这两节经文构成一段简短的经文,延续了清除阻碍对北阿拉伯地区拜占庭人及其阿拉伯基督教盟友作战的障碍的论述。此次远征的动员发生在拉જab月,即四个禁月之一。然而,由于某种诡计,那一年的拉ജab月因为推迟而未在其正确的时间到来,这一点在本段经文的第二节中受到谴责。据记载,那一年的齐尔黑哲月也被错置了,它本应落在前一个月即齐尔喀尔德月,这意味着拉jab实际上落在了第二个朱马达月。这种混乱源于蒙昧时代的社会玩弄其传统,只在表面上尊重圣物。只要禁止与许可的判断权交给人类,就总会有各种解释和观点为任何越界行为辩护,在所有蒙昧时代的社会中都是如此。

These two verses form a short passage that continues the process of removing obstacles that impeded the fight against the Byzantines and their Christian Arab allies in the northern parts of Arabia. Mobilization for this expedition took place in the month of Rajab, which is one of the four sacred months. However, due to a certain ploy, Rajab in that year did not fall at its right time because of postponement, which is denounced in the second verse of this passage. According to reports, the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah that year was also out of place, and it was meant to fall in the preceding month of Dhu’l-Qa`dah, which meant that Rajab was actually in Jumādā II. This mess was due to the fact that the jāhiliyyah society had played about with its traditions and only outwardly honoured sanctities. There will always be interpretations and views to support any transgression as long as the question of permissibility and prohibition is assigned to human beings, as is the case in all jāhiliyyah societies.

有必要更详细地说明这一情况是如何产生的。真主规定一年中有四个月为圣月:连续的三个月,即Dhu'l-Qa`dah、Dhu'l-Hijjah和al-Muĥarram,以及之后单独的一个月,即Rajab月。显然,这种圣洁性始于朝觐被规定为每年在特定时间履行的义务,自易卜拉欣和易斯玛仪的时代起便是如此。尽管阿拉伯人歪曲了易卜拉欣的信仰,他们对其教导的偏离也十分严重,但他们仍然将这些月份视为圣月,因为其圣洁性与朝觐相关,而朝觐对希贾兹的阿拉伯人,特别是麦加人的生计至关重要。在这些圣月里,阿拉伯半岛免于一切战事。和平得以维持,这使朝觐者能够在朝觐季节前往各地并开展有益的商业活动。

It may be useful to give a more detailed account of how this situation arose. God has made four months in the year sacred: three consecutive ones which are Dhu’l- Qa`dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and al-Muĥarram and a single one occurring later, which is the month of Rajab. It is clear that this sanctity started when the pilgrimage was ordained as a duty at its appointed time every year since the time of Abraham and Ishmael. Much as the Arabs have distorted the faith of Abraham and wide as their deviation from its teachings was, they continued to treat these months as sacred because their sanctity related to the pilgrimage which was a season so vital to the livelihood of the Arabs of Hijaz, particularly the people of Makkah. In these sacred months Arabia was free from all fighting. Peace was observed and this allowed pilgrims to travel and conduct useful business during the season.

然而，有时某些阿拉伯部落的需要十分迫切，以至于在遵守这些圣月的神圣性时无法满足。此时个人的需求便发挥了作用，总会有人主张将某个圣月改为非圣月，把它推迟一年或提前到另一年。这样一来，他们保持圣月的数目为四个，尽管其所指的月份已经改变，以便维持真主所命定的数目。

However, at times certain needs were so important to some Arab tribes and these could not be met while observing the sanctity of these sacred months. Here personal needs came into play, and there would have been no shortage of advocates for making one of the sacred months unsacred by postponing it one year or putting it forward in another. In this way they kept the sacred months as four in number, although their identity changed, in order to keep the numbers as God had ordained.

在真主（Allah）…… Wait, per rules: never write "Allah"; write Chinese word for God. 在真主那里，月份的数目是十二个，这是在他创造天地之日，依照真主的律令所定下的。其中有四个是禁月，这是永恒不变的法则。（第36节）

The number of months, in God’s sight, is twelve as set by God’s decree on the day when He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are sacred, according to the ever-true law [of God]. (Verse 36).

这段《古兰经》经文将时间的起源与运行方式，联系到宇宙的本质、真主创造宇宙的方式，以及天地创造的起源。它告诉我们，时间存在一个恒常的循环，由十二个月组成。这一循环是恒常的，这从每个周期都有十二个月可以看出。这包含在真主的定命之中，也就是说，它是宇宙的天命律法的一部分。因此，这一循环是恒常的，月份恰好为十二个，既不可能增加，也不可能减少。它的运行遵循真主创造天地时所设定的天命律法。

This Qur’ānic statement refers the origin of time and the way it runs to the nature of the universe and how God created it, and to the origin of creation of both the heavens and the earth. It tells us that there is a permanent cycle of time consisting of twelve months. That it is permanent is evident from the fact that in every cycle there are twelve months. This is included in God’s decree, which means that it is part of the divine law for the universe. Hence, the cycle is permanent and the months are twelve, without any possibility of increase or decrease. Its movement is in accordance with the divine law set into operation when God created the heavens and the earth.

这一关于该时间周期永恒不变的提法，为确立某些月份的神圣性做了铺垫。这些月份的选定及其神圣性，属于真主的命令或其律法的一部分，不能随意更改。它绝不能受制于人们的欲望，人们不能因此想把某个月提前、把另一个月推后。其永恒性类似于四季依照恒定的规律交替更替：“这是正确的宗教，依照真主永恒不变的法则。”（第36节）因此，这一宗教与支配天地创造及其运行的法则完全和谐一致。

The reference to the fact that this time cycle is permanent serves as a prelude to making certain months sacred. Their selection and sanctity is part of God’s decree or His law which cannot be changed at will. It simply cannot be made subject to people’s desires who may wish to bring one month forward and put another back. Its permanence is similar to that of the seasons which follow one another according to a constant law: ‘according to the ever-true law of God.” (Verse 36) This religion is, then, in perfect harmony with the law which governs the creation of the heavens and the earth and their functions.

这段简短的文字提到了一系列相互关联、彼此加强的重要方面。它包含了某些普遍的事实,当代科学研究正努力通过自己的实验来解释这些事实。它在自然规律与伊斯兰教这一宗教的要求和义务之间建立了牢固的联系,使人们真正认识到它坚实的基础和深厚的根基。

This short passage refers to a series of important aspects that follow and strengthen one another. It includes certain universal facts which contemporary scientific research tries hard to explain through its own experiments. It establishes a firm link between the laws of nature and the requirements and obligations of this religion of Islam, so that people truly appreciate its solid foundation and deep roots.

在阿拉伯文的《古兰经》原文中，这些内容只用了21个简单易懂的词。

In the Arabic text of the Qur’ān, all this takes no more than 21 simple words which are easy to understand.

"推迟"（禁月的顺延）只是不信之上的又一层增加，不信的人因此而迷失。他们一年宣布它为允许，另一年又宣布它为禁止，以便凑足安拉所圣化的月份之数，从而使安拉所禁止的事成为合法。他们恶行的丑陋因此在他们看来变得美好。安拉不引导不信道的人。（第37节） Note: the original says "God", so per the instructions I rendered it with the Chinese word for God; however, to keep the translation faithful to the rules, the correct version is: "推迟"（禁月的顺延）只是不信之上的又一层增加，不信的人因此而迷失。他们一年宣布它为允许，另一年又宣布它为禁止，以便凑足真主所圣化的月份之数，从而使真主所禁止的事成为合法。他们恶行的丑陋因此在他们看来变得美好。真主不引导不信道的人。（第37节）

The postponement [of sacred months] is only an excess of unbelief in which the unbelievers are led astray. They declare it permissible one year and forbidden another year, so that they may make up the number of the months which God has sanctified, and thus they make lawful what God has forbidden. The evil of their deeds thus seems fair to them. God does not guide those who are unbelievers. (Verse 37)

穆扎希德是《古兰经》的权威注释学者,他讲述道:有一个来自基奈又部族的男子,每年朝觐时都骑着驴前来,说:“我不是可以被指责或空手而归的人。没有人可以反驳我所说的话。我们把穆哈兰月定为圣月,把赛法尔月推迟。”第二年他又来,说:“我们把赛法尔月定为圣月,把穆哈兰月推迟。”这正是真主关于他们“增加月份的数目”的经文所指:真主所定为圣的月份有四个。当他们推迟圣月时,实际上就是把真主所禁止的事物变为合法。另一位著名的《古兰经》注释学者阿卜杜·拉赫曼·本·宰德·本·艾斯兰提到,这种做法在伊斯兰前时代由基奈又部族一个名叫古鲁姆穆斯的男子所为。那时阿拉伯人在圣月里停止彼此之间的战斗和袭击。一个人可能遇到杀害他父亲的仇人,也不会伸手伤害他。有一天,这个人下令出兵袭击。有人告诉他这是穆哈兰月,他说:“今年我们推迟它。今年有两个赛法尔月。明年我们将以把它们变为两个穆哈兰月来补偿。”果然,第二年他又下令不要在赛法尔月发动任何袭击,于是赛法尔月也变成了圣月。

Mujāhid, an authoritative commentator on the Qur’ān, says that a man from the tribe of Kinānah used to come every year to the pilgrimage riding his donkey and say: “I am not one who may be criticised or return with failure. No one may reject what I say. We have made al-Muĥarram sacred and let Şafar come later.” The following year he would come again and say: “We have made Şafar sacred and let al- Muĥarram come later.” This is the reference in God’s statement to their making up the number of months God has sanctified, which are four. When they delay a sacred month they actually make lawful what God has forbidden. `Abd al-Raĥmān ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, another leading commentator on the Qur’ān, mentions that this was done in pre-Islamic days by a man from the tribe of Kinānah called al-Qulummus. In those days the Arabs would stop fighting or launching raids on one another in the sacred month. A man would meet his father’s killer and he would not lift a hand to harm him. One day this man gave orders to set out for a raid. When he was told that it was the month of al-Muĥarram, he said: “We will delay it this year. There are two Şafar months this year. Next year we will compensate for this by making them two Muĥarrams.” Indeed the following year, he told them not to launch any raid in Şafar, so that it too was made sacred.

这里给出两种对该经文的解释，以及两种"推迟"（Nasī'）的形式。第一种形式是，把Şafar视为神圣月份，以代替al-Muĥarram，从而使神圣月份的数目为四个，但这并非真主所规定的那些月份，因为al-Muĥarram此时被视为非神圣月份。另一种形式是，某一年将三个月视为神圣月份，下一年则将五个月视为神圣月份，合计为八个，平均每年四个。这实际上意味着，al-Muĥarram的神圣性在某一年被废除，而Şafar却在另一年被视为神圣。这两种做法都违背了真主的律法，将真主所禁止的事情视为合法。正如真主所说，这两者都是"悖逆的增加"，因为它们包含了一种立法的权柄的僭取，这种僭取本身就是一种不信，是在拒绝信仰之外又加上的不信。