The Story of Lot (part 2 of 2)
- Categories: Stories of the Prophets -
The Destruction of
Sodom
Prophet Lot continued to suffer due to the wicked ways and
unnatural behaviour of the people around him, yet he patiently
continued to deliver his message. He called the people to give up
their wicked ways and obey the One God, worshipping Him alone.
However, the townspeople continued to mock and belittle Lot, and
even taunted him by challenging him to bring God's torment upon
them.
{Bring God's torment upon us if you
are one of the truthful.} [Quran 29:29]
{فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا
أَن قَالُوا ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ
الصَّادِقِينَ} [العنكبوت:٢٩]
Transliteration: Famā Kāna Jawāba Qawmihi 'Illā 'An
Qālū A'tinā Bi`adhābi Allāhi 'In Kunta Mina
Aş-Şādiqīna
Lot was overwhelmed with despair and beseeched God to grant him
victory over these people, who committed great crimes and behaved
unnaturally.
At the time of Lot's invocation, the messengers (angels) were with
Prophet Abraham so they informed him of their mission to Lot and
his people. They said,
{And when Our messengers [i.e.,
angels] came to Abraham with the good tidings, they said, "Indeed,
we will destroy the people of that [i.e., Lot's] city. Indeed, its
people have been wrongdoers.} [Quran 29:31]
{وَلَمَّا جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا
إِبْرَاهِيمَ بِالْبُشْرَىٰ قَالُوا إِنَّا مُهْلِكُو أَهْلِ هَٰذِهِ
الْقَرْيَةِ ۖ إِنَّ أَهْلَهَا كَانُوا ظَالِمِينَ}
[العنكبوت:٣١]
Transliteration: Wa Lammā Jā'at Rusulunā 'Ibrāhīma
Bil-Bushrá Qālū 'Innā Muhlikū 'Ahli Hadhihi Al-Qaryati
'Inna 'Ahlahā Kānū Žālimīna
Abraham was afraid, his nephew Lot was in the town of Sodom and it
was about to be destroyed. He said to the angels "but Lot is
there!" They replied,
{We know better who is there, we will
verily save him (Lot) and his family, except his wife, she will be
of those who remain behind (i.e. she will be destroyed).}
[Quran 29: 32]
{قَالَ إِنَّ فِيهَا لُوطًا ۚ قَالُوا
نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن فِيهَا ۖ لَنُنَجِّيَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلَّا
امْرَأَتَهُ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ} [العنكبوت:٣٢]
Transliteration: Qāla 'Inna Fīhā Lūţāan Qālū Naĥnu
'A`lamu Biman Fīhā Lanunajjiyannahu Wa 'Ahlahu 'Illā Amra'atahu
Kānat Mina Al-Ghābirīn
Renowned Islamic scholar, Imam Ibn Katheer narrates that, as the
messengers approached the towns of Sodom they met Lot's daughter at
the nearby river. She was astounded at their beauty and feared for
them. She advised them to wait at the river for Prophet Lot, rather
than enter the town without his protection. When Lot heard of the
strangers, he felt distressed and wondered how he could convince
them to bypass the towns of Sodom and continue on their travels. He
tried to make them understand the nature of the townspeople but
only succeeded in convincing the messengers to wait for nightfall
before entering the town.
Prophet Lot managed to escort the messengers to the safety of his
home; however, Lot's wife slipped out the back door and quickly
told the people that two beautiful men were guests in Lot's home.
The word quickly spread and soon people were outside Lot's house,
knocking on his door, demanding to see the guests. Lot became even
more distressed when he realised his wife was responsible for the
crowd at his door and he pleaded with the mob to disband and to
fear the punishment of God. He repeatedly appealed to them to seek
sexual gratification in a lawful way.
{O my people! Here are my daughters
(i.e. the daughters of my nation); they are purer for you (if you
marry them lawfully). So fear God and degrade me not as regards my
guests! Is there not among you a single right-minded man?}
[Quran 11:78]
{قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي
هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ فِي
ضَيْفِي ۖ أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدٌ} [هود:٧٨]
Transliteration: Qāla Yā Qawmi Hā'uulā' Banātī Hunna
'Aţharu Lakum Fa Attaqū Allāha Wa Lā Tukhzūnī Fī Đayfī 'Alaysa
Minkum Rajulun Rashīdun
The story of Lot, in both the Bible and the Quran hold remarkable
similarities. However, Islam completely rejects the notion that
Prophet Lot would offer his own daughters to the town's people. The
scholars of Islam explain that when Lot used the word "daughters"
he meant the women of Sodom. He was demanding that the men of Sodom
seek sexual fulfilment in lawful marriages.
In his book Stories of the Prophets,
Ibn Katheer states that the town's people broke down the
door and rushed inside Lot's house, surrounding the messengers. Lot
was powerless before them yet he continued to plead and remind them
of the evil of their ways. The town's people jeered and mocked him
saying, {Surely you know that we have
neither any desire nor in need of your daughters, and indeed you
know well what we want!} [Quran 11:79].
{قَالُوا لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا لَنَا فِي بَنَاتِكَ مِنْ حَقٍّ
وَإِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِيدُ} [هود:٧٩]
Transliteration: Qālū Laqad `Alimta Mā Lanā Fī
Banātika Min Ĥaqqin Wa 'Innaka Lata`lamu Mā Nurīdu
The messengers reassured Lot by saying {surely we are messengers from your
Lord.} [Quran 11:81]
{قَالُوا يَا لُوطُ إِنَّا رُسُلُ
رَبِّكَ} [هود:٨١]
Transliteration: Qālū Yā Lūţu 'Innā Rusulu
Rabbika
On hearing these words the towns people were afraid and started to
disperse, leaving Lot and his family alone with the messengers
(angels).
The messengers allayed the fears of Prophet Lot and instructed him
to gather his family and leave the town of Sodom that night. Lot
walked at the rear of his family to assure no one looked back on
the towns of Sodom. Lot's wife remained behind and was afflicted by
the punishment along with the wrong doers and wicked townspeople.
The Quran describes the punishment as an awful cry that turned the
town upside down and rained stones of baked clay. [Quran
15:73-74]
The punishment came at sunrise, and God said,
{So We saved him and his family, all,
except an old woman (his wife) among those who remained behind.
Then afterward We destroyed the others. And We rained on them a
rain (of torment). And how evil was the rain of those who had been
warned. Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not
believers.} [Quran 26:170-174]
{فَنَجَّيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ أَجْمَعِينَ
﴿١٧٠﴾ إِلَّا عَجُوزًا فِي الْغَابِرِينَ
﴿١٧١﴾ ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا الْآخَرِينَ
﴿١٧٢﴾ وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرًا ۖ
فَسَاءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنذَرِينَ ﴿١٧٣﴾ إِنَّ فِي
ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً ۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ}
[الشعراء:170-١٧٤]
Transliteration: Fanajjaynāhu Wa 'Ahlahu
'Ajma`īna(170) 'Illā `Ajūzāan Fī Al-Ghābirīna(171) Thumma Dammarnā
Al-'Ākharīna(172) Wa 'Amţarnā `Alayhim Maţarāan Fasā'a Maţaru
Al-Mundharīna(173) 'Inna Fī Dhālika La'āyatan Wa Mā Kāna
'Aktharuhum Mu'uminīna
Thus, the pages were closed on the people of Lot. Their names were
erased from historical memory. The punishment that God promised,
and Prophet Lot warned about, happened, for surely God keeps His
promises. He promises severe punishment for the wrongdoers and
Paradise is the reward of the righteous. Lot and his family walked
into the sunrise and Quran mentions them no more.
By Aisha Stacey
IslamReligion.com