[51] Surah Adh-Dhariyat [The Winds that Scatter]: Ayat 024-030

২৪. আপনার কাছে ইব্রাহীমের সম্মানিত মেহমানদের বৃত্তান্ত এসেছে কি?

২৫. যখন তারা তাঁর কাছে উপস্থিত হয়ে বললঃ সালাম, তখন সে বললঃ সালাম। এরা তো অপরিচিত লোক।

২৬. অতঃপর সে গৃহে গেল এবং একটি ঘৃতেপক্ক মোটা গোবৎস নিয়ে হাযির হল।   

২৭. সে গোবৎসটি তাদের সামনে রেখে বললঃ তোমরা আহার করছ না কেন?

২৮. অতঃপর তাদের সম্পর্কে সে মনে মনে ভীত হলঃ তারা বললঃ ভীত হবেন না। তারা তাঁকে একট জ্ঞানীগুণী পুত্র সন্তানের সুসংবাদ দিল।

২৯. অতঃপর তাঁর স্ত্রী চীৎকার করতে করতে সামনে এল এবং মুখ চাপড়িয়ে বললঃ আমি তো বৃদ্ধা, বন্ধ্যা।

৩০. তারা বললঃ তোমার পালনকর্তা এরূপই বলেছেন। নিশ্চয় তিনি প্রজ্ঞাময়, সর্বজ্ঞ।    

Ayat 24. Has the story reached you, of the honored guests [angels] along with another two] of Ibrahim (Abraham)?

Ayat 25. When they came in to him, and said, "Salam, (peace be upon you)!" He answered; "Salam, (peace be upon you)," and said: "You are a people unknown to me,"

Ayat 26. Then he turned to his household, so brought out a roasted calf [as the property of Ibrahim (Abraham) was mainly cows].

Ayat 27. And placed it before them, (saying): "Will you not eat?"

Ayat 28. Then he conceived a fear of them (when they ate not). They said: "Fear not." And they gave him glad tidings of an intelligent son, having knowledge (about Allah and His religion of True Monotheism).

Ayat 29. Then his wife came forward with a loud voice, she smote her face, and said: "A barren old woman!"

Ayat 30. They said: "Even so says your Lord. Verily, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knower."

Tafseer of Surah Adh-Dhariyat Ayat 24. Has the story reached thee, of the honored guests of Abraham? Cf. 11:69-73 and notes, where further details of the story will be found. Also 15:51 -56. 25. Behold, they entered his presence, and said: "Peace!" He said, "Peace!" (and thought, "These seem) unusual people. “They were angels, who appeared suddenly before him at his tent door in the guise of men, and saluted him with the salutation of peace. He returned the salutation, but felt, from their appearance and their manner, that they were unusual, not ordinary, strangers. Munkar, unknown, uncommon, unusual, not customary, (hence by derived meaning, not applicable here, not fair or just): opposite in both primary and secondary meanings to Maruf, well-known, usual, customary, and just. Cf. 15:62. 26. Then he turned quickly to his household, brought out a fatted calf, They seemed unusual strangers, but he said nothing and quietly proceeded to perform the rites of hospitality. He brought a roast fatted calf and placed it before them to eat. But the strangers did not eat (11:70). This disconcerted him. According to the laws of hospitality, a stranger under your roof is under your protection, but if he refuses to eat, he refuses your hospitality and keeps himself free from any ties of guest and host. "What were their designs?" thought Abraham, and he felt some distrust. But they were angels and could not eat. They declared themselves, and announced the birth to Abraham of a son endowed with wisdom in other words that Abraham was to be the head of a long line of Prophets! (15:53). 27. And placed it before them. he said, "Will ye not eat?" 28. (When they did not eat), He conceived a fear of them. They said, "Fear not," and they gave him glad tidings of a son endowed with knowledge. 29. But his wife came forward (laughing) aloud: she smote her forehead and said: "A barren old woman!" Abraham's wife Sarah was old and barren. This news seemed to her too good to be true. She carne forward, laughed aloud (11:71), struck her forehead with her hands, indicative of her amusement and incredulity as "a barren old woman": 11:72. 30. They said, "Even so has thy Lord spoken: and He is full of Wisdom and Knowledge. “The angels said: "What may sound improbable to human beings will yet come to pass if Allah commands. And Allah thy Lord has spoken. So shall it be. For all His promises are full of wisdom and knowledge." But the application is for all time and to all human affairs. Never despair. However much Truth may be in the shade, it will shine with full splendor. And the Judgment will come, when good will come to its own!

Hazrat Ibn Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH) saw Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree) in their dreams in the last seven nights of Ramadan, whereupon the Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH) said, "I see that your dreams all agree upon the last seven nights. Whosoever seeks it, let him seek it in the last seven nights.''  [Al-Bukhari Book 03, Chapter 32, Hadith # 232].

Lesson: "Tawat'at'' linguistically means to step or walk on, that is, to place foot over the place where one's fellow kept his foot. Here, it is used in the sense of correspondence. In other words, "I see that your dreams all agree upon the last seven nights'' stands to mean "you had similar dreams''. This was done by showing all of them the (spectacle) of Lailat-ul-Qadr. On the strength of these dreams, the Prophet  (PBUH) said that Lailat-ul-Qadr should be sought in the last seven nights of Ramadan. The wisdom of keeping it secret is to keep people awake to engage in worship for a larger number of nights in this auspicious month.