Surah 51. Adh-Dhariyat

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Verses [Section]: 1-23[1], 24-46 [2], 47-60 [3]

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Quran Text of Verse 24-46هَلْHasاَتٰىكَreached youحَدِیْثُ(the) narrationضَیْفِ(of the) guestsاِبْرٰهِیْمَ(of) Ibrahimالْمُكْرَمِیْنَۘthe honored اِذْWhenدَخَلُوْاthey enteredعَلَیْهِupon himفَقَالُوْاand saidسَلٰمًا ؕPeaceقَالَHe saidسَلٰمٌ ۚPeaceقَوْمٌa peopleمُّنْكَرُوْنَۚunknown فَرَاغَThen he wentاِلٰۤیtoاَهْلِهٖhis householdفَجَآءَand cameبِعِجْلٍwith a calfسَمِیْنٍۙfat فَقَرَّبَهٗۤAnd he placed it nearاِلَیْهِمْ[to] themقَالَhe saidاَلَاWill notتَاْكُلُوْنَؗyou eat فَاَوْجَسَThen he feltمِنْهُمْfrom themخِیْفَةً ؕa fearقَالُوْاThey saidلَا(Do) notتَخَفْ ؕfearوَ بَشَّرُوْهُand they gave him glad tidingsبِغُلٰمٍof a sonعَلِیْمٍ learned فَاَقْبَلَتِThen came forwardامْرَاَتُهٗhis wifeفِیْwithصَرَّةٍa loud voiceفَصَكَّتْand struckوَجْهَهَاher faceوَ قَالَتْand she saidعَجُوْزٌAn old womanعَقِیْمٌ barren! قَالُوْاThey saidكَذٰلِكِ ۙThusقَالَsaidرَبُّكِ ؕyour LordاِنَّهٗIndeed Heهُوَ[He]الْحَكِیْمُ(is) the All-Wiseالْعَلِیْمُ the All-Knower 51. Adh-Dhariyat Page 522قَالَHe saidفَمَاThen whatخَطْبُكُمْ(is) your missionاَیُّهَاO messengersالْمُرْسَلُوْنَ O messengers قَالُوْۤاThey saidاِنَّاۤIndeed weاُرْسِلْنَاۤ[we] have been sentاِلٰیtoقَوْمٍa peopleمُّجْرِمِیْنَۙcriminal لِنُرْسِلَThat we may send downعَلَیْهِمْupon themحِجَارَةًstonesمِّنْofطِیْنٍۙclay مُّسَوَّمَةًMarkedعِنْدَby your Lordرَبِّكَby your Lordلِلْمُسْرِفِیْنَ for the transgressors فَاَخْرَجْنَاThen We brought outمَنْ(those) whoكَانَwereفِیْهَاthereinمِنَofالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَۚthe believers فَمَاBut notوَجَدْنَاWe foundفِیْهَاthereinغَیْرَother thanبَیْتٍa houseمِّنَofالْمُسْلِمِیْنَۚthe Muslims وَ تَرَكْنَاAnd We leftفِیْهَاۤthereinاٰیَةًa Signلِّلَّذِیْنَfor those whoیَخَافُوْنَfearالْعَذَابَthe punishmentالْاَلِیْمَؕthe painful وَ فِیْAnd inمُوْسٰۤیMusaاِذْwhenاَرْسَلْنٰهُWe sent himاِلٰیtoفِرْعَوْنَFiraunبِسُلْطٰنٍwith an authorityمُّبِیْنٍ clear فَتَوَلّٰیBut he turned awayبِرُكْنِهٖwith his supportersوَ قَالَand saidسٰحِرٌA magicianاَوْorمَجْنُوْنٌ a madman فَاَخَذْنٰهُSo We took himوَ جُنُوْدَهٗand his hostsفَنَبَذْنٰهُمْand threw themفِیintoالْیَمِّthe seaوَ هُوَwhile heمُلِیْمٌؕ(was) blameworthy وَ فِیْAnd inعَادٍAadاِذْwhenاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentعَلَیْهِمُagainst themالرِّیْحَthe windالْعَقِیْمَۚthe barren مَاNotتَذَرُit leftمِنْanyشَیْءٍthingاَتَتْit cameعَلَیْهِupon itاِلَّاbutجَعَلَتْهُit made itكَالرَّمِیْمِؕlike disintegrated ruins وَ فِیْAnd inثَمُوْدَThamudاِذْwhenقِیْلَwas saidلَهُمْto themتَمَتَّعُوْاEnjoy (yourselves)حَتّٰیforحِیْنٍ a time فَعَتَوْاBut they rebelledعَنْagainstاَمْرِ(the) Commandرَبِّهِمْ(of) their Lordفَاَخَذَتْهُمُso seized themالصّٰعِقَةُthe thunderboltوَ هُمْwhile theyیَنْظُرُوْنَ were looking فَمَاThen notاسْتَطَاعُوْاthey were ableمِنْtoقِیَامٍstandوَّ مَاand notكَانُوْاthey couldمُنْتَصِرِیْنَۙhelp themselves وَ قَوْمَAnd (the) peopleنُوْحٍ(of) Nuhمِّنْbeforeقَبْلُ ؕbeforeاِنَّهُمْindeed, theyكَانُوْاwereقَوْمًاa peopleفٰسِقِیْنَ۠defiantly disobedient

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Translation of Verse 24-46

(51:24) Has the story of the honored guests of Ibrahim reached you?

(51:25) When they entered upon him and said, ‘Peace.’ He said, ‘peace' – 'an unknown people.’

(51:26) Then he turned to his homefolk and brought out a fat (roasted) calf.

(51:27) He pushed it closer to them and said, ‘Will you not eat?’

(51:28) He conceived a fear of them.²⁰ They said, ‘Fear not,’ and gave him the glad tiding of a learned boy.²¹

(51:29) His wife began to²² exclaim;²³ smote her face²⁴ and said, ‘An old woman, barren?!’²⁵

(51:30) They said, ‘So says your Lord. He is indeed the All-wise, the All-knowing.’

(51:31) He asked, ‘So what is your errand (now), O you the envoys?’

(51:32) They said, ‘We have been sent to a people who are criminal.²⁶

(51:33) To loosen upon them stones of clay.

(51:34) Marked with your Lord²⁷ - for those who cross the limits.’

(51:35) Then We brought out therefrom whosoever was of the believers.

(51:36) But We found not there except one house of Muslims.

(51:37) And We left therein a sign for those who fear the painful chastisement.

(51:38) And in Musa (was a sign) when We sent him to Fir`awn with a clear authority.²⁸

(51:39) But he turned back, with his court, and said, ‘A sorcerer, or (perhaps) a madman.’

(51:40) So We seized him and his forces and cast them into the sea, and he was to blame.

(51:41) And in `Ad (was a sign) when We sent upon them the barren wind.²⁹

(51:42) It left nothing it came upon but reduced it to decaying rubble.

(51:43) And in Thamud (was a sign) when they were told, ‘Enjoy yourselves for a while.’³⁰

(51:44) But they insolently defied the commandment of their Lord. So a huge cry seized them while they were looking on.

(51:45) Then they could neither stand upright, nor could they defend themselves.

(51:46) And earlier, Nuh’s folks. They were an ungodly people.

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Commentary

20. Yusuf Ali explains why Ibrahim (asws) was apprehensive: “They seemed unusual strangers, but he said nothing and quietly proceeded to perform the rites of hospitality. He brought a roast fatted calf and placed it before them to eat. But the strangers did not eat (xi. 70). This disconcerted him. According to the laws of hospitality, a stranger under your roof is under your protection, but if he refuses to eat, he refuses your hospitality and keeps himself free from any ties of guest and host. ‘What were their designs?’ thought Abraham, and he felt some distrust. But they were angels and could not eat. They declared themselves, and announced the birth to Abraham of a son endowed with wisdom, - in other words that Abraham was to be the head of a long line of Prophets!”

21. Mujahid thought it was Isma`il, but Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir and others assert that it was definitely Is-haq.

22. The words, “She began to” follow Ibn Jarir’s understanding.

23. Although “sarratun” is for a cry, but since a cry can be loud as well in low pitch, we have tried to be close to Qatadah’s understanding who said it means “rannatun” (Au.).

24. Some women lightly pat their cheek to express amazement, others, their forehead. So either could be meant by the words “smote her face” (Au.).

25. That is, will I, and old woman, and moreover, barren, bear a child ?

26. That is, to Lut’s people.

27. The textual “musawwamah” is used for a white stone with a black spot on it, or a black stone with a white spot (Ibn Jarir). Another meaning is that each stone was marked with the name of the person it was to strike.

28. The allusion is to the nine miracles. See Surah Al-A`raf, note numbers 155 and 156.

29. It was barren because it did not pollinate the trees nor did it seed the clouds (Ibn Jarir from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Dahhak and others).

30. That is, three more days, as the Qur’an stated in Surah Hud, ayah 65 (Qurtubi).