Al-Hijr (The Rock)

55. “They (the guests) said: ‘We give you good news of the Truth. Therefore, be you not of the despairing ones’.”

56. “He said: ‘And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray?’”

Let us take didactic lessons, sweet and bitter ones, from history. The best histories are the ones which concern the life of the prophets (as) and the best historians are the prophets themselves.

Sometimes the angels appear in the form of human beings by the Divine Will and get in touch with man, among which one may refer to this very story of Hadrat Abraham (as) in which the angels felt that Abraham became scared.

Therefore, the angels did not give any further chances to Abraham to wonder or hesitate more. They told him explicitly and decisively that they were carrying the news of the Truth to provide him with. The kind of good news coming from Allah, and by His order, is the Truth, and nothing but the truth, that is why it is identical with the Truth and is certain as well.

The verse says:

“They (the guests) said: ‘We give you good news of the Truth…”

Following that and to stress further presuming ‘Ibrahim having not been overtaken by any fear and depression, they declared: Now that such is the case, do not be among the desperate.

The verse continues saying:

“…Therefore, be you not of the despairing ones’.”

Nonetheless, Abraham quickly alienated this thinking from their minds that he might be overtaken by hopelessness from the Divine grace. On the contrary, his sole astonishment concentrated on the issues of natural laws. Therefore, he explicitly stated in an interrogative sentence, implying who on earth despairs from Allah’s grace except those who are misled?

The verse says:

“He said: ‘And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord save those who are astray?’”

These are those seduced people who have not rightly come to know Allah and have not realized the dimensions of His indefinite powers.

That Lord Who creates such an amazing and smashing being called ‘man’ out of some tiny particles of dust, and brings into existence such a prestigious child out of insignificant semen. He Who turns and transforms burning fires into a rose-garden. Who can then doubt the ability of such a Lord or despair from His grace?