西方心理学家指责宗教压抑了人的生命活力，并因此使人的生活颇为痛苦：宗教徒尤其被罪恶感所困扰，总以为自己的一切行为都是罪过，只有放弃享受生活中的种种乐趣才能赎罪。这些心理学家还补充说，欧洲在信奉其宗教期间一直生活在愚昧的黑暗之中；而一旦它摆脱了宗教的桎梏，情感便得到解放，因此在生产领域取得了惊人的成就。

Western psychologists accuse religion of repressing the vital energy of man and rendering his life quite miserable as a result of the sense of guilt which especially obsesses the religious people and makes them imagine that all their actions are sinful and can only be expiated through abstention from enjoying the pleasures of life. Those psychologists add that Europe lived in the darkness of ignorance as long as it adhered to its religion but once it freed itself from the fetters of religion, its emotions were liberated and accordingly it achieved wonders in the field of production.

这类心理学家常常说：你们想让我们回到宗教吗？你们想束缚我们这些进步人士已经解放出来的情感吗？你们想不断提醒年轻人什么是对、什么是错，从而让他们的生活变得苦涩吗？

Such psychologists often say: Do you want us to return to religion? Do you want to fetter the emotions which, we the progressives, have set free? Do you want to embitter the lives of the youth by incessantly reminding them of what is right and wrong?

让欧洲人去说他们的宗教什么都可以。眼下我们信不信它都无关紧要，因为我们关心的不是宗教一般，而是伊斯兰教。

Let the Europeans say whatever they like about their religion. Whether we believe it or not makes little difference at present because we are not concerned with religion in general: we are discussing Islam.

在讨论伊斯兰教是否压抑生命的活力之前，我们应当先界定“压抑”一词的含义。这个词常被有教养者和半吊子之人误解和误用。

Before discussing whether or not Islam represses the vital energy we should define the meaning of repression which has been misunderstood and misapplied by both the "cultured" and the half-educated.

压抑并不是克制本能行为的结果。它是由于人们认为本能行为是肮脏的,并且拒绝向自己承认这类动机可能会进入脑海或占据思维所导致的。从这个意义上说,压抑成为一种无意识的感觉,而这种感觉未必能通过实施本能行为来消除。一个人实施了本能行为,却认为自己在做一件有辱人格、肮脏的事,那么他就是一个患有压抑的人,即便他每天都做这样的事二十次。每当他做出这种行为,其心理之中就会产生一场冲突,即他所做的事与他本应做的事之间的冲突。正是这种有意识与无意识的冲突,产生了情结和心理失调。

Repression is not the result of abstention from performing the instinctive act. It is the result of believing that the instinctive act is dirty, and of refusing to admit to oneself that such a motive may come to one's mind or engage one's thinking. In this sense repression becomes an unconscious feeling which may not be cured by performing the instinctive act. He who performs the instinctive act but believes that he is committing a degrading and dirty act is a person who suffers from repression, though he may commit such an act twenty times a day. Every time he commits such an act, there shall ensue a conflict within his psyche between what he has done and what he ought to have done. It is this conscious and unconscious conflict which gives birth to complexes and psychological disorders.

这一关于压抑的定义并非作者杜撰，而是弗洛伊德给出的定义。他一生都在批判宗教对人的活动进行压抑。弗洛伊德在其著作《性学三论》（第82页）中写道："应当区分无意识的压抑与对本能行为的克制——后者只是对该行为的暂时搁置。"既然我们已经明白，压抑等同于认为本能行为是肮脏的这种感觉，而非对它的暂时搁置，那么让我们继续讨论压抑与伊斯兰教的问题。

This definition of repression is not invented by the writer. It is the definition given by Freud who spent his life in criticizing religion for repressing people's activities. Freud says in his book "Three Contributions to the Sexual Theory" (p. 82) that "distinction should be made between the unconscious repression and the abstention from performing the instinctive act-which is a mere suspension of the act" Now that we have come to understand that repression is synonymous to the feeling that the instinctive act is dirty rather than a temporary suspension of it, let us proceed with our discussion of repression and Islam.

没有哪种宗教像伊斯兰教那样坦率地承认人的天性动机，并将其视为纯洁而健康的事物。《古兰经》说：

No religion is as frank as Islam in recognizing the natural motives and treating them as clean and healthy. The Holy Qur'an says:

在世人眼中，对所贪求之物的爱被修饰得十分美好：妻子和儿女，堆积如山的金银，优良的骏马，牲畜和肥沃的田地。（3:14）

"fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women and sons; heaped-up hordes of gold and silver, horses branded (for blood and excellence) and (wealth) cattle and well-tilled lands” (iii : 14).

在这节经文中，《古兰经》提到了世俗的欲望，并承认它们是一个既定的事实，说明这些东西在世人眼中是令人向往的，但它并不反对这些欲望本身，也不否定这些情感。

In this verse, the Qur'an names the earthly desires and recognizes them as a matter of fact and states that they are desirable things in the eyes of men, but does not object to these desires as such nor does it disapprove of such feelings.

确实，伊斯兰不允许人们放纵这类欲望，也不允许自己被私欲所支配或奴役。如果每个人都沦为自身情欲的奴隶，生活就会走上错误的方向。人类追求发展与进步，而只要仍被不受约束的情欲所主宰，这些情欲耗尽人的全部精力并把他拉向兽性的深渊，人类便永远无法实现这些目标。

It is true that Islam does not permit people to give way to such desires or to be dominated or enslaved by adam. If everyone becomes a slave to his passions, life will be running in the wrong direction. Humanity aims at development and improvement; it can never achieve such aims as long as it is dominated by its unruly passions which exhaust all the energy and lead it downwards to animalism.

伊斯兰教不允许人堕落到动物般的境地，但这与那种无意识的压抑之间有着巨大的差别。后者认为这些欲望本身是肮脏的，并促使人们以净化和提升之名，连这类感受都不敢稍加留念。

Islam does not allow people to descend to the level of animalism but there is a great difference between this and the unconscious repression which holds that such passions are dirty in themselves and which drives people to abstain from even entertaining such feelings in the name of purification and elevation.

在论及人的灵魂时,伊斯兰承认所有天性的情感,原则上并不将其压抑在潜意识之中;但它允许以适度的方式实际实行这些本能行为,使人获得合理的快感,而不致对个人或社会造成任何伤害或损害。一个完全沉溺于满足自身欲望的人,会导致其活力过早衰竭。此外,被放纵的欲望所奴役的人,将无法胜任任何事情。他的全部努力和思虑,都将用于满足他的欲望。

In its treatment of human soul, Islam recognizes, in principle, all the natural emotions and does not repress them in our unconscious but it permits the practical performance of such instinctive acts to an extent such as may give a reasonable degree of pleasure without causing any harm or injury to the individual or the community. An individual who is thoroughly absorbed in satisfying his passions bril1gs about an early enervation of his viral energy. Besides, a person who is enslaved by his unruly passions will not be fit for doing anything. All his efforts and thoughts will be devoted to the satisfaction of his desires.

同样,社会也因其成员的活力仅仅朝一个方向耗尽,而非如其造物主原本所设计的那样用于多种目的,而遭受巨大的挫折,因为这会导致许多同样值得实现的其他目标被忽视。它还将导致家庭纽带的破坏和社会的瓦解:"你以为他们是团结的,但他们的心是分裂的。"

Similarly, the society too suffers a great setback from the exhaustion of the vital energy of its members in one direction alone instead of being used for diverse purposes as originally planned by its Creator, as this leads to the neglect of so many other ends that are no less worthy of realization. It will also lead to the destruction of family ties and to social disintegration: "Thou wouldst think they were united, but their hearts are divided".

这使得别人很容易对他们发动攻击并将其消灭，就像法国所发生的那样。

This makes it very easy for others to attack and annihilate them like what happened in France.

在不致使个人伤害自身、伤害他人、家庭或社会的限度之内，伊斯兰允许他充分享受生活中的乐趣。事实上，伊斯兰坦率地号召人们享受生活中的乐趣。《古兰经》说："你说：'谁禁止了真主为他的仆人所创造的美物，以及洁净的给养呢？'"另一节经文说："你不要忘记你在今世的份额"；"你们可以吃我所供给你们的美味"；"你们可以吃喝，但不要浪费，因为真主不喜爱浪费的人。"

Subject to the limits that are meant to prevent the individual from inflicting harm upon his own self, other individuals, the family or society, Islam permits him full enjoyment of the pleasures of life. In fact, Islam frankly calls on people to enjoy the pleasures of life. The Qur'an says: "Say, who hath forbidden the beautiful gifts of God which He hath produced for His servants, and the things clean and pure which He hath provided for sustenance?" In another verse the Qur'an says: "And neglect not thy portion of the world"; "Eat of the good things We have provided for you"; "Eat and drink but Waste not by excess".

伊斯兰教对性本能的态度十分坦率，以至于使者本人说："世间的享乐中，香水和女人是我所喜爱的；而我眼睛的喜悦则在于拜功。"性本能被提升到与世上最好的香水相当的地位，并且与拜功并列，而拜功正是人接近真主的最好途径。

Islam recognizes the sexual instinct so frankly that the Apostle himself said: "From the pleasures of the world, perfume and woman were endeared to me; and the delight of my eye is prayer". The sexual instinct is elevated to the rank similar to that of the best perfume on earth, and it is bracketed with prayer which is the best means by which men may come closer to God.

使者ﷺ曾说:

The Apostle once said:

“人与妻子行房，会获得回报。”有人听了感到惊讶，便问安拉的使者：“一个人满足自己的欲望，也会得到回报吗？”先知ﷺ回答说：“你们不是认为，如果他以被禁止的方式满足欲望，他就犯了罪吗？那么，如果他以合法的方式满足欲望，他就会得到回报。”（穆斯林）

"A man is recompensed for the sexual act he performs with his wife," and when some of the surprised listeners asked the Apostle of God: "Is the person rewarded for satisfying his passions?” the Prophet answered: "'Do you not see that if he were to satisfy it in a prohibited manner he would be committing a sin? So if he satisfies it in a lawful manner he will be recompensed." (Muslim)

这就是为什么在伊斯兰的统治之下，压抑永远不会产生。如果年轻人感受到性本能的冲动，这并没有什么罪恶，他们也无需把性本能视为一种肮脏、令人厌恶的感受。

This is why repression will never originate under the rule of Islam. If young people feel the urge of the sexual instinct there is no evil in that, and they need not regard the sexual instinct as a dirty, repulsive feeling.

伊斯兰教要求年轻人在这方面做到的，是控制自己的欲望，而不是压抑它们；是出于意愿并有意识地去控制，也就是把欲望的满足暂时搁置，直到合适的时机。根据弗洛伊德的观点，暂停性行为的实施并不是压抑。与压抑不同，暂时搁置性本能的实施不会过度消耗神经，也不会导致情结和心理障碍。

What Islam requires of the young people in this respect, is to control their passions without repressing them, to control them willingly and consciously, that is, to suspend their satisfaction until the suitable time. According to Freud, suspension of the performance of the sexual act is not repression. Unlike repression, temporary suspension of the performance of the sexual instinct does not overtax the nerves nor does it lead to complexes and psychological disorders.

这种克制欲望的号召，并非为了剥夺人们生活乐趣而设的武断命令。历史见证了这一点：没有哪个民族能在无法节制欲望、无法自愿放弃某些被允许的享受的情况下维护自身的主权。另一方面，没有哪个民族能够经受国际冲突的考验，除非其人民受过吃苦耐劳的训练，并能够根据时势所需，将欲望的满足暂停数小时、数日乃至数年。

This call for controlling the passions is not an arbitrary ordinance intended to deprive people of the pleasures of life, for history bears witness that no nation could safeguard its sovereignty without being able to control its passions or abstain willingly from some permitted pleasures. On the other hand, no nation could withstand international conflicts unless its people were trained to endure hardships and were able to suspend the satisfaction of their desires for hours, days, years as the need of the hour may be.

因此,斋戒在伊斯兰教中的智慧所在。一些放荡之人谈到斋戒时说:这是什么无稽之谈?它旨在以饥渴折磨身体,剥夺人的食物、饮品以及他所渴望的享受,究竟为了什么?只是为了服从没有智慧依据、也没有合理目的的武断命令!对于这些放荡之人,我们应当说:如果人不运用他的克制之力,那他是什么?如果他连几个小时都无法克制自己,不去满足欲望,他又如何能为人类做出贡献?我们若不能忍耐地与地上的邪恶作斗争,又怎能为此而放弃如此多的享受? 那些在伊斯兰东方嘲笑斋戒及其他自我克制方式的共产主义宣传者,如果不曾受过训练、能够忍受那些既折磨灵魂又折磨身体的最严酷困苦,他们又怎能在斯大林格勒抵抗纳粹?奇怪的是,这些共产主义者在克制被"国家"——那个能够施以即时惩罚的具体权威——所命令时表示赞同,而当克制被真主——国家以及一切有生命之物的创造者——所要求时,他们却开始哭诉反对。

Hence, the wisdom of fasting in Islam. Some libertines, when they talk about fasting, say: What is this nonsense which aims at torturing the bodies with hunger and thirst and depriving man of food, drinks and the pleasure which he desires to have, and for what purpose? Just to comply with arbitrary orders unmotivated by wisdom or reasonable end! To such libertines we should say: "What is man if he does not exercise his power of restraint? How can he help humanity if he cannot abstain, even for a few hours, from satisfying his desires? How can we have the patience to fight evil on earth and deprive ourselves as a result thereof of so many pleasures?” How could the communist whose propagandists in the Islamic East make fun of fasting and other means of self-restraint have withstood against the Nazis in Stalingrad if they had not been trained to endure the vilest hardships which tortured both their souls as well as their bodies. It is strange that these communists approve of self-restraint when it is ordered by the "State", the concrete authority that can inflict immediate punishment, but start crying against it when it is demanded by God, the Creator of the state and all living creatures.

常有人说，宗教使遵循其戒律的人生活苦涩，让罪恶的幽灵萦绕在他们心头。但这并不适用于伊斯兰教，因为伊斯兰教提及宽恕的次数远多于谈论任何惩罚。

It is often said that religion embitters the life of those who follow its rules and lets the ghost of sin haunt them. But this does riot apply to Islam which mentions forgiveness far more than it speaks of any castigation.

在伊斯兰教看来,罪既不是时时缠扰世人的鬼怪,也不是笼罩人生的无尽黑暗。亚当的原罪也不是一把对着人类拔出的利剑,更不需要任何进一步的洗涤或赎偿:"亚当从他的主那里领受了一些话语,他的主就宽恕了他。"(2:37)亚当的忏悔被接受了,简单直接,没有任何繁琐的仪式。

Sin, according to Islam, is neither a ghoul ever haunting people nor an endless darkness shadowing their lives. Adam's great original sin is not a sword unsheathed in the face of humanity, nor does it require any further purification or ransom: "Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration and his Lord forgave him” (ii : 37). Adam's repentance was accepted simply and without any formalities.

与他们的父亲一样,亚当的子孙犯罪时,也并不被排除在真主的慈悲之外。真主知道他们天性的限度,不会让他们负担超出其承受能力的重担:"真主不加重任何灵魂所不能承担的负担"(2:286)。

Like their father, the children of Adam are not excluded from God's mercy when they commit sin. God knows the limits of their nature and He does not overburden them with what they cannot bear: "On no soul doth God place a burden greater than it can bear" (i:

286). 使者说："亚当的子孙都是犯错的人，而犯错者中最好的，是悔罪的人。"ﷺ

286). The Apostle says, “All the children of Adam are wrong-doers, and the best of all wrong-doers are those who repent”.

古兰经中描述真主慈悯、宽恕和悔罪之经文极其众多，我们在此仅引用以下一节经文：

The verses of the Qur'an which describes God's mercy, forgiveness and repentance are very numerous but we are content to quote the following verse:

“你们当竞相争取主的宽恕，争取那犹如天地般广阔的乐园，那是为敬畏者预备的——他们无论在顺境还是逆境中都慷慨施舍，克制怒气，宽恕他人。”

“Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a garden whose width is that (of the whole) of heavens and of the earth prepared for the righteous-those who spend (freely) whether in prosperity or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all)

男人们啊!真主确实喜爱行善之人。那些做了可耻之事、或亏待了自己灵魂的人,若能想念真主,为自己的罪过求饶——除了真主,谁能赦免罪过呢?——并且不会明知故犯、固执地坚持自己所做的错事,(这样的人便是真主所喜爱的)。

men;-for God loves those who do good; and those who having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring God to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins,-and who can forgive sins except God? -and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) what they have done".

“这些人的报酬，是主的赦宥，以及下面有河水流淌的乐园，他们永居其中。努力行善者的报酬何等美好！”（3:133-136）

"For such the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and gardens with rivers flowing underneath,-on eternal dwelling: how excellent a recompense for those who work (and strive)” (iii:133-136).

真主的慈悲是何等广大、何等深远啊！祂不仅接受灵魂的悔罪，赦免它们的罪过，赐予它们祂的悦纳与恩慈，甚至将它们提升到善人的品位。

How vast and far-reaching God's mercy is! He not only accepts the repentance of souls but also absolves them of their sins and grants them His acceptance and kindness and even elevates them to the rank of the righteous.

经历了如此的慈悲，对于真主的宽恕，难道还会有丝毫的怀疑吗？人若真心说出一句话——悔罪，真主便接纳并欢迎他，那么，折磨和罪孽又怎能萦绕在人们的灵魂之中呢？

After such mercy could there be the slightest doubt as to God's forgiveness? How could torture and sin haunt the souls of people when God accepts and welcomes them if they truly utter one word: repentance.

没有必要再引用其他经文来支持我们的论点。不过，我们仍要引用使者的圣训："以掌握我灵魂的主发誓，如果你们不犯罪，真主必定会让你们离去，换来另一些会犯罪并向真主求饶的人，真主必定会赦免他们。"

There is no need to quote further texts in support of our argument. But, nonetheless, we shall quote the saying of the Apostle : "By He in whose hand my soul doth lie, had you not committed any sin God should have taken you away to replace with others who would commit sin and ask God's forgiveness which will be granted to them".

因此，宽恕世人的罪过是真主的旨意。最后，我们引用《古兰经》中这节美妙的经文：

It is, then, the will of God that He forgives people's sins. In conclusion, we quote this wonderful verse of the Holy Qur'an:

“如果你们感恩并且信仰，真主因你们受刑罚而能得到什么呢？”真主是普遍的嘉许者，是全知的。 Note: The verse is a Qur'an verse, so it is kept as a quotation rather than a bare label. Since the instruction is to use "God" rather than "Allah", the translation uses 真主 (the standard Chinese term for God in Islamic texts) consistently.

“What con God gain by your punishment, if ye are grateful and ye believe? Nay, it is God that recognizeth (all good) and knoweth all things" (iv : 147).

是的，真主从惩罚人当中能得到什么呢？既然祂喜欢赐予他们祂的慈悲与宽恕。

Yes, what can God gain by torturing people when He loves to grant them His mercy and forgiveness?