Surah Adh-Dhariyat: (32) They said, "Indeed, we have been sent..."

The Fourth Issue:

This narration is exactly the same as the one narrated in Surah Hud.

In Surah Hud (11:70), they said, "Indeed, we have been sent..." after the fear was removed from Abraham and they gave him good tidings. Here, they say, "Indeed, we have been sent..." after he asked them about the matter (their purpose).

Furthermore, in Surah Hud they said: "Indeed, we have been sent to the people of Lot" (11:70), whereas here they say: "Indeed, we have been sent to a criminal people."

This narration is attributed to their speech. If they did not say exactly that, the question arises again.

We respond:

If someone narrates about Zayd, saying: "Zayd said, 'Amr has left,'" and then later says: "Zayd said, 'Bakr has left,'" this implies either:

1. Zayd uttered two separate statements.
2. The second narration is not a verbatim report of what Zayd said.

The answer to the first point: When Abraham became afraid, it is possible that they had not yet told him, "Do not fear, we have been sent to the people of Lot." When he asked them what they intended to do to them, it was appropriate for them to say: "Indeed, we have been sent to destroy them," just as one might say, "I left the house," and when asked why, reply, "I left to trade."

However, there is a subtle meaning here: They only stated their mission—"We have been sent"—in response to his question about destroying them, based on God's command. This was to make clear their innocence from harming the innocent and neglecting the wicked. Thus, they repeated the word "sent" (إرسال).

The answer to the second point: Narration can be a verbatim report of the utterance, as when you say: "Zayd said, 'I passed by Amr,'" preserving the exact words spoken. Or, it can be a narration of the meaning of his speech, as when you say: "Zayd said that Amr left." You have the liberty to substitute the wording in a different narration, saying, "When Zayd said, 'Bakr left,' I said such and such."

Similarly here, the Qur'an is inimitable speech (lafz mu'jiz). Whatever originated from the Prophets before our Prophet (peace be upon him), whether it was revealed to them or not, its wording was not necessarily inimitable. Therefore, it is necessary that these narrations are not identical in wording.

It is as if they said to him: "Indeed, we have been sent to a criminal people," and they also said: "Indeed, we have been sent to the people of Lot." God is also able to say, "Indeed, we have been sent to a people who believed in you," because the text is not necessarily a verbatim report of their exact words, but rather a report of their meaning, which can have many expressions.

Do you not see that when God narrated their greeting in one interpretation, He said in both instances: "Peace" (salāman)? Then He clarified the purpose of their mission by saying:

! 7 < { We will send down upon them stones of clay. } > 7 !

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