وَفِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ ﴿۲۱﴾ وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ ﴿۲۲﴾ فَوَرَبِّ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِنَّهُ لَحَقٌّ مِثْلَ مَا أَنَّكُمْ تَنْطِقُونَ ﴿۲۳﴾ هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ ﴿۲۴﴾ إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُنْكَرُونَ ﴿۲۵﴾ فَرَاغَ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ فَجَاءَ بِعِجْلٍ سَمِينٍ ﴿۲۶﴾

﴾21﴿ Wa feee anfusikum; afalaa tubsiroon
﴾22﴿ Wa fissamaaa'i rizqukum wa maa too'adoon
﴾23﴿ Fawa Rabbis samaaa'i wal ardi innahoo lahaqqum misla maa annakum tantiqoon
﴾24﴿ Hal ataaka hadeesu daifi Ibraaheemal mukrameen
﴾25﴿ Iz dakhaloo 'alaihi faqaaloo salaaman qaala salaamun qawmum munkaroon
﴾26﴿ Faraagha ilaaa ahlihee fajaaa'a bi'ijlin sameen

﴾21﴿ And in your own selves as well. Will you not then see
﴾22﴿ And in the sky is your provision and that which you are promised
﴾23﴿ So by the Lord of the heaven and the earth, indeed, this is the truth, just as certain as your own speech
﴾24﴿ Indeed, there came to you the news of the honored guests of Ibrahim (peace be upon him)
﴾25﴿ When they entered upon him, they said, Peace. He replied, Peace be upon you! [You are] a people unknown to me
﴾26﴿ Then he went quietly to his household and brought a roasted calf

[22] This verse presents a rational proof related to the order and system of provision (rizq) — another evidence for resurrection and divine power.
(وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ) — “And in the sky is your provision”:
There are multiple interpretations of this phrase:
1. Rizq refers to the means of provision — such as rain, snow, and winds, all of which descend from the sky and are the cause of sustenance on earth.
2. It may mean that rizq is stored or decreed in the heavens, i.e., with Allah above — He has assigned and distributed sustenance from there.
3. It may also refer to the divine decree (taqdīr) of provision — meaning that all sustenance is preordained and written in the heavenly records.
(وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ) — “And that which you are promised”:
Refers to everything promised by Allah — whether good or bad, reward or punishment — all of which is preordained in the heavens.
Some scholars interpret this specifically as Paradise, which is located in the heavens near Sidrat al-Muntahā.
So, this verse ties worldly provision and eternal reward to the divine system in the heavens, reinforcing the reality of resurrection, reward, and punishment.
[23] This verse serves as a strong emphasis on the certainty of resurrection (baʿth baʿd al-mawt).
It means: The promise of the Day of Judgment is so certain that it is as sure as your own speech — just as you are absolutely certain when you see or feel that words have come out of your mouth.
This powerful analogy is explained by Ibn Kathīr, who says: The certainty of the Resurrection is like your certainty when you utter a word — you know for sure it has come from you without needing proof or evidence.
This shows that belief in the Hereafter should be held with full conviction, not mere assumption or wishful thinking.
[24] From this verse to the end of the surah is the second major section (bāb-e-dowwum), which includes the following structure:
1. Five examples of worldly warnings (takhwīf dunyawī) taken from the events of previous nations.
2. Then, five elevated and lower conditions and other matters are presented as evidences (adillah).
3. After that, the claim of tawḥīd (Oneness of Allah) is made and shirk (polytheism) is refuted.
4. Then comes a rebuke mentioning five traits of the deniers.
5. It ends with consolation (tasliyah) for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the mention of five attributes of Allah.
In verse 24, the story of Prophet Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) is mentioned — as a prelude to the story of Lūṭ (peace be upon him).
(الْمُكْرَمِينَ) — “The honored ones”:
There are several explanations for this:
1. They were angels, and angels are honored by Allah — as mentioned in Surah Anbiyā’ (21:26): “They are honored servants.”
2. Prophet Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) personally served them, showing honor to his guests.
3. They did not demand food greedily, which is a sign of noble character and restraint.
These meanings collectively highlight the nobility of the angels and the hospitality and perception of Prophet Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him).
[25,26] This verse contains important etiquettes of hospitality (ādāb-e-mehmānī) as demonstrated by Prophet Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him):
1. Quick preparation of food — The use of the letter “فـ” in (فَجَاءَ) indicates that he immediately prepared the meal upon their arrival, showing that food preparation should not be delayed.
2. No need to announce the preparation — He did not say, “I will bring you food,” because a guest may decline out of modesty. This teaches that it's better to prepare quietly and serve directly.
3. Haste in serving — There should be urgency in preparing and presenting food, reflecting the host's eagerness to honor the guest.
4. Serving the best food available — Prophet Ibrāhīm served a well-prepared roasted calf, which shows that one should serve the best food one can afford, without going to extremes. Making an effort for the guest, within one’s means, is part of the Sunnah.
5. Placing the food close to the guest — The phrase (فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ) — “he brought it near to them” — highlights that the host should place the food within easy reach of the guests, not make them reach for it.
6. No commanding speech to the guest — Rather than telling them “Eat,” which could sound forceful or rude, he gently said: (أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ) — “Will you not eat?”
This polite question maintains dignity and respects the guest's comfort — an example of refined prophetic etiquette.