Part of the reflective project: When the Solution Is the Impossible (4)
Dr Faid Mohammed Said
Among the most profound Qur’anic narratives that expose the fragility of worldly causes before divine power is the story of the glad tidings given to Abraham and Sarah (peace be upon them) of a child.
It is a story that dismantles all human calculations and transcends biological laws, teaching us that the law of God stands above the laws of nature, and that divine power surpasses the familiar patterns of the universe whenever He wills.
This is not merely the account of a late birth. Rather, it is a reconfiguration of what is deemed possible and impossible—a redefinition of hope after all its doors appear closed, and a reminder that time does not weaken God, age does not limit His will, appearances do not restrain His decree, and divine generosity cannot be measured by human standards.
- The Moment the Miracle Begins: The Visit of the Angels
The Qur’anic scene opens with an extraordinary visit to Abraham (peace be upon him). Angels appear in human form and are welcomed into his home, where he offers them food—an image that embodies prophetic hospitality. Yet their hands do not reach for the meal.
A sense of unease overtakes Abraham, for one who neither eats nor drinks is not human. The guests then reassure him:
“Do not fear; we have been sent to the people of Lot.”
Once fear subsides, the glad tidings are delivered:
“And they gave him glad tidings of a knowledgeable son.”
No prelude. No gradual preparation. A single statement alters the course of an entire family—and reshapes humanity’s understanding of hope itself.
To grasp the magnitude of the miracle, one must consider the context:
Abraham was of advanced age.
Sarah was an elderly woman.
And Sarah, as the Qur’an explicitly states, was barren.
Years had passed without a child.
By all earthly measures, there was no probability, no opportunity, no trace of hope.
And here the governing principle of the entire project becomes clear:
When the solution becomes impossible, God begins to write the solution.
- Sarah’s Astonishment: The Astonishment of Nature Itself
Sarah (peace be upon her) hears the announcement from behind a screen. When its meaning becomes clear, her instinctive reaction is captured vividly by the Qur’an:
“Then his wife came forward with a cry, struck her face, and said: ‘An old, barren woman!’”
This statement encapsulates the logic of nature itself:
Old age + barrenness = impossibility.
The sudden cry expresses shock; striking the face reflects astonishment and disbelief. It is a profoundly human moment, revealing how people instinctively measure reality by what is known, tested, and governed by familiar laws.
Yet divine power is not subject to such measures.
The response that follows distills the entire philosophy of faith:
“Do you wonder at the command of God?”
As though the Qur’an is saying:
Human astonishment arises when reason sets the scale—but God’s power is not weighed by reason, science, or years.
If birth astonishes you, then the true astonishment is imagining that anything can limit God’s command.
- Why Does the Glad Tidings Come at the End of Life?
This question touches the heart of the story’s wisdom.
Why was Abraham and Sarah not granted a child in their youth?
Why did Isaac come at a stage when childbirth no longer occurs naturally?
Because God intended to teach the reader a lesson:
Some provisions do not arrive when you are strong—but when you are stripped of strength.
They do not come when you are capable—but when your capacity is exhausted.
They do not arrive when you expect them—but when you have forgotten them.
Had the child come at forty, it would have seemed natural.
At fifty, unusual but conceivable.
But when a child arrives at seventy or eighty, divine power stands exposed—unclothed of causes and free from human planning.
This is the essence of the “impossible solution”:
A solution that reveals who acts, not how it occurs.
- The Glad Tidings and the Mission of Prophethood
Isaac was not an ordinary child. He was part of a divine design:
To carry the message after his father.
To become the origin of a lineage of great prophets.
To symbolize the continuity of guidance.
Hence the Qur’anic wording:
“We give you glad tidings of a knowledgeable son.”
Not merely a son—but one endowed with knowledge, bearing the light of revelation.
Had Isaac been born through ordinary means, people might have assumed that prophethood is tied to natural strength or biological inheritance. Instead, God anchored the message in divine choice rather than human capacity.
As the Qur’an declares elsewhere:
“God knows best where to place His message.”
- The Relationship Between Time and Destiny
One of the great lessons of prophetic narratives is that time does not govern destiny.
For humans, time diminishes possibility:
Strength wanes with age.
Hope erodes with delay.
Provision seems unlikely when it is late.
But God teaches us that time is created—while destiny transcends time.
It does not matter how many years have passed.
How long the doors remained closed.
How often hope was declared dead.
God can grant in a single moment what was withheld for decades.
Thus the glad tidings came at a time when neither Abraham nor Sarah was even thinking of a child. The child here is not merely a birth—but a declaration of divine power.
- Lessons from Sarah: From Barrenness to Certainty
Sarah was a righteous and believing woman, yet her humanity appears in her words:
“Shall I give birth while I am old?”
The Qur’an does not conceal such moments, for they are meant to teach us that faith does not eliminate surprise—but it disciplines surprise once divine power is recalled.
Hence the angelic reply:
“Do you wonder at the command of God?”
If the matter were human, astonishment would be justified.
But since it is divine, astonishment itself becomes the true surprise.
It is a gentle yet profound spiritual correction—one that cultivates humility before divine omnipotence.
- A Glad Tidings from Which a Nation Is Born
When reading the story of delayed birth, one must look beyond the moment itself:
Isaac.
Then Jacob.
Then Joseph.
Then a succession of prophets.
Then an entire nation entrusted with revelation.
All of this spiritual history began with an elderly woman striking her face in astonishment.
Thus God fashions nations from moments that appear small, and great narratives begin in modest settings: a quiet home, a group of guests, a whispered promise, two hearts that believe life has settled into stillness.
- What Does This Scene Say to Us Today?
It tells us:
Do not despair because of your age.
Do not abandon supplication because of time.
Do not say, “It is too late.”
Do not confine God’s power within medical formulas.
God is able to open a door at the very moment you believe no door exists.
This story is not for two elderly figures alone—it is for every soul:
For those who waited long for provision.
For those deprived of children.
For those who lost opportunities.
For those before whom doors were shut.
For those who feel time has frozen.
Time does not restrain God.
Age does not block relief.
Causes are not the source of power—they are merely its veil.
- The Greatest Lesson: The Impossible Is God’s Language of Power
Just as the splitting of the sea proclaimed divine power, and Zamzam proclaimed divine power, so too did the birth of Isaac.
At times, God delays provision until apparent despair sets in—then grants it from where none expect—so that it becomes clear:
God alone is the Giver.
Causes are instruments, not origins.
Divine will transcends calculation.
And the impossible is often the closest gateway to divine power.
For this reason, the glad tidings came precisely when they did—to declare to every heart thereafter:
Nothing is impossible with God.
- Conclusion: When Destiny Smiles After Long Waiting
Sarah’s story is not merely about childbirth.
It is about destiny smiling after long tears.
About light appearing late in life.
About an opening that arrives when one assumes life has stabilized without change.
About hope that never dies as long as God is the Ever-Living, the Sustainer.
Whenever we say:
Time is over.
The opportunity has passed.
Nothing remains of life.
It is too late.
The Qur’an responds:
“Too late” is a human phrase—nothing is ever too late with God.
When God decrees relief, He decrees it in ways beyond imagination, at times least expected, through paths never anticipated.
Thus the angels concluded with a statement that, if truly contemplated, would transform one’s life:
“Indeed, He is Praiseworthy, Glorious.”
He bestows beauty in His giving, honors His servants, brings forth the impossible, and grants beyond what is asked—
for He is Praiseworthy in His generosity and Glorious in His power.
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