Tafsir of Ad-Dhariyat 51:28

Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:28)

فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً (Then he felt in himself a fear of them.)

Tafsir Points:

1. Etiquette of the Guest: It is a courtesy for a guest to show appreciation for the food offered. This is indicated by Abraham's fear when they did not eat.
2. Obligation to Excuse Oneself: The necessity of offering an excuse when refraining from eating is shown by the statement: "Do not fear."
3. Refining the Excuse: One should use refined language when offering an excuse. If a guest is being hosted and food is presented, there are two potential reasons for refusal:
   • The food is harmful to him.
   • He lacks the strength to digest that particular food.
   • The proper etiquette is not to say, "This food is coarse and unsuitable for me." Instead, the better approach is to use indirect language, such as saying, "I have a barrier to eating this food, and I do not eat anything in my house either."
4. Evidence for Indirectness: This is supported by their words: "And they gave him the good tidings of a boy," where the angels made it understood that they were not people who ate, without explicitly stating, "This food and drink is unsuitable for us."
5. Etiquette of Good Tidings: Another lesson in etiquette is that one should not convey joyous news all at once, as it can cause illness.
6. The Sequence of News: This is indicated by the fact that Abraham sat down, felt at ease with them, and then they announced the good news.
7. Prioritizing the Best Trait: They mentioned the noblest type of news first: the male child. They were not satisfied with just mentioning a son; they described him with the best attributes.
   • A son is considered lesser than a daughter if the daughter is perfectly formed and of good character, while the son is the opposite (implying the son they announced was exceptional).
8. The Chosen Attribute: They omitted descriptions like beauty, handsomeness, strength, and safety, and instead chose knowledge (implied by the context of the subsequent verse, though the text here focuses on the description of the child). This signifies that knowledge is the head of all attributes and the chief of qualities.
9. Benefit of Precedence: We have previously mentioned the benefit of announcing the good tidings before informing him of the destruction of Lot's people: to let him know that God would destroy them, but He would replace them with someone better.

وَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِي صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ (Then his wife came forward, striking her face, and said, "A barren old woman!")

قَالُوا كَذَلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ ("So it shall be," they said. "Your Lord has said it. Indeed, He is the Wise, the All-Knowing.")