Surah Al-A'raaf: Verse 80 - ولوطا إذ قال لقومه أتأتون... - English

Commentary

Out of the continuing series of stories relating to prophets (علیہم السلام) and their communities, the fourth story is that of Sayyidna Lut (Lot) tX..JI ...lc.

Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) is a nephew of Sayyidna Ibrahim Khalilullah (علیہ السلام) the patriarch of prophets. The original homeland of both was known as Babel near Basrah in western Iraq. Idol-worship was common. Even the family of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was involved in it. Allah Ta` ala sent Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) as a prophet for their guidance. His people opposed him which culminated in the well known Fire of Nimrud. Even his father threatened to turn him out of his home.

Out of his entire family, only his wife, Sayyidah Sarah and nephew, Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) embraced Islam: فَآمَنَ لَهُ لُوطٌ (Then, Lut believed in him - 29:26). Finally, it was with these two that he immigrated to Syria leaving his home country behind. After reaching Jordon river, he settled in Can'-an near Bayt al-Maqdis under a Divine command.

Then, Allah Ta` ala made Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) too a prophet and sent him to Sadum (Sodom) near Bayt al-Maqdis for the guidance of people there. This area comprised of five major cities. They were called Sadum, ` Amurah, Admah, Sububim and Bali` or Sawghar. The Qur'an has referred to their nucleus as ` Mu'tafikah' and ` Mu'tafikat' at several places. Sadum was considered as the center and capital of these cities. It was here that Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) stayed. The land was fertile and verdant abounding in all kinds of grains and fruits. (These details appear in Al-Bahr Al-Muhit, Mazhari, Ibn Kathir, AI-Manar etc.)

Man's habit, as Allah Ta` ala says in the Qur'an, is: كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ ﴿6﴾ أَن رَّ‌آهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ ﴿7﴾ that is, when he acquires freedom from need, he starts transgressing the limits - 96:6-7. On these people too, Allah Ta` ala had opened the doors of His blessings. Goaded by this common behaviour pattern, all soaked in wealth and possessions, they reached the farthest ends of luxury and lust when they stood deprived of the most essential human sense of honour, dignity and modesty, and lost in that process, the very ability to distinguish between the good and the bad. In consequence, they got themselves involved in acts of unnatural indecencies. These are abominal acts, apart from being Haram and sinful, acts which cause hatred and distaste in the heart and mind of everyone born with sound and decent taste, so much so, that even animals would not go near it.

Allah Ta` ala appointed Sayyidna Lit (علیہ السلام) for their guidance. He addressed his people and said: أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ (Do you commit the shameful act in which nobody has ever preceded you from all the worlds?).

When referring to Zina (adultery), the Qur'an has said: إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً (Surely, it is a shameful act - 17:32). Here, the word: فَاحِشَةً (fahishah: shameful act) has been mentioned without 'Alif Lam while in the present verse, by saying: اَلفَاحِشَةً (al-fahishah: the shameful act), it has been made definite by the addition of 'Alif Lam. Thus, the hint given is that this unnatural evil act is, as if, the combination of all indecencies, and far grave a crime as compared to Zina.

Then, it was said that this shameful act has never been committed by anyone in all the worlds before they did it. ` Amru ibn Dinar has said: The act was unknown in the world before these people. (Mazhari) Neither had the worst of human being had ever thought on those lines before the people of Sadum. The Umayyad Khalifah, ` Abd al-Malik said: Had this event relating to the people of Lut (علیہ السلام) not been mentioned in the Qur'an, I would have never suspected that a human being could do something like that. (Ibn Kathir)

Here, their immodesty has been censured on two grounds: (1)-It so happens that men would get involved in many sins because of their social conditions, or because of a blind following of their ancestors - though, that too, is not a valid legal excuse in the Shar'iah of Islam. But, as a matter of customary practice, such a person could be taken as excusable in some or the other degree. But, when it comes to a sin which has never been committed by anyone before, nor does it have any particular compulsions of its own, it becomes a curse of the highest degree. (2)-The other ground is that this act becomes a channel of making others equally accursed. Think of a person who invents some evil act or custom. As obvious, the sin and punishment of his evil act falls on that person anyway, but, along with him, affected are all who sink in sin led by the act of the originator right through the Last Day, for the curse and punishment of all those so affected also sits on the shoulders of the originator of the evil.

The Story of Prophet Lut, upon Him be Peace, and His People

Allah said, We sent,

(And)

(Lut, when he said to his people..) Lut (Lot) is the son of Haran the son of Azar (Terah), and he was the nephew of Ibrahim, peace be upon them both. Lut had believed in Ibrahim and migrated with him to the Sham area. Allah then sent Lut to the people of Sadum (Sodom) and the surrounding villages, to call them to Allah, enjoin righteousness and forbid them from their evil practices, their sin, and wickedness. It this area, they did things that none of the children of Adam or any other creatures ever did before them. They used to have sexual intercourse with males instead of females. This evil practice was not known among the Children of Adam before, nor did it even cross their minds, so they were unfamiliar with it before the people of Sodom invented it, may Allah's curse be on them. `Amr bin Dinar conmented on;

("...as none preceding you has committed in all of the nations.") "Never before the people of Lut did a male have sex with another male." This is why Lut said to them,

("Do you commit lewdness such as none preceding you has committed in all of the nations Verily, you practice your lusts on men instead of women.") meaning, you left women whom Allah created for you and instead had sex with men Indeed, this behavior is evil and ignorant because you have placed things in their improper places. Lut, peace be upon him, said to them:

("these (the girls of the nation) are my daughters (to marry lawfully), if you must act (so).") 15:71 So he reminded them of their women, and they replied that they do not desire women!,

(They said: "Surely, you know that we have neither any desire nor need of your daughters, and indeed you know well what we want!" ) 11:79 meaning, you know that we have no desire for women and you know what we desire with your guests.