—the Names of Knowledge and Wisdom, which encompass His awareness, exalted is He, of the cause and ultimate purpose of this creation, and His wisdom in assigning it its specific place without infringing what Wisdom requires.

Next the Almighty recounts the story of the angels and their being sent to destroy (1) the people of Lot, pelting them with marked stones. In this lies confirmation of His messengers, the annihilation of those who denied them, and clear evidence for the Resurrection, reward, and punishment, for it occurred openly in this world. Hence it is among the greatest proofs attesting to the truthfulness of His messengers and the soundness (2) of what they reported from their Lord.

Then He said: “So We brought out of it everyone who was a believer (35); and We found in it no house except that of a single family of Muslims” (3). Here He differentiates between islām and īmān for a subtle reason demanded by the context: bringing them out signifies deliverance—being rescued from punishment—and that, beyond doubt, is reserved for the believers who follow the messengers both outwardly and inwardly.

As for His words: “Yet We found therein no house but that of some Muslims (36),” those who were present among the rescued (4) are described with the term islām because Lot’s wife belonged to that household. Outwardly she professed Islam, so she was counted among the people in the house, not among the company that was saved. Allah, exalted is He, has informed us of the treachery of Lot’s wife,