—the calf is among the very best kinds of meat, for its flesh is tender and flavorful. Next the Almighty says: “He brought it close to them” (Quran 51:27); he did not place it far away and tell them to walk over to the meal, rather he set it right before them.

Then He says: “Will you not eat?” (Quran 51:27). Notice that he did not command them, “Eat.” The particle alā here is one of gentle invitation; he offered them the food without imposing on them.

But the angels did not eat. Angels never eat; they have no stomachs. Allah created them from light as a single, seamless form, and they continually proclaim His glory: “They exalt Him night and day, never flagging” (Quran 21:20). For that reason they did not partake of the food.

“So he felt a fear of them” (Quran 51:28) because they declined to eat. It is said that among the Arabs, if a guest refuses a meal it means he harbors ill intent. Even today, when a guest arrives and does not eat people say, māliḥ—meaning, “Please taste our food.” If he still refuses, they conclude he has come with evil designs. Thus Abraham, peace be upon him, found them unfamiliar and grew apprehensive. They said, “Do not be afraid,” and then explained, “Do not be afraid,” and they gave him glad tidings of “a knowledgeable son” (Quran 51:28), even though he himself was advanced in age and his wife likewise.

“So his wife came forward” when she heard the good news, “with a loud cry” (that is, a shriek of astonishment), “and struck her face” in amazement, saying, “A barren old woman!”—meaning, Shall I give birth when I am an elderly barren woman? The angels replied, “So it shall be; your Lord has said so.” The Lord, Exalted is He, does whatever He wills; when He decrees a thing He only says to it, “Be,” and it is.

Then He says: “Indeed, He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing” (Quran 51:30). Here “the All-Wise” precedes “the All-Knowing,” whereas in many other verses “the All-Knowing” comes first. The reason