us guidance, we would certainly have not found the right path. Our Lord’s messengers have certainly brought us the truth.’ (A voice) will call out to them: ‘This is the paradise you have inherited by virtue of what you used to do.’” (Verses 42- 43)

这里描述了那些信道并尽力行善之人的归宿。他们回归乐园,因为借着真主的恩典,他们是乐园真正的主人。真主将乐园赐给他们,作为他们出于信仰而行的善功的回报。他们是遵循真主使者、顺从其主——至尊、至仁者——的诫命,并违抗他们宿敌撒旦的人。若不是真主的恩典,考虑到他们能力有限,他们的行为本是不足以获得乐园的。先知在穆斯林所辑录的一段可靠圣训中说:“你们中没有一人会因其善功而进入天堂。”众门徒问道:“真主的使者,连您也是这样吗?”他回答说:

Here we have a description of the destiny of those who believe and do righteous deeds as best they can. These return to paradise, because they are, by God’s grace, its rightful owners. He has granted it to them as a reward for their good deeds which are motivated by faith. It is they who followed God’s messengers, obeyed the commandments of their Lord, the Almighty, the Merciful and disobeyed Satan, their age- old enemy. Had it not been for God’s grace, their actions would not have been sufficient, considering their limited ability. The Prophet says in an authentic ĥadīth related by Muslim: “No one of you will be admitted into heaven by virtue of his action.” His companions asked: “Not even you, Messenger of God?” He replied:

“就连我也不例外，除非真主以祂的慈悯和恩典眷顾我。”真主在这一问题上所说的，与祂的使者在这段圣训中所陈述的，并无矛盾，也无出入，因为使者不会凭己意讲论宗教之事。伊斯兰各派之间关于此问题所进行的一切经学争论，并非建立在对这一宗教的正确理解之上。真主知道，人类过于软弱，不能凭自身的功修进入天堂。事实上，人所做的一切，都不足以报答真主在今世赐予他们的任何一种恩惠。因此，真主以自己的意志承诺以慈悯赐予他们，接纳他们微薄的努力，并仅凭祂的恩典赏赐他们天堂。由此，人们是以自己的功修，加上真主的慈悯与恩典，而获得天堂的。

“Not even me, unless God bestows His mercy and grace on me.” There is no contradiction or discrepancy between what God says in this regard and what is stated in this ĥadīth by His Messenger, who does not say anything related to religion on his own initiative. All scholastic debate that has taken place among Islamic schools of thought concerning this question did not rely on an accurate understanding of this religion. God knows that human beings are too weak to earn admittance into heaven by virtue of their own actions. Indeed, whatever they do is insufficient to repay for a single aspect of His grace which God bestows on them in this life on earth. Therefore, He has committed Himself to bestow His mercy on them and accept from them their meagre efforts and give them heaven as a reward, but only through His grace. Thus they earn it by their action combined with God’s mercy and grace.

对两组人的对照是彻底的,但这一章接着又为我们呈现了一个发生在我们刚才所见场景之后的画面。现在我们看到,乐园的居民已舒适地安居于他们的住所,而火狱的居民则已确知自己的末日。前一组人向后一组人呼喊,询问他们关于真主应许的事:"乐园的居民将向火狱的居民呼喊:'我们已经发现我们的主所应许的是真实的。你们是否也发现你们的主所应许的是真实的?'他们回答:'是的。'这时,他们中间将有人宣告:'不义者必受诅咒,他们阻止人们走上真主的道路,企图使它显得歪曲,并且否认后世的真实。'"(第44-45节)

The contrast between the two groups is total, but the sūrah moves on to raise before our eyes a scene that comes later than the one we have just witnessed. Now we see the people of heaven having settled down comfortably in their dwelling place, while the people of hell are now certain of their doom. The former group calls out to the latter asking them about God’s promise: “The dwellers of paradise will call out to the inmates of the fire: ‘We have found what our Lord promised to be true. Have you, too, found the promise of your Lord to be true?’ They will answer: ‘Yes,’ whereupon someone from their midst will proclaim: ‘Cursed indeed are the wrongdoers who turn others away from God’s path and try to make it appear crooked, and who reject the truth of the lift to come.’” (Verses 44-45)

问题本身充满了讽刺意味。信士们绝对确信，真主所警告的事情确实已经发生，正如他的应许已经实现一样。尽管如此，他们仍然要向火狱中的人询问此事。答案只用一个词给出：“是的”。

The question itself is full of irony. The believers are absolutely certain that what God has warned against has actually come to pass in the same way as His promise has been fulfilled. Nevertheless, they ask the people of hell about it. The answer is given in a single word: “Yes”.

于是，天堂与地狱之间那道鸿沟两边的对话就此停止，两群人都听到了一个声音。有人将在他们中间宣告：“不义者必受诅咒，他们阻碍人遵行真主的道路，妄图使之扭曲，并否认后世的真理。”（第44-45节）这段经文清楚地界定了“不义者”一词的含义，在《古兰经》中，这个词常被用作“不信道者”的同义词。正是那些缺乏信仰的人阻碍人们遵行真主的道路，并竭力使之显得扭曲。他们不相信后世。

Thus the dialogue that takes place across the great divide between heaven and hell comes to a stop as a voice is heard by the two groups. Someone will proclaim in their midst: “Cursed indeed are the wrongdoers who turn others away from God’s path and try to make it appear crooked, and who reject the truth of the lift to come.” (Verses 44-45) This statement clearly defines the meaning of `the wrongdoers’ which is often used in the Qur’ān as a synonym for `unbelievers’. It is the ones who are devoid of faith that turn people away from God’s path and try hard to make it appear crooked. They do not believe in the life to come.

对那些“企图使它变得歪曲”的不义者的描述，指出了那些阻止人们走上真主之道者的真正目的。他们宁愿选择弯曲的道路，而不愿走正直的大道。正直的道路只有一条，那就是遵循真主所启示的经训，并执行祂的律法。其他一切道路都是弯曲的。既然这些人偏爱那样的道路，他们便与不信道者属于同一类。凡是相信末日审判、并在心中确信自己终将回归主前的人，绝不会阻止人们走上真主之道，也不会为自己选择一条背离真主之道的路。这段经文清楚地界定了那些拒绝真主律法者的本质。

The description of the wrongdoers as the ones who “try to make it appear crooked,” points out the true aim of those who turn people away from God’s path. They prefer the crooked way to the straight path. There is simply one straight way which follows what God has revealed and implement His law. Every other way is crooked. As these people prefer it that way, they are in the same line as unbelievers. No one who believes in the Day of Judgement and who ascertains in his mind that he will return to his Lord will ever try to turn people away from God’s path or select for himself a path that moves away from it. It is a description that clearly delineates the nature of those who reject God’s law.

此时，这一章经文又将我们的注意力引向这一场景中的另一个细节。我们看到，两群人之间隔着一道屏障，屏障之上站着一些人，他们能够通过外貌和特征辨认出天堂的居民和火狱的囚徒。那么，这些人是谁？他们与注定进入天堂或火狱的两群人有什么关系？这一点值得我们去探究。

At this juncture, the sūrah draws our attention to something additional painted in this scene. We see that the two camps are separated by a barrier over which stand some people who recognize the dwellers of heaven and the inmates of the fire by their looks and features. It is important to find out who these people are and what have they got to do with the two groups destined either for heaven or hell.

在两群人之间将有一道屏障，高处将有一些人，他们凭相貌认识每一个人。他们会向乐园的居民呼喊：

Between the two parties there will be a barrier, and on the Heights there will be men who recognize everyone by their looks. They will call out to the dwellers of paradise:

“愿你们平安”——他们自己尚未进入乐园，却仍心怀渴望。当他们的目光转向火狱的居民时，他们会说：“我们的主啊，求你不要把我们与这些不义的人归在一处。” 随后，居于“高处”的人将向他们认出的一些人呼喊，凭他们的相貌认出他们，说：

“Peace be upon you” — not having entered it themselves, but longing still [to be there]. And whenever their eyes are turned towards the inmates of the fire, they will say: “Our Lord, do not place us alongside such wrongdoing people.” Then those on the Heights will call out to certain people whom they recognize by their looks, saying:

“你们的庞大人群和你们的傲慢，于你们有什么益处呢？难道这些人就是你们曾发誓说真主绝不会慈悯他们的那些人吗？”（现在他们被告知：）“你们进入乐园吧，你们将无所畏惧，也不会忧伤。”（36-49节）

“What have your great throngs and your false pride availed you? Are these the selfsame people whom you swore that God would never show them mercy?” (Now they have been told,) “Enter Paradise. You have nothing to fear, nor will you grieve.” (Verses 46-49)

据传，在分隔天堂与火狱的"高处"（Al-A'raf）上的那些人，是善功与恶行在分量和衡量上相等的人。因此，他们的善功不足以保证他们进入天堂，他们的罪过也没有使他们被判入火狱。他们留在两者之间，等待真主的恩典降临于他们。他们凭外貌认出天堂的居民，或许是因为他们的脸白净而光亮，或是因为有光伴随着他们。他们也凭特征认出注定进入火狱的人，或许是因为他们脸色黝黑，或是因为他们鼻子上留有的印记，那是他们过去以之为傲慢而昂起的鼻子。这鼻子上的印记在第68章《笔》中有所提及。他们以平安的问候向天堂的居民致意，显然怀着希望，盼望真主也会赐予他们怜悯，使他们也能进入天堂。当他们的目光落在火狱的居民身上时（这些人被刻意让他们看见），他们便祈求免于那样的命运。

It has been reported that those people on the Heights which separate heaven and hell are human beings whose good deeds are equal in weight and measure to their bad ones. Hence, their good deeds are not enough to guarantee their admission into heaven, nor have their sins condemned them to the fire. They remain in between, waiting for God’s grace to be bestowed on them. They recognize the people of paradise by their looks, probably by the fact that their faces are white and bright, or by the light which accompanies them. They also recognize the people destined to the fire by their features, probably by their dark faces or the marks printed on their noses which they used to raise as a gesture of arrogance. The printing of this mark on their noses is mentioned in Sūrah 68, The Pen. They greet the people of heaven with the greeting of peace, clearly entertaining hope that God will bestow His mercy on them and admit them to heaven as well. When their eyes fall on the people of the fire, whom they are deliberately made to see, they plead to be spared their destiny.