在分析《al-Kawthar》之前，有必要简要说明《古兰经》的挑战、它降示时的语言环境，以及此经的文学影响与权威性。

Before analysing Al-Kawthar it is important to briefly explain the challenge of the Qur’ān, the linguistic environment in which it was revealed, and the book’s literary impact and authority.

《古兰经》中有数节经文表达了对读者的“挑战”（阿拉伯语：Taḥaddī），“Taḥaddī”一词的字面意思即为“挑战”。许多学者认为，这些经文所指的是《古兰经》在语言和文辞上的无与伦比性，而这正是《古兰经》主张自身源自神圣启示这一说法的核心所在。《古兰经》中说：

Several verses in the Qur’ān express a Taḥaddī to its readers. The word Taḥaddī in Arabic literally means “Challenge”. According to many scholars, these verses refer to the linguistic and literary inimitability of the Qur’ān, which lies at the heart of the Qur’ān’s claim to being of Divine origin. The Qur’ān states:

“如果你们对我所降示给我们仆人的启示有所怀疑，那么就请你们拿出一章来与它相似，并呼唤你们除安拉以外的助手，如果你们是诚实的。”6

“If you are in doubt of what We have revealed to Our messenger, then produce one chapter like it. Call upon all your helpers, besides Allah, if you are truthful.”6.

和

And.

“抑或他们说：“他编造了这段经文。”不然，他们是不信的。如果他们说的是实话，那就让他们拿出一部与此相似的经文来吧。”7.

“Or do they say he fabricated the message? Nay, they have no faith. Let them produce a recital like it, if they speak the truth.”7.

《古兰经》独特的文学与语言特征，被穆斯林用来提出若干论证，以证明他们的信仰：此经源自真主。

The unique literary and linguistic features of the Qur’ān have been used by Muslims to articulate a number of arguments to substantiate their belief that the book is from the Divine.

《古兰经》的无可比拟性发展成为穆斯林神学中的“以赛’至古兰经”（i‘jāz al-Qur’ān）教义。“i‘jāz”一词是动名词，意为“神迹性”或“奇迹性”，源自动词a‘jaza，其含义是：“未能行动，无法做某事，变得无能为力、无力或不能完成某事。”8

The inimitability of the Qur’ān developed into the Muslim theological doctrine of al-i‘jāz al-Qur’ān. The word i‘jāz is a verbal noun that means ‘miraculousness’ and comes from the verb a‘jaza, which means: “to fail to act, to be or become incapable of, to become powerless, impotent or unable to carry out something.”8.

根据众多古典古兰经注释学者的见解，诸多提出挑战、要求人们作出一章与之相似之作的经文，大胆地呼吁各个时代的语言专家去模仿《古兰经》的语言和文学特色。应对这一挑战所需的工具，是阿拉伯语中有限的语法规则、文学与语言修辞手法，以及构成阿拉伯语的字母；这些都是人人可以获得的独立标准。十五世纪著述丰富的学者贾拉勒丁·苏尤蒂（Jalal al-Din al-Suyūṭī）对这一点作了总结：

According to numerous classical Qur’ānic commentators, the various verses that issue a challenge to produce a chapter like it daringly call for the linguistic experts of any era to imitate the Qur’ān’s linguistic and literary features.9 The tools needed to meet this challenge are the finite grammatical rules, literary and linguistic devices, and the letters that comprise the Arabic language; these are independent measures available to all. Jalal al-Din al-Suyūṭī, a prolific 15thcentury writer and scholar, summarises this point:

“……当先知向他们提出挑战时,他们是最雄辩的修辞家,于是他向他们挑战,要他们创作出类似古兰经的作品。许多年过去了,他们却无法做到,正如真主所说:‘如果你们是诚实的,那就让他们拿出一篇类似的言辞来吧。’(52:34)随后,[先知]又向他们挑战,要他们创作出十章类似的作品,真主说:‘你说:“如果你们是诚实的,那就拿出十章类似的作品来,并且除真主之外,你们可以招来任何人帮助你们。”’(11:13)接着,他又挑战他们创作出一章,真主说:‘他们岂不是说他捏造了这部经典吗?你说:“如果你们是诚实的,那就拿出一章类似的伪造之作来,并且除真主之外,你们可以招来任何人帮助你们。”’(11:13)当阿拉伯人无法创作出哪怕一章类似的作品时,尽管他们中间有最雄辩的修辞家,[先知]便公开宣布他们的失败与无能,并宣告古兰经是无可模仿的。随后,真主说:‘你说:“即使全人类和精灵聚集起来,要创作出类似古兰经的作品,他们也绝不能创作出来,哪怕他们互相帮助。”’(17:88)”10

“…when the Prophet brought [the challenge] to them, they were the most eloquent rhetoricians so he challenged them to produce something like the Qur’ān, and many years passed and they were unable to do so as God says, Let them then produce a recitation similar to it, if indeed they are truthful (Q.52:34). Then, [the Prophet] challenged them to produce 10 chapters like it where God says, Say, bring then ten chapters like it and call upon whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful. Then, he challenged them to produce a single [chapter] where God says, Or do they say he [i.e. the Prophet] has forged it? Say, bring a forged chapter like it and call upon whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful(Q.11:13). When the [Arabs] were unable to produce a single chapter like [the Qur’ān] despite there being the most eloquent rhetoricians amongst them, [the Prophet] openly announced the failure and inability [to meet the challenge] and declared the inimitability of the Qur’ān. Then God said, Say, if all of humankind and the jinn gathered together to produce the like of the Qur’an, they could not produce it—even if they helped one another (Q.17:88).”10

7世纪阿拉伯的诗歌与文学大家未能创作出与《古兰经》相类的作品。他们无能为力，也无法写出类似的文字。自《古兰经》首次启示以来，至今无人能够与之匹敌，这一点对于熟悉阿拉伯语及《古兰经》文体特征的大多数学者而言并不令人惊讶。本文将通过对《古兰经》最短章的文学与语言分析来论证这一结论。

The Arab poetic and literary masters of the 7th century failed to produce anything like that of the Qur’ān. They were powerless and incapable of producing anything like it. The fact that it has not been matched since it was first revealed, does not surprise most scholars familiar with the Arabic language and the stylistic features of the Qur’ān. This conclusion will be substantiated in this essay with the literary and linguistic analysis of the Qur’ān’s shortest chapter.

理解这一挑战的背景，对于领会《古兰经》的无法模仿性具有重要意义。《古兰经》向最伟大的阿拉伯语语言学家——即七世纪的阿拉伯人——发出了这一挑战。许多学者都确认，当时的阿拉伯人已经达到了修辞的巅峰。

Understanding the context of the challenge is significant in appreciating the Qur’ān’s inimitability. The Qur’ān posed this challenge to the greatest Arabic linguists; the 7th century Arabs. The fact that they reached the peak of eloquence is affirmed by many scholars.

根据九世纪诗人传记作家阿尔-朱马希的说法:"诗歌对阿拉伯人而言,是他们所知一切的记录,也是他们智慧的最大范围;他们以诗开始自己的事务,也以诗结束这些事务。"11 十四世纪学者伊本·赫勒敦强调了诗歌在阿拉伯生活中的重要性:"应当知道,阿拉伯人非常重视诗歌这种言语形式。因此,他们把诗歌作为其历史的档案、其所认为对错的证据,以及他们大多数学问和智慧的主要参考依据。"12

According to 9th century biographer of the poets, Al-Jumaḥī, “Verse was to the Arabs the register of all they knew, and the utmost compass of their wisdom; with it they began their affairs, and with it they ended them.”11 14th century scholar Ibn Khaldūn highlights the importance of poetry in Arab life: “It should be known that Arabs thought highly of poetry as a form of speech. Therefore, they made poetry the archives of their history, the evidence for what they considered right and wrong, and the principal basis of reference for most of their sciences and wisdom.”12.

7世纪阿拉伯社会环境中，语言能力与修辞造诣是极具影响力的一个特征。文学评论家与史学家伊本·拉希格（Ibn Rashīq）对此有所说明：“每当阿拉伯某个部落中涌现出一位诗人，其他部落便会前来道贺，人们准备宴席，妇女们像在婚礼上那样聚在一起弹奏鲁特琴，老人和年轻人都为这个喜讯而欢欣鼓舞。阿拉伯人彼此道贺的，只有两件事：一是孩子的诞生，二是部落中出现了一位诗人。”13 9世纪学者伊本·古太白（Ibn Qutayba）则从阿拉伯人自身的视角定义诗歌：“它是阿拉伯人的知识宝库，是他们智慧的典籍……是争端之日的可信见证，是辩论之时的最终证据。”14

Linguistic ability and expertise were a highly influential feature of the 7th century Arab social environment. The literary critic and historian Ibn Rashīq illustrates this: “Whenever a poet emerged in an Arab tribe, other tribes would come to congratulate, feasts would be prepared, the women would join together on lutes as they do at weddings, and old and young men would all rejoice at the good news. The Arabs used to congratulate each other only on the birth of a child and when a poet rose among them.”13 9th century scholar Ibn Qutayba defined poetry as the Arabs saw it: “The mine of knowledge of the Arabs, the book of their wisdom… the truthful witness on the day of dispute, the final proof at the time of argument.”14.

7世纪的阿拉伯社会与文化环境,为阿拉伯语无与伦比的卓越表达提供了一切有利条件。作家兼伊斯兰研究专家纳维德·克尔马尼(Navid Kermani)阐明了阿拉伯人为掌握阿拉伯语需要付出多少努力,这也表明7世纪的阿拉伯人生活在一个崇尚诗歌的世界里:“古阿拉伯诗歌是一种高度复杂的现象。词汇、语法上的特殊用法和严格的规范代代相传,只有最有天赋的学生才能完全掌握这门语言。一个人必须在一位大诗人门下学习数年,有时甚至数十年,才能获得诗人的称号。穆罕默德ﷺ成长于一个几乎以宗教般的虔诚尊崇诗性表达的世界。”15

7th century Arabia developed a socio-cultural environment that had all the right conditions to facilitate the unparalleled expertise of the Arabic language. Navid Kermani, a writer and expert in Islamic studies, explains the extent to which the Arabs had to study to master the Arabic language, which indicates that the 7th century Arab lived in a world that revered poetry: “Old Arabic poetry is a highly complex phenomenon. The vocabulary, grammatical idiosyncrasies and strict norms were passed down from generation to generation, and only the most gifted students fully mastered the language. A person had to study for years, sometimes even decades under a master poet before laying claim to the title of poet. Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلمgrew up in a world which almost religiously revered poetic expression.”15.

值得注意的是，无论是非穆斯林学者还是穆斯林学者，都不会否认《古兰经》在阿拉伯文学中具有权威地位，并且其影响无与伦比。例如，瓦达德·卡迪（Wadad Kadi）和穆斯坦西尔·米尔（Mustansir Mir）指出：

It is important to note that non-Muslim and Muslim scholars do not contend that the Qur’ān is an authority in Arabic literature and has had an unparalleled influence. For instance, Wadad Kadi and Mustansir Mir state:

“尽管阿拉伯语作为一门语言和一种文学传统，在穆罕默德开始履行先知使命之时已经相当成熟，但只有在伊斯兰教兴起、其奠基经典以阿拉伯语写成之后，这门语言才达到了其表达能力的极致，其文学也达到了复杂性与精致度的最高点。事实上，说《古兰经》是塑造古典及后古典阿拉伯文学最显著的力量之一，或许也并不为过。”19.

“Although Arabic, as a language and a literary tradition, was quite well developed by the time of Muhammad’s prophetic activity, it was only after the emergence of Islam, with its founding scripture in Arabic, that the language reached its utmost capacity of expression, and the literature its highest point of complexity and sophistication. Indeed, it probably is no exaggeration to say that the Qur’an was one of the most conspicuous forces in the making of classical and post-classical Arabic literature.”19.

《古兰经》独特而无与伦比的阿拉伯语运用，引发了沙漠阿拉伯人思想上的巨大复兴；在启示降临后的十三年间，它成为一个新文明的根本依据。这部无可模仿的言辞——《古兰经》，成为这一新文明在政治、哲学和精神观念上的独特源泉。牛津大学阿拉伯语教授大卫·马戈利奥斯（David Margoliouth）阐述了《古兰经》的这一影响：

The Qur’ān’s unique and unparalleled use of the Arabic language was the cause of the dramatic intellectual revival of desert Arabs, and after thirteen years of the first revelation, it became the foundational reference for a new civilisation. This inimitable speech, the Qur’ān, became the unique source of the new civilisation’s political, philosophical, and spiritual outlook. David Margoliouth, who was a Professor of Arabic at University of Oxford, explains this impact of the Qur’ān:

“《古兰经》［原文如此］无可争议地在世界伟大宗教典籍中占据重要地位。它虽是这一类文献中最晚出现的划时代著作之一，但在对广大人群所产生的奇妙影响上，几乎不逊于任何其他典籍。它开创了人类思想几乎全新的阶段，塑造了一种崭新的人格类型。它首先将阿拉伯半岛上一群各不相同的沙漠部落转变为一个由英雄组成的民族，随后又进一步建立起穆斯林世界庞大的政教组织，而这些组织，正是今天欧洲与东方都必须加以正视的重大力量之一。”20

“The Koran [sic] admittedly occupies an important position among the great religious books of the world. Though the youngest of the epoch-making works belonging to this class of literature, it yields to hardly any in the wonderful effect which it has produced on large masses of men. It has created an all but new phase of human thought and a fresh type of character. It first transformed a number of heterogeneous desert tribes of the Arabian peninsula into a nation of heroes, and then proceeded to create the vast politico-religious organizations of the Muhammadan world which are one of the great forces with which Europe and the East have to reckon today.”20.

凯伦·阿姆斯特朗是一位广受欢迎的历史学家，她认为《古兰经》独特的文学价值，以及其全新的文学形式，确保了伊斯兰教的成功：

Karen Armstrong, a popular historian, argues that the literary uniqueness of the Qur’ān, with its new literary form, ensured Islam’s success: