من هود
ماذا تفعل لو جاءك ضيفٌ فقدّمتَ له أحسن ما عندك… فلم يمدّ يده إلى الطعام؟ في قصة اليوم حدث هذا في بيت نبيّ. وما جاء بعده غيّر حياة امرأة كانت قد يئست من شيء تتمنّاه منذ سنين.
إبراهيم عليه السلام وامرأته، وقد كبرا في السنّ ولم يُرزقا ولدًا. ولم يذكر القرآن اسمها؛ ذكرها بـ«امرأته»، واسم «سارة» جاءنا من غير القرآن. وكان إبراهيم معروفًا بكرمه حتى سمّى الله ضيوفه في سورة كاملة: ﴿هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ﴾ — فنُسب الضيوف إليه، ووُصفوا بأنهم مكرَمون.
ودخل على إبراهيم ضيوفٌ لا يعرفهم: ﴿فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ سَلَامٌ﴾. فانظر ماذا صنع، فالآيات تصف كل خطوة بكلمة واحدة: ﴿فَرَاغَ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِ﴾ — مضى إليهم في خفية وسرعة حتى لا يشعر الضيف أنه كلّفه شيئًا. ﴿فَجَاءَ بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ﴾ — بأحسن ما عنده، لا بما فضل عنه. ﴿فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ﴾ — قدّمه إليهم ولم يقل لهم: تفضّلوا إلى الطعام. ثلاث خطوات في ثلاث كلمات، وكلها أدبٌ في إكرام الضيف.
فلم يأكلوا. ﴿فَلَمَّا رَأَىٰ أَيْدِيَهُمْ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةً﴾ — أنكرهم وأحسّ في نفسه بخوف. فقالوا: ﴿لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ﴾؛ فهم ملائكة لا يأكلون. ثم: ﴿وَامْرَأَتُهُ قَائِمَةٌ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَاهَا بِإِسْحَاقَ وَمِن وَرَاءِ إِسْحَاقَ يَعْقُوبَ﴾. وانتبه: بشّروها بابن، وبشّروها بحفيدٍ من بعده. رزقُ جيلين في جملة واحدة.
فقالت من شدّة العجب: ﴿يَا وَيْلَتَىٰ أَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا عَجُوزٌ وَهَٰذَا بَعْلِي شَيْخًا إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ﴾. فكان الجواب: ﴿أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ رَحْمَتُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَّجِيدٌ﴾. فوُلد إسحاق، ثم يعقوب، ومن يعقوب جاء يوسف وإخوته. بيتٌ ظنّ أهله أن أمره قد انتهى، خرجت منه أمّة.
قَالَتْ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا۠ عَجُوزٌۭ وَهَـٰذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌۭ11:72
أكرِم ضيفك بأحسن ما عندك، ولا تستبعد شيئًا على رحمة الله.
ذهب إبراهيم إلى أهله في خفية ليحضر الطعام، ولم يسأل ضيوفه: هل تريدون طعامًا؟ لماذا في رأيك فعل ذلك؟
أكرِم اليوم من يزورك أو من يجلس معك بشيء تقدّمه إليه، ولا تنتظر منه أن يطلبه.
القرآن الكريم، سورة هود: 69-73 والذاريات: 24-30
البشارة بإسحاق وضحكها بنص الآيات، والقرآن يسمّيها ﴿امْرَأَتُهُ﴾ ولم يذكر اسم «سارة»؛ الاسم من كتب التفسير.
What would you do if a guest came and you brought out the best you had… and they did not reach for it? In today's story that happened in a prophet's house. And what came next changed the life of a woman who had given up on something she had wanted for years.
Ibrahim and his wife had grown old and had never been given a child. The Quran does not name her; it says "his wife." The name Sarah reaches us from outside the Quran. Ibrahim was known for his generosity, so much so that Allah named his guests in a whole surah: {Has there reached you the story of the honoured guests of Ibrahim?} The guests were attributed to him, and described as honoured.
Guests he did not know came in to Ibrahim: {And they said, peace. He answered, peace.} Look at what he did — the verses describe every step in a single word each: {Then he went to his family} — he slipped away quickly and quietly so the guest would not feel he was putting him to trouble. {And came with a fat roasted calf} — the best he had, not what was left over. {And placed it near them} — he set it beside them rather than saying "come to the table." Three steps in three words, and every one of them a courtesy of hosting.
They did not eat. {But when he saw their hands not reaching for it, he distrusted them and felt from them apprehension.} They said: {Fear not. We have been sent to the people of Lut} — they were angels, who do not eat. Then: {And his wife was standing, and she smiled. Then We gave her good tidings of Ishaq, and after Ishaq, Yaqub.} Notice: they gave her news of a son, and news of a grandson after him. Two generations of provision in one sentence.
She said in astonishment: {Woe to me! Shall I give birth while I am an old woman and this, my husband, is an old man? Indeed, this is an amazing thing.} And the answer came: {Are you amazed at the decree of Allah? May the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, people of the house. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy and Honourable.} Ishaq was born, then Yaqub, and from Yaqub came Yusuf and his brothers. A household whose people thought their line was finished, and a whole nation came out of it.
Honour your guest with the best you have, and never rule anything out of Allah's mercy.
Ibrahim slipped away quietly to prepare the food instead of asking his guests, "would you like something to eat?" Why do you think he did it that way?
Offer something today to whoever visits you or sits with you — bring it to them, and do not wait to be asked.
The Quran, Surah Hud: 69-73 and Adh-Dhariyat: 24-30
The glad tidings of Ishaq and her laughter are in the verses, where she is called his wife; the name Sarah comes from the commentaries, not the Quran.