وَ نَبِّئْهُمْ And inform them عَنْ about ضَیْفِ (the) guests اِبْرٰهِیْمَۘ (of) Ibrahim 15. Al-Hijr Page 265 اِذْ When دَخَلُوْا they entered عَلَیْهِ upon him فَقَالُوْا and said سَلٰمًا ؕ Peace قَالَ He said اِنَّا Indeed we مِنْكُمْ (are) of you وَ جِلُوْنَ afraid قَالُوْا They said لَا (Do) not تَوْجَلْ be afraid اِنَّا indeed we نُبَشِّرُكَ [we] bring glad tidings to you بِغُلٰمٍ of a boy عَلِیْمٍ learned قَالَ He said اَبَشَّرْتُمُوْنِیْ Do you give me glad tidings عَلٰۤی Do you give me glad tidings اَنْ although مَّسَّنِیَ has overtaken me الْكِبَرُ old age فَبِمَ Then about what تُبَشِّرُوْنَ you give glad tidings قَالُوْا They said بَشَّرْنٰكَ We give you glad tidings بِالْحَقِّ in truth فَلَا so (do) not تَكُنْ be مِّنَ of الْقٰنِطِیْنَ the despairing قَالَ He said وَ مَنْ And who یَّقْنَطُ despairs مِنْ of رَّحْمَةِ (the) Mercy رَبِّهٖۤ (of) his Lord اِلَّا except الضَّآلُّوْنَ those who are astray
(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?"
30. This marks the commencement of the story of Abraham (peace be on him). This is immediately followed by the story of the people of Lot (peace be on him).
In order to fully understand the underlying purpose of this narration, it is necessary to bear in mind some of the verses in the earlier part of the present surah. First of all, we encounter the statement of the Makkan unbelievers: ‘Why do you not bring down angels upon us if you are indeed truthful?’ (verse 7). At that point a brief rejoinder has been made: ‘We do not send down angels [in frivolity] and when We do send them down, We do so with truth, and then people are granted no respite’ (verse 8). An elaboration of the same point is made here with reference to these two stories. The unbelievers are told that the angels had brought one kind of ‘truth’ to Prophet Abraham (peace be on him) (verses 52-6), but brought ‘truth’ of quite another kind to the people of Lot (peace be on him). Now it was for the unbelievers themselves to decide which ‘truth’ should be communicated to them. It was quite obvious that they had not brought along the kind of truth which was sent to Abraham (peace be on him) through the angels. Were they, then, desirous that the kind of truth which was brought to the people of Lot (peace be on him) by the angels— one that spelled mass destruction should also be sent to them?
31. Cf. Hud 11: 69 ff. and the relevant notes there.
32. This alludes to the prophecy about the birth of Isaac (peace be on him), which has been clearly stated in Hud. (See verse 71 — Ed.)