Tafsir of Surah Al-Hijr - Verse 51

The Guests of Ibrahim and their Good News of a Son for Him

Allah is saying: `Tell them, O Muhammad, about the story of

ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ

(the guests of Ibrahim.)'

دَخَلُواْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُواْ سَلامًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنْكُمْ وَجِلُونَ

(they entered upon him, and said: "Salaman (peace!)." He said: "Indeed we are frightened of you.") meaning that they were scared. The reason for their fear has been mentioned previously, which is that they noticed that these guests did not eat of the food that was offered, which was a fattened calf.

قَالُواْ لاَ تَوْجَلْ

(They said: "Do not be afraid!...") meaning, do not be scared.

وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَـمٍ عَلَيمٍ

(We bring you the good news of a boy possessing much knowledge and wisdom.) this refers to Ishaq, as was previously mentioned in Surat Hud. Then

قَالَ

(He said) meaning he spoke with wonder and astonishment, asking for confirmation, because he was old and his wife was old:

أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِى عَلَى أَن مَّسَّنِىَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ

(Do you give me this good news while old age has overtaken me Of what then is your news about) They responded by confirming the good news they had brought, good news after good news:

قَالُواْ بَشَّرْنَـكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلاَ تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَـنِطِينَ

(They said: "We give you good news in truth. So do not be of those who despair.")

From verse 48: لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَ‌جِينَ (No weariness shall touch them therein nor will they be expelled from there), we learn about two features of Jannah: (1) No one shall ever feel tired or weak. This is contrary to what happens in our mortal world where hard work naturally results in fatigue. In fact, even a state of total rest and fun would sometimes tire a person out, no matter how enjoyable are things one is occupied with. (2) The other feature of Jannah we discover is that the blessings once received there shall be eternal. These blessings shall never diminish nor shall anyone be expelled from there. In Surah Sad, it was said:إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَرِ‌زْقُنَا مَا لَهُ مِن نَّفَادٍ (This is sustenance provided by Us which is never to exhaust - 38:54). And in the present verse, it was said: وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَ‌جِينَ (nor will they be expelled from there) that is, they shall never be deprived of the state of bliss bestowed upon them. This is contrary to the affairs of the mortal world where the recipient of the best of conveniences lives under the apprehension that the Over of the facilities may become displeased with him one of those days and expel him out.

As for the third probability, that the blessings of Jannah may remain everlasting, nor one is expelled from there, but one may himself get bored by living there and wish to go out, the Qur’ an has demolished this probability in one sentence of Surah Al-Kahf with the following words: لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا (That is, these people too would never seek to return from there - 18:108).

Angels visited Abraham in the shape of human beings. In an exchange of questions and answers, they said that they had come with the command of God. What was this command for which the angels had come to Abraham? This was the good news of an extra-ordinary reward which could not be expected under ordinary circumstances. When God wants to confer an extraordinary benefit on man, He sends His special angel to him in order to accomplish the task. Angels of this kind come to prophets as well as to ordinary mortals. The difference is that when a prophet is visited by angels, he sees them and consciously grasps that those are angels, but ordinary men do not have this kind of certain knowledge or consciousness. However, the close proximity of angels may evoke unusual feelings in him. Such feelings can convey hints of the fact that at that time he is possibly in the company of the special angels sent by God.