[2573] The Message from God Almighty is mercy to humans (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī).
[2574] For more of the miracle of the she-camel and the story of Ṣāliḥ in general, see 7: 73-79.
[2575] “He said: “Here is a she-camel ˹as a Sign for you˺. She will have her turn to drink as you have yours, each on an appointed day. *And touch her not with harm, lest you be taken by the Punishment of a tremendous day” (26: 155-156).
[2576] This reflective imposition brings relevance from the story of Prophet Ṣāliḥ (عليه السلام) to the adverse circumstances that the Messenger (ﷺ) was enduring.
[2577] The ‘messengers’ spoken of in this passage and the next are angels sent by God for the punishment of Lot’s people; such is their coming upon the wrongful. This is by way of answering the Makkan Deniers’ request for the coming of an angel with the Messenger (ﷺ) (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr). Angels descending to Earth have only one job: to deliver what is ‘true’; “either a Message to a human Messenger or a Punishment from God upon those who Deny it” (Mujāhid, quoted in al-Ṭabarī). “They ˹brashly˺ say: “O you to whom the Reminder is revealed! You must be insane! *Why do you not bring us the angels, if what you say is true?” *We do not send down the angels, save in Truth ˹Punishment˺, and were We to do so, they would be granted no respite!” (15: 6-8).
[2578] The good news that he was about to have children of his own (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Saʿdī, al-Shinqīṭī, Aḍwā’ al-Bayān). However, al-Shinqīṭī, based on Ayas 51: 32-33 and 29: 3, also points out the possibility of this piece of good news being the imminent destruction of the people of Lot, whose sin was of a most singular, earth-shattering nature (for more on them see 7: 80-84), especially as their Messenger Lot (عليه السلام) was Abraham’s own nephew who did not live too far from him at that given time (cf. Ibn Kathīr, Ibn ʿĀshūr). This fact may shed new light on our reading of the passage at hand.
[2579] This greeting is a becoming prelude to good news (cf. Ibn ʿĀshūr); put nicely and simply as a nominal sentence which, in Arabic, is more affirmative than the verbal sentence (cf. Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Abū Ḥayyān) which would also allay fears immediately. People in those times had no cover of protection besides themselves and so they placed great importance on the show of others’ goodwill, especially strangers; a peace greeting put so bore special significance.
[2580] He read their refraining from eating his food as an ill sign of malicious intent as the custom, a kind of chivalric code, was in those societies to distance themselves from ties, which could be as easily established by, for instance, accepting someone’s invitation or eating his food, that could see them morally indebted to the person concerned. If one turned down a good gesture it meant that one did not want peace and/or that one was ungrateful to a benefactor (cf. Ibn ʿĀshur).
[2581] His wife.
[2582] Exegetes have speculated as to why she laughed, but mostly they agree that this was because she wondered at how ignorant she thought the people of Lūṭ were of their imminent fate (cf. al-Ṭabarī), or for her elation at their well-earned doom (cf. Ibn Kathīr).
[2583] She was given the happy news of a child, Isaac, and a grandchild, Jacob (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī), in person and pointedly because she had no children of her own, unlike Abraham (عليه السلام) who had a son, Prophet Ishmael (عليه السلام) through Hagar. This, then, was particularly happy news for Sarah (cf. Abū Ḥayyān).