因此,凡是不依靠敬畏真主之心内在动机的情况,都注定会失败。同样注定失败的,还有一切不依靠真主权威的人造理论与制度。因此,所有保证法律执行的人为体系都是无效的,因为没有任何警察力量能够时时刻刻监视所有的人。
Hence, all situations which do not rely on the inner motivation of God-fearing hearts are bound to fail. Also doomed to failure are all man-made theories and regimes which do not rely on God’s authority. Hence, all human systems to ensure the enforcement of the law remain ineffective, because no police force can watch over all people, all the time.
在这部经文所述的事件中，那座城市的居民开始设法绕过安息日禁止捕鱼的命令。据传，他们在安息日设置某些障碍，使鱼无法返回大海，然后在星期日迅速收获渔获。他们声称自己并未在安息日捕鱼，因为鱼仍留在水中、在障碍物之后。另有一群人认识到这其中的狡诈，警告那些犯此行为的人提防真主的惩罚，并与他们的诡计划清界限。
In this particular case mentioned in the sūrah, the inhabitants of that city began to seek ways and means to get around the prohibition of fishing on the Sabbath day. It has been reported that they put up certain barriers on the Sabbath day so that the fish could not return to the sea, and on the Sunday they would be quick to take their catch. They claimed that they did not do the fishing on the Sabbath, because the fish remained in the water, behind the barriers. A second group recognized the deviousness in all this, and warned those people who perpetrated it against God’s punishment, dissociating themselves from their schemes.
第三群人对那些劝导本族人遵从真主命令的人说:对于那些坚持错误行为的堕落之人,你们的劝诫还有什么用呢?真主必定会毁灭他们,或者给他们严厉的惩罚:"当他们中有人说:'你们为何要劝导那些真主必定会毁灭或严厉惩罚的人呢?'"(第164节)当他们因违背真主的法度而自取毁灭或严厉惩罚之后,警告和劝诫便不再有用了。第二群人回答说:"这是为了在你们的主面前免于罪责,也是为了让他们能够敬畏真主。"我们有义务命人行善、禁人作恶,并禁止违背真主的法度。当我们尽到了本分,我们希望能够免于罪责。此外,我们的劝诫或许能够触动某些柔软的心,使至少一些悖逆的人悔改。
A third group said to the ones urging their community to comply with God’s orders: what use is your admonition to those erring people, when they persist in their erring ways? God is certain to destroy them or to inflict severe punishment on them: “When some among them asked: ‘Why do you preach to people whom God is certain to destroy, or at least to punish severely?’” (Verse 164) Warnings and admonition are no longer of use, after they have condemned themselves to destruction or severe punishment by violating God’s law. The second group replied: “So that we may be free from blame in the sight of your Lord, and that they may become God-fearing.” It is a duty on us to enjoin what is right and warn against what is evil and against violating God’s law. When we have done our duty, we hope to be free from blame. Besides, it may be that our admonition will touch a sensitive heart and cause at least some disobedient people to repent.
因此,那座城市的居民被分成了三个群体,或三个社群。在伊斯兰术语中,"民族"或"社群"指的是信仰同一宗教、持有相同理念、并效忠于同一领导的一群人。因此,它不同于古今非穆斯林社会对这一词的定义——后者将民族视为居住在某一特定地区、受某一特定政权统治的任何人群。这一概念与伊斯兰教格格不入。
Thus, the inhabitants of that city were divided into three groups, or three communities. In Islamic terminology, a nation or a community is a group of people who believe in one faith, have the same concept, and admit allegiance to a single leadership. It is thus different from the definitions given to it in non-Muslim societies, ancient and modern, which make a nation any group of people living in a particular area and governed by a particular regime. This concept is alien to Islam.
因此，我们说，那座城市的居民分为三个群体：一群是明显的悖逆者；一群是反对违抗神的狡诈阴谋，采取积极行动或谴责悖逆并加以劝诫的人；第三群采取消极态度，不赞同那些悖逆的阴谋，但不采取任何积极行动去加以阻止。每个群体都有自己的观念和行为方式，这使得每一群体各自构成一个独立的群体。
Hence, we say that the inhabitants of that city were divided into three groups: a clearly disobedient one, and one opposed to the sly schemes of disobedience to God, taking a positive action or denouncing disobedience and giving admonition. A third group adopted a negative attitude, disapproving of those disobedient schemes but taking no positive action to repel them. Each group had its own concept and line of action, which made each of them a separate nation.
当警告和劝诫显然无效，而违命的一群仍然固执于其错误的行为时，真主的警告必然应验。那些劝诫者得到了拯救，而违命的群体则遭受了极其严厉的惩罚，这一点稍后将予以说明。经文没有提及第三群体或社群的遭遇，或许是为了表明他们无足轻重，因为他们没有采取积极的行动，只满足于以消极的方式反对真主的违命行为。因此，尽管他们没有遭受惩罚，却也理应被忽视。经文说："当他们忘记了所受过的一切警告时，我拯救了那些阻止恶行的人，并因他们的不义行为，以可怕的苦难降临于不义者。当他们傲慢地坚持做被禁止的事情时，我对他们说："
When warnings and admonition were apparently useless, and the disobedient group persisted with their erring ways, God’s warnings had to be fulfilled. Those who admonished them were saved, while the disobedient community suffered a very severe punishment, as will be explained presently. The sūrah does not mention what happened to the third group or community, perhaps in order to indicate that they were of no consequence, because they refrained from taking positive action and were satisfied to disapprove of God’s disobedience only in a negative way. Hence, they deserved to be ignored although they did not incur punishment: “When they had forgotten all the warnings they had been given, We saved those who had tried to prevent evil, and overwhelmed the transgressors with dreadful suffering for their iniquitous deeds. And when they insolently persisted in doing what they had been forbidden to do, We said to them:
“变成卑贱的猿猴。”（第165-166节）
`Turn into despicable apes.’” (Verses 165-166)
我们在此注意到，《古兰经》将违抗（不服从）等同于否认信仰，并称之为“不义”或“罪恶”。这种情况在《古兰经》中极为频繁地出现，这使得这些术语的含义与后世学者著作中所使用的概念有所不同。
We note here how the Qur’ān equates disobedience with denying the faith, and refers to this as `wrongdoing’, or `transgression’. This occurs very frequently in the Qur’ān, which gives these terms a different concept to what is used in the works of scholars of later generations.
那些不服从真主、心怀诡计之人所遭受的可怕惩罚，便是被变成卑劣的猿猴。他们一旦放弃了能够约束私欲的意志，便失去了人性，只能沉沦到禽兽的境界之中。
The dreadful suffering inflicted on those scheming people who disobeyed God was to transform them into despicable apes. They forfeited their humanity when they abandoned their will, which could control their desires. They simply sank into the world of animals.
因此，让他们变成猿猴的模样，是一种相称的惩罚。
Hence, it was a befitting punishment that they should be given the appearance of apes.
他们是如何变成猿猴的？此后又发生了什么？他们是死去了，还是像每一个被变形为另一种形态的生物那样？抑或他们以猿猴的形态繁衍了后代？
How did they become apes, and what happened to them thereafter? Did they perish, as would every creature that is transformed into another shape? Or did they procreate in the form of apes?
注释经典中有许多不同的传闻。然而，这些问题在《古兰经》中都没有给出答案，我们也没有任何可靠的先知ﷺ的圣训来回答它们。
There are so many different reports in books of Qur’ānic commentary. However, none of these questions is given an answer in the Qur’ān, and we do not have any authentic statement by the Prophet to give answers to them.
因此，我们不会深入探讨这些领域。
Hence, we will not delve into these areas.
同一道命令既开启了创造，赋予受造物以其形态与样貌，也被用来促成形态的改变或转化。在所有这些情形中所用的词都是“成为吧”（Be），而真主所欲的，立即便会实现。
The same order which initiates creation and gives creatures their forms and shapes was given in order to bring about a change of form or a transformation. The word used in all these cases is, “Be”, and whatever God desires immediately takes place.
“我们对他们说：‘你们变成卑贱的猴子吧！’”阿拉伯原文使用的格式是“你们成为卑贱的猴子吧”。（第166节）这已足以使他们成为卑贱的猴子，并在屈辱中生活。这是一道任何力量都无法抗拒的命令，由那常常成就其旨意的主所颁布。
“We said to them: ‘Turn into despicable apes,’” with the Arabic text using the formula, “Be despicable apes”. (Verse 166) That was sufficient for them to be apes that are despicable, and to live in humiliation. That was the order that no power could repel, issued by the One who always accomplishes His purpose.
随之而来的是永久的诅咒,只有那些相信这位不识字的先知并追随他的人才得以幸免。这一诅咒的降临,也是因为他们长期执意违抗真主。因此,真主颁布了必定执行的判决:"你的主宣布,他必定会派遣人去向他们施行残酷的压迫,直到复活日。你的主确实迅速施行惩罚,但他也确实是至赦的、至慈的。"(第167节)
This was followed by an everlasting curse, which spared only those who would believe in the unlettered Prophet and follow him. This curse was also earned because of their long persistence in disobeying God. Hence, God issued the verdict that was certain to be implemented: “Then your Lord declared that He would most certainly raise against them people who would cruelly oppress them till the Day of Resurrection. Your Lord is swift indeed in His retribution, yet He is certainly much forgiving, merciful.” (Verse 167)
那项宣告将永远有效，尽管它的应验在颁布之日便已开始。在历史的不同时期，都曾有人对犹太人处置极为严厉，甚至准备加以压迫。这项宣告将持续生效，时而仍会有人残酷地对待他们。每当犹太人获得权力并违背真主而横行霸道时，他们必将遭受真主所兴起之人的打击。这是因为他们会不断从一种违抗真主的行为转到另一种，不肯悔改，而在改正之前又开始新的错误之路。
That declaration will last for ever, although its fulfilment started the day it was issued. In different periods of history, there were those who dealt very severely with the Jews and were ready to oppress them. The declaration will continue to operate, and there will from time to time be those who will deal cruelly with them. Whenever the Jews gain power and tyrannize in disobedience of God, they will certainly come to suffer at the hands of people whom God will raise against them. This is because they will continue to move from one act of disobedience of God to another, and will not mend their ways before they start with new erring ways.
有时我们可能会以为这种诅咒已经不再生效，犹太人似乎聚集了如此多的权力与影响力。事实是，这种情况只会持续历史上的一段有限时期。何时、将由谁来对抗犹太人，在下一轮以及之后的每一轮，直到复活日，唯有真主知晓。
At times we may think that the curse is no longer operative, and that the Jews have gathered so much power and influence. The fact is that this will only be for a limited period of history. It is God alone who knows whom He will raise against the Jews in the next round, and the round to follow that, until the Day of Resurrection.
真主已作出这一宣告，并在祂的经典《古兰经》中将此告知祂的使者，又以陈述真主两种属性的话语结束此项宣告：祂既施行严厉的惩罚，又是至为宽恕、至为慈悯的。“你的主实在迅速惩罚，祂确是至为宽恕、至为慈悯的。”（第167节）以祂迅速的惩罚，祂降临于那些应得此惩罚的人身上，正如海边那座城市的居民所遭遇的那样。以祂的宽恕与慈悯，祂接受了以色列后裔中那些愿意追随在《讨拉特》和《引支勒》中被明确描述的那位不识字的先知者的人的悔罪。祂的惩罚并非出于任何怨恨，而是对违抗者应得的相称报应。真主的慈悯与宽恕始终存在，留给那些值得获得它们的人。
God has made this declaration, and informed His Messenger of it in His own book, the Qur’ān, and concluded this declaration with a statement outlining the two attributes of God that He is at the same time swift in retribution, much forgiving and merciful: “Your Lord is swift indeed in His retribution, yet He is certainly much forgiving, merciful.” (Verse 167) With His swift punishment, He overwhelms those who earn that punishment, as happened to those dwellers of that city by the seaside. With His forgiveness and mercy He accepts the repentance of those of the Israelites who are ready to follow the unlettered Prophet who is clearly described in the Torah and the Gospel. His punishment is not the result of any grudge, but it is the fitting retribution for those guilty of disobedience. God’s mercy and forgiveness are always there to be extended to those who earn them.