该章以四个单独的字母开头，与第二章和第三章开头的单独字母相似。我们在对这些章的注释中讨论这类单独字母时，曾表明支持这样一种观点：这些字母是在提示，《古兰经》是由阿拉伯人用于其语言的阿拉伯字母所组成的词语构成的。尽管如此，他们无法用这些字母和音素编造出与《古兰经》相似的言辞。这本身就证明《古兰经》不是人所作。否则，我们如何解释这些字母、音素和词语是阿拉伯人所掌握的，他们却无法用它们写出任何与《古兰经》相似的东西？因此，必定还有某种其他因素赋予《古兰经》独特的品格。我们认为，这或许是对某些章开头这些单独字母最可能的解释。至于真主以之为何目的，唯有真主最知。因此，也可以将这四个字母视为一个句子的主语，译文中作“这”，意思是这些字母以及由它们和其他字母组成的内容，就是“从高处降下的经典”。另一方面，我们也可以把这些字母看作一种声音，用以提醒我们注意其后的含义，即这部经典是从高处降示的。

The sūrah begins with four separate letters, similar to those that occur at the beginning of the second and third sūrahs. When we discussed such separate letters in our commentary on these sūrahs, we expressed our support of the view that these letters are meant as a reference to the fact that the Qur’ān is composed of words made up of the Arabic alphabet which Arabs use in their language. Nevertheless, it is impossible for them to make up from these letters and sounds a discourse similar to that of the Qur’ān. This in itself proves that the Qur’ān is not composed by a human being. How else can we explain the fact that these letters, sounds and words were available to the Arabs and yet they could not make of them anything similar to the Qur’ān. There must be, then, some other element which gives the Qur’ān its unique character. We feel that this is perhaps the most likely interpretation of these separate letters occurring at the beginning of some sūrahs. God knows best the purpose He has in mind for using them. It is possible, therefore, to consider these four letters together as the subject of a sentence, which is given in the translation as, “this”, which means that those letters and what is composed of them and of other letters are “the book bestowed from on high”. On the other hand, we may take these letters as sounds serving to alert us to the meaning that follows which suggests that the book has been revealed from on high.

“这是从高处降示给你的一部经典。”（第2节）因此，这部经典是为了警示而降示的，使先知能够以其讯息面对全人类，即使他们并不喜欢被如此面对。它的讯息因而与既有的信仰、传统、社会规范和制度相对立。这足以使人对其所规定的责任产生怀疑与艰难之感。唯有那些愿意执行这一指令、并欲在社会中高举此经典讯息的人，才能体会这一点。他们这样做，旨在使人类社会的制度彻底、全面地改变，从其根基开始，直至其外在形态与各个细节。因此，首次负责传达此经典讯息的先知ﷺ，在面对当时阿拉伯及全世界普遍存在的蒙昧状态（jāhiliyyah）时，必定也曾感受到这一切。

“This is a book that has been bestowed on you from on high.” (Verse 2) This book, then, is revealed for warning, so that the Prophet is able to confront with its message all mankind, although they may not like to be so confronted. Its message is thus set in opposition to beliefs, traditions, social norms and set-ups. This is reason enough for entertaining feelings of doubt and hardship with regard to the duty it imposes. This can only be appreciated by those who wish to implement this instruction and raise the message of this book high in society. In so doing, they aim to achieve a complete and total change of the social set-up of the human community, beginning with its foundations and finishing with its outward appearance and points of detail. Hence, the Prophet, the one who was to deliver the message of this book for the first time, must have felt all this when he confronted the state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, prevailing in Arabia and throughout the world.

伊斯兰并不仅仅是历史上某个时刻发生、完成了其使命的一件往事。今天，它所承担的角色，与它最初面对人类时所承担的角色相似。事实上，当今世界上盛行的环境、社会制度、信仰、价值观和传统，与伊斯兰最初向人类发出召唤时所盛行的情形并无二致。"Jāhiliyyah"（蒙昧时期）一词指的是一种状态，而不是历史上某一特定的时代。今天，它无处不在，适用于一切类型的信仰、学说、制度和状况。它的根基在于把主权和立法权赋予人类，而不是承认这种权威唯独属于真主。这种蒙昧状态，即 jāhiliyyah 的根本基础，使人的私欲、情欲或思想成为人类事务的最终裁决者，而不是把神的律法当作应当执行的法则。蒙昧（jāhiliyyah）可以呈现出不同的面貌和形式，采用不同的名称，遵循各种各样的信条，但在其一切表现形式中，它都具有决定其本质的同一基本角色。

Islam is not a mere event of history that took place at a particular point in time and completed its role. Today it has a role to play similar to that which it played when it first confronted humanity. Indeed, the circumstances, social systems, beliefs, values and traditions that prevail in the world today are not dissimilar to those which prevailed when Islam first addressed mankind. The term jāhiliyyah refers to a state of affairs, not to a particular period in history. Today, it prevails everywhere and applies to all types of beliefs, doctrines, systems and circumstances. It is based on assigning sovereignty and legislative authority to human beings instead of acknowledging that such authority belongs to God alone. The very foundation of this state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, makes human caprice or desire or thought the ultimate arbiter in human affairs instead of adopting the divine code as the law to implement. Jāhiliyyah may take different shapes and forms, adopt different names, follow a variety of creeds, but in all its versions it has the same basic role determining its nature.

按照这一标准,显而易见,无明(jāhiliyyah)的状态如今遍布全世界。另一方面,伊斯兰作为一个实体已不复存在。它的倡导者与先知穆罕默德ﷺ为之奉献一生的目标相同,他们面临的也是他所面临的那类反对。因此,他们应当聆听这段古兰经经文中所包含的同一训诫:"这是降示你的经典,你不必对它有任何怀疑,它是为了让你借此警告世人,并劝诫信士。" 这一事实需要进一步阐述。

Adopting this criterion, it is clear that a state of ignorance, or jāhiliyyah, prevails today throughout the world. Islam, on the other hand, has ceased to exist as an entity. Its advocates have the same objective for which the Prophet Muhammad, God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) dedicated himself. They face the same type of opposition he faced. Hence, they should listen to the same reminder contained in this Qur’ānic verse: “This is a book that has been bestowed on you from on high — so do not entertain any doubt about it — in order that you may warn people with its message, and admonish the believers.” This fact needs some elaboration.

当今的人类社会总体而言都被蒙昧（jāhiliyyah）所笼罩，因此它们是"落后的"或"反动的"——从这个意义上说，它们在伊斯兰拯救它们脱离无知之后，又退回到了无知的状态。如今需要伊斯兰来拯救这些社会，使其脱离落后与反动，引导它们走上进步与文明之路，让神圣的价值与标准得以确立。只有当一个社会承认至高的权威属于真主，并通过施行真主的律法在实践中体现这一点时，那个社会中的人才真正摆脱了对自身私欲或他人私欲的屈从。

Human communities today are, generally speaking, overwhelmed by jāhiliyyah, and as such, they are `backward’ or `reactionary’, in the sense that they have reverted to a state of ignorance after Islam had saved them from it. It is Islam that is called upon today to save these communities from their backwardness and reaction and to set them along the road to progress and civilization which makes the divine values and standards prevail. It is only when a community acknowledges that the top authority belongs to God, and when this is manifested in practice by the implementation of God’s law, that human beings in that community are truly free from subjugation to their own desires or to those of other human beings.

既然真主将这项任务托付给祂的使者,祂便接着向首次受《古兰经》称呼的阿拉伯人下达了命令,实际上也是向伊斯兰试图将其从蒙昧(jāhiliyyah)枷锁中拯救出来的所有民族与群体下达命令。所有这些群体都被命令遵从这部神圣经典中所启示的内容,并且不得追随真主之外的任何主宰。这正是问题的关键所在:

As God assigns this task to His Messenger, He follows it with an order given to the Arabs addressed by the Qur’ān for the first time, and indeed to all nations and communities whom Islam tries to save from the shackles of jāhiliyyah. All such communities are ordered to follow what is revealed in this divine scripture and to refrain from following any masters other then God. This is the crux of the matter:

我们人类在安排自己的生活时，应当效法谁呢？如果我们遵从神圣的命令，那么我们便是顺服真主的穆斯林。那些遵从其他存在之命令的人，则是拜偶像者。这两种情形截然相反，二者之间不可能有任何交汇之处。这正是伊斯兰教信息的核心问题："你们当遵从你们的主所降示你们的经典，不要遵从他以外的主宰者。你们却很少觉悟。"（第3节）

whom are we, human beings, to follow in conducting our lives? If we follow divine orders, then we are Muslims who submit ourselves to God. Those who follow the orders of other beings are idolaters. The two situations are diametrically opposed and there cannot be any meeting point between them. This is the central issue in the message of Islam: “Follow what has been sent down to you by your Lord, and follow no masters other than Him. How seldom do you keep this in mind” (Verse 3)

这里需要指出，当直接称呼先知时，经典被描述为降示给他本人："这是为你降示的经典。"（第2节）与此同时，当对全体人类讲话时，经典则被描述为由他们的主降示给他们：

It should be noted here that when the Prophet was addressed in person, the hook is described as having been sent down to him personally: “This is a book that has been bestowed on you from on high.” (Verse 2) At the same time, when all mankind are addressed, the book is described as having been sent down to them from their Lord:

“你们当遵从主降示你们的（经典）。”（第3节）对于先知（愿主赐福并平安于他）而言，经典降示给他，是为了让他信仰它，并以其中的讯息警告世人、提醒世人。对于其他人而言，经典降示给他们，是为了让他们信仰它，并排除其他一切来源，只遵从它。无论哪种情形，这项启示都是一种尊荣。真主降示经典给一个人，选择他承担这项使命，并赐予他这一切恩惠与福泽，他就应当铭记并感恩，还应当以坚强和坚定的决心去承担这项使命。

“Follow what has been sent down to you by your Lord.” (Verse 3) In the case of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the book is revealed to him so that he believes in it and warns people and reminds them with its message. In the case of other human beings, the book is revealed to them so that they believe in it and follow it to the exclusion of any other source. In both cases, honour is made by this revelation. A human being to whom God sends down a book, choosing him for this task and bestowing on him all this bounty and blessings, should remember and should be thankful. He must also address himself to the task with strength and resolution.

这项任务十分重大。它旨在使人类社会发生彻底的转变,涵盖其观念、理想、价值、道德标准、传统、社会制度、经济结构,以及人与真主、与宇宙、与其他人之间的关系。因此,这一章经文力图强烈地震撼人们的良知,使他们觉醒并投身于这项任务,开始审视自己的处境。这一目的是通过描绘那些拒绝神圣启示的古代民族的命运来实现的:他们在今世如何被毁灭,以及在来世将面临怎样的归宿。