当我们学习以更轻柔的方式行走于各类空间，并努力增进对他人的理解与欣赏时，留意所处情境中的文化准则十分重要。每一种“景观”都承载着传统、艺术、宗教、经验、历史与庆典的丰富意涵。尽管任何土地的“景观”都由相同的社会过程构成，但作为动词的“造景”（landscaping）则指人类的能动作用如何改造土地，从而创造出承载各种场所的独特空间。对每个人而言，同一时刻在与该空间的关系中都可能有不同的意义。新的意义场所可能在任何时候出现，社会意义也可能在与该空间的关联中被扭曲。

As we learn to move and tread lightly through our spaces and foster a better understanding and appreciation of other people, it is important to remain mindful of cultural codes in the contexts we inhabit. Each “landscape” speaks volumes of tradition, art, religion, experiences, histories and celebrations. While ‘landscape’ of any land is made up of the same societal processes, ‘landscaping’ understood as a verb is about the way in which land is transformed by human agency, creating unique spaces upon which sites are located. For each individual, each moment can mean something different in relation to that space. New sites of meaning can emerge at any given time and social meaning too can become contorted in relation to that space.

这组非常富有启发性的经文，帮助我们思考如何以警觉的头脑、理解的心、信仰、同理心和感恩之心穿行于各种空间之中，经文见于《蚂蚁章》（第27章），涉及先知苏莱曼（愿主赐其平安）。

A very insightful set of verses that enable us to consider navigating through spaces with an alert mind, a heart of understanding, faith, empathy and gratitude is found in Surah al-Naml (27) pertaining to Prophet Sulaymān (upon him be peace):

27:17 ——所罗门的军队,包括精灵、人类和飞鸟,在他面前按序列队集结。

27:17 - Solomon’s hosts of jinn, men, and birds were marshalled in ordered ranks before him.

第一段所讨论的经文描述的是一场战斗的阵列布置。

The first of the discussed verses describes a battle scene arrangement.

这节经文唤起了权能、秩序、王权与力量的画面。首先，我们认识到，先知苏莱曼是这一奇妙权能景象的被动受益者。穆斯林由此留意到空间与边界的创造，留意到景观与场景。接下来的是进入一个新的空间，一个不同的空间，却同样值得尊崇。

The verse invokes images of might, order, kingdom and strength. To begin, we realise that Prophet Sulaymān is the passive beneficiary of such a marvellous spectacle of power. The Muslim is alerted to creations of space and boundaries, to landscapes and settings. What follows is an arrival into a new space, a different space, but nonetheless worthy:

27:18 - 当他们来到蚂蚁谷时，一只蚂蚁说："蚂蚁们啊！进入你们的巢穴，免得所罗门和他的军队在不知不觉中践踏你们。"先知苏莱曼和他的人类、精灵与鸟类军队来到一个蚂蚁谷。从一个规模宏大的权力之地，转入低矮的山谷，那里住着体形微小的蚂蚁，这样的转换形成了很好的对照。我们由此思考空间中的移动，从熟悉走向陌生，从"此处"的空间走向"彼处"的空间。经文告诉我们，有一只蚂蚁提醒其他蚂蚁，先知苏莱曼的军队正在靠近。

27:18 - and when they came to the Valley of the Ants, one ant said, ‘Ants! Go into your homes, in case Solomon and his hosts unwittingly crush you.’ Prophet Sulaymān and his army of humans, jinn and birds reach a valley of ants. The transitioning from a site of temporal power, large in scope, into a valley, low in landscape and inhabited by ants, miniature in size, juxtaposes well. We reflect on movements through space, from familiarity to foreignness, from space of ‘here’ into spaces of ‘there’. We are told in the verse that an ant warned the other ants that Prophet Sulaymān’s army was approaching.

他们必须退回各自的“住所”（masākin）。这个词源自 sakan，由此派生出 maskan（住所、家）和 sakīna（安宁、镇定）。这进一步说明，蚂蚁虽处于卑微的境地，也有自己的家，有归属感和安全感，它们也有安宁的栖身之所。

They must retreat into their ‘dwellings’ (masākin). The word derives from sakan, from which we get maskan (home) and sakīna (tranquility). It reinforced that the ants, too, in their lowly setting, also have homes, places of belonging and security. They have a place of tranquillity.

它们同样能够站在他人的角度考虑问题，并感知到降临在别人身上的迫在眉睫的伤害。这种承担他人感受的共情能力，是这一特点中尤为突出的一面。这节经文同样引人注目，因为它揭示了一种善于对他人作出良好判断的品质：蚂蚁承认，苏莱曼先生和他的军队并不会察觉到所担心的毁灭。

They too are also able to take perspective and feel an impending harm on others. The empathy bearing is a salient feature of the appeal. The verse is striking too for what it reveals of the quality of forming a good opinion in that the ant acknowledges that Prophet Sulaymān and his army would be undiscerning of the feared destruction.

第十九节是一节优美的经文，其中包含一段意义深远的祈祷，体现了先知苏莱曼内心的谦卑与感恩。

Verse 19 is a beautiful verse and contains a supplication profound in meaning and suggestive of a heartfelt sense of humility and gratitude in Prophet Sulaymān:

27:19 ——“苏莱曼听了她的话，便笑着说：‘我的主啊！求你启发我，使我感谢你赐予我和我双亲的恩惠，并使我行你所喜悦的善事；求你凭你的恩慈，使我进入你的善良仆人之列。’” 起初我们得知，他“听了她的话，便笑了”。这反映了这位先知兼君王的善良心性。在这一小段“不同世界、不同境地、万物之间”的交汇时刻中，他找到了喜悦，随即向主祈祷。他祷词的开头——“我的主啊！求你启发我，使我感谢你赐予我和我双亲的恩惠”——体现了仆人对主的顺服，这是每位穆斯林都应当学习的祈祷。穆斯林在经历不同境地、与他人相遇时，无论对方是比自己弱小、地位较低、处境艰难或贫穷的人，这都是一个值得反思的时刻，应借此表达自己对安拉的全然依赖、感恩与真诚。因此，穆斯林的心应当始终铭记安拉。

27:19 - Solomon smiled broadly at her words and said, ‘Lord, inspire me to be thankful for the blessings You have granted me and my parents, and to do good deeds that please You; admit me by Your grace into the ranks of Your righteous servants.’ At the outset we learn that he “smiled, laughing at her speech”. This reflects the good-willed nature of the king-prophet. Finding joy at the small moment of “intermeshing” between ‘worlds’, landscapes, creation, Prophet Sulaymān supplicates. The opening of his prayer, “Lord, inspire me to be thankful for the blessings You have granted me and my parents” is reflective of servitude, a prayer every Muslim should learn. A Muslim’s transitioning through landscapes or in the encountering of others - smaller, perhaps weaker, disenfranchised, poorer – is a reflective moment to express his utmost dependence on Allāh, gratitude and earnestness. It is thus essential that the Muslim’s heart remains ever present in the remembrance of Allāh.

所罗门先知在他的祈祷中提到了他的父母，这更加体现出他谦卑与感恩的广阔胸怀。“这里”与“那里”的时空界限，如今又有了一个“彼处”。所罗门先知的祈祷与专注超越了尘世，他在与他的主交流中找到了安慰。穆斯林即便自觉成就与能力不凡，仍会将自己的事务归于真主。虽然他是先知，所罗门先知仍然需要请求真主指引他去做那些最能取悦真主的事，而不是任何他可能早已熟悉的行为。他也没有请求真主让他与其他先知一同进入天堂，而是说“你的善良仆人”。更进一步，他请求真主让他进入天堂，并非因为他自己的作为、顺从、侍奉、崇拜、努力或其他任何事，而只因“你的慈悯”。这样一种转移、穿越空间并在与另一者的关系中反观自我的过程，当目标与关注集中于那超越时空而存在的主时，便美妙地协调起来。它也让我们能够把一个人的人格看作是由父母的影响所塑造的。在这个例子中，我们注意到所罗门先知是达五德先知的儿子，而《古兰经》把父子二人都描述为“常悔罪归主者”（awwāb，即始终将自己的事务归于真主）。因为父亲的虔诚，群山和飞鸟也与达五德一同赞念真主，因此它们也被描述为“常悔罪归主者”。堕落的倾向——非人化与他者化——以及正直的倾向，都深受父母与社会影响的塑造。

Prophet Sulaymān’s inclusion of his parents in his supplication adds further interest into the breadth of such humility and gratitude. The temporal spaces of ‘here’ and ‘there’ now find an ‘elsewhere’. Prophet Sulaymān’s prayer and focus transcends the earthly and he can find comfort in communing with His Lord. The Muslim, despite what he self-witnesses of success and ability returns his affairs to Allāh. Though he was a Prophet, Prophet Sulaymān felt the need to ask Allāh for guidance to perform those actions which were the most pleasing unto Allāh, not any action with which he might have already been familiar with. Nor did He ask Allāh to enter him into heaven with only other prophets, but instead with “Your righteous slaves”. Furthermore, he asked Allāh to enter him therein not because of his own doings, his obedience, servitude, worship, effort or anything else, but only by “Your Mercy”. Such a transitioning, a moving through space and reflection of self in relation to an Otherness becomes beautifully harmonised when the goal and focus is upon He who exists outside of time and space. It can also enable us to consider a personality as one shaped by parental influences. In this instance, we note that Prophet Sulaymān was the son of Prophet Dāwūd, and father and son are altogether described as awwāb (to always return one’s affairs unto Allāh) in the Qur’ān. On account of the father’s devotion so too did the mountains and birds join Dawūd in remembrance of Allāh. They too are thus described as awwāb . Tendencies of depravity – dehumanisation and othering – as well as tendencies of uprightness, are well informed by parental and social influences.

我们在生活中都是相互牵连的个体，被各种各样的关系之绳联结在一起。关于他人的负面成见，有时形成于一个人的成长时期，并可能根深蒂固。

We exist as attached entities in life, attached by cords of relationships of all kinds. Negative stereotypes about others are sometimes formed from a person’s formative years, and these can become entrenched.