11018 - Abu 'Abd Allah al-Tehrani informed us in what he wrote to me, Isma'il ibn 'Abd al-Karim told us, 'Abd al-Samad ibn Ma'qil told me, he said: I heard Wahb ibn Munabbih say: When God saw that—meaning the immorality of the people of Lot—God, the Almighty and Majestic, sent the angels to punish them. They came to Abraham, and when he saw them, their appearance and beauty struck him with awe. They greeted him and sat with him. He rose to bring the calf near to them, so they said, "Stay where you are." He said, "No, let me bring you what is appropriate for you, for you have a right; no one has ever come to us more deserving of honor than you." He ordered a fat calf, and it was roasted for them (i.e., grilled), then he brought the food to them. When he saw that their hands did not reach it, he distrusted them and felt from them fear, and Sarah was behind the door listening.

His saying, the Exalted: "And his wife was standing."

[The First Aspect]

11019 - 'Umar ibn al-'Abbas, client of the Banu Hashim, told us, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Salamah told us, Salamah told us, from Muhammad ibn Ishaq: "They said, 'Do not fear. Indeed, we have been sent to the people of Lot.' And his wife was standing," she laughed because she understood what God's command was, and because of what she knew of the people of Lot.

The Second Aspect:

11020 - My father told us, Muhammad ibn Sa'id al-Nahwi told us, Hajjaj ibn Muhammad said, from Ibn Jurayj, from Mujahid, regarding His saying: "And his wife was standing," he said: In service to the guests of Abraham, may God bless him and grant him peace.

His saying, the Exalted: "And she laughed."

11021 - Yazdad ibn 'Umar al-Hamadhani told us, al-'Ala ibn 'Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Sawiyah told us, 'Abd al-Samad ibn 'Ali al-Hashimi told us, from his father, from his grandfather—meaning Ibn 'Abbas—regarding His saying: "And his wife was standing and she laughed," he said: She menstruated.

His saying, the Exalted: "And We gave her good tidings of Isaac."

11022 - Abu Zur'ah told us, Safwan told us, al-Walid told us, Sa'id ibn Bishr told us, from Qatadah, regarding His saying: "And We gave her good tidings of Isaac"—meaning her son.

11023 - My father told us, Shu'ayb ibn Shu'ayb ibn Ishaq told us, Abu al-Mughirah told us, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Maryam told us, Damrah ibn Habib told me that when the messengers gave Sarah the good tidings of Isaac, he said: While she was walking and talking to them, she felt the menstruation, so she menstruated before she conceived Isaac. Thus, it was from what she said to the messengers when they gave her the good tidings of Isaac: "I was young and Abraham was young, yet I did not conceive. So now that I have grown old and he has grown old, shall I bear a child?" They said: "Do you wonder at that, O Sarah? For God has done for you what is greater than that. Indeed, God has placed His mercy and His blessings upon you, O people of the House. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy, Glorious."