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Ayah
Word by Word
فَأَقۡبَلَتِ
Then came forward
ٱمۡرَأَتُهُۥ
his wife
فِي
with
صَرَّةٖ
a loud voice
فَصَكَّتۡ
and struck
وَجۡهَهَا
her face
وَقَالَتۡ
and she said
عَجُوزٌ
An old woman
عَقِيمٞ
barren!
فَأَقۡبَلَتِ
Then came forward
ٱمۡرَأَتُهُۥ
his wife
فِي
with
صَرَّةٖ
a loud voice
فَصَكَّتۡ
and struck
وَجۡهَهَا
her face
وَقَالَتۡ
and she said
عَجُوزٌ
An old woman
عَقِيمٞ
barren!
Translation
And his wife approached with a cry [of alarm] and struck her face and said, "[I am] a barren old woman!"
Tafsir
Then his wife, Sarah, came forward clamouring, shouting (fee sarratin is a circumstantial qualifier, that is to say, she came shouting) and smote, slapped, her face, and said, 'A barren old woman!', who has never given birth to a child, aged ninety-nine, with Abraham being one hundred years old; or [alternatively] he was a hundred and twenty years old and she was ninety years old.
The Guests of the Prophet Ibrahim
We mentioned this story before in Surah Hud and Al-Hijr.
Allah said,
هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ
Has the story reached you, of the honored guests of Ibrahim?
whom Ibrahim honored
إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَمًا
قَالَ سَلَامٌ
When they came in to him and said:Salaman!
He answered:Salamun.
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَأ أَوْ رُدُّوهَأ
When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or return it equally. (4:86)
So the Friend of Allah chose a better reply in return for their greeting, implementing Allah's command:Reciprocating the greeting with the term Salamun is stronger than the greeting using the term Salaman.
The three angels; Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil came to Ibrahim in the image of handsome young wonderfully graceful men. This is why Ibrahim said,
قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ
You are a people unknown to me.
Allah the Exalted said
فَرَاغَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ
Then he turned to his household,
(Ibrahim discretely went inside in haste),
فَجَاء بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ
and brought out a roasted calf. (from the best of his menu),
And in another Ayah
فَمَا لَبِثَ أَن جَأءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيذٍ
And he hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf. (11:69)
means roasted on hot coal
فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ
And placed it before them, (brought it close to them),
قَالَ أَلَاا تَأْكُلُونَ
Saying, Will you not eat?
Ibrahim said this polite and kind statement to his guests, and surely, this Ayah indicates proper manners for honoring guests. For he brought the food to his guests quickly, while they were unaware that it was being prepared for them. He did not first mention this favor to them by saying, We will make food for you. Rather, he discretely had it prepared and placed before them. He prepared the best kind of food he had, a young, fat roasted calf. He did not place the food far from them and invite them to come close to it to eat. Rather, he placed it close to them and refrained from ordering them to eat. Instead he invited them using a kind and subtle invitation,
أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ
(Will you not eat?)
This statement is similar to one of us saying to a guest,
Would you be kind and generous to do such and such
Allah the Exalted said
فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً
Then he conceived fear of them.
this Ayah is explained by Allah's statement,
فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَيْدِيَهُمْ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُواْ لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَى قَوْمِ لُوطٍ
وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَأيِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ
..
But when he ﷺ their hands went not towards it, he mistrusted them, and felt a sense of fear of them. They said:Fear not, we have been sent against the people of Lut.
And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed (11:70-71),
meaning, she was glad that the people of Lut would be destroyed on account of their rebellion and transgression against Allah, the Exalted. This is when the angels delivered the good news to her of a son, Ishaq, and Ya`qub after Ishaq,
قَالَتْ يَا وَيْلَتَى أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَاْ عَجُوزٌ وَهَـذَا بَعْلِي شَيْخًا إِنَّ هَـذَا لَشَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ
قَالُواْ أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَّجِيدٌ
She said:Woe unto me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband an old man Verily, this is a strange thing!
They said, Do you wonder at the decree of Allah The mercy of Allah and His blessings be on you, O family of the house. Surely, He (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious. (11:72-73)
قَالُوا لَاا تَخَفْ
They said:Fear not.
وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَمٍ عَلِيمٍ
And they gave him glad tidings of a son having knowledge.
This news was as good to Ibrahim as it was to his wife, for this son would be theirs, and therefore, they both were getting some good news.
Allah the Exalted said
فَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِي صَرَّةٍ
Then his wife came forward with a loud voice,
She screamed loudly, according to Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ikrimah, Abu Salih, Ad-Dahhak, Zayd bin Aslam, Ath-Thawri and As-Suddi. She said when she shouted,
يوَيْلَتَا
Ah! Woe to me! (25:28), then,
فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا
she smote her face,
meaning, she struck herself upon her forehead, according to Mujahid and Ibn Sabit.
Ibn Abbas said,
she smacked her face just as women do when confronted with an amazing thing,
وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ
and said:A barren old woman!
meaning, How can I give birth while I am an old woman And even when I was young I was barren and could not have children,
قَالُوا كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكِ
إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ
They said:Even so says your Lord. Verily, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knower,
`He is the All-Knower of the honor that you are worthy of and He is the most Wise in His statements and decisions.’
The Angels were sent to destroy the People of the Prophet Lut
Allah the Exalted said about Ibrahim, peace be upon him,
فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّوْعُ وَجَاءتْهُ الْبُشْرَى يُجَادِلُنَا فِي قَوْمِ لُوطٍ
إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَحَلِيمٌ أَوَّاهٌ مُّنِيبٌ
يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَذَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ جَاء أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ
وَإِنَّهُمْ اتِيهِمْ عَذَابٌ غَيْرُ مَرْدُودٍ
Then when the fear had gone away from (Ibrahim), and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with Us for the people of Lut. Verily, Ibrahim was, without doubt forbearing, used to invoke Allah with humility, and was repentant. O Ibrahim! Forsake this. Indeed, the commandment of your Lord has gone forth. Verily, there will come a torment for them which cannot be turned back. (11:74-76)
Allah said here,
قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ
(Ibrahim) said:Then for what purpose you have come, O messengers!
meaning, `what is the mission that you were sent with,'
قَالُوا إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَى قَوْمٍ مُّجْرِمِينَ
They said:We have been sent to a people who are criminals.
in reference to the people of Lut,
لِنُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِّن طِينٍ
مُسَوَّمَةً
To send down upon them stones of baked clay, marked, (or written),
عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ
by your Lord for transgressors.
recorded with Allah to their names; each stone has the name of its companion. Allah said in Surah Al-`Ankabut,
قَالَ إِنَّ فِيهَا لُوطاً قَالُواْ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن فِيهَا لَنُنَجِّيَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَهُ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَـبِرِينَ
(Ibrahim) said:But there is Lut in it.
They said:We know better who is there. We will verily save him and his family except his wife:she will be of those who remain behind. (29:32),
and said here,
فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَن كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمُوْمِنِينَ
So We brought out from therein the believers.
they are:Lut and his family, except his wife,
فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِّنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
But We found not there any household of the Muslims except one.
Allah the Exalted said,
وَتَرَكْنَا فِيهَا ايَةً لِّلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الاَْلِيمَ
And We have left there a sign for those who fear the painful torment.
meaning, `We left a proof of the punishment, torment and stones made of Sijjil (baked clay) that We sent on them; We made their dwelling place a putrid, evil, dead sea. This should provide a lesson for the believers,'
لِّلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الاَْلِيمَ
(for those who fear the painful torment).
Lessons from the Destruction of Fir`awn, `Ad, Thamud, and the People of Nuh
Allah the Exalted said,
وَفِي مُوسَى إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ
And in Musa, when We sent him to Fir`awn with a manifest authority.
meaning, with clear proof and plain evidence
فَتَوَلَّى بِرُكْنِهِ
But he turned away along with his hosts,
meaning, in rebellion and arrogance, Fir`awn turned away from the plain truth that Musa was sent with,
ثَانِىَ عِطْفِهِ لِيُضِلَّ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
Bending his neck in pride, and leading (others) too (far) astray from the path of Allah. (22:9 ),
meaning turning away from truth in arrogance,
وَقَالَ سَاحِرٌ أَوْ مَجْنُونٌ
and said:A sorcerer, or a madman.
meaning Fir`awn said to Musa, With regards to the message that you brought me, you are either a magician or a madman.
Allah the Exalted replied
فَأَخَذْنَاهُ وَجُنُودَهُ فَنَبَذْنَاهُمْ
So We took him and his armies, and dumped them,
meaning `We threw them,'
فِي الْيَمِّ
into the Yamm, (into the sea),
وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ
for he was blameworthy.
meaning, Fir`awn was a denying sinner and a stubborn disbeliever worthy of blame.
Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,
وَفِي عَادٍ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ
And in `Ad when We sent against them the barren wind!
that destroys everything and produces nothing.
This was said by Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others.
Allah's statement
مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَيْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ
It spared nothing that it reached,
meaning, everything that the wind could destroy,
إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ
but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins.
meaning, made it just like a rotten and destroyed.
Sa`id bin Al-Musayyib and others commented on:
إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الرِّيحَ الْعَقِيمَ
(when We sent against them the barren wind),
Southerly winds.
However, there is a Hadith in the Sahih from Shu`bah bin Al-Hakam, from Mujahid, from Ibn Abbas, who said that the Messenger of Allah said,
نُصِرْتُ بِالصَّبَا وَأُهْلِكَتْ عَادٌ بِالدَّبُور
I have been made victorious with the Saba (easterly wind), and the people of `Ad were destroyed with the Dabur (westerly wind).
Allah saying,
وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوا حَتَّى حِينٍ
And in Thamud, when they were told:Enjoy yourselves for a while!
is just as He said in another Ayah,
وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ صَـعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُونِ
And as for Thamud, We guided them to the path of truth, but they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Sa`iqah of disgracing torment seized them. (41:17)
Allah said here,
وَفِي ثَمُودَ إِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَمَتَّعُوا حَتَّى حِينٍ
فَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ
And in Thamud, when they were told:Enjoy yourselves for a while! But they insolently defied the command of their Lord, so the Sa`iqah overtook them while they were looking.
Thamud were given a respite for three days, during which they await the torment. In the early morning of the fourth day, the torment overtook them
فَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا مِن قِيَامٍ
Then they were unable to rise up,
they were unable to escape and run away from it,
وَمَا كَانُوا مُنتَصِرِينَ
nor could they help themselves.
nor could they save themselves from the torment that befell them.
Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said
وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ
(So were) the people of Nuh before them.
meaning, `We destroyed the people of Nuh before these people (Fir`awn, `Ad and Thamud).'
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ
Verily, they were a people who were rebellious.
We mentioned these stories in details before in the Tafsir of several other Surahs.
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