Ebrāhīm and The Messengers – Part I

 

[Has there reached you the story of the honoured guests of Ebrāhīm?] adh-Dhāriyāt:24

The honoured guests of Ebrāhīm were a group of Angels and Messengers of Allāh who had appeared in the form of men.

Tafsīr al-Jalālayn suggests that their number might have been 12, 10 or three, amongst them were Jibrīl and Mīkā`īl, ‘alayhim as-salām.

Further down in the sūrah we learn that these Angels were on their way to Qawm Lūṭ (people of Lūṭ) with promises of an imminent punishment from Allāh. But before heading there, they had a special message for Ebrāhīm ‘alayhis salām.

Mujāhid, a commentator of tafsīr, explains, “They’re called honourable (al-mukrimīn) because Prophet Ebrāhīm serves them personally.”

Now remember this, I’m going to post some reflections from this sūrah later on, and this information is necessary to understand them. =)