قَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِى
بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ ءَاوِىٓ
إِلَىٰ رُكْنٍ شَدِيدٍ
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰلُوطُ إِنَّا
رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن يَصِلُوٓا۟
إِلَيْكَ ۖ فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ
بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَلَا
يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا
ٱمْرَأَتَكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مُصِيبُهَا
مَآ أَصَابَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ
ٱلصُّبْحُ ۚ أَلَيْسَ ٱلصُّبْحُ
بِقَرِيبٍ
He said: “Would
that I had strength
to overpower you,
or that I could
betake myself to some
powerful support.”
They (messengers) said:
“O Lut! Verily, we
are the messengers
from your Lord!
They shall not reach
you! So travel with
your family in a part
of the night, and let
not any of you look
back; but your wife
(will remain behind),
verily, the punishment
which will afflict them,
will afflict her.
Indeed, morning is
their appointed time.
Is not the morning near”
Lut’s Inability, His Desire for Strength and the Angels’ Informing Him of the Reality
Allah, the Exalted says that Lut was threatening them with his statement,
لَوْ أَنَّ لِى بِكُمْ قُوَّةً
Would that I had strength (men) to overpower you
meaning, `I would surely have made an example of you and done (harm) to you from myself and my family.’ In this regard, there is a Hadith which is reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,
رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَى
لُوطٍ لَقَدْ كَانَ
يَأْوِي إِلَى رُكْنٍ شَدِيد
يَعْنِي اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
فَمَا بَعَثَ اللهُ
بَعْدَهُ مِنْ نَبِيَ إِلَّا
فِي ثَرْوَةٍ مِنْ قَوْمِه
May Allah’s mercy be upon Lut, for verily, he betook himself to a powerful support –(meaning Allah, the Mighty and Sublime) Allah did not send any Prophet after him, except amidst (an influential family) among his people
With this, the angels informed him that they were the messengers of Allah sent to them. They also told him that his people would not be able to reach him (with any harm).
قَالُواْ يلُوطُ
إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن
يَصِلُواْ إِلَيْكَ
They (messengers said): “O Lut! Verily, we are the messengers from your Lord! They shall not reach you!
They commanded him to travel with his family during the last part of night and that he should follow them from behind. In this way it would be as though he were driving his family (as a cattle herder).
وَلاَ يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ
and let not any of you look back
This means, “If you hear the sound of what (torment) befalls them (the people of the village), do not rush towards that disturbing noise. Rather, continue leaving.”
إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَكَ
but your wife
Most of the scholars said that this means that she would not travel at night and she did not go with Lut. Rather, she stayed in her house and was destroyed. Others said that it means that she looked back (during the travel). This later group says that she left with them and when she heard the inevitable destruction, she turned and looked back. When she looked she said, “O my people!” Thus, a stone came down from the sky and killed her. Then they (the angels) brought close to him the destruction of his people as good news for him, because he said to them, “Destroy them in this very hour.” They replied,
إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ الصُّبْحُ
أَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍ
Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near
They were saying this while Luts people were standing at his door. They tried to rush his door from all sides and Lut was standing at the door repelling them, deterring them and trying to prevent them from what they were doing. Yet, they would not listen to him. Instead, they threatened him and sought to intimidate him. At this point, Jibril came out to them and struck them in their faces with his wing. This blow blinded their eyes and they retreated, unable to see their way. This is as Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدُوهُ
عَن ضَيْفِهِ فَطَمَسْنَآ
أَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوقُواْ
عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ
And they indeed sought to shame his guest (asking to commit sodomy with them
So We blinded their eyes (saying), “Then taste you My torment and My warnings.” Al-Qamar 37
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا
جَعَلْنَا عَـلِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا
وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا
حِجَارَةً مِّن سِجِّيلٍ
مَّنْضُودٍ