The Qur’an

“Abraham Meets the Lord in Mamre”

Sura 11

The Holy Prophet

69. And certainly Our messengers came to Ibrahim with good news. They said: Peace. Peace, said he, and he made no delay in bringing a roasted calf.
70. But when he saw that their hands were not extended towards it, he deemed them strange and conceived fear of them. They said: Fear not, surely we are sent to Lut’s people.
71. And his wife was standing (by), so she laughed, then We gave her the good news of Ishaq and after Ishaq of (a son’s son) Yaqoub.
72. She said: O wonder! shall I bear a son when I am an extremely old woman and this my husband an extremely old man? Most surely this is a wonderful thing.
73. They said: Do you wonder at Allah’s bidding? The mercy of Allah and His blessings are on you, O people of the house, surely He is Praised, Glorious.
74. So when fear had gone away from Ibrahim and good news came to him, he began to plead with Us for Lut’s people.
75. Most surely Ibrahim was forbearing, tender-hearted, oft-returning (to Allah):

Sura 51

The Scatterers

24. Has there come to you information about the honored guests of Ibrahim?
25. When they entered upon him, they said: Peace. Peace, said he, a strange people.
26. Then he turned aside to his family secretly and brought a fat (roasted) calf,
27. So he brought it near them. He said: What! will you not eat?
28. So he conceived in his mind a fear on account of them. They said: Fear not. And they gave him the good news of a boy possessing knowledge.
29. Then his wife came up in great grief, and she struck her face and said: An old barren woman!
30. They said: Thus says your Lord: Surely He is the Wise, the Knowing.
31. He said: What is your affair then, O messengers!
32. They said: Surely we are sent to a guilty people,
33. That we may send down upon them stone of clay,
34. Sent forth from your Lord for the extravagant.
35.Then We brought forth such as were therein of the believers.
36. But We did not find therein save a (single) house of those who submitted (the Muslims).

The Bible

“Abraham Meets the Lord in Mamre”

Genesis

Chapter 18

1. And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2. And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3. And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4. Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9. And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10. And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11. Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13. And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14. Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

COMMENTARY

In the Qur’an:

1. A few of Allah’s messengers came to Ibrahim.

2. Ibrahim offered them a meal, but they did not eat.

3. Ibrahim’s wife loudly expressed her disbelief regarding her future pregnancy.

In the Bible:

1. God Himself, accompanied by two angels, met with Abraham.

2. Abraham offered them a meal, and they ate it.

3. Sara “laughed to herself” when she heard about a boy she would bring forth, and was afraid to acknowledge her quiet disbelief in God’s promise.