When idh is an adverbial qualifier of hadīthu dayfi ‘the story of the guests’ they entered upon him and said ‘Peace!’ — in other words they said these very words. He said ‘Peace!’ — also these very words — These are an unfamiliar folk whom we do not know — he said this to himself qawmun munkarūna is the predicate of an implicit subject such as hā’ūlā’i ‘these are’.
- 51:2525
إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا ۖ قَالَ سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُنْكَرُونَ
When they came to him, they said: "Peace." He answered: "Peace." They were a people he did not recognise.
- common.revelation-Meccan
- common.hizb : 208