The transgressors and the wrongdoers are heedless. They do not think that they will be punished for their crimes and wrongdoings because of their complete indulgence in their whims, their belief that they will not be punished for their sins, and that they think that they can escape Allah’s punishment. They have such an attitude because of their weak understanding and because Satan deceives them. However, the punishment of Allah will inevitably take place no matter how long it may be late. This was the case of the people of Prophet Lot. They transgressed the limits set by Allah, disbelieved in their messenger, and insisted on disbelief. Therefore, Allah punished them severely.
When the messengers came to the folk of Lot, [Q 15: 61]
He said, ‘Indeed, you are an unfamiliar people. [Q 15: 62]
They said, ‘Nay, but we have brought you what they have been doubting. [Q 15:63]
And we have brought you the truth and we are surely truthful. [Q 15: 64]
Set forth with your family during the night and walk behind them. Let not any of you look back and go to where you are commanded.’ [Q15:65]
We revealed to him this decree: ‘The last remnants of those people would be wiped out in the morning.’ [Q15:66]
The people of the city came rejoicing. [Q 15:67]
He said, ‘Indeed, these are my guests. So do not disgrace me. [Q 15: 68]
Fear Allah and do not humiliate me.’ [Q 15: 69]
They said, ‘Have we not forbidden you to entertain anyone?’ [Q 15: 70]
He said, ‘These are my daughters to marry if you want to do so.’
[Q 15: 71]
By your life, indeed they are wandering blindly in their heedlessness. [Q15: 72]
Then the Cry overtook them at sunrise. [Q 15: 73]
We turned it upside down and rained on them stones of baked clay. [Q15:74]
Indeed, in that are signs for those who discern. [Q 15: 75]
Indeed, it is on a frequently trodden road. [Q 15: 76]
Surely in that is a sign for the believers. [Q 15: 77]
Relationship with the Previous Part
After narrating what happened between Prophet Ibrahim and his angelic guests, the surah narrates what happened between the angels and Prophet Lot and what the end of his people was.
Tafsir
When the messengers came to the folk of Lot, [Q 15: 61]
He said, ‘Indeed, you are an unfamiliar people. [Q 15: 62]
After the angelic messengers gave Prophet Ibrahim the good news of the birth of a knowledgeable son and their destination, they left him and went to the city of Prophet Lot and his people.
The angels reached Prophet Lot’s city. When he saw them, he told them that he was unfamiliar with them because he did not see them before as well as he did not know why they came.
Prophet Lot might feel uneasiness when he saw the angels, as he knew the sexual deviation of his people, namely, they were homosexual. He might fear that if his people knew about his guests, they might attack them and he could not defend them. The Quran refers to the anxiety that Prophet Lot felt when the angelic guests visited him, i.e. surah Hud: 77.
They said, ‘Nay, but we have brought you what they have been doubting. [Q 15:63]
And we have brought you the truth and we are surely truthful. [Q 15: 64]
To relieve the fear of Prophet Lot, the angels told him that they did not come to annoy or hurt him. Rather, they came to implement the torment that his deviant people used to doubt and which he used to warn them about. The angels told Prophet Lot that they were truthful about what they told him.
The fact that the angels emphatically told Prophet Lot that they brought him the truth and that they were truthful gives the impression that he was extremely sad when he saw them lest his people might practice homosexual intercourse with his guests and that he could not defend them.
After reassuring Prophet Lot, the angels told him what Allah, Exalted be He, commanded them to inform him.
Set forth with your family during the night and walk behind them. Let not any of you look back and go to where you are commanded.’ [Q15:65]
The angels told Prophet Lot that he should leave the city with his believing followers during the last part of the night. They commanded him to walk behind his followers so that he would be certain that none of them remained behind as well as he would fully take care of them. Moreover, the angels commanded Prophet Lot and his followers not to look back to see the torment that would befall the deviant disobedient people. They were commanded not to look back when leaving the city because a person leaving his hometown usually looks back at it as if he is saying, ‘Goodbye.’
[…and go to where you are commanded.]
The angels instructed Prophet Lot and his followers to go to the place where they were commanded to go. It was said that they were commanded to go to ash-Sham. Jordan or Egypt. In fact, there is no authentic narration that informs about the place where Prophet Lot and his followers were commanded to go.
We revealed to him this decree: ‘The last remnants of those people would be wiped out in the morning.’ [Q15:66]
‘We revealed to him this decree.’ refers to the command to destroy the people of Lot.
Allah revealed to Prophet Lot that He decreed that the disbelievers among his people would be destroyed in the morning. The torment of Allah would wipe out them and no one of them would remain.
The context of the surah mentions first the punishment that would befall the people of Prophet Lot and their annihilation. Then it continues mentioning what happened when the people of Prophet Lot saw his guests.
When the people of Prophet Lot heard about the coming of young handsome guests to Prophet Lot, they were greatly happy and excited about the enticing game they found.
The people of the city came rejoicing. [Q 15:67]
‘The people of the city’ refers to the inhabitants of Sodom, the city of the people of Prophet Lot. When the people of Prophet Lot knew about the coming of young guests to the house of Prophet Lot, they went there rejoicing.
Their reaction indicates that they reached an extreme extent of corruption, depravation, and deviation. They reached such a very low degree of immorality that they did not go to commit abominable obscenity individually. Rather, they all went together, rejoicing as if they found unlosable spoils.
What was the reason for their rejoice and going to the house of Prophet Lot? It was committing a repugnant obscenity that no community committed before them, namely, homosexual intercourse. Indeed, when human souls become dissolute, they publicly commit lewd acts just like animals.
Prophet Lot stood hopelessly before his people’s deviation, trying to protect his guests from their evils.
He said, ‘Indeed, these are my guests. So do not disgrace me.’ [Q 15: 68]
Fear Allah and do not humiliate me.’ [Q 15: 69]
The people of Lot came hurriedly to his house when they knew about his guests to commit homosexual intercourse with them. Thus, Prophet Lot said, ‘O my people! These are my guests whom I should protect. Go out of my house. Do not disgrace me by attempting to commit homosexual intercourse with them. Fear Allah and do not humiliate me, as I am unable to protect them. You know that the honor of the guest is part of the honor of his host. Fear Allah lest His punishment should befall you.’
Prophet Lot said, ‘my guests’ since he did not know that his guests were angels who came in the form of human beings.
Instead of awakening traces of magnanimity in the souls of Lot’s people by his earnest appeal, they shamelessly reprimanded Prophet Lot for hosting those men. They reacted with him as if he was the criminal, who prepared the crime scene and forcefully drove them to commit it.
They said, ‘Have we not forbidden you to entertain anyone?’ [Q 15: 70]
The interrogation is for criticism. Insolently, the people of Lot said, ‘Have we not forbidden you to entertain anyone in your house? Have we not forbidden you to prevent us from practicing sex with men? How do you dare to prevent us from what we want to do with your guests though you know what we want from them?’
Indeed, their reaction is the usual reaction of the tyrants everywhere throughout history. They shamelessly blame the righteous for their upright conduct as if they were the wrongdoers.
Though the statement of Lot’s people was heinous, he did not lose hope and tried his best to defend his guests and prevent them from practicing homosexual intercourse with his guests.
He said, ‘These are my daughters to marry if you want to do so.’
[Q 15: 71]
My daughters refer to married women and unmarried women, who are competent for marriage, in Lot’s tribe. Prophet Lot attributed the women to himself because every prophet is regarded as the father of his nation in respect of compassion and care. Some scholars say that Prophet Lot meant his daughters. Logically, his daughters would not be sufficient for a group of men, but the women of his tribe are many and would be sufficient for a group of men.
[…to marry if you want to do so.]
This statement of Prophet Lot implies that he doubted that his people would accept marriage to satisfy their sexual desire, as they were corrupt and deviant. They favored unlawful sexual intercourse over lawful sexual intercourse.
When Prophet Lot saw the excitement of his people and their insistence on committing homosexual intercourse with his guests, he guided his people to what agrees with sound human nature. Thus, he offered them to marry women from his tribe, who are regarded as his daughters.
By your life, indeed they are wandering blindly in their heedlessness. [Q15: 72]
The address in the ayah is to Prophet Muhammad. ‘O honored Prophet! I ‘Allah’ swear by your life that the disbelievers among your people are wandering blindly in their heedlessness, just like the deviant, misguided people before them, such as the people of Prophet Lot.’
Abdul-Allah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ‘Allah has not created a human being that is more honored by Him than Prophet Muhammad. I have never heard that Allah swore by the life of any person except by the life Prophet Muhammad. Allah, Exalted be He, said, ‘By your life, indeed they are wandering blindly in their heedlessness. [Q15: 72]
The statement was addressed to the Prophet Muhammad amidst the story of Prophet Lot. It implied consolation to Messenger Muhammad to show him that admonition is useless with corrupt people.
Then the story the people of Prophet Lot is concluded with mentioning their horrible end.
Then the Cry overtook them at sunrise. [Q 15: 73]
We turned it upside down and rained on them stones of baked clay. [Q15:74]
After Lot and his followers left their city, a horrible cry from heaven came. It annihilated the corrupt people at sunrise. Allah, the Able, turned upside down their city and rained on its deviant people stones of baked clay that destroyed them all.
We revealed to him this decree: ‘The last remnants of those people would be wiped out in the morning.’ [Q15:66] This Ayah mentions that the torment began to befall the people of Lot in the morning [Then the Cry overtook them at sunrise.] [Q 15: 73] This ayah mentions that their destruction ended at sunrise.
In sum, the torment of the people of Lot included a horrible cry that turned upside down their city and rain of stones of back clay.
Then the ayat mention some lessons from the story of Prophets Ibrahim and Lot.
Indeed, in that are signs for those who discern. [Q 15: 75]
Indeed, there are clear signs and proofs, denoting the excellent end of the obedient and horrible end of the disobedient deviant people, in the stories of Prophets Ibrahim and Lot for people who perceptively discern and ponder on facts and events. They use their contemplation to find out the right path and follow it.
The ayah implies criticism to people who see signs and proofs, indicating the Oneness of Allah and His perfect ability, but they do not learn lessons from them because of their corrupt souls and heedless minds.
Indeed, it is on a frequently trodden road. [Q 15: 76]
The city of Sodom where the people of Lot lived is located along a frequently trodden road between Hejaz and ash-Sham.
The intended meaning is to remind the people of Prophet Muhammad, who used to pass by this destroyed city and every deviant people of the horrible end of the deviant corrupt people so that they stop disbelieving in Allah and they learn lessons from what happened to former disbelieving nations and embrace Islam.
Surely in that is a sign for the believers. [Q 15: 77]
The ayah gives a general statement about what is mentioned in the previous part, namely, the stories of Prophet Ibrahim and Lot.
Indeed, what is mentioned earlier denotes the happy end of the believers and the evil end of the disbelievers for the truthful believers. They benefit from the lessons and admonitions.
Learned Lessons from Surah al-Hijr Ayah 61-77
• Prophet Lot did not know that his guests were angels just as Prophet Ibrahim did not know their real identities.
• It is not recommended to remain for a long time in a place where Allah destroyed the disbelieving nations. When passing by such places, one should hurry because they are places where the anger of Allah befell the disbelievers.
• Allah, Exalted be He, prohibited Prophet Lot and his followers from looking back to see the torment befalling their people so that they would not sympathize with them, hurry in their walk, and leave the city before morning.
• The insistence of the people of Lot on committing homosexual intercourse was conclusive proof of their disbelief, misguidance, and deviation.
• When Prophet Lot told his people to marry women from his tribe, he instructed them to practice lawful sexual relationship and avoid unlawful sexual relationship.
• Allah, Exalted be He, swore by the life of Prophet Muhammad. This indicates his great rank with Allah.
• The punishment of the people of Lot was a horrible cry. It befell them at dawn, turning their city upside down and pelting rain of stones of baked clay on them.
• The stories of Prophets Ibrahim and Lot have lessons and admonitions for people to reflect on the proofs and signs of Allah and learn from them.
