Tafseer of The Winnowing Winds · Adh-Dhaariyat · 51:25
When they entered upon him and said, "[We greet you with] peace." He answered, "[And upon you] peace, [you are] a people unknown.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His words إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ ("when they entered upon him") (51:25), He says: when the guests of Ibrāhīm (Abraham) entered upon him, and they said to him: "salāman" — that is to say: they greeted with a greeting (salām) — he said: "salām".
The Qurʾān reciters differ in the reading of it. Most of the reciters of Medina and Basra read it as سَلامٌ ("salām") with the alif, with the meaning: Ibrāhīm said to them: "peace be upon you" (salām ʿalaykum). And most of the reciters of Kufa read it as سِلْمٌ ("silm") without the alif, with the meaning: he said: you are peace (silm).
And His words قَوْمٌ مُنْكَرُونَ ("you are an unknown people"), He says: a people whom we do not know. And "qawmun munkarūn" is in the nominative with an omitted (implied) "antum" (you are).
