al-Dhāriyāt

هَلْ أتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ

إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَآمًا قَالَ سَلَآمٌ قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ

فَرَاغَ إِلَی أهْلِهِ فَجَاء بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ

فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالَ ألَآ تَأكُلُونَ

24. Has the story reached you, of the honored guests of Abraham (as)?

25. When they came in to him and said: “Peace be upon you!” He [Abraham] replied: “Peace be upon you,” and said: “You are a people unknown to me.”

26. Then he turned to his household secretly and brought out a fattened [roasted] calf.

27. Then placed it before them [noticing that they refrain from eating, he said]: “Will you not eat?”

Bearing the glad tidings of a child to be born to Abraham (as), some angels entered his home, but the Prophet (as) did not know them. However, he invited them to go in and showed his hospitality by preparing food for them. Noticing that they refrained from eating, he was anxious and inquired the reason for their refraining to partake of the food. Then, they presented themselves to him and enlightened him on their mission. Instances of anthropomorphic angels are attested elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an, including: descent of Gabriel upon Mary (as), that of Harut and Marut in Solomon’s (as) realm, and that of angels upon Abraham (as).

Thus, addressed to the Noble Prophet of Islam (S), the blessed Verses in question say:

“O Muhammad (S)! Are you aware of the story of the Abraham’s (as) guests honored by God Almighty?”

A similar Qur’anic instance is attested elsewhere in which God Almighty says of angels:

“But they are honored servants.”

The adjective ‘honored’ may refer to Abraham (as), i.e. he honored the angels by preparing food for them. The manner of expression reflects that the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) had not been aware of the story but he learned the story through Divine Revelation. The blessed Verse 25 saying:

“When they came in to him”

indicate that they were sent by God Almighty to fulfill two missions: to bear glad tidings to Abraham (as) that God Almighty would grant him a son; they were also sent to afflict the people of Lot (as) with torment. The blessed Verse 25 is saying that when the angels descended, they greeted with Abraham (as) by saying:

“Peace be upon you.”

The angels’ greetings may merely serve as asking Divine Mercy for Abraham (as). It may also indicate that they aimed to inform Abraham of their mission as to afflicting the people of Lot (as) with torment and apprise him of his safety and that of his followers. Replying them by saying:

“Peace be upon you”

he noticed that he did not know them, since he thought that they were human beings and it was his habit to show hospitality to his company. The blessed Verse 26 says that Abraham (as) went to Sarah and had a fattened calf roasted and brought it to his guests. Noticing that the guests who appeared like human beings to him refrain from eating, he inquired with surprise:

“Will you not eat?”

Since they were unknown to him and besides they declined his offer to partake of the food, he was afraid of them lest they might be his enemies suspecting some malintention against him. Thus, the angels said unto him:

“Fear not. We are here to bear you glad tidings rather than harm you.”