Food brought near
The prepared food is positioned close to the guests—clear, respectful hospitality.
فَقَرَّبَهُ إِلَيْهِمْ قَالَ أَلَا تَأْكُلُونَ
“So (then), he brought it close to them. He said: Are you not going to eat?”
Scene focus
Food is placed right before the guests. Despite this generous hospitality, they show no interest, and the host asks: “Are you not going to eat?”
Polite question
The host voices a courteous invitation: “Are you not going to eat?”
Best preparation
The host had prepared the best food, underscoring sincere and generous hospitality.
No interest shown
The guests show no sign of eating the food placed before them.
Host’s invitation
The question highlights the unusual silence and invites them—again—to eat.
Why the moment is striking
The guests were unrecognised to begin with, and now they refuse to engage with the offered food. This combination adds to their strangeness.
Notable: Unrecognised guests + no eating → heightened strangeness
Build-up
Unrecognised guests
They are visitors whom the host did not know or recognise.
Hospitality offered
The best food is brought close—clear readiness to serve.
No sign of eating
Despite the offering, the guests show no interest in the food.
Courteous question
“Are you not going to eat?”—drawing attention to the unusual response.
Contrasts made clear
- Prepared vs. Unreceived: Best food offered, yet no interest shown.
- Nearness vs. Distance: Food is brought close; the guests remain disengaged.
- Courtesy vs. Silence: The host speaks kindly; the guests’ lack of eating stands out.
Hospitality central
Generous offering and respectful etiquette anchor the scene.
Unusual non-response
Their lack of engagement with the food is explicit and telling.
Strangeness heightens
Unrecognised guests compounded by their refusal to eat intensifies the strangeness.