Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 15 Al-Hijr, Ayat 51-64

وَنَبِّئۡهُمۡ عَنۡ ضَيۡفِ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ​ۘ‏ ﴿15:51﴾ اِذۡ دَخَلُوۡا عَلَيۡهِ فَقَالُوۡا سَلٰمًاؕ قَالَ اِنَّا مِنۡكُمۡ وَجِلُوۡنَ‏  ﴿15:52﴾ قَالُوۡا لَا تَوۡجَلۡ اِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلٰمٍ عَلِيۡمٍ‏ ﴿15:53﴾ قَالَ اَبَشَّرۡتُمُوۡنِىۡ عَلٰٓى اَنۡ مَّسَّنِىَ الۡكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُوۡنَ‏  ﴿15:54﴾ قَالُوۡا بَشَّرۡنٰكَ بِالۡحَـقِّ فَلَا تَكُنۡ مِّنَ الۡقٰنِطِيۡنَ‏ ﴿15:55﴾ قَالَ وَمَنۡ يَّقۡنَطُ مِنۡ رَّحۡمَةِ رَبِّهٖۤ اِلَّا الضَّآلُّوۡنَ‏  ﴿15:56﴾ قَالَ فَمَا خَطۡبُكُمۡ اَيُّهَا الۡمُرۡسَلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿15:57﴾ قَالُـوۡۤا اِنَّاۤ اُرۡسِلۡنَاۤ اِلٰى قَوۡمٍ مُّجۡرِمِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿15:58﴾ اِلَّاۤ اٰلَ لُوۡطٍؕ اِنَّا لَمُنَجُّوۡهُمۡ اَجۡمَعِيۡنَۙ‏ ﴿15:59﴾ اِلَّا امۡرَاَتَهٗ قَدَّرۡنَاۤ ۙ اِنَّهَا لَمِنَ الۡغٰبِرِيۡنَ‏ ﴿15:60﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَ اٰلَ لُوۡطِ ۨالۡمُرۡسَلُوۡنَۙ‏ ﴿15:61﴾ قَالَ اِنَّـكُمۡ قَوۡمٌ مُّنۡكَرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿15:62﴾ قَالُوۡا بَلۡ جِئۡنٰكَ بِمَا كَانُوۡا فِيۡهِ يَمۡتَرُوۡنَ‏ ﴿15:63﴾ وَ اَتَيۡنٰكَ بِالۡحَـقِّ وَاِنَّا لَصٰدِقُوۡنَ‏ ﴿15:64﴾

(15:51) And tell them about Abraham's guests.30 (15:52) When they came to Abraham they said: "Peace be upon you!" He replied: "Indeed we feel afraid of you."31 (15:53) They said: "Do not feel afraid, for we give you the good news of a wise boy."32 (15:54) Abraham said: "What, do you give me this tiding though old age has smitten me? Just consider what tiding do you give me!" (15:55) They said: "The good tiding we give you is of truth. Do not, therefore, be of those who despair." (15:56) Abraham said: "Who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except the misguided?" (15:57) He added: "What is your errand O sent ones?"33 (15:58) They said: "Verily we have been sent to a guilty people34 (15:59) excepting the household of Lot. We shall deliver all of them, (15:60) except his wife (about whom Allah says that) We have decreed that she shall be among those who stay behind." (15:61) So when the envoys came to the household of Lot,35 (15:62) he said: "Surely you are an unknown folk."36 (15:63) They said: "Nay, we have brought to you that concerning which they have been in doubt. (15:64) We truly tell you that we have brought to you the Truth.

Notes

30. The story of Prophets Abraham and Lot (peace be upon them) has been related to tell the disbelievers of Makkah how angels come down with truth. This was in response to their demand: Why do you not bring angels before us, if what you say is true? (Ayat 7). Then, only this brief answer was given: We do not send down angels in this way. When they come down, they come down with truth (Ayat 8). Now these two events are cited as two concrete forms of truth with which the angels came, as if to ask the disbelievers: Now decide for yourselves which of these two forms of truth would you want angels to bring to you. It is obvious that you do not deserve that truth which was sent to Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). Do you then desire that truth which the angels brought to the people of Prophet Lot (peace be upon him)?

31. Please compare this story of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) with that contained in (Surah Houd, Ayats 69- 76).

32. “A boy possessing knowledge”, Prophet Isaac (peace be upon him). His name has been mentioned in connection with this good news in Surah Houd, Ayat 71.

33. It appears from the question of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) that angels are sent down in human shape only on extraordinary occasions and on some important expedition.

34. The fact that the angels did not name the people of Lot (peace be upon him) but merely referred to them as the wicked people, shows that these people had become so notorious for their wicked deeds that there was no need to mention them by name before Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), who was well acquainted with the moral condition of all the people around him.

35. Please compare this with (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 80-84) and (Surah Houd, Ayats 77-83).

36. Here the story has been related in brief. But we learn from (Surah Houd, Ayats 77-83) that Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) was greatly perturbed and distressed at the visit of the angels. He said to himself, “This is a day of woe.” The reason why he was distressed, as implied in the Quran and explicitly expressed in the traditions, was that the angels had come to Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) in the form of beautiful boys, and he knew how perverse and wicked his people were. He was distressed for he could not send them away because they were his guests, and because he did not know how to protect them from those villains.