随后，真主以他们亲身经历过的历史为例，向他们展示：真主是如何支持祂的使者，并在他们无需出力的情况下赐予他伟大的胜利。毕竟，胜利是真主赐予祂所意欲之人的。
God then gives them an example of the history which they themselves had witnessed, showing them how He supported His Messenger and gave him a great victory without need for their support. After all, victory is granted by God to whom He pleases:
如果你们不帮助他[先知]，那么真主（神）已经支持过他。当时不信道者把他赶了出来，他只是两人中的一人。当这两人在洞中时，他对同伴说："不要忧愁，真主与我们同在。"于是真主降下了他的安宁，并派遣你们看不见的军队来援助他。他使不信道者的言论彻底低下，而真主的话语却至高无上。真主是至能的，是至睿的。（第40节）
If you do not help him [the Prophet]; God [will, as He] supported him at the time when the unbelievers drove him away. He was only one of two. When these two were alone in the cave, he said to his Companion: Do not grieve, for God is with us.’ Thereupon God bestowed on him the gift of inner peace, and sent to his aid forces which you did not see. He brought the word of the unbelievers utterly low, while the word of God remained supreme. God is Mighty, Wise. (Verse 40)
这指的是古莱什人对穆罕默德ﷺ及其所传信息失去耐心的时候。每一个暴虐的权势在意识到自己无法压制或扼杀真理的信息时，也都会如此。他们举行协商，决定暗杀穆罕默德ﷺ。
This is a reference to the time when the Quraysh had lost all patience with Muĥammad and his message. It is the same with every tyrannical authority when it loses patience with the message of the truth after it realizes that it cannot stifle or suppress it. They held their consultations and decided to assassinate Muĥammad.
随后，真主将古莱什人的阴谋告知先知，并命令他离开。他独自离开麦加，只有他信赖的同伴艾布·伯克尔陪伴。他既没有军队，也没有武器来对抗众多的敌人。形势对他极为不利。
God then informed the Prophet of what the Quraysh had plotted and instructed him to leave. He set out of Makkah alone except for his trusted Companion, Abū Bakr. He had neither troops nor weapons with which to confront his numerous enemies. The odds were heavily against him.
这一章经文生动地描绘了先知与他的同伴所处的情境：“当时他们两人在山洞里，”（第40节）而古莱氏的几股人马正四面八方地追赶他们。艾布·伯克尔并不担心自己的性命，但他担心先知的安危。
The sūrah describes vividly the situation of the Prophet and his friend: “When these two were alone in the cave,” (Verse 40) with several bands of the Quraysh chasing them in all directions. Abū Bakr had no fear for his own life, but he feared for the Prophet.
追赶者一度离他们非常近,他对先知说:"如果他们中有人低头看看自己脚下,一定会看见我们。"但先知拥有神所赐予的内心平静,那种全然的安宁。他安慰他的同伴说:"艾布·伯克尔,你认为两个有神同在的人会怎样呢?"当一方拥有全部物质力量,而先知和他的同伴孤身一人、毫无此类力量时,这场对峙的结果如何?神赐予了奇妙的胜利,动用了人类看不见的军队。羞辱的失败降临到不信道者身上:"他使不信道者的话语彻底低落。"(经文40)神的话语依然至高无上、得胜、崇高:"而神的话语至高无上。"(经文40)神确实是"全能的",那些维护祂事业的人永远不会蒙受屈辱;祂也是"至睿的",这里的意思是,祂决定何时赐予应得胜利的人胜利。
The pursuers were so close to them at one point that he said to the Prophet: “Should any one of them look down where he is standing, he would surely see us.” But the Prophet had all the calmness of the inner peace bestowed on him by God. He reassured his Companion, saying to him: “Abū Bakr, what do you think of two men who have God on their side?” What was the result of this confrontation when all the material power was on one side while the Prophet and his Companion stood alone with no such power? A fantastic victory was granted, employing troops whom no human being could see. A humiliating defeat engulfed the unbelievers: “He brought the word of the unbelievers utterly low.” (Verse 40) God’s word remained mighty, victorious, supreme: “while the word of God remained supreme.” (Verse 40) God is certainly ‘Mighty” and those who advocate His cause will never be humiliated, and He is “Wise, “which means here that He determines when to grant victory to those who deserve it.
那场对抗是真主对祂的使者给予帮助、以及祂的话语始终至高无上的一个例证。真主确实有能力，在那些不贪恋尘世、不惜为祂的事业而战的人们手中，再次赐予这样的胜利。这是穆斯林自己亲眼目睹的近代史中的一个例子。然而，既然真主已经降示了祂的话语，便无需再要其他证据。
That confrontation was an example of God’s help to His Messenger and how His word remains supreme. God is certainly able to repeat such a victory at the hands of other people who do not cling heavily to the earth and who are not reluctant to fight for His cause. This is an example from the near history which the Muslims themselves had witnessed. Yet no evidence is needed when God has stated His word.
然后，他们被号召动员自己的力量，不允许任何障碍阻挡他们的道路。如果他们希望获得今世与后世中对自己最有益的事物，那么就不应当让任何因素妨碍他们对这一号召的回应：
They are then called upon to mobilize their forces and not to allow any impediment to stand in their way. If they wish to attain what is best for them in this life as well as in the life to come, then they should not allow any factor to interfere with their response to such a call:
你们应当轻装或重装地出征，并以你们的财产和生命为真主之道而奋斗。如果你们知道，这对你们是最好的。（第41节）
Go forth, whether you be lightly or heavily armed, and strive in God’s cause with your wealth and your lives. This will be best for you if you but knew it. (Verse 41).
他们必须无论处于何种境况都出征，必须竭尽全力，并准备好牺牲自己的财产和生命，不寻找借口，也不允许任何障碍阻挡他们的道路：“如果你们知道，这对你们是最好的。”（第41节）
They must march whatever the circumstances, and must strive hard, and be ready to sacrifice their wealth and their lives, seeking no excuses and allowing no impediments to stand in their way: “This will be best for you if you but knew it.” (Verse 41).
诚挚的信士们认识到这才是最好的选择,于是他们出发,投身于为主道而战的远征。种种阻碍横亘在他们面前,如果他们想要为留守找借口,本不缺理由,但他们一个也不找,仍然挺进。因此,真主使他们得以解放其他民族的心灵与思想,也解放了他们的土地。他让祂的话语借他们之手获得胜利,并因他们成为其倡导者而提升了他们的地位。于是,他使他们取得了历史上绝无仅有的奇迹般的胜利。
The sincere believers realized that this is best and they set forth on their campaign in support of God’s cause. All sorts of impediments stood in their way and they had no shortage of excuses if they wished to justify staying behind, but they sought none and marched on. Hence, God enabled them to liberate the hearts and minds of other communities and to liberate their lands as well. He allowed His word to triumph at their hands and enhanced their position by being its advocates. He thus enabled them to achieve miraculous victories, unparalleled in history.
阿布·泰勒哈是先知的圣门弟子之一。他读到这节经文后，对他的儿子们说："我看到真主命令我们去圣战，无论我们是年轻还是年老。"
Abū Ţalĥah, one of the Prophet’s Companions, after reading this verse, said to his sons: “I see that God has ordered us to go on jihād whether we are young or elderly.
“准备好你的装备。”他的儿子们抗议道：“您曾与先知一同参加所有的战役，直到他离世；您又随艾布·伯克尔参战，直到他去世；随后又随欧麦尔参战，直到他去世。现在就让我们替您去作战吧。”他拒绝了，坚持要尽自己的一份责任。他随一支海上远征队出征，不久便去世了。附近没有可以安葬他的岛屿。他的遗体在船上停留了九天，颜色没有任何变化。之后他们到达了一座岛屿，才将他安葬在那里。
Prepare my equipment.” His sons protested: “You fought in all the battles with the Prophet until he passed away, and you fought with Abū Bakr until he died, then with `Umar until his death. Now let us fight do your behalf.” He refused and insisted on doing his share. He joined an expedition by sea, but soon he died. No island was near where he could be buried. His body remained in the boat for nine days without showing any change of colour. They then came to an island where he was buried.
Abū Rāshid al-Ĥarrānī 报告说："我去拜访了 al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad，他是一位伟大的战士，也是先知的圣门弟子。我见他坐在一个木箱上，身形十分消瘦，但他仍然想加入一支远征的军队。我对他说：'真主当然准许你不去。'他说：'我读过这章经文，读到了真主的命令：{你们不论轻装或重装，都要出征，并以你们的财产和生命在真主的道路上奋斗。}'"（第41节）
Abū Rāshid al-Ĥarrānī reports: “I visited al-Miqdād ibn al-Aswad, a great warrior and a Companion of the Prophet. I found him sitting on a wooden box, looking so thin, but he nevertheless wanted to join an army on an expedition. I said to him: `You are certainly excused by God.’ He said: `I have been reading this sūrah and read God’s order, Go forth, whether you be lightly or heavily armed, and strive in God’s cause with your wealth and your lives.’” (Verse 41)
著名历史学家阿勒-塔巴里在引述海扬·伊本·宰德·阿勒-沙尔阿比的话时说:“我们跟随希姆斯总督萨夫万·伊本·阿慕尔出征,直到抵达一个名叫贾拉吉马的地方。我看到一位老人,老到眉毛几乎遮住了眼睛。他来自大马士革,骑着骆驼参加战斗。我走到他跟前说:‘大叔,真主确实已经免除了像您这样的人的责任。’他抬起眉毛说:‘侄子,真主已经号召我们出征,为祂的事业奋斗,无论我们装备轻重。真主会考验祂所爱的人,然后让他活下去。真主考验那些感谢和赞颂祂的仆人,考验那些在逆境中坚守的人,也考验那些只崇拜真主的人。’”正是怀着对真主言辞如此严肃的态度,伊斯兰才得以在大地上前进,传播其使命。这一使命旨在将人类从顺从其他受造物中解放出来,使他们只顺从真主。其结果是人类历史上取得的最伟大的胜利。
Al-Ţabarī, the famous historian also reports on the authority of Ĥayyān ibn Zayd al-Shar`abī: “We went on a campaign with Şafwān ibn `Amr, the Governor of Hums, until we reached a place called al-Jarājimah when I saw a man looking very old with his eyebrows practically covering his eyes. He was from Damascus, riding his camel and taking part in the fight. I went to him and said, `Uncle, God has certainly excused those who are like you.’ He lifted his eyebrows and said: `Nephew, God has called upon us to go forth and strive in His cause, whether we be lightly or heavily armed. God will test a person whom He loves, and then He will let him live. God tests those of His servants who thank and praise Him and those who remain steadfast in adversity, as well as those who worship God alone.’” It is with such a serious attitude to God’s words that Islam was able to march on in the land, carrying its message which sought to liberate mankind from submission to other creatures so that they would submit to God alone. The result was the greatest victories ever achieved in the history of mankind.