“{阿勒夫。拉姆。拉。这是我们降示给你的经典。}”（第1节）
“Alif. Lām. Rā. This is a book which We have bestowed on you from on high.” (Verse 1)
这部由这些字母组成的文字所构成的书,显然不是你所著。它被启示给你是有明确目的的,即"使人类在他们主的许可下,从黑暗走向光明。"(第1节)你的使命是把人类从他们所陷入的黑暗深渊中引领出来:迷信、相互冲突的制度与传统之黑暗;信奉所谓神明的黑暗;以及错误的观念、价值与标准之黑暗。
This book which consists of words made up of letters like these is one which you certainly have not authored. It has been revealed to you for a definite purpose, “so that you might bring forth all mankind, by their Lord’s leave, from darkness into the light.” (Verse 1) Your role is to take mankind out of the depths of darkness into which they have sunk, the darkness of superstition, conflicting systems and traditions; the darkness of believing in alleged deities, and false concepts, values and standards.
你们的使命是要把人类，即全体人类，带入那驱散一切黑暗的真正光明之中。这光明不仅驱散人们良心与心智中的一切黑暗，还会普遍影响他们的生活，为他们确立新的价值观与新的传统。
You are to bring them, i.e. all of mankind, into the real light which removes all darkness. Not only does this light dispel all darkness from people’s consciences and minds, it also affects their lives generally, setting for them new values and traditions.
基于真主独一的信仰，是一道在人心中闪耀的光，它也使整个人焕发光彩。人是由冰冷的泥土创造的，真主将祂的灵气吹入其中。若他舍弃这灵气的光亮，他就重新变回黑暗的泥土，成为与动物无异的血肉之躯。确实，唯有血肉是由大地的泥土构成的。正是借着真主灵气的这一丝气息，光芒才照耀其上。然后信仰使他显现出全部的荣光。借着它，血肉之躯才绽放出生命的光彩。
Faith based on God’s oneness is a light that shines within the human heart, to make the whole human being shine as well. Man is created out of cold clay in which God has blown of His spirit. Should he abandon the light of this breath of spirit, he turns back into dark clay, and becomes a mass of flesh and blood like an animal. It is indeed the flesh and blood alone that are made of the earth’s clay. It is with this breath from God’s spirit that light spreads over it. Then faith makes it appear in its full glory. With it the mass of flesh and blood blooms.
信仰是一道光，它照亮灵魂，使灵魂能够看清通往真主的道路。这道路清晰明了，不受迷信或私欲的干扰，也不被误导人的幻想或贪婪所蒙蔽。当人的灵魂清楚地看到前方的道路时，便会步伐坚定，毫不迟疑地向前行进。
Faith is a light that illuminates the soul so that it can see the way leading to God, clear without any confusion caused by superstition or desires, and without any misleading fancy or greed. When the human soul sees the way so clearly ahead of it, it proceeds with steady steps, and without hesitation.
信仰之光照亮整个生命,使全人类成为上主平等的仆人,并以信仰的纽带彼此联合。他们只向上主一位臣服,因此决不会分裂为奴隶与暴君。他们与宇宙之间建立起一种基于认知的联系,认知那支配整个宇宙及其一切力量运行的伟大法则。这使他们与宇宙以及宇宙中生存的一切生物都保持和谐与安宁。
The light of faith illuminates the whole of life, making all mankind equal servants of God, united together by their bond of faith. They submit themselves to none other than God, which means that they are never divided into slaves and tyrants. With the universe around them they establish a bond based on knowledge of the great law that sets the whole universe and all its forces into operation. This brings them peace with the universe and with all creatures that live in it.
信仰是公义、自由与知识的光。它是一种以慈悲为基础、与真主相连的纽带。这一纽带使我们在顺境与逆境中都能确信真主的公义、恩典与智慧。这种确信要求我们在逆境中保持忍耐，在顺境中怀有感恩。
Faith is the light of justice, freedom and knowledge. It is the light of a bond with God based on compassion. It is a bond that gives us reassurance of God’s justice, grace and wisdom in situations of ease and hardship. Such reassurance requires that we adopt an attitude of patience in adversity and gratitude in happier circumstances.
它还让人明白一个道理：逆境的发生都是有其确定的目的的，这正是理解之光所在。
It also adds the light of understanding that adverse situations occur for a definite purpose.
相信唯独真主为至高的主宰，不仅仅是一种充实人心、照亮灵魂的个人信仰，更是一套完整的生活准则，其基础是唯独顺服真主，摒弃其他受造物的一切主宰之名，并拒绝任何赋予这些受造物任何形式主权的企图。这套生活准则与人性完全契合，足以满足人性的一切需求，使人充满幸福、光明与安宁。它也极为稳固，能够保护人们免受那些臣服于他人所宣称的主权、并遵循他人在政治、政府、经济、社会结构、道德和社会行为以及风俗习惯方面所制定的制度的社会所经历的动荡。此外，这套生活准则保护并促进人的潜能，使人不再去神化专制者，也不再对其歌功颂德。
Believing in God alone as the Supreme Lord is not merely a personal faith that fills one’s conscience and spreads light over one’s soul. It is a complete code of living based on the concept of total submission to God alone, discarding all claims of lordship by other creatures, and rejecting any attempt that gives such creatures any form of sovereignty. This code of living fits completely with human nature so as to satisfy all its needs and fill it with happiness, light and reassurance. It is also so stable that it protects people against the sort of upheaval experienced by societies that submit to the sovereignty claimed by others and who follow systems devised by them in politics, government, economics, social structure, morals and social behaviour, as well as in customs and traditions. Furthermore, this code of living preserves and promotes human potential. It prevents people from glorifying and singing the praises of despots.
诚然，这短短一句“使你能够凭主的许可，把人类从黑暗引向光明”，蕴含着与人类心智相关的深刻真理，也关乎日常生活的实际指引。人类的语言所能做的，不过是为这些境界指明方向而已。
Indeed this short phrase, “so that you may bring forth all mankind, by their Lord’s leave, from darkness into the light,” covers profound truths relevant to the human mind, as also practical day to day living. It is impossible for human language to do more than point to these horizons.
“好让你将众人从各种黑暗引领到光明之中，那是借他们主的许可。”真主的使者只能传达天命，他的职责仅仅是阐明天命。至于将人们从黑暗引向光明，这是借真主的许可而成，并且是依照祂所意欲施行的法则而成。
“So that you might bring forth all mankind, by their Lord’s leave, from darkness into the light.” God’s Messenger cannot do more than deliver the divine message, and his role is merely to explain it. As for the bringing of mankind out of darkness into light, this is done by God’s leave, and according to the laws He has willed to set in operation.
先知只是祂的使者ﷺ。
The Prophet is only His Messenger.
“使你能借他们主的许可，把全人类从黑暗引向光明，引向至尊全能、当受赞颂者的道路。”（第1节）“至尊全能者的道路”一语，指的是祂的道理与律法，它主宰着整个宇宙，也规范着生命的准则。从语言上看，此处用它来代替“光明”。这意味着，“光明”引导人走向“至尊全能者的道路”，或者说，光明就是祂的道路。然而，第二层含义更为有力、也更为丰富：照亮人类灵魂的光，同样照亮整个宇宙。
“So that you might bring forth all mankind, by their Lord’s leave, from darkness into the light, to the path of the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due.” (Verse 1) The phrase, ‘the path of the Almighty,’ means His way and law which governs the whole universe, and the code which governs life. Linguistically speaking, it is used here as a substitute for ‘light’. This means that the ‘light’ guides to ‘the path of the Almighty’, or that the light is His path. The second meaning is however stronger and richer. The light that illuminates the human soul is the light that illuminates the whole universe.
这是一条道路、一套法则，也是一种生活的准则。一个在这光明中生活的灵魂，绝不会犯错，不会心存误解，也不会选择错误的行为。它行走在正道上，即“全能者、当受赞颂者的道路”。他是拥有宇宙绝对权能的主，一切受造物都赞颂他。
It is the way, the law and the code of living. A soul which lives in this light will never be in error, or entertain misconceptions, or opt for wrong behaviour. It follows the straight path, “the path of the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due.” He is the One who has absolute power in the universe, and who is praised by all creatures.
祂的威能在此被强调为对不信道者的警告，而祂值得赞颂这一事实，则被提及用以提醒那些感恩祂的人。
His might is highlighted here as a threat to the unbelievers, while the fact that He is worthy of praise is mentioned as a reminder to those who express gratitude to Him.
接下来叙述真主的一些属性。经文特别提到，天地间的一切都属于祂，祂不需要任何人，祂主宰宇宙和其中的一切造物："真主所有天上的和地上的，都是祂的。"（第2节）然而，凡从黑暗走向光明并遵循正道的人，必得善果。本章在此并未提及这样的人，而是接着警告不信道者，他们将遭受严厉的刑罚。这是因为他们拒绝了真主赐予人类的最大恩惠：派遣一位使者来引领他们从黑暗走向光明。这是真主的恩典，我们再怎样感恩也不为过。然而，仍有人断然拒绝它。
Then follow some of God’s attributes. He is notably mentioned as the One to whom everything in the heavens and on earth belong, who is in need of no one, and who controls the universe and all creatures therein: “God, to whom all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth belongs.” (Verse 2) Whoever, then, comes out of darkness into light and follows guidance does well. The sūrah does not mention anything about such a person here. Instead, it goes on to warn the unbelievers against woeful suffering. This is inflicted on them as a result of their rejection of the greatest blessing God has bestowed on humanity, that is, sending them a Messenger whose task is to bring them out of darkness into light. That is an act of God’s grace for which we cannot show enough gratitude. Yet some people reject it outright.
因此,"不信道者,必有严厉的刑罚,他们将遭受痛苦。"(第2节)
Hence, “woe to the unbelievers; for theirs will be a severe suffering.” (Verse 2)
这章经文接着提到一种品质，它说明了他们拒绝真主通过祂高贵的使者赐予人类之恩典的原因："他们是宁愿今世生活而不要后世生活的人，他们阻止人们走上真主之路，并企图使之变得歪曲。他们已经迷失得很远了。"（第3节）把今世生活置于优先地位，会使人与信仰的要求处于冲突之中，并与"真主之路"背道而驰。当把后世生活置于优先地位时，情况则相反。因为那样一来，今世生活便走上了正轨。人们会适度地享受它，并始终热切地追求真主的喜悦。
The sūrah then mentions a quality that tells us the reason for their rejection of the blessing God bestows on mankind through His noble Messenger: “These are the ones who love the life of this world preferring it to the life to come, and who turn others away from God’s path and try to make it appear crooked. They have gone far astray.” (Verse 3) Giving preference to the life of this world puts a person in a position of conflict with the requirements of faith, and on a collision course with the ‘path of God’. The situation is reversed when preference is given to the life to come. For then, this life is set on the right course. People enjoy it with moderation, always keen to earn God’s pleasure.
因此，他们对后世的偏爱与他们享受今世及其所提供的种种乐趣之间并无冲突。
Hence there is no conflict between their preference for the life to come and their enjoyment of this life and the pleasures it offers.
那些将心思和心愿用于确保来世美好结局的人,并不会失去今世的种种乐趣,这是某些持有错误观念的人所想象的。在伊斯兰教中,今世的幸福生活是来世幸福生活的前奏。人作为真主在大地上的代理人,其使命的完成需要建设一种幸福的生活。
Those who turn their minds and hearts towards ensuring a happy outcome in the hereafter do not lose the pleasures of this world, as some people with faulty concepts imagine. In Islam, a happy life in this world is a prelude to a happy future life. The fulfilment of man’s task as God’s vicegerent on earth requires building a happy life.
在伊斯兰教中，并不存在否定或摒弃今世任何方面、以此等待后世的做法。伊斯兰所要求的，是人们以真理、公正和良好的品行使今世生活兴旺，同时追求真主的喜悦，并期望在后世获得幸福。这就是伊斯兰的世界观。
In Islam, there is no denunciation or renunciation of any aspect of this life as people wait for the hereafter. What Islam requires is that life should prosper with truth, justice and sound behaviour by people who seek God’s pleasure and a happy life in the hereafter. This is the Islamic outlook.
那些选择今世而舍弃后世的人，无法独占今世的资源，在信仰之光照耀、人们遵循真主引导的社会中，他们欺骗、欺压他人，以服务于自己的利益。因此，他们自己和他人都背离了真主的道路，并试图使这条道路看起来扭曲、毫无真理与公义可言。正是在他们做到这一点，并成功地将自己引离真主与公义的正道之后，他们才诉诸压迫的手段，欺骗人们，并怂恿人们参与他们的腐败。只有这样，他们才能得到他们所追求的权势与自我抬高，攫取真主安置在大地上的大部分资源，并对他人傲慢无礼。于是，人们不加反抗地臣服于他们的权威之下。
Those who choose the life of this world in preference to the hereafter cannot monopolize the resources of this world, exploiting, cheating and oppressing people to serve their own interests in a society where the light of faith shines and people follow God’s guidance. Hence they turn themselves and others away from God’s path and try to make it appear crooked, devoid of truth and justice. It is only when they have done this, and managed to lead themselves away from the straight path of God and justice that they resort to their oppressive ways, cheating people and persuading them to share in their corruption. It is only in this way that they can get what they want of self- aggrandisement, taking for themselves most of the resources God has placed on earth, and behaving arrogantly towards others. People then submit to their authority without resistance.
信仰所倡导的生活方式，保护人的生命免受那些把今世置于来世之上、一心追逐今世之人的自私与贪婪所侵害。在这种生活方式之下，任何个人或群体都无法独占大地的财富与资源。
The way of life advocated by faith protects human life against the selfishness and greed of those who are preoccupied with the life of this world in preference to the life to come. Under this way of life no one person or group can monopolize the earth’s wealth and resources.