我们应当为实现伊斯兰为我们树立的理想做些什么?

What ought we to do for the realization of the ideal Islam sets forth before us?

鉴于伊斯兰是地球上最好的制度,而且正如我们的历史、地理以及国际地位所表明的,伊斯兰是我们重新赢得荣誉、领导地位和社会正义于这个世界上的唯一途径,那么问题在于:在一个敌视它的世界里,并且在某些穆斯林国家专制统治者的存在之下——他们反对伊斯兰的态度甚至比国外的敌人更为激烈——通往实现伊斯兰理念的道路究竟在哪里?

Granted that Islam is the best system to be found on this earth and that as our historical, geographical as well as international position shows, Islam is our only means to regain honor, leadership and social justice in this world, the question is whither lies the way that leads to the realization of Islamic ideology in a world hostile to it and in the presence of the dictatorial rulers in some Muslim lands who fight against it even more furiously than its enemies from abroad do?

是的,道路在何方?我们该做什么?答案是:要达到伊斯兰的目标,只有一条道路,正如人类历史上所有兴起的运动一直以来的情形一样,而这条道路用一个词概括,就是:信仰。

Yes, whither is the way? What ought we to do? The answer is that there is one and only one way to attain the Islamic goal as there has always been the case with all the movements springing up in human history and that in one word is: Faith.

正是这份信仰帮助了早期的穆斯林：它至今仍是唯一能够帮助当代穆斯林的力量。我们今天作为穆斯林的立场与处境，与早期穆斯林所持的立场没有丝毫不同。他们只是寥寥数人，却要与当时两个最强大、最骄傲的国家作战：左边是罗马帝国，右边是波斯。这两个对手在人力、物质财富、战争艺术、军事科学以及政治远见方面都远远胜过他们。尽管如此，伟大的奇迹还是发生了：这一小撮穆斯林在不到半个世纪的时间里，就战胜了凯撒们和库斯老们。他们夺取了从印度洋延伸到大西洋的广袤领土。这个奇迹是如何发生的呢？

It was this very faith that helped the early Muslims: it still remains the only force that can help their present generation. Our stand and position today as Muslims is not in the least different from that taken up by the early Muslims. They were just a handful of men but were out to fight against two of the most powerful and proud states of that time, the Roman Empire on their left and the Persian to their right. Both of these adversaries were far superior to them in men, material wealth, art of war, military science as well as political insight. But despite this the great miracle happened and the handful of Muslims overpowered both the Caesars as well as the Kosroes in less than half a century. They captured their vast territories stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. How did this miracle happen?

任何唯物主义的历史解释,都无法充分说明这一伟大的奇迹。

No materialistic interpretation of history can adequately explain this great miracle.

唯有信仰，才能解开其中的奥秘，除此之外别无他途。正是这份信仰，使早期的一位穆斯林站起身来说："难道我与乐园之间只隔着这一件事吗？那就是我去杀死这个人（即与穆斯林作战的不信道者），或者被他杀死？"说完这话，他便像要去拥抱新娘一样毫无畏惧地走向战场。又或者，他会跳入战阵，对敌人说：

The one thing with which we can unravel its mystery is faith and faith alone. It was this very faith that made one of these early Muslims stand up saying: "Is it not true that nothing intervenes between me and paradise but that I should go and kill this man (i.e. the unbeliever fighting against Muslims) or get killed by him?" And then saying this he would advance towards the battlefield as tight-heartedly as if he were going to embrace his bride. Or he would jump into the field saying to his adversaries:

"你们期待我们的，无非是两件最美好的事之一：胜利或殉道吗？"这便是实现我们目标的道路，因为这一直是历史上任何其他运动之前唯一的道路。

"Do you await for us but one of the two most excellent things: victory or martyrdom?" That then is the way to realize our objectives as this has always been the only course before any other movement originating in history.

有些人问我们，有的出于真诚，有的出于他们的失败主义心态，问道：为达到这一目的所需的武器装备在哪里？武器？

There are certain people who ask us, some out of sincerity and others because of their defeatist mentality, as to where is the necessary weaponry for this purpose. Weapons?

是的，我们确实需要武器，但我们不能忽视一个事实：对我们来说，首要且最重要的条件不是武器，因为仅凭武器，在这方面对一个民族没有丝毫帮助。在上一次世界大战期间，意大利人拥有最有效、最致命的武器装备，但这些仍然没能拯救他们，他们也无法借此取得任何光荣的胜利。他们只擅长一件事：丢下所有武器落入敌人手中，然后从战场上逃跑。他们所需要的不是武器，而是信仰和激励。

Yes, we do need weapons, but we must not overlook the fact that the first and the foremost requisite for us is not the weapons, for weapons only can not in this respect help a nation in the least. During the last World War the Italians possessed most effective and deadly weaponry, but still it could not save them, nor could they achieve with it any glorious success. They excelled in one thing only: running away from the battlefield leaving all their weapons in the hands of their enemies. What they wanted was not weapons but faith and inspiration.

另一方面，我们发现，有一小群受到激励的战士，他们的总兵力至多不超过一百人，其夜间突袭队每次最多只有六七人，却使那些衰老腐朽帝国的统治者惊慌不安，以至于他们宁愿放弃国土，也不愿与这一小撮人作战。这支忠诚的勇士队伍并没有致命的武器；他们没有重型火炮、喷气式战斗机，也没有装甲部队。他们使用的是普通的左轮手枪、步枪和来福枪，但他们拥有一种远比敌人所拥有的更为致命的武器：信仰！他们怀有早期那一小群穆斯林所具有的精神，为了真主的道路而战，或者杀死不信者，或者被不信者杀死。正是凭借这种精神，他们在如此悬殊的劣势之下取得了胜利。

On the other hand, we find that a handful of inspired fighters whose total strength did not exceed a hundred men at the most and whose nocturnal raiding parties never included more than six or seven men in a party at a time, so perturbed the leaders of senile old empires that they preferred leaving the country to those handful of men rather than conquer them. This faithful band of warriors did not possess deadly weapons; they did not have heavy artillery, jet-fighters or the armored corps. They fought with ordinary revolvers, guns and rifles but they had with them a weapon far deadlier than what their enemies possessed: they possessed faith! They had in them the spirit the early handful of Muslims had, fighting in the way of God killing the non-believers or themselves getting killed by them. That is how they succeeded against such heavy odds.

我们深知，我们为自己所选择的道路并非铺满鲜花。它更像是一条需要汗水、鲜血与泪水的道路。它要求牺牲、自我奉献、经受磨难，并且要有竭尽全力的准备。但这并不奇怪，因为其他任何运动也都是如此。牺牲是不可避免的。成功没有捷径。

We know that the path we have chosen for ourselves is not strewn with flowers. It is rather a way that calls for sweat, blood and tears. It demands sacrifices, self-immolation, tribulations and a readiness to exert ourselves to the utmost. But there is nothing strange in this, for similar is the case with every other movement. Sacrifices are inevitable. There is no short cut to success.

为什么我们不应当努力奋斗、甘愿为摆在我们面前的崇高事业而受苦呢？为了荣誉、荣光和社会正义，我们理应如此。何况我们已经因蒙受的羞辱、诋毁、贫困、软弱和涣散而付出的牺牲，并不比伊斯兰所要求的牺牲更小、更沉重。上一次世界大战中，来自不同阿拉伯民族的数百万人被杀；另有成千上万的人死于盟军飞机的轰炸；财产遭到毁坏，大量人员被俘；所有物质资源都被没收，而其拥有者并未对征服者进行任何抵抗。然而，历经这一切之后，先生……

But why should we not strive hard and be ready to suffer for the lofty cause before us-for honor, glory and for social justice when the sacrifices already experienced by us because of opprobrium, obloquy, poverty, weakness and disintegration are no less great and severe than the sacrifices called for by Islam? Millions of men from different Arab nationalities were killed in the last World War; thousands more perished by the bombardment of the Allied planes; properties were destroyed and a large number of men were made prisoners; all material resources were confiscated without any fighting against the conquerors on the part of their possessors. But still after suffering all this Mr.

丘吉尔对我们并不满意。他直截了当地告诉我们:"我们救了你们。现在请付出代价。"不久前,西方列强还急于让阿拉伯人同它们缔结共同防御条约。它们的真正目的,是把至少五十万阿拉伯人编入其武装力量,用它们的致命武器在阿拉伯人身上试验,从而使美国和英国的白人免受这些武器的致命影响。在这样做的过程中,它们强行攫取了整个阿拉伯世界的粮食产出,让其民众蒙受屈辱与耻辱;而当它们终于不再需要这些人的服务时,便将他们一脚踢开。

Churchill was not satisfied with us. He told us bluntly: "We have saved you. Now pay us the price for it." It was only a short while ago that the western powers were so anxious to get the Arabs agree to conclude a joint defense pact with them. Their real purpose was to incorporate at least half a million Arabs in their armed forces so as to try their deadly weapons on them and thus save the white men of America and England from their deadly effects. In doing so they forcibly captured all the food production of the Arab world, exposed its people to dishonor and disgrace and when at last they no longer needed their services, kicked them out.

诚然,死亡、牺牲与苦难是无法避免的。即便是为了耻辱与卑微而死的人也大有人在:在上一次世界大战中,至少有五十万人为协约国而捐躯。那么,我们又为何要在为了伊斯兰、为了荣耀与真理而献出生命时退缩呢?倘若有五十万人(与为协约国而死的人数一样多!)准备好为伊斯兰献出生命,结果必将不同。届时,这片大地上将不会再有一个傲慢的独裁者与暴君,也不会再有基督教或异教的帝国主义横行霸道。这难道不说明我们如何能够实现我们的目标吗?道路就在这里。

There is, of course, no escaping from death, from sacrifices and tribulations. Men died even for ignominy and ingloriousness: half a million at least laid their lives in the last Great War fighting for the Allies. Why should we then flinch back from laying down our lives for Islam, for glory and truth? When there are half a million men (as many as died for the Allies!) ready to lay down their lives for Islam the results will surely be different. There shall not remain even a single insolent dictator and tyrant on this earth, there will be no Christian or heathen imperialism to strut abroad then. Doesn't that show how we can achieve our goal? There is the way.

有些人对共产主义在现代世界的扩散感到不安。但事实上,对此并无可担忧之处,因为就伊斯兰而言,世界局势并未发生任何变化。目前处于共产主义控制之下的国家,在共产主义出现之前,原本就构成基督教世界的一部分,并且如今对伊斯兰和穆斯林的敌意与当时相同。以俄国为例,即便在共产革命之前,它就常常派遣渗透小组进入穆斯林国家,挑起穆斯林之间的纷争与不和。

Some people are perturbed over the spread of communism in the modern world. But in fact there is nothing to he upset about that, for so far as Islam is concerned the world situation has not undergone any change whatsoever. The countries under communist control at present are what formed a Part of Christendom before the advent of communism and were as such as hostile to Islam and Muslims are they are today. Russia, for instance, even before the Communist Revolution used to send groups of infiltrators into the Muslim states to sow dissension and discord among the Muslims.

与此相似的是欧洲的情况。过去，欧洲对穆斯林世界发动了十字军东征，并且至今仍在进行那场战争。就穆斯林和伊斯兰而言，从那时至今并无改变。

Similar was the case with Europe. It fought crusades against the Muslim world in the past and is still engaged in that war. Nothing has changed since then so far as the Muslims or Islam is concerned.

在这样的情况下，我们的立场也必须保持不变。我们站在早期穆斯林所站的同一位置上，当时他们被当时两个最强大的国家从左右两面夹击。

In such a situation, our standpoint must also remain unchanged. We stand exactly where the early Muslims stood when they were hemmed in from right and left by two of the most powerful countries of that time.

令人欣慰的是，尽管困难重重、反对者残酷打压，伊斯兰的力量仍在一天天壮大。总的来看，伊斯兰的复兴似乎是必然的。

It is heartening to note that despite all hurdles and ruthless opposition, Islamic forces are gathering strength day by day. On balance, the revival of Islam seems but inevitable.

在当今世界，伊斯兰教注定将像其历史最初岁月那样发挥光辉的作用。在一个全然沉溺于物质享乐与利益追逐、因此饱受冲突与动荡之苦的世界里，它承诺带来和平与安宁。伊斯兰教在物质与精神之间取得了平衡，因而是人类摆脱当前困境的唯一希望。因此，世界迟早必然会认识到伊斯兰教的重要性，并采纳其原则，即便世界并未正式皈依这一宗教。

In the world today, it is destined to playas glorious a role as it played in the first days of its history. It promises peace and tranquility to the world of today which is wholly taken up with material pleasures and gains, and is as a result thereof stricken with conflicts and disruptions. Islam strikes a balance between matter and spirit, and is thus the only hope for humanity to get out of the present mess. As such the world is bound sooner or later to realize the importance of Islam and adopt its principles even if it does not formally embrace it as its religion.

至于我们这些伊斯兰的工作者,我们承认,自己清楚地意识到前方的道路并非坦途。我们穆斯林必须做出牺牲——巨大而众多的牺牲,才能让世界相信伊斯兰本身的善良与真理。但让我们始终牢记,通往这一目标的唯一途径,只能是自我牺牲:

As to ourselves-the workers of Islam-we admit that we are fully alive to the fact that the path before us is not a bed of roses. We Muslims will have to offer sacrifices-great and many sacrifices, in order to convince the world of the intrinsic goodness and truth of Islam. But let us ever bear in mind that the only way towards that end is but that of self-immolation:

{"God will certainly aid those who aid His (cause): for verily God is full of strength, Exalted in might, (Able to enforce His will) (xxii: 40)."} Note: Per your rule, the Qur'an verse text stays as is, so I've left it in English with its braces. Here is the translation: {真主必定襄助那些襄助祂(事业)的人，因为真主确是至强的，至能的，（能贯彻自己的意志）}（22:40）

"God will certainly aid those who aid His (cause): for verily God is full of strength, Exalted in might, (Able to enforce His will) (xxii: 40).