Adh-Dhariyat · Makki · ayah 31 of 60

Adh-Dhariyat 51:31

۞ قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ

“[Abraham] said, "Then what is your business [here], O messengers?"”

Saheeh International

Essence

Once he knows who his guests are, Ibrahim asks the one question that matters: what weighty errand has brought you here?

A reflection

Only a weighty matter brings such visitors

Fa-mā khaṭbukum: so what is your errand? The root pictures speech passing to and fro between two. A suitor would stand at a tent door and say khiṭb, I ask; the answer came back, agreed. So a khaṭb is a matter serious enough for such back-and-forth: 'what is your khaṭb?' means what has brought you here. The lexicons establish this.

One classical scholar explains why Ibrahim chose this word rather than 'business' or 'task'. Khaṭb means a grave matter. And the greatness of a matter points to the greatness of whoever is sent to settle it. In one short word Ibrahim was saying: beings like you are only sent for something great. Another commentary paraphrases: your weighty concern, beyond the good news.

Picture a family who see a police car pull up outside their neighbour's house at midnight. Nobody needs to be told it is serious. The visitor tells you the size of the news before a word is spoken.

Ibrahim had already received the joyful part. He sensed there was more, and it would be heavy.

The full entry has 2 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.