万物在天地间都赞颂真主的无限圣洁。祂是至尊的，是至睿的。天地的主权属于祂。祂赐予生命，也使万物死亡；祂对万事都有决定之权。祂是先始的，也是后终的；是显露的，也是隐微的。祂通晓万事。祂在六日之中创造了天地，然后升上宝座。祂知道入地的一切，出地的一切，降自天空的一切，升往天空的一切。无论你们在何处，祂都与你们同在；真主洞察你们所做的一切。天地的主权属于祂。万事都归于真主。祂使黑夜进入白昼，使白昼进入黑夜；祂完全知道每颗心中所藏的一切。（第1至6节）

Everything in the heavens and earth extols God's limitless glory. He is the Almighty, the Wise. His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. He grants life and causes death; and He has power over all things. He is the First and the Last, the Outer and the Inner. He has full knowledge of all things. It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days and established Himself on the throne. He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it; all that descends from the skies and all that ascends to them. He is with you wherever you may be; and God sees all that you do. His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. Everything goes back to God. He causes the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night; and He has full knowledge of what is in every heart. (Verses 1-6)

这段开篇汇集了神性的若干属性，并通过行动将其展现出来。我们清楚地看到，是真主创始万有，涵盖万有，主宰万有，并且知晓万有。我们看到真主的大能运行于诸天与大地之间，洞察内心的隐秘情感，揭示深藏的秘密，并从至高之处俯瞰宇宙以及居于其中的一切众生。这一有力的开篇深深震撼着我们的心灵，带领我们遍览宇宙，在其中我们所发现、所看见、所听闻的，无非是真主。我们由此醒悟：我们无法逃离祂的旨意，无法隐藏于祂的知识之外，也不能向祂之外的任何人寻求庇护或祈求。

This opening brings together a number of the attributes of Godhead as they manifest themselves in action. We see clearly that it is God who originates all, encompasses all, controls all and knows all. We see the hand of God as it works throughout the heavens and earth, tackles innermost feelings, brings out deeply-buried secrets and looks from above on the universe and all who abide there. This powerful opening strongly shakes our hearts as it takes us on a round through the universe where we find, see and hear none other than God. We realize that we cannot escape His will, hide from His knowledge, seek refuge with, or appeal to anyone other than Him.

“天地间的万物都在颂扬真主的无限圣洁。他是至尊的，是至睿的。”（第1节）经文以此开篇，整个宇宙都在应和真主的赞颂。宇宙间的一切都参与其中，使每一颗不再被今世短暂事务所蒙蔽的敞开之心，都能听到这份赞颂。除了经文词语的表面意义之外，我们无需再去深挖其他含义；关于宇宙的本质，我们所知的任何真相，都不及真主告诉我们的那样真实、那样准确。

“Everything in the heavens and earth extols God's limitless glory. He is the Almighty, the Wise" (Verse 1) Thus the surah begins and the entire universe echoes God’s glorifications. Everything in the universe joins in so that every open heart, no longer shielded by preoccupations with the transitory life of this world, hears this glorification. We do not need to dig for any further meaning to the text other than the apparent significance of its words. We do not know anything about the nature of the universe that is truer and more accurate than what God tells us.

因此，当上主说宇宙中的一切都在“赞颂上主的无限荣耀”时，这句话的含义正是如此。没有其他词语能比这更贴切、更准确地表达这一含义。由此我们可以理解，天地间的一切都有一个转向上主、赞颂祂的灵魂。这是经文最贴近的含义，并得到了许多可靠圣训的证实。这也是一些人的体验：在他们心灵与灵魂处于最为澄明的时刻，他们领悟到了蕴含于万物之中的真理，并能够超越表面的形态与外相而看见本质。

我们几乎还没来得及喘息，这第一节经文就已描绘了这场赞颂真主的宏大宇宙盛典。紧接着，本章又带我们在宇宙中再次巡游：“诸天和大地的主权是他的。他使人生，也使人死；他对于万物是全能的。”（第2节）我们已经知道，诸天和大地中的一切都在赞颂真主的荣耀，因为他是宇宙唯一的主人，他的主权中没有伙伴。因此，这是借着财产来赞颂主人的情形。是他创造生与死，赐予每一个生灵生命，然后决定它的死亡。除了他的意愿，没有任何事情发生。

We hardly catch our breath after this first verse has portrayed this great universal festival of God’s glorification. The surah immediately takes us on another round in the universe: “His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. He grants life and causes death; and He has power overall things.” (Verse 2) We have learnt that everything in the heavens and earth extols God’s glory, as He is the sole owner of the universe who has no partner in His dominion. It is, thus, a case of glorifying the Owner by His property. It is He who creates life and death, granting life to every living thing and then determining its death. Nothing happens other than what He wills.

生命在其本质与来源上依然是一个秘密。没有人能说清它从何而来，又是如何产生的。事实上，没有人真正知道生命究竟是什么。

Life continues to be a secret in its nature and source. No one can tell where it came from or how. Indeed, no one knows what life truly is.

《古兰经》说，赐予每一个有生命者以生命的是真主。没有人能够否认这一点，也无法证明与之相反的任何事。同样，死亡是一个深藏的奥秘，其本质无人知晓。没有人能够造成死亡，因为除了赐予生命的那一位之外，无人能夺走生命。生与死都是祂对天地拥有绝对主权的体现。

The Qur’an says that it is God who grants life to every living entity. No one can deny this or prove anything contrary to it. Likewise, death is a deeply hidden secret whose nature is unknown to all. No one can cause it because none can take life away other than the One who granted it in the first place. Both life and death are aspects of His absolute dominion over the heavens and the earth.

“他对万物是全能的”（第2节）。他的权能是绝对的，不受任何事物的约束。真主的意志运行时没有任何限制。人的心智依照自身的逻辑，试图为真主的意志加上任何形式、任何类型、任何面貌的限制，都是错误的，因为这种想法出自有限的人类心智。真主的意志决定并主宰宇宙中运行的律法，这一事实正是其自由、无限制意志的整体图景的一部分。这种选择是不受约束的，这些律法的运行也不会对真主的意志构成任何限制，使其必须在这些律法之内运行。真主的选择依然是自由而不受限制的。

“He has power over all things” (Verse 2) His power is absolute, unrestricted by anything. God’s will operates without any restriction whatsoever. Any limitation, of any type, form or colour, our minds try to apply to God’s will, according to our own logic, is false as it is conceived by man’s finite mind. The fact that God’s will determines and operates the laws that operate in the universe is part of the overall picture of His free, unrestricted will. The choice is made without restriction, and the operation of these laws does not impose any limitation on God’s will to make it operate within these laws. God’s choice remains free and unrestricted.

《古兰经》极力强调这一事实，并在各处反复申明，以此彰显真主的意志是绝对自由的，甚至不受其自身行为结果的约束。因此，这一事实清晰明确，不掺杂任何外来的观念。例如，真主应许天堂的居民将永远居住在那里，同样的应许也给了火狱的居民。这一应许出自祂的意志，但祂的意志超越了祂所选择给予的这一应许本身，依然保持自由。因此，祂论及两类人时说，他们将“只要天地存在就永居其中，除非你的主另有旨意”（11：107 和 108）。这一点在多处重复，以表明不存在任何例外。对此，人的逻辑没有发言权，除非《古兰经》有所陈述。

我们接着又被引向另一个真理，它可能比前面的真理更伟大、更深刻：唯一真实的存在者是真主，祂的荣耀无限。因此，祂涵盖一切，知悉一切："祂是先的，也是后的，是显的，也是隐的，祂是全知万物的。"（第3节）祂是先的，意味着在祂之前什么都不存在；祂是后的，意味着在祂之后什么都不会留存。祂是显的，意味着在祂之上什么都没有；祂是隐的，意味着在祂之外什么都不存在。前两个属性涵盖时间的本质，后两个属性涵盖空间的本质。人的心智或许会四处探寻，但它会发现，除真主之外，没有任何事物拥有真实的存在。

We are then introduced to another truth that may be greater and more profound than the previous ones: it is the truth that the only true entity is God - limitless is He in His glory. Therefore, He encompasses everything and knows everything: “He is the First and the Last, the Outer and the Inner. He has full knowledge of all things. ” (Verse 3) He is the First, which means that nothing was before Him; and He is the Last, which means that nothing remains after Him. He is the Outer, which means that nothing is above Him; and He is the Inner, which means that nothing is beyond Him. The first two attributes encompass the nature of time, and the other two the nature of place. The human mind may look everywhere, but it will find that nothing has any entity except God.

诚然，一切存在的属性唯独属于祂。人类心智的存在之所以得以实现，唯有通过真主的存在，那才是唯一真实的存在。其余一切的存在，都由祂而获得。

Indeed all qualities of existence apply to Him alone. The very existence of the human mind materializes only through Gods existence, which is the only true existence. Everything else receives its existence from Him.

这是赋予万物以其本性的根本真理。除此真理之外，任何事物都不具有独立的存在。

This is the basic truth that gives everything its nature. Nothing has an independent existence beyond this truth.

"He has full knowledge of all things" (Verse 3) 他对万物都有全面的知识。 His is the knowledge of the truth absolute. Since every existence is derived from God, it is included in His absolute knowledge, which belongs to Him alone. No one shares in Gods knowledge, much as people may get to know some aspects of the nature of their own world. Still, they will only know about what appears to them. 他拥有绝对真理的知识。由于一切存在都源自真主，它们都包含在他绝对的知识之中，而这种知识唯独属于他。尽管人们可能了解自身世界的某些本质方面，却没有人能分享真主的知识。即便如此，人们所知的也只是呈现在他们面前的事物。

“He has full knowledge of all things” (Verse 3) His is the knowledge of the truth absolute. Since every existence is derived from God, it is included in His absolute knowledge, which belongs to Him alone. No one shares in Gods knowledge, much as people may get to know some aspects of the nature of their own world. Still, they will only know about what appears to them.

如果这一伟大的真理在一个人心中已经牢固确立，他又为何还要去顾及宇宙中除真主之外的任何事物呢？

If this great truth is well established in a persons heart, why should he give any consideration to anything in the universe other than God?

这一章经文又告诉我们，其他的真理是如何从那个伟大的真理中分支而出的。

Now the surah tells us how other truths branched out from that great one:

祂创造了天地，用六天的时间，然后升上宝座。祂知道进入大地的一切，以及从大地出来的一切；知道从天降下的一切，以及升上天的一切。无论你们在哪里，祂都与你们同在；神洞察你们所做的一切。天地的主权属于祂。万事都归于神。祂使黑夜转入白昼，使白昼转入黑夜；祂完全知道人心所藏的一切。（第4-6节）

It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days and established Himself on the throne. He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it; all that descends from the skies and all that ascends to them. He is with you wherever you may be; and God sees all that you do. His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth. Everything goes back to God. He causes the night to pass into the day, and the day to pass into the night; and He has full knowledge of what is in peoples hearts. (Verses 4-6)

这些经文提到了若干真理：真主创造天地；祂端坐于宝座之上；祂了知造物的某些特定事务；祂与每一个人同在，无论他们身处何方；万物都将归于祂；祂主宰今世的诸般事务；以及祂了知人心中所藏。所有这些都源于第一个伟大的真理，而将它们置于这一普遍的宏观背景之下来呈现，则赋予了它们特殊的感染力。

These verses mention several truths: God’s creation of the heavens and the earth; His establishing Himself on the throne; His knowledge of particular matters about His creation; His presence with everyone wherever they happen to be; the return of everything to Him; His conduct of the affairs of this world; and His knowledge of what is in people’s hearts. All these spring out of the first great truth, but their presentation against this universal background gives them special effect.

天空与大地以其广袤、美丽、和谐、位置与运行的精准，以及其现象的恒定，在我们心中激起敬畏。与人的心一样，它们也是真主的受造物。因此，它们也与人的心相通。当人观察并思考它们的创造时，它们便在人心中奏出天籁般的旋律。它们向人诉说：它们都是真主所造，并且都在赞颂祂的圣洁。

The heavens and the earth strike awe in our hearts by their expanse, beauty, harmony, accuracy of position and movement and in the consistency of their phenomena. Like the human heart, they are God’s creatures. Thus, they too relate to man’s heart. They strike some heavenly tunes on it when man looks and reflects on their creation. They say to man that they are all created by God, and that they extol His praises.

人也应当如此。正如它们一样，人应当从上帝的存在中推导出自身存在的真理。

Man should do the same. Like them, he should derive the truth of his existence from God’s existence.

六天之中，神创造天地，这六天的实情唯有神知晓。我们所过的日子，只是地球自转与太阳相对位置所产生的偶然结果。地球上的这种昼夜之日，是在地球和太阳被创造之后才出现的。因此，我们不能把这种地球上的日子套用到宇宙的创造上。所以，我们将这类知识交由神来掌握。

The six days in which God created the heavens and earth are known only to God. Our own days are accidental results of the earth’s rotation in relation to the sun. This earth day came into existence after the creation of the earth and the sun. Therefore, we cannot apply this earth day to the creation of the universe. We, therefore, leave such knowledge to God.

在这段开篇之后，这一章经文号召所有人信仰，并准备好为主道牺牲钱财与财产。开篇已经使我们的心变得柔软，准备好倾听，并全神贯注。然而，这段劝告本身也带有激励人心的语气与鼓舞人的笔调。

Having softened our hearts with this opening, the surah calls on all people to believe and be ready to sacrifice money and property. The opening has made us ready to listen and pay full attention. Yet the address also brings its own inspiring touches and encouraging tones:

你们要信仰真主和他的使者，并且要把他使你们承袭的财产施舍出去。你们中间，凡信道而施舍的人，必有重大的报酬。你们为什么不信仰真主呢？使者在号召你们信仰你们的主，他已经与你们立了盟约，如果你们是信士的话。他是降示明白的启示给他的仆人的，以便把你们从重重黑暗引到光明之中。真主对你们确是至仁的，确是至慈的。你们为什么不为真主的道而施舍呢？天地的遗产，只归真主所有。你们中间，在胜利之前施舍和战斗的人，与在胜利之后施舍和战斗的人是不同等的；前者的品级，比后者的品级更高。虽然真主都应许了他们最优的报酬。真主是彻知你们所作所为的。（第7-10节）

Believe in God and His Messenger, and give [in charity] of that of which He has made you trustees. Those of you who believe and give [in charity] will have a great reward. Why should you not believe in God when the Messenger calls upon you to believe in your Lord, and He has already taken a pledge from you, if you are true believers? It is He who bestows from on high clear revelations to His servant, to lead you out of the deep darkness into light. God is indeed most compassionate to you, ever merciful. Why should you not spend freely in the cause of God, seeing that God's alone is the heritage of the heavens and the earth? Those of you who gave and fought [for God's cause] before the victory are not like others: they are higher in rank than those who gave and fought afterwards, although God has promised the ultimate good to all of them. God is well aware of all that you do. (Verses 7-10)

在这里，真主在对祂所创造的心灵说话。祂知道这些心灵，知道什么会影响它们，也知道它们怀有怎样的感受。祂知道，要使信仰纯正并牢牢扎根于我们的心中，使其在现实生活中产生成果，是非常艰难的；祂也知道，要使心灵做好准备，纯粹为了祂的缘故而奉献牺牲，这场斗争是多么艰苦而漫长。

Here, God is addressing the hearts He has created. He knows them, knows what influences them, as well as what feelings they harbour. He knows that for faith to be pure and well established in our hearts so that it gives results in practical life is very hard. He knows how hard and long the struggle is for hearts to be ready to sacrifice purely for His sake.

因此,这一章引入了许多因素,并向我们陈述了若干普遍的真理。它们综合起来的作用,使我们能够以那伟大真理的精确尺度来衡量事物。《古兰经》一次又一次、一步一步地触动这些心灵。它并不满足于仅用一次劝诫或一种影响来陈述事理。因此,宣扬天经的人最好思考《古兰经》对待人心的方式,以便遵循它的指引。

Therefore, the surah brings in such a host of factors and puts before us a number of universal truths. Their combined effect makes us measure things with the accurate measure of the great truth. The Quran deals with these hearts time and again, step after step. It is not satisfied with a single address or influence presenting the case. Hence advocates of the divine faith are well advised to reflect on the way the Qur’an treats people’s hearts, so that they can follow its guidance.

随后，本章又以一种强调的方式激励人们行善施舍：“你们为何不为真主的事业而慷慨施舍呢？天地的遗产只归真主所有。”（第10节）这一句让我们回想起开篇经文中已经提到的事实：“天地的主权属于祂。”

The surah then adds the incentive to spend in charity, putting this in an emphatic way: “ Why should you not spend freely in the cause of God, seeing that God's alone is the heritage of the heavens and the earth?" (Verse 10) This reference takes us back to the fact already mentioned in the opening verses: “His is the dominion over the heavens and the earth.

"一切终将归于真主"（第5节）天地都是祂的所有物，万物都将回归祂。托付给人的一切，也将作为这份遗产的一部分归还给祂。

Everything goes back to God" (Verse 5) The heavens and the earth are His own property and they revert back to Him. What has been assigned to people on trust will also go back to Him as part of this inheritance.

为什么他们不施舍呢？当真主要求他们施舍钱财时，他们又有什么理由不这样做呢？从这个角度来看，吝啬是毫无道理可言的。

Why should they, then, not be charitable when He is asking them to spend in charity? When this is put into perspective, there can be no justification for stinginess.

在艰难的时期，即伟大的胜利到来之前，早期信士中的精英群体——穆哈吉尔和安ซาร——竭尽所能地献出了自己的生命和财产。 Note: the correct transliteration of the Ansar should be 安萨尔. Corrected translation: 在艰难的时期，即伟大的胜利到来之前，早期信士中的精英群体——穆哈吉尔和安萨尔——竭尽所能，以生命和财产作出了牺牲。

The elite community of the early believers, the Muhajirin and the Ansar, came forward with what they could of sacrifice, in life and property, during a very hard time, before the great triumph was achieved.

这里所说的胜利，可能指攻克麦加并使其归信伊斯兰，也可能指在侯代比亚签订的和约。这两件事都极大地巩固了伊斯兰的地位，而当时伊斯兰仍被四面八方的敌人所包围。这些人向真主奉献牺牲，既无世俗利益的念头，也无讨好一个强大穆斯林国家的打算，因为当时并不存在这样的国家。他们的牺牲是为了真主而作出的抉择，是对他们全心接受并热爱的信仰的支持，他们珍视这信仰胜过自己的生命和财产。然而，就数量而言，他们所奉献的远少于那些在伊斯兰获胜之后归信而来的人所能奉献的。其中一些人所奉献的，仅停留在他们听说早期穆斯林所给予的数额上。因此，《古兰经》赋予这些奉献以其真正的价值，明确表明决定价值的不是数量，而是指向信仰真理的动机："你们中在胜利之前施舍和作战的人，与其他人不同：他们的品级高于那些在之后施舍和作战的人。"（第10节）

The victory mentioned here may refer to either the fall of Makkah to Islam, or to the signing of the peace treaty at al-Hudaybiyah. Both were events that greatly consolidated the position of Islam at a time when it was still besieged by enemies on all fronts. These people offered their sacrifices to God, entertaining no thought of worldly gain or currying favour with a powerful Muslim state, for there was none. Their sacrifice was the result of a choice they made for Gods sake. It was in support of a faith they wholeheartedly accepted and loved, valuing it dearer than their lives and properties. Yet what they sacrificed was, in quantity, much less than what those who flocked to Islam after its victory were able to sacrifice. Some of these offered sacrifices, stopping at the amount they heard the early Muslims gave. Therefore, the Quran gives these offerings their true values, making it clear that it is not the quantity that determines the value; rather, it is the motive pointing to the truth of faith: “ Those of you who gave and fought [for God's cause] before the victory are not like others: they are higher in rank than those who gave and fought afterwards(Verse 10)

本章更进一步，激励听众成为真正的信士，并慷慨地付出财物。它又提供了更多的动力与启发。

The surah goes a stage further in motivating addressees to be true believers and to make financial sacrifices. It provides further incentives and inspiration:

谁愿意向真主借出一笔慷慨的贷款?他会将其加倍偿还,并慷慨地赏赐他。在那一天,你会看见信道的男人和女人,他们的光在他们面前和右边迅速发散,[有声音]会说:"今天向你们报喜:你们将永居于流动着江河的乐园,这确是至高的成功。"在那一天,伪信的男人和女人会对信士们说:"等等我们,让我们借你们的光用一用!"他们会被告知:"你们回去寻找别的光吧!"他们之间将筑起一道有门的墙,墙内有慈悯,墙外则是刑罚。[外面的人]会向[里面的人]呼喊:"难道我们不是与你们同在的吗?"他们会回答:"是的,但你们使自己陷入诱惑,你们犹豫不定,你们怀疑,你们被虚妄的希望所欺骗,直到真主的命令降临;你们还被关于真主的虚假念头所迷惑。今天,无论从你们还是从不信道者那里,都不会接受任何赎金。火狱将是你们的归宿,它才是你们应得之处;那是多么恶劣的归宿!"(第11-15节)

Who will offer God a generous loan, which He will repay in multiples and will generously reward him? On the day when you see all believers, men and women, with their light spreading rapidly before them and to their right, [they will be told], ‘The good news for you today is that you shall for ever abide in gardens through which running waters flow. This is indeed the supreme triumph.’ On that day the hypocrites, men and women, will say to the believers, ‘Wait for us! Let us have a ray of your light!’ They will be told: ‘Turn back and seek some other light. ’A wall with a gate will be raised between them: within it will be mercy, and outside will be suffering. [Those without] will call out to those [within], ‘Were we not with you?’ They will reply, ‘Yes, but you allowed yourselves to be led into temptation, you wavered, you doubted, and you were deceived by false hopes until God’s command came to pass, and indeed you let your deceptive thoughts about God delude you. Today no ransom will be accepted from you or from the unbelievers. The fire shall be your home: it is where you belong; and how evil a destination!' (Verses 11-15)

这段讲话不仅令人受到鼓舞,更是引人入胜。它向那些常常需要帮助的人发问:“谁愿意给真主一笔慷慨的借贷?”*一个贫穷渺小的人竟然可以借给真主,光是这个想法,就应当让每一位穆斯林急切地去做。人们通常会争相把钱借给富有的人,而他们自己,包括富人在内,其实都是贫穷的,因为他们知道偿还是确定无疑的。能借钱给这样一位富足的人,他们感到骄傲。那么,当他们借给那位自足、值得一切赞颂的主时,又该是怎样的感受呢?

This address is not merely inspiring; it is captivating. It says to those who are always in need of help, ‘Who will offer God a generous loan?* The mere thought that he, a poor, little human being, can offer a loan to God should make a Muslim rush to do so. People normally compete to lend to someone who is rich - when they, including the rich, are all poor - because they know that repayment is certain. They are proud to lend money to such a wealthy person. So how would they feel when they make a loan to the One who is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise?

然而，该章并未止步于此，而是承诺，对于那完全为了真主而给予、不为讨好任何他人的美好借贷，将以加倍或数倍的方式偿还。此外，它还许诺了极其丰厚的报酬：“谁愿意借给真主一笔美好的贷款？他将加倍偿还给他，并且还将慷慨地赏赐他。”（第11节）随后，该章以一幅精妙的画面描绘了这份慷慨报酬将被赐予的那一天：“在那一天，你将看到信道的男人和女人，他们的光在他们面前和右边迅速地闪耀。”（第12节）

The surah, however, does not leave it at this, but instead promises to repay such a goodly loan, given purely to Him without any thought of pleasing anyone else, in double or multiples. In addition, it promises a very generous reward: “ Who will offer God a generous loan, which He will repay in multiples and will generously reward him?” (Verse 11) The surah then presents a brilliant image of this generous reward in a scene of the day when this is granted: “On the day when you see all believers, men and women, with their light spreading rapidly before them and to their right.” (Verse 12)