The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 404
CH. 15 AL-HIJR 55. "He said, 'Do you give me the glad tidings in spite of the fact that old age has overtaken me? Of what then you give me the glad tidings?'1758 PT. 14 قَالَ اَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَى أَنْ مَّسَّنِيَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ قَالُوا بَشَّرْتكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُنْ مِنَ have. القَطِينَ 56. They said, 'We indeed, given thee glad tidings in truth; be not therefore of those who despair. '1759 "11:73. anxiety they had caused to Abraham they tried to allay it by saying that he need have no personal fear because for him they had brought nothing but glad tidings that related to the birth of an enlightened son. Abraham and Lot were strangers in Canaan their home at this time- having migrated from Ur of the Chaldees i. e. Iraq (Gen. 11:27, 28 & 12:4, 5). Seeing that it might cause Lot great grief to leave his present habitation, God revealed His wish to these men who apparently were native inhabitants of the country and sent them with the message to Lot so that they might advise him how to shift to another place and might console and comfort him. The reason why the glad tidings about the birth of a son who shall be endowed with knowledge was given on this occasion is that, as Abraham was sure to be grieved at hearing of the impending destruction of the people of Lot, therefore by way of consolation he was told beforehand that, in place of the ignorant and disbelieving people who were going to be destroyed, an enlightened son, who would be the progenitor of a great nation, would be born to him. These words may also have been intended to refer to the fact that the promised son would be a Prophet, for, in the terminology of the Quran, knowledge and wisdom also denote spiritual knowledge and wisdom. 1758. Commentary: divine (of what then) is the abbreviated form of which is formed of three words i. e. and and 6 meaning respectively "then," "of" and "what. " Commentary: Abraham felt that the news of the In view of his advanced age, birth of a son to him must have had its basis in Divine revelation. So, in order to make sure, he asked the messengers to tell him on what authority they gave him these glad tidings. The words not only mean, "Of what then you give me the glad tidings?" but also, "What is the basis of your glad tidings?" 1759. Commentary: 1612 In answer to Abraham the