• The Visitors To Abraham

• A Son Prophesied To Abraham

• The Fate Of The People Of Lot And Noah

Adh-Dhariyat Verses 24 – 46

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ

“Has there come unto thee [O Muhammad] the story of Abraham’s honoured guests1?” (51:24).

إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُنْكَرُونَ

“When entered they2upon him said they: ‘Peace!’. ‘Peace! Said he [and deemed] A strange people [these are]3‘“ (51:25).

فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ فَجَاءَ بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ

“Then turned he aside unto his family, and brought a fat (roasted) calf” (51:26)

فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ

“And set it near them4. He said: ‘What! Eat ye not?’” (51:27)

فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ

“And he conceived of them a fear; Said they: “Fear thou not5!” and gave they the glad tidings unto him of a son blessed with knowledge” (51:28)

فَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِي صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ

“Then came forward his wife in grief, she smote her face and said she (what! I) an old barren woman6?” (51:29)

قَالُوا كَذَٰلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ

“Said they: “Thus sayeth thy Lord: ‘Verily He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing’” (51:30)

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ

“He7said “What then is your errand, O’ ye Messengers8?” (51:31)

قَالُوا إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ مُجْرِمِينَ

“Said they: ‘We are sent unto a criminal people’” (51:32)

لِنُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِنْ طِينٍ

“That We may send down upon them9stones of clay”10(51:33)

مُسَوَّمَةً عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ

“Marked out from unto thy Lord for the guilty ones of excesses11“ (51:34)

فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And We brought forth (those) who were there in (the town) of the believers” (51:35)

فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

“But We found not there in (the town) save one house of the Muslims12“13(51:36)

وَتَرَكْنَا فِيهَا آيَةً لِلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ

“And left We therein a sign14for those who dread the painful chastisement15“ (51:37)

وَفِي مُوسَىٰ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ

“And in Moses, when We sent him unto Pharaoh with manifest authority16“ (51:38)

فَتَوَلَّىٰ بِرُكْنِهِ وَقَالَ سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ

“But (Pharaoh) turned away with his forces17and said (pointing to Moses): ‘(This is) a sorcerer or a madman’” (51:39)

فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ فِي الْيَمِّ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ

“So, We seized him and his hosts and We cast them into the sea, for he was reprobate” (51:40)

وَفِي عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ

“And in ‘Ad: when sent We upon them the desolating18(blast of violent’) wind19“ (51:41)

مَا تَذَرُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ

“It left not aught upon which it came, but turned it like (rotten) dust” (51:42)

وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوا حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ

“And in Thamood: when it was said unto them; “Avail ye your- selves for a while20“ (51:43)

فَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ

“But rebelled they against the command of their Lord, so seized them the rumbling, while they were yet looking on21“ (51:44)

فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِنْ قِيَامٍ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْتَصِرِينَ

“Then they could not even rise (on their feet), nor could they help themselves” (51:45)

وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ

“And the people of Noah before (that)’, Verily they were wicked people” (51:46)

Commentary

Verses 24 – 31

Refer to the commentary of Hud 11:69-83 and Hijr, 15:51-77 for prophets Ibrahim and Lut and the people of Lut.

Verses 32 – 46

Concerning the people of Lut, see the commentary of Verses 7:80-84 and Hijr, 15:51-77. As said in the commentary of al-’Araf, Verses 7:80-84, the two angels first came to Ibrahim and informed him that they were sent to the people of Lut. They gave Ibrahim and his wife, Sarah, the glad tidings from Allah that in spite of their advanced age soon they would have a son, Is-haq, and a grandson, Yaqub, Is-haq’s son.

Verse 36

Compare with commentary of Verse 11:81. The wife of Lot was a faithless woman, hence a wife, unless she happens to have some blood relation with him, could never be the Ahl Al-Bayt of the man.

Verses 38 - 40

Refer to the commentary of Sura ad-Dukhan, 44:17-31; Sura al-’Araf, 7:104-137; Sura Ta Ha, 20:9 to 20:98 and other references mentioned therein for Musa, Fir’awn and the people of Firawn.

Verses 41 – 42

Refer to the commentary of Sura ad-Dukhan, 44:21-26 for the people of Ad.

Verses 43 - 45

See commentary of Sura al-’Araf, 7:73-79 for the people of Thamud.

Verse 46

Refer to the commentary of Sura al-’Araf, 7:59 to 7:64 for the people of Nuh.

• 1. Refer to Verses 11:69-83.
• 2. The Angels.
• 3. Compare with Gen 18/1-7 and 18/10-12.
• 4. The Angels.
• 5. Don’t be surprised.
• 6. Clearly indicates that the birth of the son Isaac was miraculous to prove the Omnipotence of God to affect issues from barren women &. even virgins, if He wills.
• 7. Abraham
• 8. The Angels.
• 9. The people of Lut, Sodom and Gomorrah.
• 10. Refer to Verses 7:84; 11:82.
• 11. Refer to Verses 11:813; 11:84.
• 12. Those who submit themselves to God
• 13. Refer to Verse 11:81.
• 14. Portent.
• 15. In the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
• 16. Refer to Verses 44:17-31.
• 17. Might hosts.
• 18. Unproductive, futile.
• 19. Refer to Verses 46:21-26.
• 20. Refer to Verses 7:73-79; 11:65.
• 21. Refer to Verses 7:70; 11:67.