Overview (Verses 51 - 56)

Tell them about Abraham’s guests, when they went in to him and said: Peace.’ But he replied: ‘We feel afraid of you.’ They said: Do not be alarmed. We bring you the happy news of the birth of a son to you who will be endowed with knowledge.’ Said he: ‘Do you give me this happy news when I have been overtaken by old age? Of what, then, is your good news?’ They replied: ‘That good news we have given you is the truth. So do not abandon hope.’ He said: ‘Who but a person going far astray abandons hope of His Lord’s grace? (Verses 51-56)

In this account some of the details mentioned in other sūrahs are left out. The angels greet Abraham with a message of peace as they enter, but he tells them he is apprehensive about them. The sūrah does not mention the reason for his fear, nor does it mention that he placed a roasted calf before them, as mentioned in Sūrah 11, Hūd. There we are told: “When he saw that their hands did not reach out to it, he felt their conduct strange and became apprehensive of them.” (11: 70) The point of emphasis here is that God’s grace is always bestowed on God’s servants, as made clear by His messengers. Hence the details of Abraham’s story are of little importance. “They said: ‘Do not be alarmed. We bring you the happy news of the birth of a son to you who will be endowed with knowledge.” (Verse 53) The sūrah outlines this happy news without much detail of what else took place.

Here also we have Abraham’s reply, without mentioning his wife and her intervention in the discussion that ensued: “Said he: ‘Do you give me this happy news when I have been overtaken by old age? Of what, then, is your good news?” (Verse 54) First Abraham feels it unlikely that he would be given a son at his old age, particularly with his wife also being old and barren as mentioned in other sūrahs. Therefore, the angels remind him of the truth: “They replied: ‘That good news we have given you is the truth. So do not abandon hope.’“ (Verse 55) Abraham immediately returns to his normal hopeful self, stating that he never lost hope of God’s grace: “He said: ‘Who but a person going far astray abandons hope of His Lord’s grace?” (Verse 56)

Here we note a reference to God’s grace in Abraham’s reply, which fits with the beginning. An emphasis is also placed here on the fact that only those who go far astray despair of God’s grace. They go far away from the road God has laid down for people to traverse, so they do not feel His mercy, compassion and care which He bestows on all His servants. On the other hand, a person whose heart is full of faith will never despair of God’s grace, no matter what hardship and difficulties he is called on to endure. Even in the thickness of darkness and the gloom of adversity, they feel that God’s grace is close at hand. It will never fail to be bestowed. God has the power to initiate the causes and bring about the results, changing the present and the future.