فَأَقْبَلَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ فِى صَرَّةٍ فَصَكَّتْ وَجْهَهَا وَقَالَتْ عَجُوزٌ عَقِيمٌ 29
Translations
And his wife approached with a cry [of alarm] and struck her face and said, "[I am] a barren old woman!"
Transliteration
Fa-aqbalati imra'atuhu fi sarrah fa-sakkat wajhaha wa-qalat 'ajuzun 'aqimun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes Sarah's (wife of Prophet Abraham) reaction upon hearing the glad tidings of a son in her old age. When she heard the news, she came forward in astonishment, struck her face in disbelief, and exclaimed that she was an old, barren woman—seemingly impossible circumstances for bearing a child. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as an expression of amazement at the divine promise rather than disbelief, since Sarah was a righteous believer; her reaction reflected human wonder at the miraculous nature of God's decree overriding the laws of nature.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Abraham's guests (the angels) in Surah Adh-Dhariyat, which recalls the story from multiple surahs (11:69-73, 15:51-56). The context is Meccan revelation addressing the polytheists' denial of resurrection and divine power, using Abraham's story as evidence that Allah's promises are certain and His power transcends natural limitations.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (3331): The Prophet Muhammad mentioned that Sarah laughed when she heard the news of Isaac, and the Quran uses this to demonstrate the power of Allah over all things. Also relevant is the general hadith on tawakkul (trust in Allah) found throughout the Sunnah, exemplified by Abraham and Sarah's patient reliance on Allah's promise.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that seemingly impossible circumstances are never beyond Allah's power, and that expressing amazement at divine miracles is natural human response that does not negate faith. For believers today, it reinforces trust that Allah's promises transcend our understanding of possibility, and that we should rely on His wisdom even when circumstances appear hopeless.