本章于麦加降示，时间紧接在第26章《诗人》之后，其结构与之相同：开篇与结尾共同点明主旨，中间穿插数段历史叙述，以进一步阐明这一主题。这些历史叙述有助于将麦加的不信道者的态度与此前其他民族的类似态度相互对照。因此，本章揭示了一种模式，凡是各个时代的伊斯兰倡导者都需要深思。

This sūrah was revealed in Makkah shortly after Sūrah 26, The Poets, and it follows the same pattern: an introduction and conclusion which together spell out the subject matter. In between there are several historical accounts that emphasize the main theme, providing further elucidation of it. Theses histories help to draw parallels between the attitudes of the unbelievers in Makkah on the one hand and their predecessors among other communities on the other. Thus, the sūrah reveals a pattern which advocates of Islam in any generation need to contemplate.

与所有麦加章一样,其主要主题是信仰:信主独一,只向祂崇拜,不以任何物为侣;信复活,信后世的赏罚。这也要求相信真主的启示,并相信一切超越我们感知的事物,即"幽玄"(ghayb),唯属真主:只有祂知晓。这种信仰的另一个前提是相信真主的属性。

As in all Makkan sūrahs, the main theme is faith: to believe in God and worship Him alone, without partners, and to believe in the resurrection as well as reward and punishment in the hereafter. This also requires believing in God’s revelations, and that all matters that are beyond our perception, or ghayb, belong to God: they are known only to Him. A further prerequisite of such faith is belief in God’s attributes:

唯有祂是创造者和供养者，一切恩典都唯独来自祂。因此，祂所赐予我们的一切，都理应向祂感恩。此外，祂是全能者，赐予我们一切的官能、能力与力量。

He alone is the Creator and Provider, and all blessings come from Him alone. Hence, gratitude is due to Him for all that He gives us. Moreover, He is the Almighty who grants us all our faculties, abilities and powers.

这篇章的历史叙述证实了这些问题，描绘了否认它们者的下场，以及信仰它们者的美好结局。开篇之后，紧接着是一段关于穆萨（Moses）的简短叙述：他在夜间穿越沙漠时看见一团火，走近它，并从高处被呼唤。这段叙述也记载了穆萨必须向法老传达的讯息。该篇章随即说明，法老及其族人否认了真主赐予他们的种种迹象的真实性，尽管他们内心明知这些迹象是真的。在此语境下，经文也告诉我们那些明知真理却加以否认者的下场：“他们内心确知这些迹象是真的，却因不义和傲慢而否认它们。你看那些作恶者的结局如何。”（第14节）麦加多神教徒对《古兰经》的态度——他们明知《古兰经》确是真主的启示——本质上与这些先前的作恶者并无二致。

The sūrah’s historical accounts confirm these issues and portray the fate of those who deny them and the happy end of those who believe in them. Immediately after the opening, we have a short account of Moses which describes his sighting of a fire as he travelled at night in the desert, his approach towards it and how he was addressed from on high. This account also documents the message Moses was required to deliver to Pharaoh. The sūrah then immediately proceeds to state that Pharaoh and his people denied the truth of the signs God sent them, even though they knew in their hearts that these were true. In this context we are also told of the fate of those who knowingly deny the truth: “Within their souls they knew them to be true, yet they, in their wickedness and arrogance, rejected them. Consider, then, what happened in the end to the evildoers.” (Verse 14) The Makkan unbelievers’ attitude towards the Qur’ān, which they knew to be truly God’s revelation was, in essence, no different than these earlier evildoers.

我们接着提到真主赐予达五德和所罗门的恩惠(愿二人平安)。随后是所罗门与蚂蚁、戴胜鸟和示巴女王的故事。这个故事突显了达五德和所罗门对真主所赐恩惠的真诚感恩,这些恩惠包括知识、王国和先知身份。此外,真主使众精灵和飞鸟服从所罗门,听从他的差遣。这个故事再次彰显了所有真主使者所宣扬的信仰根本。该叙述特别讲述了示巴女王及其子民如何接受所罗门的讯息,并将此与古莱氏人对穆罕默德ﷺ所传真主讯息的反应加以对比。简言之,古莱氏人否认这讯息,称其为虚假,而其他人则接受了它。然而,赐予所罗门一切知识、财富和权力的正是真主。真主知晓并拥有一切。与真主的知识和权能相比,所罗门的王国和知识不过是沧海一粟。

We then have a reference to the blessings God bestowed on David and Solomon (peace be upon them both). This precedes Solomon’s story with the ant, the hoopoe and the Queen of Sheba. The story highlights that David and Solomon were truly thankful for the favours God granted them, which included knowledge, a kingdom and prophethood. In addition, He made the jinn and the birds subservient to Solomon, willing to do his bidding. Again the story here highlights the basics of faith preached by all God’s messengers. The account gives special treatment to how the Queen of Sheba and her people received Solomon’s message, contrasting this with the reception the Quraysh gave God’s message as preached by the Prophet Muhammad. Basically, the Quraysh denied the message, describing it as false, while the others accepted it. Yet it was God who gave Solomon all the knowledge, wealth and power he possessed. It is God who knows and owns everything. When compared with those of God, Solomon’s kingdom and knowledge were no more than a drop in the ocean.

接下来是关于先知撒利哈和赛莫德人的叙述。其中特别重要的是,他的族人中一些作恶者策划阴谋对付撒利哈及其家人,图谋杀害他。经文显示,真主挫败了他们的阴谋,拯救了撒利哈和信士们,并与阴谋者一同毁灭了赛莫德人:“他们的房屋如今空无一人。”(第52节)古莱什人也曾策划对付先知穆罕默德ﷺ,同样密谋在夜间杀害他。

Then follows an account of the Prophet Şāliĥ and the Thamūd. Of particular importance here is the conspiracy some of the evildoers among his people concocted against Şāliĥ and his household, plotting to kill him. It shows how God foiled their plot, saved Şāliĥ and the believers, and destroyed the Thamūd together with the conspirators: “Their dwellings are now empty.” (Verse 52) The Quraysh also plotted against the Prophet Muhammad, similarly conspiring to kill him at night.

本章中最后讲述的历史故事与鲁特有关。经文叙述了他的族人如何策划，要以他们“自称洁净”为借口，把鲁特和信从他的人赶出城镇。经文也告诉我们，在鲁特及其追随者离开、让他们自食其果之后，他们的结局是：“我为他们降下了一场毁灭之雨。被警告过的人所遭受的那场雨，是多么可怕啊！”（第58节）古莱氏人也曾在先知ﷺ迁往麦地那之前不久，考虑过把先知ﷺ赶出他们的城市。

The last historical account in this sūrah concerns Lot. It tells how his people planned to drive him and those who believed in him out of their town under the pretext that they kept themselves pure’. It tells us of their end after Lot and his group left them to their fate: “We rained on the others a rain of destruction. Dire indeed is such rain which fell on those who were forewarned.” (Verse 58) The Quraysh also considered driving the Prophet out of their city, shortly before he migrated to Madinah.

在这些历史问题得到阐述之后,本章以这节经文开始其评注:"你说:一切赞颂都归于真主,愿平安降临于他所拣选的众仆人。谁更好呢:是真主,还是他们所以为真主的匹敌呢?"(第59节)随后,经文带我们逐一领略若干宏大的宇宙景象,以及人类灵魂的一些更深层面。如此,本章向我们展示了那位伟大的造物主、策划者、创造者和维持者的工作,唯有他知晓任何受造者的感知所无法触及之事,而我们都将回归于他。接着,经文提到了预示末日来临的迹象之一,并描绘了审判日的景象,以及否认它的人将面临的命运。

Once these historical aspects are dealt with, the sūrah begins its comments with the verse: “Say: All praise be to God, and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen. Who is more worthy: God or the false [deities] they associate with Him?” (Verse 59) It then takes us on a descriptive round of some great universal scenes, as also some of the deeper aspects of the human soul. In this way, the sūrah shows us the work of the great Maker, Planner, Creator and Sustainer who alone knows what lies beyond the reach of any created being’s perception, and to whom we shall all return. It then tells us about one of the aspects that signal the coming of the Last Hour, adding some images of the Day of Judgement and the fate that awaits those who deny it.

该章以一个与其主题和氛围都十分契合的结语收尾：

The sūrah concludes on a note that fits well with its subject matter and ambience:

“我奉命只崇拜这座圣城的主，是他使它成为圣地。万物都属于他。我奉命要做顺服者中的一员，并诵读《古兰经》。谁选择遵行正道，便是为了自己的利益；谁选择迷误，你就说：我只是一个警告者。你还要说：一切赞颂都归主。他必将让你们看到他的迹象，你们将会认出它们。你们的主绝不忽视你们所做的事。”（第27章第91至93节）

“I am only bidden to worship the Lord of this city who has made it sacred. To Him all things belong. And I am bidden to be one of those who submit themselves [to God], and to recite the Qur’ān. So whoever chooses to follow the right path does so for his own benefit; and if any chooses to go astray, say: I am only a warner. And say: All praise is due to God. He will indeed make you see His signs, and you will recognize them. Your Lord is never heedless of what you do.” (Verses 91-93)

在整部章节中，经文特别强调知识，突出真主完全的知晓：既知隐秘，也知显露，尤其知晓一切超出我们感官所能触及范围的事物。经文也谈到真主向我们昭示的一些普遍迹象。经文提到真主赐予达五德和素莱曼的知识，以及素莱曼如何被教授鸟类的语言，又如何谦卑地承认这些所学。因此，在章节开头，先知被告知：“你确实是从至睿、全知者的恩典中领受《古兰经》的。”（第6节）在对历史故事的评注中，先知被指示说：“天地间除真主之外，无人知晓幽玄。他们也不知何时会被复活。诚然，他们的全部知识都达不到后世的境地。”（第65-66节）

Throughout the sūrah, special emphasis is laid on knowledge, highlighting God’s perfect knowledge of what is concealed and what is left public, particularly His knowledge of everything that lies beyond the reach of our perceptions. It also speaks about some of the universal signs which He reveals to us. It refers to the knowledge God granted David and Solomon, and how Solomon was taught the language of the birds, and how he humbly acknowledged such learning. Hence, at the beginning of the sūrah the Prophet is told: “Most certainly, you receive the Qur’ān out of the grace of One who is Wise, All-Knowing.” (Verse 6) In the comments on the historical accounts the Prophet is instructed to say: “None in the heavens or earth knows what is hidden except God. Nor can they ever perceive when they shall be raised from the dead. Indeed the total sum of their knowledge stops short of comprehending the hereafter.” (Verses 65-66)

“的确，你的主知道他们心中所隐藏的，以及他们所公开的。”

“Indeed your Lord knows all that their hearts conceal and all that they bring into the open.

“There is nothing that is hidden in the heavens or the earth but is recorded in a clear book.”(第74-75节)最后又说:“他必将让你们看到他的迹象,你们会认出它们。”(第93节) 关于所罗门的故事开始于这样的经文:“我确已赐予达五德和所罗门知识,他们二人都说:赞美真主,他使我们超越了许多信士仆人。”(第15节) 在这类经文中,知识被特别强调,尤其是所罗门说:“我们已被教授了鸟类的语言。”(第16节) 戴胜鸟也这样说:“他们不应向真主下拜,真主是使天地间一切隐秘显露的主,他知道你们所隐藏的和所显露的。”(第25节) 当所罗门想要把女王的宝座带到他面前时,带来宝座的并不是那个有本领的精灵,而是一个“精通经典的人”,他在眨眼之间就把宝座带来了。(第40节)

There is nothing that is hidden in the heavens or the earth but is recorded in a clear book.” (Verses 74-75) In conclusion we are told: “He will indeed make you see His signs, and you will recognize them.” (Verse 93) The story of Solomon begins as follows: “For sure, We granted knowledge to David and Solomon, and both of them said: All praise is due to God who has favoured us above many of His believing servants.” (Verse 15) Knowledge is given special emphasis in such verses, not least where Solomon says: “We have been taught the speech of birds.” (Verse 16) And also as the Hoopoe says: “That they should not prostrate themselves in worship of God who brings forth all that is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal.” (Verse 25) When Solomon wanted the queen’s throne to be brought to him, it was not the skilful jinn who brought it in the wink of an eye; the one who did was a person “who was deeply versed in the Book.” (Verse 40)

因此，知识是贯穿整个苏拉始终的主要特征，从开头到结尾，以突出其特殊的重要性。

Thus knowledge is the main feature that permeates the entire sūrah, from beginning to end, so as to highlight its special importance.