Hazrat Lut (Peace be upon him) – Part 1
An important and great event that occurred during the blessed life
of Hazrat Ibrahim Khalil-ur-Rahman (Peace be upon him) was the punishment from
Allah Ta‘ala upon the people of Hazrat Lut (Peace be upon him). Hazrat Lut
(Peace be upon him) was the son of Haran, and Haran was the son of Tarah, that
is, Azar. So Hazrat Lut (Peace be upon him) was the nephew of Hazrat Ibrahim
(Peace be upon him), because Ibrahim (Peace be upon him) and Haran were
brothers, as has been mentioned earlier.
Hazrat Lut (Peace be upon him), with the permission - rather, by
the command - of Hazrat Ibrahim (Peace be upon him), settled from his area into
the region of Ghor near Mamre, in the city of Sodom. This was the central place
of that region, to which other villages, etc., were attached. The inhabitants
there were extremely wicked, transgressors, the worst of disbelievers, of extremely
evil nature and utterly shameless, with very bad character. They were habitual
highway robbers and committed evil deeds openly. They would not even forbid one
another from those sins - that is, their acts were extremely vile.
They had started a new act of indecency that no human before them
had done. That is, they began to satisfy their carnal desires with men and
started avoiding satisfying their lawful desires through women - although Allah
Ta‘ala created women for men to fulfill sexual desire.
Hazrat Lut (Peace be upon him) invited them to the worship of
Allah, the One without partner, and forbade them from haram acts and sins. But
their misguidance only increased, and they remained steeped in disbelief and
sins as before. Then Allah Ta‘ala sent upon them a punishment that they could
not even imagine. Allah Ta‘ala made them a lesson for the people of the world,
so that the people of the entire world may take admonition.
“And similarly, when We sent Lut as a Prophet, at that time he
said to his people, ‘Why do you commit such an act that no one among all
peoples before you has done? That is, you leave women and commit sodomy with
men to satisfy carnal desire. The reality is that you are a people
transgressing beyond bounds.’ And his people had no answer except that they
said, ‘Expel these people - Lut and his family - from your town, for they want
to be pure.’ Then We saved him and his family, except his wife - she did not
escape, for she was among those who remained behind. And We rained down upon
them a rain of stones. So see what was the end of the sinners.
And when Our angels came to Lut, he was distressed for them and
felt straitened for them, and he said, ‘This is a very difficult day.’ And the
people of Lut’s nation came rushing to him in haste, and they had been
committing great evil before. Lut said, ‘O my people, these daughters of my
nation - they are lawful and pure for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me
concerning my guests. Is there not among you a right-minded man?’ They said,
‘You know that we have no need for the daughters of your nation, and you well
know what our need is.’ Lut said, ‘If only I had strength against you or could
take refuge in a strong support.’ The angels said, ‘O Lut, we are the angels of
your Lord; these people will never reach you. So depart with your family during
a portion of the night, and let not any of you look back - except your wife;
indeed, what will strike them will strike her too. Their appointed time is the
morning. Is the morning not near?’
So when Our command came, We turned that city upside down, and
then rained upon them stones in layers - that is, stones of baked clay - marked
by your Lord. And that city is not far from the wrongdoers.”
_Source: Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, Imam Ibn Kathir_
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