该章讲述了穆萨与法老的故事，以及法老的最终下场。它给那些在世上遭受迫害的信士带来希望，正如当时麦加那一小群穆斯林所处的境况。这个故事also描绘了傲慢暴君的毁灭，这些暴君的态度与麦加的多神教徒基本相同。
The sūrah has given us an account of Moses and Pharaoh and the latter’s ultimate end. It gives hope to the believers suffering persecution in the world, as were the small group of Muslims in Makkah at the time. The story also portrays the destruction of arrogant tyrants whose attitude was basically similar to that of the idolaters in Makkah.
本章接下来讲述易卜拉欣和他的族人的故事。先知（愿主福安之）奉命将这段故事讲给不信者听。他们自称是易卜拉欣遗产的守护者，因为他们遵循他古老的信仰，尽管他们却把敬拜指向多个神灵。事实上，他们甚至更进一步，在易卜拉欣所建的禁寺中放置偶像，而那里本是以真主独一为基础的纯正信仰者的朝向之地。先知被要求把易卜拉欣的故事讲给他们听，好让他们知道自己的说法是否正确。
The sūrah now moves on to tell us about Abraham and his people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is ordered to relate this story to the unbelievers. For they claimed to be the custodians of Abraham’s heritage in so far as they followed his old faith, even though they addressed their worship to multiple deities. Indeed, they went even further, placing idols in the Sacred Mosque built by Abraham as a focus for the followers of the pure faith based on God’s oneness. The Prophet is required to tell them Abraham’s story so that they know whether their claims are right or not.
在本章中,历史叙述并非按时间顺序排列,因为本章关注的只是从这些叙述中可以汲取的教训。相反,在第7章《高处》中,不同民族如何取得权力的历史脉络,以及自亚当以来真主使者的承继,是需要着重强调的要点。因此,那里关于先知们的叙述严格遵循时间顺序,从人类堕落于天堂开始,以此开启人类在地上的生活。
In this Sūrah, historical accounts are not given in their chronological order, because it is only concerned with the lessons to be derived from these accounts. In Sūrah 7, The Heights, conversely, the historical line of how power was assumed by different peoples and the succession of God’s messengers since Adam were important points to stress. Hence, the accounts of earlier prophets there followed a strict chronological order, starting with man’s fall from heaven to begin human life on earth.
本章在亚伯拉罕的故事中，重点叙述了他向族人传达的讯息、与他们的辩论、他对所谓神明的斥责、要求将一切崇拜唯独归于真主，以及他对末日审判的提醒。随后是一幕完整的末日场景：拜偶像者将否认他们过去所崇拜的那些神明，并为往昔的所作所为懊悔，而他们注定将迎来可怕的结局。这一切都仿佛正在当下发生。这段故事所传递的教训主要针对拜偶像者。因此，本章详细论述了独一信仰的基本原则、多神信仰的谬误，以及拜偶像者的归宿。其他方面则只是简略提及，不过这些内容在其他章中都有详细论述。
The episode in Abraham’s story given in this sūrah concentrates on the message he delivered to his people, the debate he had with them, his denunciation of their alleged deities, addressing all worship to God alone and his reminder of the Day of Judgement. This is followed by a complete scene from the Day of Judgement when idolaters will deny those very deities they used to worship, and regret their past actions that are certain to land them with a terrible end. It is all shown as if it is already happening now. The lesson the story delivers here is aimed primarily at the idolaters. Hence, the sūrah speaks at length on the basics of the monotheistic faith, the fallacy of polytheism, and the destiny of idolaters. All other aspects are only briefly hinted at, while they are nonetheless detailed in other sūrahs.
其他关于易卜拉欣生平的片段，见于第2、6、11、14、15、19、21和22章。在每一章中，所选取的片段都是最切合该章主题的那一段。
Other episodes in Abraham’s life were given in Sūrahs 2, 6, 11, 14, 15, 19, 21 and 22. In each, the episode chosen is the one most suited to the main theme of the sūrah.
在第二章《黄牛章》中，例如，我们读到易卜拉欣与他的儿子易司马仪一同修建天房的经文。经文显示他祈求真主使麦加这座圣城得以安全。经文还显示他宣告，穆斯林将成为天房及其建造者真正的继承者，因为他们将遵循他基于真主独一性的信仰。这种继承并非基于血缘与祖先关系。这一事实是在以色列后裔的违抗与否认，以及真主将他们驱逐的语境中给出的；真主把易卜拉欣的遗产和他所建的天房赐给了穆斯林。
In Sūrah 2, The Cow, for example, we read the episode of his building the Ka`bah, together with his son, Ishmael. He is shown praying to God to make Makkah, the Sacred City, secure. He is also shown declaring that the Muslims will be the true heirs of the Ka`bah and its builder, as they will be the ones who will follow his faith based on God’s oneness. This is not an inheritance based on blood and ancestry. This fact is given within the context of the Israelites’ disobedience and denials and their expulsion by God who gave Abraham’s heritage and the House he built to the Muslims.
在同一章中,还记载了易卜拉欣与那个不信道的国王之间的辩论。易卜拉欣强调真主的大能,告诉国王:唯有真主使人生,使人死,也是祂使太阳从东方升起。他向国王挑战,让太阳从西方升起,由此终结了一切争辩。本章中还记载易卜拉欣祈求真主,让他看见祂如何使死者复活。真主命他宰四只鸟,把每只鸟的一部分放在不同的山上。随后真主使它们复活,它们飞回到易卜拉欣身边。所有这些叙述,都围绕真主的大能、祂在宇宙中设置的迹象,以及祂使死者复活的能力而展开。
In the same sūrah we have Abraham’s debate with the unbeliever king when Abraham stressed God’s power telling the king that God alone causes life and death, and that it is He who causes the sun to rise in the East. He challenged the king to make it rise in the West, thus ending all argument. Abraham is also shown in this sūrah praying to God to let him see how He brings the dead back to life. God ordered him to slay four birds and to place parts of each on different mountains. God then brought them back to life and they flew back to Abraham. All this is given in a context that concentrates on God’s power, the signs He has placed in the universe and His ability to bring the dead back to life.
第6章《牲畜》描述了易卜拉欣寻找他的主，并且在仔细观察星辰、月亮和太阳，以及思考其他宇宙现象之后，如何认识到祂和祂的大能。整章都集中于信仰，以及指向真主（造物主）的宇宙迹象，祂没有任何同伴。
Sūrah 6, Cattle, describes Abraham searching for his Lord and how he recognized Him and His power after looking carefully at the stars, the moon and the sun, and reflecting on other universal phenomena. The entire sūrah concentrates on faith and universal signs pointing to God, the Creator, who has no partner whatsoever.
在第11章《呼德》中，易卜拉欣得到了其子以斯哈格出生的喜讯。这一段是在讲述鲁特的故事时出现的，即派去毁灭索多玛与蛾摩拉的天使在途中拜访了易卜拉欣。这段经历显示了真主对祂所拣选的仆人的眷顾，以及祂如何处置傲慢的作恶者。
In Sūrah 11, Hūd, Abraham is given the happy news of the birth of his son, Isaac, but this is given as the Sūrah relates Lot’s story and how the angels sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah visited Abraham on their way. The episode shows the care God takes of His chosen servants and how He deals with arrogant transgressors.
第14章名为“易卜拉欣”。该章描述易卜拉欣在禁寺即天房旁祈祷，为他安置在荒芜山谷中的后裔祈求。他赞美并感谢真主在他年老时赐给他儿子伊斯马仪和易斯哈格，并祈求真主使他和他的后裔成为谨守拜功的人。他又恳求真主在清算之日应允他的祈求，宽恕他、他的父母以及信士们。该章的整体脉络在于显示：所有追随真主使者的人是一个统一的群体，信奉同一个信息，即真主的独一性。而否认真主使者的人，也被显示为属于同一阵营。
Sūrah 14, named Abraham, shows him praying by the Sacred Mosque, the Ka`bah, for his offspring whom he placed in a barren valley. He praises and thanks God for giving him his sons, Ishmael and Isaac, in his old age, and prays to Him to make him and his descendants people who attend regularly to their prayers. He further appeals to God to answer his supplications, forgive him, his parents and the believers on the Day of Reckoning. The whole context of this sūrah then is to show all followers of God’s messengers as one community, believing in one message, that of God’s oneness. Those who deny God’s messengers are also shown to belong to one camp.
神圣的信息被描绘成一棵大树，在不信的干旱气候中提供荫蔽。
The divine message is portrayed as a large tree providing shade in an arid climate of disbelief.
第15章《希吉尔》（Sūrah al-Ḥijr）讲述的是第11章中已提及的同一段故事，但更加详细，其语境是：真主恩赐信士以慈悯，并降下惩罚于不信道者。
Sūrah 15, al-Ĥijr, relates the same episode given in Sūrah 11, with more detail, within the context of bestowing mercy on believers and inflicting punishment on unbelievers.
该段经文出自第19章《麦尔彦》，重点叙述了易卜拉欣以温和的态度对待父亲，父亲则以生硬的言语回应，易卜拉欣随后离开了他的族人，并蒙赐以易司马仪和易斯哈格。整章经文描绘了真主对祂所拣选的仆人的眷顾，营造出一种清晰可感的爱与慈悯的氛围。
The episode given in Sūrah 19, Mary, concentrates on his gentle approach to his father, the latter’s stiff reply, Abraham’s moving away from his people, and how he was blessed with Ishmael and Isaac. All this comes in a sūrah that portrays God’s care for His chosen servants, generating a clearly felt ambience of love and compassion.
在第21章《众先知》中，我们看到易卜拉欣如何呼吁他的父亲和他的族人信仰真主，如何斥责他们的偶像，并亲手将其毁坏。我们也看到他如何被投入火中，以及如何依真主的命令，火对他变得清凉而安适；随后他和他的侄子——先知鲁特——得救，并被带往真主为众人所祝福的土地。这一切都处于这样的语境之中：展示追随真主使者的民族的团结，以及真主如何眷顾这一群体，因为它将一切崇拜只专一地献给祂。
In Sūrah 21, The Prophets, we are shown how Abraham called on his father and his people to believe in God, and how he denounced their idols and physically destroyed them. We are shown how he was thrown onto a fire and how, by God’s command, it turned cool and comforting for him, and then how he and his nephew, the Prophet Lot, were saved and taken to the land God blessed for mankind. Again this comes within the context of showing the unity of the nation that follows God’s messengers and how God takes care of this community as it addresses all its worship to Him alone.
第22章《朝觐》（Sūrah 22, The Pilgrimage）中提到了真主的命令，要求易卜拉欣净化并洁净天房（Ka`bah），以供那些在那里崇拜的人使用。
Note on choices: I used 真主 for "God" per the instruction to avoid "Allah" in transliteration, and kept Ka`bah and Sūrah as in the original; the Chinese rendering of the prophet's name Abraham is 易卜拉欣, his usual Chinese form.
Sūrah 22, The Pilgrimage, contains a reference to God’s order that Abraham should cleanse and purify the Ka`bah for those who worship there.