Quran Universe
15:52

إِذۡ دَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ فَقَالُواْ سَلَٰمٗا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمۡ وَجِلُونَ

Ith dakhaloo AAalayhi faqaloo salaman qala inna minkum wajiloona

When they entered upon him and said, "Peace." [Abraham] said, "Indeed, we are fearful of you."

Word by word
  1. إِذۡWhen
  2. دَخَلُواْthey entered
  3. عَلَيۡهِupon him
  4. فَقَالُواْand said
  5. سَلَٰمٗاPeace
  6. قَالَHe said
  7. إِنَّاIndeed,we
  8. مِنكُمۡ(are) of you
  9. وَجِلُونَafraid
Al-Hijr · 15:52Makkah

Even a prophet felt afraid, and said so.

Ibrahim and the strangers who would not eat

The moment
the guestssay peace
do not eat
Ibrahimwe are afraid of you
Saying the fear
faith means no fearhide it
name it honestlythen hear the answer

The guests greet Ibrahim with peace. Ibn Kathir says the reason for his fear was that they did not eat the food that was offered, a fattened calf. A host in his culture read that as a bad sign. Ibrahim simply said we are fearful of you.

The doctor walks in with a serious face. Your stomach drops. You want to look calm and strong. Ibrahim, the friend of Allah, said I am afraid out loud. Fear is not a failure of faith.

If I really trusted Allah, I would never feel afraid.

Even Ibrahim felt fear and said so; honesty about fear is part of a living faith.

Try this

Tell Allah plainly about one fear you have today, in your own words.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 15:51)

And tell them about the guests (i. e., the angels) of Ibrahim (51)When they entered upon him, and said: "Salaman (peace!)." He said: "Indeed we are frightened of you. (52)They said: "Do not be afraid! We bring you the good news of a boy possessing much knowledge and wisdom. (53)He said: "Do you give me this good news while old age has overtaken me? Of what then is your news about? (54)They said: "We give you good news in truth. So do not be of those who despair. (55)He said: "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except those who are astray? (56)

The Guests of Ibrahim and their Good News of a Son for Him

Allah is saying: 'Tell them, O Muhammad, about the story of

ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ

(the guests of Ibrahim.)'

دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمْ وَجِلُونَ

(they entered upon him, and said: "Salaman (peace!)." He said: "Indeed we are frightened of you.") meaning that they were scared. The reason for their fear has been mentioned previously, which is that they noticed that these guests did not eat of the food that was offered, which was a fattened calf.

قَالُوا لَا تَوْجَلْ

(They said: "Do not be afraid!...") meaning, do not be scared.

وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ

(We bring you the good news of a boy possessing much knowledge and wisdom.) this refers to Ishaq, as was previously mentioned in Surat Hud. Then

قَالَ

(He said) meaning he spoke with wonder and astonishment, asking for confirmation, because he was old and his wife was old:

أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَىٰ أَن مَّسَّنِيَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ

(Do you give me this good news while old age has overtaken me? Of what then is your news about?) They responded by confirming the good news they had brought, good news after good news:

قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَانِطِينَ

(They said: "We give you good news in truth. So do not be of those who despair.")