这是一幅壮丽而威严的景象:我们看到每一块石头,无论大小,每一粒种子和每一片叶子,每一朵花和每一颗果实,每一根幼芽和每一棵树,每一只昆虫和爬行动物,每一头动物和每一个人,每一种行走在大地上、游弋在水中或飘浮在空中的生灵——总而言之,整个宇宙中的一切受造物都在赞颂真主,并顺服地向祂归依。当我们感知到,凡是进入我们视野的,以及超出视野之外的一切,都在焕发生机时,心中不禁充满敬畏。
It is a powerful and majestic scene in which we see every stone, large and small, every seed and leaf, every flower and fruit, every little shoot and every tree, every insect and reptile, every animal and human being, every creature that walks the earth, swims in the water or floats in the air, in short, all creatures in the whole universe glorifying God and turning to Him in submission. We are filled with awe as we sense that everything that comes within our vision or stays beyond it comes alive.
每当我们伸手去触摸某物，每当我们抬脚跨过某物时，我们都会感觉到它是有生命的，正在赞颂真主。
‘Whenever we stretch our hands out to touch something, and whenever we put our feet to step over something, we feel that it is alive, glorifying God.
“的确，万物无不以各自的方式、各自的语言赞颂他的圣洁与美德。”
“Indeed every single thing extols His glory and praise,” in its own way and language.
“但你们[人类]却不能理解它们的赞颂。”（第44节）人类受制于自身的构造，而这构造源于泥土，因此人无法理解其他受造物的赞颂。倘若他们用心去聆听，去体会宇宙中运行的精妙法则，去认识万物无论大小都归向造物主的道理，他们就会体会到其中一些赞颂的意味。当人的灵魂得到净化，当他们倾听每一个有生命与无生命之物向独一的真主所发出的赞颂时，他们就更能与至高的世界相接近，也比那些只局限于物质世界的人更能理解宇宙的奥秘。
“But you [human beings] cannot understand their praises.” (Verse 44) Human beings are limited by their own constitution which has a clay origin. This debars them from understanding the praises of other creatures. Had they listened with their hearts, directing them to appreciate the subtle laws that operate in the universe and make everything, large or small, turn to the Creator of all, they would have appreciated something of that praise. When human souls are purified and when they hearken to every animate and inanimate object as it addresses its glorification to God alone, they are better prepared to be in contact with the Supreme Society. They are better able to understand the secrets of the universe than those who limit themselves to the material world.
“他确实是宽容的，多赦宥的。”（第44节）经文提到真主的这些品性，是因为人们在对祂的本分上明显有所欠缺。与宇宙中万物对真主所表现的伟大顺服相比，人类的处境显得格外特殊：有人以物配主，有人声称真主有女儿，还有人忘记了赞颂和荣耀祂的本分。事实上，人类本应是所有受造物中最先承认真主、宣示顺服祂并赞颂祂的。若不是真主的宽容与赦宥，祂本会加速惩罚他们。然而祂给予他们时间，提醒并训诫他们，因为“他确实是宽容的，多赦宥的。”古莱什的领袖们——即先知自己的部族，他们拒绝了先知的召唤——竭力阻止自己的心灵和灵魂积极回应《古兰经》的真理。结果，真主在他们与先知之间设下了一道无形的帷幕，并在他们的心上放置了遮盖，使他们无法领会其中的道理。他们的耳朵如同聋了一般，因此无法理解其中的讯息。
“He is indeed Forbearing, Much Forgiving.” (Verse 44) These attributes of God are mentioned here because of what seems clear of people’s failing in their duties towards Him. Compared with this great show of submission to God in the whole universe, human beings seem to be in a singular position. Some associate partners with God, while others allege that He has daughters, and still others remain oblivious of their duty to praise and glorify Him. In fact human beings should have been the first among all creatures to acknowledge God, declare their submission to Him and extol His praises. Had it not been for God’s forbearance and forgiveness, He would have hastened their punishment. But He allows them time, reminds and admonishes them because ‘He is indeed Forbearing, Much Forgiving.’ The leaders of the Quraysh, the Prophet’s own tribesmen who rejected his call, tried hard to prevent their hearts and souls from responding positively to the truth of the Qur’ān. As a result, God raised an invisible curtain between them and the Prophet, and placed coverings on their hearts preventing them from understanding it. Their ears were in a state similar to deafness, which meant that they could not understand its message.
当你诵读《古兰经》时，我在你和那些不信后世的人之间设下一道无形的屏障；我在他们心上蒙上帷幕，使他们无法领会其中的含义；我使他们的耳朵变聋。因此，当你在《古兰经》中提到你的主是独一的真主时，他们便厌恶地掉头而去。
When you read the Qur’ān, We place an invisible barrier between you and those who do not believe in the life to come. We cast a veil over their hearts which makes them unable to grasp its meaning, and their ears We make deaf. And so, when you mention your Lord in the Qur’ān as the One and only God, they turn their backs in aversion.
我们完全清楚他们在听你时在听什么，以及他们私下交谈时说些什么。不义的人说："你们所跟随的，只是一个中了魔法的人。"你看他们把你比作了什么。他们确已迷失，无法找到回归正道的路。（第45-48节）
We are fully aware of what they are listening for when they listen to you, and what they say when they speak to each other in private. The wrongdoers say: ‘The man you follow is certainly bewitched.’ See to what they liken you. They have certainly gone astray and are unable to find a way back [to the truth]. (Verses 45-48)
据一则报道称，古莱什的长老们曾发布普遍性的命令，要求人们在听到穆斯林诵读《古兰经》时，不要去听。
One report states that the elders of the Quraysh issued a general order telling everyone not to listen to the Qur’ān when they heard it being recited by Muslims.
但即便是伊斯兰教最直言不讳的敌人,也都为《古兰经》所吸引。
But the Qur’ān had its attraction even to the most outspoken enemies of Islam.
在夜幕的掩护下,那三位长老——艾布·哲赫勒、艾布·苏富扬和艾赫奈斯·本·沙里格——坐在先知ﷺ的住所外,聆听里面传出的《古兰经》诵读。他们每个人都是独自前来,以为没有人会知道自己的行为。天色渐亮时,三人各自回家,以免被人发现。不久,三人在路上相遇。他们在那个特定时间出现在那里,只有一个原因。于是他们彼此劝告,不要再做这样的事。其中一人说:"如果你们的追随者看见你们,你们会在他们心中引起疑惑。"第二天夜里,他们又做了同样的事,天亮时再次相遇。他们再一次彼此劝告,不要再做这种"不负责任"的举动。
Protected by the cover of darkness, three of those elders, Abū Jahl, Abū Sufyān and al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq sat just outside the Prophet’s house, listening to the Qur’ān being recited from inside. Every one of them was on his own, thinking that no one would know about his action. As the day began to break, each took his way home, so that no one would find out. Soon, the three of them met. There was only one reason for their presence there at that particular time. Therefore they counselled each other against such action: “Should some of your followers see you,” one of them said, “you would stir doubts in their minds.” The following night they did the same, and once again they met at the break of day. Again they counselled each other against their ‘irresponsible’ action.
然而，第三个晚上，他们每个人都又去了先知的家门外坐着，聆听《古兰经》。清晨他们相遇时，都为自己感到羞愧。其中一人提议，他们各自应当以荣誉起誓，不再回去。他们便照此做了，然后才回家。
Nevertheless, the third night each of them went to sit outside the Prophet’s home and listen to the Qur’ān. When they met in the morning, they were ashamed of themselves. One suggested that they should each give their word of honour not to return. This they did before going home.
那天早上晚些时候,al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq 去了 Abū Sufyān 的家。他问 Abū Sufyān 对于听到 Muĥammad ﷺ 诵读的内容有什么看法。Abū Sufyān 说:“我听到了一些我知道并认得是真实的内容,但也听到了一些我无法理解其本质的内容。”al-Akhnas 说他的感受也是一样。随后他离开,去了 Abū Jahl 的家,向他提出同样的问题。Abū Jahl 的回答则完全不同。这一次,他对自己和对话者都坦诚而诚实:“我来告诉你我听到了什么!我们一直与 `Abd Manāf 部族在荣誉上相互竞争:他们救济穷人,我们也这样做;他们慷慨地资助有需要的人,我们也同样做。当我们并驾齐驱、势均力敌,就像两匹并肩奔跑的赛马时,他们却说,他们中的一个人是接受天启的先知!我们何时才能获得这样的荣誉?凭真主起誓,我们绝不会信他。”
由此可以清楚地看出,这三位长者都被《古兰经》所触动,他们的灵魂被其信息所吸引,但他们却有意封闭了自己的心。结果,真主在他们与祂的使者之间设置了一道秘密的封印,肉眼看不见,却能被心灵感受到。它的作用是使他们无法因真主的使者就在他们之中而受益,也无法因他所诵读的《古兰经》而得到引导。因此,他们会彼此谈论《古兰经》的美妙与真理,却又发誓不再聆听。他们或许会再次感受到它的力量,并再度出去聆听,但他们仍然决意反对它,并以荣誉起誓,不再聆听这部同时触动理智与心灵的《古兰经》及其信息。 他们觉得,《古兰经》的核心信息——真主独一的信息——威胁到了他们的利益、特权和骄傲:"当你在《古兰经》中提到你的主是独一的真神时,他们便厌恶地掉转背去。"(第46节)
Later that morning al-Akhnas ibn Sharīq went to see Abū Sufyān at his home. He asked him what he thought about what he had heard Muĥammad reciting. Abū Sufyān said: “I heard things which I know and recognize to be true, but I also heard things whose nature I cannot understand.” Al-Akhnas said that he felt the same. He then left and went to Abū Jahl’s home to put the same question to him. Abū Jahl’s answer was totally different. For once, he was candid and honest with himself and his interlocutor: “I will tell you about what I heard! We have competed with the clan of `Abd Manāf for honours: they fed the poor, and we did the same; they provided generous support to those who needed it and we did the same. When we were together on the same level, like two racehorses running neck and neck, they said that one of their number was a Prophet receiving revelations from on high! When can we attain such an honour? By God, we shall never believe in him.” It is abundantly clear then that these three elders were touched by the Qur’ān, their souls attracted to its message, but they deliberately sealed their hearts to it. As a result, God placed between them and His Messenger a secret seal that could not be seen with the human eye, yet it is felt by the heart. Its effect was to ensure that they would not benefit by the presence of God’s Messenger among them and would not be guided by the Qur’ān he recited. Thus, they would speak to each other about the beauty and the truth of the Qur’ān but would pledge not to listen to it again. They might feel its power again and go out to listen to it anew, but they would remain determined to oppose it, and pledge a word of honour to stop listening to the Qur’ān and its message that addresses both mind and heart. They felt that the message of God’s oneness, which is the central message of the Qur’ān, threatened their interests, privileges and pride: “And so, when you mention your Lord in the Qur’ān as the One and only God, they turn their backs in aversion.” (Verse 46)
他们之所以厌恶真主独一这一根本原则，是因为他们觉得这会威胁到他们基于那个黑暗时代盛行的迷信所建立的社会地位。
They were averse to the very principle of God’s oneness because they felt that it threatened their social position based on the myths that prevailed in those dark ages.
事实上,古莱氏的长老们足够聪明,不可能意识不到他们自己信仰的空洞,而伊斯兰信仰是何等深刻。他们很容易欣赏《古兰经》的卓越之处。事实上,他们的天性促使他们去聆听它,但他们的傲慢使他们对它采取敌对的态度。因此,他们甚至编造指控来诋毁先知ﷺ,以此为自己的反对找理由:"不义者说:'你们所追随的那人确已中了魔法。'"(第47节)
In fact, the elders of the Quraysh were too intelligent not to realize the hollow nature of their beliefs as compared with the profound faith of Islam. They could easily appreciate the superb nature of the Qur’ān. Indeed their very nature motivated them to listen to it, but their pride caused them to take a hostile attitude to it. Thus they even fabricated allegations against the Prophet to justify their opposition: “The wrongdoers say: ‘The man you follow is certainly bewitched.” (Verse 47)
他们的话语中隐含着对《古兰经》本质的承认。他们内心深处意识到，《古兰经》远远超越于人类的言辞，不可能出自人之手。他们感到它的卓越超出了人类的范畴，也感到它深深触动了他们自己的内心。因此，他们断言这是术士的言语。于是他们宣称穆罕默德并非出于自身而说话，而是借助魔法的力量。若他们对穆罕默德和对自己都能秉持公正，就会承认它的神圣本源。的确，没有任何人类，也没有任何其他造物，能够创作出与《古兰经》相似的作品。
Their very words carried an implicit recognition of the nature of the Qur’ān. They realized deep inside that the Qur’ān was far too superior to be the word of a human being. They felt that its superiority transcended the realm of human beings. They also felt that it penetrated their own feelings. Hence, they alleged that it was the word of a sorcerer. Thus they claimed that Muĥammad was not speaking for himself, but by the power of magic. Had they been fair to him and to themselves, they would have acknowledged its divine nature. Indeed no human being and no other creature could have produced anything like the Qur’ān.
“看看他们把你比作什么吧。他们确已迷误，无法找到回归正道的路。”（第48节）他们把先知比作那些中了魔法的人，而他本不像他们所说的那样。他只是被真主拣选的使者。他们作出这样的比喻，便已迷失。他们找不到前进的道路，甚至无法为自己的怀疑提供理由。
“See to what they liken you. They have certainly gone astray and are unable to find a way back [to the truth].” (Verse 48) They likened the Prophet to those who are bewitched when he was nothing like them. He was simply a Messenger chosen by God. As they made this analogy, they went astray. They could find no way ahead. They could not even justify their suspicions.