And Qatadah said: She laughed at the heedlessness of Lot’s people and the nearness of the punishment that was to come upon them.

Muqatil and al-Kalbi said: She laughed at Abraham’s fear of three [men in his house] (1), although he was surrounded by his servants and retainers.

It was also said: She laughed out of joy at the good news.

Ibn ‘Abbas and Wahb said: She laughed in amazement that she should have a child despite her advanced age and that of her husband.

According to this view, the verse involves an inversion in word order. Its intended sense is: “And his wife was standing, so We gave her the good news of Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob. Then she laughed and said, ‘Alas for me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman?’”

Concerning His saying, exalted is He, “So We gave her the good news of Isaac, and after Isaac”: that is, after Isaac, “Jacob.” By this He meant the father of her child; thus, she was given the good news that she would live to see ⦗176/b⦘ her child’s child. Ibn ‘Amir, Hamzah, and Hafs recited “Jacob” in the accusative: that is, “and after Isaac, Jacob.” It was also said that this is due to an implied verb, meaning: “And We bestowed upon him [afterward] (2) Jacob.” The remaining reciters read it in the nominative, on the basis of an omitted preposition. It was also said: “And after Isaac, Jacob will come to be.” Thus, when she was given the good news of the child, she laughed and struck her face—that is, she slapped her face in amazement.