Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:29

His wife (Sarah) approached when she heard their glad tidings, heading toward her house; she had been in a corner, observing them. In al-Tafsir al-Kabir, it is stated that she was attending to their needs, and when they spoke to her husband regarding her bearing a child, she became shy and turned away from them. Allah the Exalted expressed this using the word "approaching" (her household) rather than "turning away" (from the angels). If such a report is verified by tradition and narration, the subsequent discourse does not reject it, for it necessitates approaching rather than turning away; it is sufficient for its validity that she was within earshot, even if she had turned away. Indeed, there is a "contrary metaphor" (isti'arah diddiyyah) in the wording, yet there is no contextual indicator here to justify it.

It has also been said: aqbalat means "she began," as when one says, "he began insulting me."

Meaning: in a shout, from al-sarir (a clamor). This was stated by Ibn Abbas. Qatadah and Ikrimah said: surratuha means her outcry. It is also said: her exclamation "Oh!" or "Woe is me!" Others suggest it refers to intensity.

It is also held that al-surrah means a group gathered together, as if they were bound (surru), i.e., gathered into a vessel. Ibn Bahr opted for this, saying: She approached in a group of women, hastening to catch a glimpse of the angels (peace be upon them). The prepositional phrase is in the position of a state (hal) or the object, if aqbalat is interpreted as "she began." It is said that the "fi" (in) here is redundant, as in the verse: "It protrudes in its tendons [i.e., from its tendons]," and the intended meaning would be: "she began to shout." Others say the prepositional phrase is in the position of the predicate, as the verb would then be one of the verbs of approximation.

Mujahid said: She struck her forehead with her hand and said, "Woe is me!" It is said that she felt the heat of blood and slapped her face out of modesty. Others suggest she slapped it out of astonishment, which is the action of women when they are amazed by something.

Meaning: I am an old woman who is barren. 'Aqim (barren) is on the pattern of fa'il; it is said to be in the sense of the active or passive participle. The root meaning of al-'uqm is dryness.