The Winnowing Winds, The Scatterers — Verse 28

Then he conceived he kept secret in himself a fear of them. They said ‘Do not be afraid!’ we are messengers from your Lord. And they gave him good tidings of the birth of a knowledgeable boy one endowed with much knowledge and this was Isaac as mentioned in sūrat Hūd Q. 1171.

فلما رآهم لا يأكلون أحسَّ في نفسه خوفًا منهم، قالوا له: لا تَخَفْ إنا رسل الله، وبشروه بأن زوجته "سَارَةَ" ستلد له ولدًا، سيكون من أهل العلم بالله وبدينه، وهو إسحاق عليه السلام.

هذا محال على ما تقدم في القصة في السورة الأخرى وهي قوله تعالى "فلما رأى أيديهم لا تصل إليه نكرهم وأوجس منهم خيفة قالوا لا تخف إنا أرسلنا إلى قوم لوط وامرأته قائمة فضحكت" أي استبشرت بهلاكهم لتمردهم وعتوهم على الله تعالى فعند ذلك بشرتها الملائكة بإسحاق ومن وراء إسحاق يعقوب" قالت يا ويلتا أألد وأنا عجوز وهذا بعلي شيخا إن هذا لشيء عجيب قالوا أتعجبين من أمر الله رحمة الله وبركاته عليكم أهل البيت إنه حميد مجيد " ولهذا قال سبحانه وتعالى ههنا "وبشروه بغلام عليم" فالبشارة له هي بشارة لها لأن الولد منهما فكل منهما بشر به.

( فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً ) أى : فأضمر فى نفسه خوفا منهم حين رأى إعراضا عن طعامه ، مع حضهم على الأكل منه ، ومع جودة هذا الطعام .وهنا كشف الملائكة له عن ذواتهم فقالوا ( لاَ تَخَفْ ) أى : لا تخف فإنا رسل الله ( وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلاَمٍ عَلَيمٍ ) أى : وبشروه بغلام سيولد له ، وسيكون كثير العلم عندما يبلغ سن الرشد ، وهذا الغلام إسحاق - عليه السلام - .

فأوجس منهم, يقول: فأوجس في نفسه إبراهيم من ضيفه خيفة وأضمرها( قَالُوا لا تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلامٍ عَلِيمٍ ) يعني: بإسحاق, وقال: عليم بمعنى عالم إذا كبر, وذكر الفراء أن بعض المشيخة كان يقول: إذا كان للعلم منتظرًا قيل: إنه لعالم عن قليل وغاية, وفي السيد سائد, والكريم كارم. قال: والذي قال حسن. قال: وهذا أيضا كلام عربيّ حسن قد قاله الله في عليم وحكيم وميت.ورُوي عن مجاهد في قوله ( بِغُلامٍ عَلِيمٍ ) ما حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أَبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد, في قوله ( بِغُلامٍ عَلِيمٍ ) قال: إسماعيل.وإنما قلت: عنى به إسحاق, لأن البشارة كانت بالولد من سارّة, وإسماعيل لهاجَر لا لسارّة.

" فأوجس منهم خيفةً قالوا لا تخف وبشروه بغلام عليم "

فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ (28(والفاء في { فأوجس منهم خيفة } فصيحة لإفصاحها عن جملة مقدرة يقتضيها ربط المعنى ، أي فلم يأكلوا فأوجس منهم خيفة ، كقوله : { أن اضرب بعصاك البحر فانفلق } [ الشعراء : 63 ] ، وقد صرح بذلك في سورة هود { فلما رأى أيديهم لا تصل إليه ( أي إلى العجل ( نِكرهم وأوجس منهم خيفة } [ هود : 70 ] .و { أوجس } أحس في نفسه ولم يُظهر ، وتقدم نظيره في سورة هود . وقولهم له { لا تخف } لأنهم علموا ما في نفسه مما ظهر على ملامحه من الخوف ، وتقدم نظيره في سورة هود .والغلام الذي بَشروه به هو إسحاق لأنه هو ابن سارة ، وهو الذي وقعت البشارة به في هذه القصة في التوراة ، ووصف هنا ب { عليم } ، وأما الذي ذُكرت البشارة به في سورة الصافات ( 101 ( فهو إسماعيل ووُصف ب { حليم } ولذلك فامرأة إبراهيم الحادث عنها هنا هي سارة ، وهي التي ولدت بعد أن أيست ، أما هاجر فقد كانت فتاةً ولَدت في مقتبل عمرها .

[فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً } حين رأى أيديهم لا تصل إليه، { قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ } وأخبروه بما جاؤوا له { وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ } وهو: إسحاق عليه السلام.

قوله تعالى : فأوجس منهم خيفة أي أحس منهم في نفسه خوفا . وقيل : أضمر لما لم يتحرموا بطعامه . ومن أخلاق الناس أن من تحرم بطعام إنسان أمنه . وقال عمرو بن دينار : [ ص: 44 ] قالت الملائكة : لا نأكل إلا بالثمن . قال : كلوا وأدوا ثمنه . قالوا : وما ثمنه ؟ قال : تسمون الله إذا أكلتم وتحمدونه إذا فرغتم . فنظر بعضهم إلى بعض وقالوا : لهذا اتخذك الله خليلا . وقد تقدم هذا في " هود " ولما رأوا ما بإبراهيم من الخوف قالوا " لا تخف " وأعلموه أنهم ملائكة الله ورسله .وبشروه بغلام عليم أي بولد يولد له من سارة زوجته . وقيل : لما أخبروه أنهم ملائكة لم يصدقهم ، فدعوا الله فأحيا العجل الذي قربه إليهم . وروى عون بن أبي شداد : أن جبريل مسح العجل بجناحه ، فقام يدرج حتى لحق بأمه وأم العجل في الدار . ومعنى " عليم " أي يكون بعد بلوغه من أولي العلم بالله وبدينه . والجمهور على أن المبشر به هو إسحاق . وقال مجاهد وحده : هو إسماعيل وليس بشيء فإن الله تعالى يقول : وبشرناه بإسحاق وهذا نص .

In these verses that scene has been described in which angels came to Abraham in order to give him the good news of his having children in his old age. Abraham was born in ancient Iraq. For a long time he preached to his people about the Unity of God and the Hereafter. But, except for his wife and nephew, Lot, nobody was ready to accept his word, until he reached old age. Now, in order to ensure the continuance of his mission, the second alternative was that he should have children who should be properly brought up by him. There is a blood relationship between father and son, which is a powerful factor in keeping a son attached to his father and make him like-minded whatever the conditions. Almighty God granted Abraham two sons in his old age. One was Isaac (Ishaq), through whom the preaching of the Unity of God continued among the Children of Israel. The second was Ishmael (Isma‘il), through whom a race was brought into being which was to support the Last of the Prophets in fulfilling his historic mission.

فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً (So he felt some fear in his heart...51:28). When the guests did not eat the food, the Holy Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) conceived fear of them. In those days it was the custom of the noble people to entertain the guests who were expected to accept the hospitality of the host. If they did not, the host would become apprehensive that there is some danger afoot - probably they are enemies who came to cause some kind of trouble for them. In those days, even the rogues and wrongdoers had the noble quality that they would not cause any harm to anyone whose food they had eaten. Hence refusing to eat was a sign of hostility or danger.

(Then he conceived a fear of them) Abraham concealed his fear of them when they did not eat his food. He thought they were thieves. This is because, in his time, to eat of the food of another person was a sign of coming with a good intention. When the angels realised his fear. (They said: Fear not!) Fear us not, O Abraham! We are the messengers of your Lord (and gave him tidings of (the birth of) a wise son) a son who is wise in his childhood, great when he grows older: this is Isaac.

The Guests of the Prophet Ibrahim We mentioned this story before in Surah Hud and Al-Hijr. Allah said, هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ (Has the story reached you, of the honored guests of Ibrahim), whom Ibrahim honored and who, قَالُواْ سَلَـماً قَالَ سَلَـمٌ (they said: "Salaman!" He answered: "Salamun.") وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ (When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it, or return it equally.)(4:86) So the Friend of Allah chose a better reply in return for their greeting, implementing Allah's command: Reciprocating the greeting with the term Salamun is stronger than the greeting using the term Salaman. The three angels; Jibril, Mika'il and Israfil came to Ibrahim in the image of handsome young wonderfully graceful men. This is why Ibrahim said, قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ (You are a people unknown to me.) Allah the Exalted said, فَرَاغَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ (Then he turned to his household,) Ibrahim discretely went inside in haste, فَجَآءَ بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ (and brought out a roasted calf.) from the best of his menu, And in another Ayah فَمَا لَبِثَ أَن جَآءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيذٍ (And he hastened to entertain them with a roasted calf.) (11:69) means roasted on hot coals فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ (And placed it before them), brought it close to them, قَالَ أَلاَ تَأْكُلُونَ (Saying, "Will you not eat") Ibrahim said this polite and kind statement to his guests, and surely, this Ayah indicates proper manners for honoring guests. For he brought the food to his guests quickly, while they were unaware that it was being prepared for them. He did not first mention this favor to them by saying, "We will make food for you." Rather, he discretely had it prepared and placed before them. He prepared the best kind of food he had, a young, fat roasted calf. He did not place the food far from them and invite them to come close to it to eat. Rather, he placed it close to them and refrained from ordering them to eat. Instead he invited them using a kind and subtle invitation, أَلا تَأْكُلُونَ (Will you not eat) This statement is similar to one of us saying to a guest, "Would you be kind and generous to do such and such" Allah the Exalted said, فَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً (Then he conceived fear of them.) this Ayah is explained by Allah's statement, فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَيْدِيَهُمْ لاَ تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً قَالُواْ لاَ تَخَفْ إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَى قَوْمِ لُوطٍ وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَآئِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ (But when he saw their hands went not towards it, he mistrusted them, and felt a sense of fear of them. They said: "Fear not, we have been sent against the people of Lut." And his wife was standing (there), and she laughed.)(11:70-71), meaning, she was glad that the people of Lut would be destroyed on account of their rebellion and transgression against Allah, the Exalted. This is when the angels delivered the good news to her of a son, Ishaq, and Ya`qub after Ishaq, قَالَتْ يوَيْلَتَا ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَاْ عَجُوزٌ وَهَـذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا إِنَّ هَـذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌ - قَالُواْ أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَـتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَّجِيدٌ (She said: "Woe unto me! Shall I bear a child while I am an old woman, and here is my husband an old man Verily, this is a strange thing!" They said, "Do you wonder at the decree of Allah The mercy of Allah and His blessings be on you, O family of the house. Surely, He (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.")(11:72-73) Allah said here; وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَـمٍ عَلَيمٍ (And they gave him glad tidings of a son having knowledge.) This news was as good to Ibrahim as it was to his wife, for this son would be theirs, and therefore, they both were getting some good news. Allah the Exalted said, فَأَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَتُهُ فِى صَرَّةٍ (Then his wife came forward with a loud voice), She screamed loudly, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Salih, Ad-Dahhak, Zayd bin Aslam, Ath-Thawri and As-Suddi. She said when she shouted, يوَيْلَتَا (Ah! Woe to me!)(25:28), then, فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا (she smote her face,) meaning, she struck herself upon her forehead, according to Mujahid and Ibn Sabit. Ibn `Abbas said that she smacked her face just as women do when confronted with an amazing thing, وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ (and said: "A barren old woman!") meaning, "How can I give birth while I am an old woman And even when I was young I was barren and could not have children," قَالُواْ كَذَلِكِ قَالَ رَبُّكِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْعَلِيمُ (They said: "Even so says your Lord. Verily, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knower"), `He is the All-Knower of the honor that you are worthy of and He is the most Wise in His statements and decisions.'