真主的使者穆罕默德——愿主赐予他平安——所带来的伊斯兰讯息，是众先知向真主传达召唤这条漫长链条上的最后一环。纵观历史，这一讯息始终如一：人类应当认识到，他们真正的主宰和养育者是独一的真主；他们应当唯独顺服于祂；并应当消除人对人的主宰。除了历史上零星的少数人之外，人类整体从未否认真主的存在以及祂对宇宙的主权；他们所犯的错误，在于对真主的真实属性理解有误，或者在真主之外以别的神灵作为祂的同伴。这种以他物与真主并列的情形，或表现在信仰和崇拜上，或表现在接受真主之外他人的主权上。这两方面都属于“沙克”（Shirk，阿拉伯语词，指将真主的属性、权能或权威归于真主之外的他者，和/或崇拜真主之外的他者），因为它们使人远离了先知们所带来的真主的宗教。每位先知之后，都有一段时期人们理解了这一宗教，但之后世代逐渐遗忘，又回到了无知时代（Jahiliyyah）。他们重新走上沙克的道路，有时在信仰与崇拜上，有时在顺服他人的权威上，有时则两者兼而有之。

The message of Islam brought by the Messenger of God, Muhammad - peace be on him -was the last link in the long chain of invitations toward God by the noble Prophets. Throughout history, this message has remained the same: that human beings should recognise that their true Sustainer and Lord is One God, that they should submit to Him Alone, and that the lordship of man be eliminated. Except for a few people here and there in history, mankind as a whole has never denied the existence of God and His sovereignty over the universe; it has rather erred in comprehending the real attributes of God, or in taking other gods besides God as His associates. This association with God has been either in belief and worship, or in accepting the sovereignty of others besides God. Both of these aspects are Shirk [Shirk is an Arabic word which refers to ascribing the attributes, power or authority of God to others besides Him and/or worshipping others besides Him.] in the sense that they take human beings away from the religion of God, which was brought by the Prophets. After each Prophet, there was a period during which people understood this religion, but then gradually later generations forgot it and returned to Jahiliyyah. They started again on the way of Shirk, sometimes in their belief and worship and sometimes in their submission to the authority of others, and sometimes in both.

自人类历史的每一个时期以来,向主的呼唤始终具有同一种本质。它的宗旨是“伊斯兰”,意即使人类归顺真主,使人类摆脱对他人的奴役,从而专心崇拜独一的真主;将人类从人为的主宰、人造的法律、价值体系和传统的掌控中解放出来,使他们承认独一真主的主权和权威,并在生活的各个领域遵循祂的律法。穆罕默德ﷺ的伊斯兰,以及此前众先知的讯息,都是为此目的而降临的。整个宇宙都处于真主的权威之下,人作为其中的一小部分,必然服从支配宇宙的自然法则。同样必须承认这一权威是人类生活的立法者。人不应割裂自己与这一权威的联系,另立一套体系和另一种生活方式。人的成长、健康与疾病、生与死,都处于源自真主的自然法则之下;即便在他自主行为的后果面前,他也无力抗拒普遍的法则。人无法改变真主在宇宙中所确立的常道。因此,人在自己拥有选择权的那些方面,也应当遵循伊斯兰,并让神圣律法成为生活中一切事务的裁决者,使人与宇宙其余部分达成和谐。[关于此点的解释,参见毛杜迪著《伊斯兰教义通解》。]另一方面,蒙昧时期(Jahiliyyah)则是一人对另一人的主宰,在这一点上它违背宇宙的体系,使人类生活中非自主的一面与自主的一面相冲突。正是这种蒙昧,在每一位真主的先知面前设下障碍,他们都在呼吁人们归顺独一真主的道路上遭遇过它,包括最后一位先知ﷺ。 这种jahiliyyah（蒙昧时代）并非抽象的理论；事实上，在某些情况下，它根本没有理论。它总是以一种活生生的运动形式存在于社会之中，这个社会有其自身的领导层、自身的观念与价值观，以及自身的传统、习惯和情感。它是一个有组织的社会，其中个体之间有着紧密的合作与忠诚，它总是随时准备着，并且有意识或无意识地捍卫自身的存在。它会碾碎一切看似对其自身特性构成威胁的因素。

Throughout every period of human history the call toward God has had one nature. Its purpose is 'Islam', which means to bring human beings into submission to God, to free them from servitude to other human beings so that they may devote themselves to the One True God, to deliver them from the clutches of human lordship and man-made laws, value systems and traditions so that they will acknowledge the sovereignty and authority of the One True God and follow His law in all spheres of life. The Islam of Muhammad - peace be on him-came for this purpose, as well as the messages of the earlier Prophets. The entire universe is under the authority of God, and man, being a small part of it, necessarily obeys the physical laws governing the universe. It is also necessary that the same authority be acknowledged as the law-giver for human life. Man should not cut himself off from this authority to develop a separate system and a separate scheme of life. The growth of a human being, his conditions of health and disease, and his life and death are under the scheme of those natural laws which come from God; even in the consequences of his voluntary actions he is helpless before the universal laws. Man cannot change the practice of God in the laws prevailing in the universe. It is therefore desirable that he should also follow Islam in those aspects of his life in which he is given a choice and should make the Divine Law the arbiter in all matters of life so that there may be harmony between man and the rest of the universe. [See Towards Understanding Islam, by A. A. Maududi, for an explanation of this point.] Jahiliyyah, on the other hand, is one man's lordship over another, and in this respect it is against the system of the universe and brings the involuntary aspect of human life into conflict with its voluntary aspect. This was that Jahiliyyah which confronted every Prophet of God, including the last Prophet-peace be on Him-in their call toward submission to One God. This Jahiliyyah is not an abstract theory; in fact, under certain circumstances it has no theory at all. It always takes the form of a living movement in a society which has its own leadership, its own concepts and values, and its own traditions, habits and feelings. It is an organized society and there is a close cooperation and loyalty between its individuals, and it is always ready and alive to defend its existence consciously or unconsciously. It crushes all elements which seem to be dangerous to its personality.

当"无明"(Jahiliyyah)不再只是一种"理论",而是以这种方式成为一场活跃的运动时,那么,任何仅把伊斯兰呈现为一种理论来试图消除这种无明、使人们重归真主的努力,都将是不可取的,甚至颇为无用。无明掌控着现实世界,并且为了维持其统治,存在着一个有生命、有行动力的组织。在这种情况下,仅靠理论层面的努力去对抗它,甚至不能与之对等,更谈不上胜过它。当目标是废除现存体制,并以一种在本质、原则以及各个总体与具体方面都不同于占主导地位的无明体制的新体制取而代之时,那么,这一新体制也理应作为一场有组织的运动、一支可行的群体投身于战场。它投身战场时,必须秉持坚定的决心:它的策略、它的社会组织,以及其成员之间的关系,都应比现存的无明体制更加坚韧、更加有力。

When Jahiliyyah takes the form, not of a 'theory' but of an active movement in this fashion, then any attempt to abolish this Jahiliyyah and to bring people back to God which presents Islam merely as a theory will be undesirable, rather useless. Jahiliyyah controls the practical world, and for its support there is a living and active organization. In this situation, mere theoretical efforts to fight it cannot even be equal, much less superior, to it. When the purpose is to abolish the existing system and to replace it with a new system which in its character' principles and all its general and particular aspects, is different from the controlling jahili system, then it stands to reason that this new system should also come into the battlefield as an organized movement and a viable group. It should come into the battlefield with a determination that its strategy, its social organization, and the relationship between its individuals should be firmer and more powerful than the existing jahili system.

伊斯兰教在每个历史时期的理论根基，都是见证"La ilaha illa Allah"——"除安拉外，别无应受崇拜的主"。这意味着作证：唯一真正应受崇拜的，是安拉；祂是养育者，祂是宇宙的主宰，祂是真正的主权者；要在心中信仰祂，只崇拜祂一位，并践行祂的律法。若不完全接受"La ilaha illa Allah"，而这一完全接受正是区分自称穆斯林者与非穆斯林者的标准，那么这句宣言便没有任何实际意义，按照伊斯兰教法也不会具有任何效力。

The theoretical foundation of Islam, in every period of history, has been to witness "La ilaha illa Allah"- "There is no deity except God" - which means to bear witness that the only true deity is God, that He is the Sustainer, that He is the Ruler of the universe, and that He is the Real Sovereign; to believe in Him in one's heart, to worship Him Alone, and to put into practice His laws. Without this complete acceptance of "La ilaha illa Allah", which differentiates the one who says he is a Muslim from a non-Muslim, there cannot be any practical significance to this utterance, nor will it have any weight according to Islamic law.

从理论上讲，确立伊斯兰教意味着人们应当将整个生命奉献于对真主的顺服之中，不应自行决定任何事务，而必须参照真主关于此事的命令并遵行。我们只能通过一个来源获知真主的引导，那就是真主的使者——愿主赐福并使他平安ﷺ。因此，在伊斯兰信仰的第二部分中，我们作证："Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah"——"我作证穆罕默德是真主的使者ﷺ"。

Theoretically, to establish it means that people should de- vote their entire lives in submission to God, should not decide any affair on their own, but must refer to God's injunctions concerning it and follow them. We know of God's guidance through only one source, that is, through the Messenger of God-peace be on him. Thus, in the second part of the Islamic creed, we bear witness 'Wa ashhadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah" - "And I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God".

因此，伊斯兰的理论基础——信仰——从一开始就必须体现为一个有组织、有行动的群体。这一群体必须使自己脱离贾希利亚社会，独立于那个以阻挠伊斯兰为目标、有组织、有行动的贾希利亚社会，并与之截然不同。这一新群体的中心应当是一个新的领导核心，这一领导首先体现在先知ﷺ本人身上，此后则委托给那些致力于使人们重新归服真主主权、权威与律法的人。凡作证“除真主外别无应受崇拜者，穆罕默德是真主的使者ﷺ”的人，应当切断与他已经离弃的贾希利亚社会的忠诚关系，也切断与贾希利亚领导层的关系，无论这种领导层以祭司、巫师或占星家的面目出现，还是以政治、社会或经济领导的形式出现，正如先知ﷺ时代的古莱氏人所为。他必须将自己全部的忠诚献给新的伊斯兰运动和穆斯林的领导。

It is therefore necessary that Islam's theoretical foundation-belief-materialize in the form of an organized and active group from the very beginning. It is necessary that this group separate itself from the jahili society, becoming independent and distinct from the active and organized jahili society whose aim is to block Islam. The center of this new group should be a new leadership, the leadership which first came in the person of the Prophet-peace be on him- himself, and after him was delegated to those who strove for bringing people back to God's sovereignty, His authority and His laws. A person who bears witness that there is no deity except God and that Muhammad is God's Messenger should cut off his relationship of loyalty from the jahili society, which he has forsaken, and from jahili leadership, whether it be in the guise of priests, magicians or astrologers, or in the form of political, social or economic leadership, as was the case of the Quraish in the time of the Prophet-peace be on him. He will have to give his complete loyalty to the new Islamic movement and to the Muslim leadership.

这一决定性的步骤，必须在一个人用舌头说出"除真主外，别无应拜的主；穆罕默德是真主的使者"的那一刻就采取。没有这一步，穆斯林社会便无从建立。仅仅作为个体穆斯林心中的信仰，无论人数多少，都不足以建立穆斯林社会，除非他们成为一个积极、和谐、协作的群体，自成一体，其各个组成部分如同人体的各个肢体，共同努力促成其形成、巩固和扩展，并抵御一切攻击其体系的力量。这一群体还须在一个独立于蒙昧（jahili）领导之外的领导下运作，将其种种努力组织成一个和谐的目标，为加强和扩展其伊斯兰特质而做准备，并引导他们消除其对手——蒙昧生活的影响。

This decisive step must be taken at the very moment a person says, "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadar Rasul Allah" with his tongue. The Muslim society cannot come into existence without this. It cannot come into existence simply as a creed in the hearts of individual Muslims, however numerous they may be, unless they become an active, harmonious and cooperative group, distinct by itself, whose different elements, like the limbs of a human body, work together for its formation, its strengthening, its expansion, and for its defense against all those elements which attack its system, working under a leadership which is independent of the jahili leadership, which organizes its various efforts into one harmonious purpose, and which prepares for the strengthening and widening of their Islamic character and directs them to abolish the influences of their opponent, the jahili life.

伊斯兰就是以这样的方式建立的。它建立在一种信条之上，这信条虽然简洁，却涵盖了整个生活。这一信条立即催生了一个有生命力、充满活力的群体，他们独立于并区别于蒙昧（Jahili）社会，并即刻向其发起挑战；它从未以脱离实际存在的抽象理论的形式出现。而且，在未来，伊斯兰的复兴也只能以这种方式实现。无论在哪个时代、哪个国家，要在蒙昧（Jahiliyyah）的阴影下复兴伊斯兰，除了遵循它的本来性质，将其发展为一场运动和一个有机的体系，别无他途。

Islam was founded in this manner. It was founded on a creed which, although concise, included the whole of life. This creed immediately brought into action a viable and dynamic group of people who became independent and separate from the jahili society, immediately challenging it; it never came as an abstract theory devoid of practical existence. And, in the future it can be brought about only in this manner. There is no other way for the revival of Islam in the shade of Jahiliyyah, in whatever age or country it appears, except to follow its natural character and to develop it into a movement and an organic system.

当伊斯兰按照上述方法，以此为基础建立穆斯林群体，将其组织成一个积极活跃的团体，并使这一信仰成为该群体成员之间关系的唯一基础时，其终极目的是唤醒"人的人性"，发展它，使它强大而有力，并使它成为人身上所有方面中最占主导地位的因素。伊斯兰通过其教义、规则、律法和训令来实现这一目标。

When Islam, according to the method described above, starts a Muslim community on this basis, forms it into an active group, and makes this faith the sole basis for the relationship between the individuals of this group, its ultimate aim is to awaken the 'humanity of man', to develop it, to make it powerful and strong, and to make it the most dominant factor among all the aspects found in man's being. It seeks to implement this purpose through its teachings, its rules, its laws and injunctions.

有些人类的特性与动物的特性相同，甚至与无机物的特性相同。这使得"科学蒙昧主义"的倡导者误以为人不过是一种动物，甚至不过是无机物！然而，尽管人与动物和无机物有某些共同的特性，人仍然拥有其他一些特性，使他与众不同，成为独一无二的被造物。

Some human characteristics are common with those of animals, even with those of inorganic matter. This has misled the exponents of 'scientific Jahiliyyah' to consider man to be nothing more than an animal, or even than inorganic matter! But in spite of the characteristics which man shares with animals and inorganic matter, man possesses certain other characteristics which distinguish him and make him a unique creation.

即便是“科学无知”的拥护者也被迫承认这一点，观察事实的证据让他们无法喘息；然而，即便如此，他们的承认既不真诚，也不明确。[现代达尔文主义者中最主要的是朱利安·赫胥黎。]在这方面，伊斯兰纯正生活方式所提供的服务已产生了具体而宝贵的成果。

Even the exponents of 'scientific ignorance' were forced to admit this, the evidence of observational facts choking them; but even then, their admission of this fact is neither sincere nor unequivocal. [Foremost among the modern Darwinists is Julian Huxley.] In this respect the service rendered by Islam's pure way of life has produced concrete and valuable results.

伊斯兰以纯粹的信仰联合来建立伊斯兰社会，而不是以种族、肤色、语言、国家、地域和民族利益等卑下的纽带为基础。它不去强调人与动物共有的那些特性，而是弘扬人的人性品质，培育这些品质，并使其成为主导因素。这一取向的具体而卓越的成果在于，伊斯兰社会成为一个开放、包容的共同体，不同种族、民族、语言和肤色的人都是其中的成员，而这些卑下的动物性特征已荡然无存。人类各个种族的更高才能与各种能力之河，汇入这片广阔的海洋并相互交融。它们的融合在极短的时间内催生了高度的文明，使全世界为之瞩目，并汇集了那个时代人类的一切能力、思想与智慧的精华；尽管在当时，旅行艰难，通讯缓慢。

Islam based the Islamic society on the association of belief alone, instead of the low associations based on race and color, language and country, regional and national interests. Instead of stressing those traits which are common to both man and animal, it promoted man's human qualities, nurtured them and made them the dominant factor. Among the concrete and brilliant results of this attitude was that the Islamic society became an open and all-inclusive community in which people of various races, nations, languages and colors were members, there remaining no trace of these low animalistic traits. The rivers of higher talents and various abilities of all races of mankind flowed into this vast ocean and mixed in it. Their intermingling gave rise to a high level of civilization in a very short span of time, dazzling the whole world, and compounding the essences of all the human capabilities, ideas and wisdom of that period, in spite of the fact in those times travel was difficult and the means of communication were slow.

在这个伟大的伊斯兰社会中，阿拉伯人、波斯人、叙利亚人、埃及人、摩洛哥人、土耳其人、中国人、印度人、罗马人、希腊人、印度尼西亚人、非洲人聚集在一起——简言之，来自各国、各种族的人们。他们各自的特质相互融合，在彼此合作、和谐与团结中，共同参与了伊斯兰共同体和伊斯兰文化的建设。这一辉煌的文明，即便只是一天，也从来不是“阿拉伯文明”，而纯粹是“伊斯兰文明”。它从来不是一种“民族性”，而始终是一个信仰的共同体。

In this great Islamic society Arabs, Persians, Syrians, Egyptians, Moroccans, Turks, Chinese, Indians, Romans, Greeks, Indonesians, Africans were gathered together- in short, peoples of all nations and all races. Their various characteristics were united, and with mutual cooperation, harmony and unity they took part in the construction of the Islamic community and Islamic culture. This marvellous civilization was not an 'Arabic civilization', even for a single day; it was purely an 'Islamic civilization'. It was never a 'nationality' but always a community of belief'.

因此,他们all都以平等的地位、在爱的关系中聚集到一起,心中只有一个共同的目标;于是,他们发挥各自最好的才能,将其民族的品质充分发展,并把各自个人、民族和历史的经验精华贡献出来,共同建设这一个社群。他们在这个社群中都享有平等的地位,彼此的纽带是各自与其主宰者的关系。在这个社群里,他们的"人性"得以毫无阻碍地发展。

Thus they all came together on an equal footing in the relationship of love, with their minds set upon a single goal; thus they used their best abilities, developed the qualities of their race to the fullest, and brought the essence of their personal, national and historical experiences for the development of this one community, to which they all belonged on an equal footing and in which their common bond was through their relationship to their Sustainer. In this community their 'humanity' developed without any hindrance.

这些品质是人类历史上任何其他群体都从未达到过的！古代历史中最杰出、最为人所熟知的社会被认为是罗马帝国。

These are characteristics which were never achieved by any other group of people in the entire history of mankind! The most distinguished and best known society in ancient history is considered to be the Roman Empire.

在这个社会中，来自不同种族、使用不同语言、性情各异的人们聚集在一起，但这一切并非建立在"人与人之间的关系"之上，他们之间也没有任何崇高的信仰作为凝聚的纽带；相反，整个帝国的社会秩序建立在一种阶级制度之上，即"贵族"阶级与"奴隶"阶级。

Peoples of various races, languages and temperaments came together in this society, but all this was not based on 'human relation- ship' nor was any sublime faith the uniting factor among them; rather their society was ordered on a class system, the class of 'nobles' and the class of 'slaves', throughout the Empire.

此外，罗马民族总体上掌握着领导地位，其他民族则被视为其臣民。

Moreover, the Roman race - in general - had the leadership and the other races were considered its subjects.

因此，这个社会无法达到伊斯兰社会所达到的那种高度，也没有带来伊斯兰社会所带来的那些福祉。

Hence this society could not achieve that height which was achieved by the Islamic society and did not bring those blessings which were brought by the Islamic society.

近代也出现了各种社会形态。例如英帝国，它是罗马社会的继承者，与罗马社会相似。它建立在民族贪欲之上：英国民族处于领导地位，并剥削被帝国吞并的那些殖民地。其他欧洲帝国也是如此。

Various societies have also appeared in modern times. For example, consider the British Empire. It is like the Roman society to which it is an heir. It is based on national greed, in which the British nation has the leadership and exploits those colonies annexed by the Empire. The same is true of other European empires.

西班牙和葡萄牙帝国在其时代，以及法兰西帝国，在压迫与剥削方面都是一样的。共产主义同样想要建立一种新型社会，拆除种族与肤色、民族与地理区域之间的藩篱，但它所依据的不是"人与人之间的关系"，而是"阶级制度"。因此，共产主义社会就像罗马社会，只是重点被颠倒了：在罗马，贵族享有显赫地位；而在这里，无产阶级享有显赫地位。这一阶级的根本情绪是对其他阶级的仇恨与嫉妒。这样一个自私而怀有复仇心的社会，必然会激发其成员的低劣情绪。它的根基就在于激发并强化动物性的特质。因此，在它看来，人类最根本的需求正是与动物共有的那些，即"食物、住所和性"。从它的观点看来，整个人类历史不过是一场为食物而进行的斗争！因此，伊斯兰是唯一的神圣生活方式，它能够激发人类最高尚的品质，发展并运用这些品质来构建人类社会。直到今天，伊斯兰在这方面依然独一无二。

The Spanish and Portuguese Empires in their times, and the French Empire, all are equal in respect to oppression and exploitation. Communism also wanted to establish a new type of society, demolishing the walls of race and color, nation and geographical region, but it is not based on 'human relationship' but on a 'class system'. Thus the communist society is like the Roman society with a reversal of emphasis; there nobles had distinction, while here the proleteriat has distinction. The underlying emotion of this class is hatred and envy of other classes. Such a selfish and vengeful society cannot but excite base emotions in its individuals. The very basis of it is laid down in exciting animalistic characteristics, and in developing and strengthening them. Thus, in its view, the most fundamental needs of a human being are those which are common with the animals, that is, 'food, shelter and sex. From its point of view, the whole of human history is nothing but a struggle for food! Islam, then, is the only Divine way of life which brings out the noblest human characteristics, developing and using them for the construction of human society. Islam has remained unique in this respect to this day.

那些背离这一制度、转而追求其他制度的人——无论是基于民族主义、肤色与种族、阶级斗争，还是类似的腐朽理论——实在是人类的敌人！他们不愿看到人类发展造物主所赐予的那些高尚品格，也不愿看到人类社会从人类各个种族所发展出的种种能力、经验与特质的和谐融合中获益。

Those who deviate from this system and want some other system, whether it be based on nationalism, color and race, class struggle, or similar corrupt theories, are truly enemies of mankind! They do not want man to develop those noble characteristics which have been given to him by his Creator nor do they wish to see a human society benefit from the harmonious blending of all those capabilities, experiences and characteristics which have been developed among the various races of mankind.

真主至高在经中谈到这类人时说：

God Most High says about such people:

你说：“我可以告诉你们，谁在行为上是最大的失败者吗？那些人在今世的努力白费了，而他们自以为做的是善事。这些人不信他们主的迹象，也不信与他相会。他们的功业已经失效，在复活日我们不会为他们称量任何分量。那就是他们的报应——火狱，因为他们不信，并把我的迹象和我的使者当作戏弄。”（18:103-106）

"Say: Shall We tell you who will be the greatest losers in their deeds? Those whose effort goes astray in the present life, while they think that they are doing good deeds. Those are they who disbelieve in the signs of their Lord and in the encounter with Him. Their works have failed, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall not assign to them any value. That is their payment-Hell-for that they were unbelievers and took My signs and My Messengers in mockery." (18:103- 106)

全能的真主所言为真。

God Almighty speaks the truth.