第一个事实是：思考真主的创造、凝视宇宙这部敞开的书，以及真主置于宇宙中的伟大奇迹，本身就是一种明确的敬拜行为，也是记念真主的重要组成部分。若自然科学研究宇宙的各个方面、规律与现象，以探寻其奥秘与潜能，而其目的是为了记念这宇宙的创造者，并体认、赞颂祂的威严与恩典，那么这些科学便会立即成为对造物主的敬拜与祈祷的一部分。
The first fact is that reflection on God’s creation and contemplation of the open book of the universe and the great wonders which God has placed in the universe constitute a definite act of worship and an essential part of remembering God. Had natural sciences which study various aspects, laws and phenomena of the universe in order to unravel their secrets and potential, been directed to remembrance of the Creator of this universe and to appreciate and acknowledge His majesty and grace, they would instantaneously have become part of worship and prayer to the Creator.
人类生活本可从这些科学中获益良多，并会转向真主。然而，唯物主义的倾向切断了宇宙与其创造者之间的一切联系，也切断了自然科学与神圣真理之间本应始终存在的关联。于是，科学研究这份上帝赐予人类的伟大恩赐，反而变成了一种诅咒，使人类的生活成为一连串痛苦、忧虑与精神空虚的延续，这些重负沉重地压在人的身上。
Human life would have benefited a great deal by these sciences and would have turned towards God. The materialistic trend, however, severs all links between the universe and its Creator, and severs the relationship which should have always existed between natural sciences and the eternal truth of the Divine Being. Scientific research, God’s great gift to man, thus becomes a curse which makes human life a continuous succession of misery, worry and spiritual emptiness which weigh very heavily on man.
第二个事实是,真主在宇宙间设置的种种迹象,只向那些经由崇拜和记念真主而得到净化的心灵与理智传递其启迪人心的信息。那些在任何情况下都记念真主的人——站立、坐着或躺卧时都记念——并且思考天地的创造以及昼夜的更替,他们正是心灵与理智已准备好领会这些宇宙现象所传递信息的人。
The second fact is that the signs that God has placed throughout the universe do not impart their inspiring messages except to hearts and minds refined by worship and the remembrance of God. Those who remember God in all situations, when they stand, sit and lie down, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth and on the succession of day and night are indeed the very people whose hearts and minds are ready to appreciate the messages imparted by these universal phenomena.
他们超越这些讯息，去探求确保得救、善良与繁荣的神圣之道。反之，那些只局限于研究某些表象与外在现象、探索某些普遍规律之奥秘、却从不设法了解生命之神圣之道的人，必然会毁灭生命，并以他们所发现的奥秘毁灭自己。他们无法逃脱充斥其生活的苦难与忧虑，最终必然招致真主的震怒，并应受祂的惩罚。
They are the ones who reach beyond these messages to the Divine method which ensures salvation, goodness and prosperity. On the other hand, those who confine themselves to the study of certain aspects and appearances, and discover the secrets of some universal laws, without any attempt to know the Divine method of life inevitably destroy life and destroy themselves with the secrets they discover. They cannot escape the misery and worry which characterise their lives and they inevitably end up incurring God’s wrath and deserving His punishment.
这两个事实相辅相成,它们以这种方式呈现给有理智的人,正在他们思考宇宙现象的那一刻。那是一个心灵澄明、思想开放、乐于接受讯息的时刻,也是准备好给出正确回应、并遵循真理所蕴含之义理的时刻。
These two facts are mutually complementary, and they are presented here in this way for men of understanding at the precise moment of their reflection on universal phenomena. It is a moment which represents clarity of heart and soul, an open mind ready to receive a message and an attitude of being prepared to give the right response and abide by the implications of the truth.
这是一个敬拜的时刻，也就是建立联系、接受讯息的时刻。因此，仅仅思考天地的创造以及昼夜的更替，就足以揭示其中的真理，并让人明白，这一切都不是徒然创造的，也就不足为奇了。这种态度的直接结果，体现在以下这些话语之中：
It is a moment of worship, which means that it is a moment of establishing a relationship and receiving a message. It is no wonder, then, that the mere reflection on the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night is enough to reveal the truth about them and the fact that nothing of this has been created in vain. The immediate result of this attitude is embodied in these words:
“‘我们的主啊，你没有徒然创造这一切。你的荣耀是无限的。’”紧接着是对宇宙启示的一种心理回应：
“’Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain. Limitless are You in Your glory.’” This is immediately followed by a psychological response to the inspiration of the universe:
“请保护我们免受火狱的刑罚。我们的主啊，你使其入火狱的人，你确已使他蒙受羞辱。不义者将无人援助。”
认识到天地的创造以及昼夜交替背后的真理，对于此中的情感关联是怎样的，以及它与对被投入火狱的恐惧之间有何联系？对于有理智、有见识的人来说，认识这一真理意味着：这一切都是依照精密的安排、为着确定的目的而造就的；真理与正义将在人的今世之外得以确立。这必然意味着，人的所作所为都将被计算在内，并将得到相应的报应。由此可以得出结论：必有另一个世界，在那里真理将得以彰显，正义将得以伸张。
“Guard us, then, against the torment of the fire. Our Lord, him whom You shall commit to the fire, You will have condemned to disgrace. The evildoers shall have none to help them.’’ What is the nature of the emotional relationship between recognising the truth behind the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night and the fear of being thrown into hell? Recognition of this truth means to those endowed with understanding and insight that it is all made according to an elaborate plan and for a definite purpose, and that truth and justice will be maintained beyond man’s life on this planet. This inevitably means that whatever people do will be taken into account and that rewards will be administered. This leads to the conclusion that there is another life where the truth will be established and where justice will be done.
这种论证既明显又自然,那些有见识的人很快就能在心中得出其结论。因此,火的景象立刻浮现在他们的脑海中,他们认识真理时最先涌现的念头,便是向真主祈求,求祂保护他们免受火狱之苦。这显示出他们对有理智、有悟性之人的思想与情感如何被唤起,有着非凡的理解。他们在长长的祷告中表达了自己的感受,其语调恳切、急切、悠扬,节奏优美:“我们的主啊!你使谁入火狱,你就已使谁受辱。不义者将没有任何援助者。”这表明,他们首先害怕的是那必然降临于被投入火狱者身上的羞辱。当他们意识到这些人将遭受何种羞辱时,便因羞愧而战栗。他们在真主面前感到羞愧,并觉得这种羞愧比火狱的鞭笞更加痛苦。这也表达了他们的认识:在真主面前,没有任何人能够援助他们:“不义者将没有任何援助者。”
我们接着继续这段谦卑的祷告:“我们的主啊!我们听见了一位呼吁信仰的招唤者的声音,他说:‘你们应当信仰你们的主。’我们便信了。我们的主啊!求你赦宥我们的罪过,消除我们的恶行,使我们与善良之人同死。”这些心灵是敞开的,只需接受这一信息便会回应。他们的敏感度被提升了。他们心中最先留下印象的,是自己会犯罪、可能有违抗之过。因此,他们转向自己的主,祈求祂的宽恕,并求祂消除他们的恶行。他们还祈求在死时能与正直者同列。
This line of argument is both obvious and natural. Its conclusion is quickly formulated in the minds of those people of understanding. Hence, the picture of the fire is immediately visualised in their minds and the foremost thought which accompanies their recognition of the truth is to pray to God to guard them against the fire. This shows a remarkable understanding of how thoughts and feelings are aroused in the minds and the hearts of people endowed with understanding. They express their feelings in their long supplication, apprehensive, urgent, melodious, finely rhythmic: “Our Lord, him whom You shall commit to the fire, You will have condemned to disgrace. The evildoers shall have none to help them.” This suggests that, first and foremost, they fear the disgrace which will inevitably befall those who are thrown into hell. They shiver with shame when they realise what sort of disgrace befalls such people. They stand ashamed in front of God, and they feel this shame to be more painful than the scourge of the fire. It also expresses their knowledge that there is no one to help them against God: “The evildoers shall have none to help them.’’ We move on with this humble prayer: “Our Lord, we have heard the voice of one who calls to faith, [saying]: ’Believe in your Lord’, and we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us, then, our sins and efface our bad deeds and let us die with the truly virtuous.” These hearts are open. They only need to receive the message in order to respond to it. Their sensitivity is enhanced. The first thing impressed on their minds is the fact that they commit sins and may be guilty of disobedience. Hence, they turn to their Lord, praying for His forgiveness and for their bad deeds to be effaced. They also pray to be grouped with the righteous when they die.
这些经文的信息与本章其余部分的信息相互契合。信士们祈求真主赦免他们的罪过，以便他们能够在与私欲和诱惑的持续斗争中获胜。在这场斗争中取得胜利，就如同在与真主之敌和信仰之敌的军事战斗中取得胜利一样。因此，这一章是一个完整的整体，每一部分相互补充，传达出完整而和谐的信息。
The message of these verses fits in with the message of the rest of the sūrah. The believers pray to God to forgive them their sins so that they can win their continuous battle against desire and temptation. Achieving victory in this battle is akin to victory in a military battle against the enemies of God and the enemies of faith. Thus the sūrah is a whole unit, each part complementing the other, and delivering a complete and harmonious message.
祈祷的最后一部分表达了希望、对真主的依靠，以及信士们从对真主始终践行其应许的坚定信任中所获得的力量："我们的主啊！求你把你借众使者应许我们的，赐给我们，在复活日不要使我们蒙羞。你确是永不违背应许的。"他们祈求真主实现借众使者传达给他们的应许，表达了他们对真主决不违背应许的绝对信心，以及他们希望在复活日免受羞辱的期盼。这最后的忧惧之词与祈祷开头的那一句相呼应。它表明他们对这种羞辱极为敏感，无论在祈祷的开始还是结束，都始终铭记并提及它。这些心灵是何等敏感而虔诚，他们在真主面前的羞耻之心又是何等强烈。总体而言，这篇祈祷是对宇宙及其迹象与现象所传达的信息的真诚而深刻的回应，这信息是向那些心扉敞开、未被污染的人们发出的。
The last part of this prayer expresses hope, reliance on God and deriving strength from the believers’ unshakable trust that He always fulfils His promises: “Our Lord, grant us what You have promised us through Your messengers, and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Surely, You never fail to fulfil Your promise.” They pray for the fulfilment of God’s promise conveyed to them by His messengers, expressing their absolute confidence that God never fails in His promise, and their hope to be spared disgrace on the Day of Resurrection. This last expression of apprehension relates to that at the beginning of their prayer. It demonstrates their great sensitivity to this disgrace and the fact that they always remember it and mention it both at the beginning and at the end of their prayer. How sensitive and pious are these hearts and how strong their sense of shame in front of God. Taken as a whole, this prayer represents a genuine and profound response to the message which the universe and its signs and phenomena give to men whose hearts remain open and uncorrupted.
在此应简要提及这些经文押韵所体现的艺术之美。这种韵律并非单一重复的节奏，而是一种和谐的韵律。本章约两百节经文中，大多数保持着通常用于陈述事实的韵律。韵律只在两处短暂改变：第一处出现在本章前段，第二处即适用于此处的经文。在这两处中，相关经文都包含向真主的祈祷。我们注意到，这些改变是为了艺术之美而作出的，所采用的韵律使经文产生一种悦耳的效果，与祈祷的氛围相得益彰。
A brief word should be added here about the artistic excellence reflected in the rhyming of these verses. It is a rhythm which does not repeat the same tempo, but rather a rhythm of harmony. Most of the 200 verses of this sūrah maintain a rhythm which is normally associated with statement of fact. The rhythm is briefly changed in only two instances, the first occurs early in the sūrah and the second applies to these verses. In both instances, the verses concerned include a prayer to God. We note that the changes are made for artistic beauty, whereby the rhythm adopted gives the verses a melodious effect which suits the atmosphere of prayer.
此外,对天地创造以及昼夜交替的沉思,特别适合于悠长而从容的礼拜,这样的礼拜可以拉长诵读,并带有悦耳的音调。如此一来,这一场景得以持续更长的时间,从而延长其信息及其对人们心灵与想象力的影响。
Moreover, reflection on the creation of the heavens and the earth and the succession of day and night is particularly suitable to a long, deliberate prayer which admits elongation and musical overtone. Thus, the scene itself is maintained for a longer period so as to prolong its message and effect on people’s minds and imagination.