Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (الكتاب/256)

Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-QuranAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

The Story of Lot (upon him be peace)

The account of Lot, upon him be peace, comes directly after that of Abraham, for he was Abraham’s disciple and stood to him almost as a son. Allah informed him of the life-story of the Friend (Khalīl) and sent him to the towns of Sodom in the Jordan Valley of Palestine. Those people, in addition to their polytheism, practised sodomy with males—a grotesque sin no one before them had ever committed. Lot therefore called them to devote their worship to Allah alone and warned them against that abomination, but it only drove them to greater insolence and persistence in what they were doing.

When Allah willed to destroy them He dispatched the angels for that purpose. On their way they stopped at Abraham’s dwelling and told him what lay ahead. Abraham—ever compassionate and forbearing—began pleading concerning their destruction, saying, “But Lot is there.” They replied, “We know very well who is in it; we shall certainly deliver him and all his household (1).” Then it was said to him: “O Abraham, desist from this. Your Lord’s command has come, and upon them is a punishment that cannot be turned back” (Hud 76).

When the angels reached Lot, appearing as handsome young guests, he was distressed and felt powerless on their account, saying, “This is a calamitous day” (Hud 77), for he knew all too well the shameless boldness of his people. What he feared soon occurred: they came rushing toward him, intent on committing the obscenity with Lot’s guests. He said, “My people, here are my daughters; they are purer for you” (Hud 78), knowing full well that those men had no lawful claim to them—just as Solomon, when the two women disputed over a child, said: “Bring me a knife so that I may divide him between the two of you.”

(1) As in the Almighty’s words: “He said, ‘Indeed, Lot is there.’ They replied, ‘We know best who is in it; we shall surely deliver him and his family’” (surah al-Ankabut 29:32); and “Except for the family of Lot; We shall certainly save them all” (surah al-Hijr 15:59).

قصة لوط ﵇ وقصةُ لوطٍ ﵇ تبعٌ لقصةِ إبراهيمَ؛ لأنهُ تلميذهُ وقدْ تعلَّمَ من إبراهيمَ، وكان لهُ بمنزلةِ الابنِ، فنبَّأهُ اللهُ بحياةِ الخليلِ، وأرسلَهُ إلى قرَى «سَدُوم» من غَوْرِ فلسطينَ، وكانوا معَ شركِهم باللهِ يلوطُونَ بالذكورِ، ولم يسبِقْهم أحدٌ إلى هذهِ الفاحشةِ الشنعاءِ، فدعاهم إلى عبادةِ اللهِ وحدَهُ، وحذَّرَهم من هذهِ الفاحشةِ، فلم يزدادُوا إلا عتوًّا وتماديًا فيما هم فيه. ولما أرادَ اللهُ هلاكَهم أرسلَ الملائكةَ لذلكَ، فمرُّوا بطريقِهم على إبراهيمَ وأخبروهُ بذلكَ، فجعَلَ إبراهيمُ يجادلُ في إهلاكِهم -وكان رحيمًا حليمًا - وقالَ: إنَّ فيها لوطًا، قالوا: نحن أعلمُ بمن فيها، لننجينَّهُ وأهلَهُ أجمعينَ (١)، فقيلَ: ﴿يَاإِبْرَاهِيمُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَذَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ جَاءَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ وَإِنَّهُمْ آتِيهِمْ عَذَابٌ غَيْرُ مَرْدُودٍ﴾ [هود: ٧٦]. ولما ذهَبَ الملائكةُ إلى لوطٍ بصورةِ أضيافٍ آدميينَ شبابٍ ساءَ لوطًا ذلكَ، وضاقَ بهم ذرعًا، ﴿وَقَالَ هَذَا يَوْمٌ عَصِيبٌ﴾ [هود: ٧٧]؛ لعلمهِ بما عليهِ قومهُ من هذهِ الجراءةِ الشنيعةِ، ووقَعَ ما خافَ منهُ، فجاءَهُ قومهُ يهرعونَ إليهِ يريدونَ فعلَ الفاحشةِ بأضيافِ لوطٍ، فقالَ: ﴿يَاقَوْمِ هَؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ﴾ [هود: ٧٨]؛ لعِلْمهِ أنهُ لا حقَّ لهم فيهنَّ، كما عرَضَ سليمانُ للمرأتينِ حينَ اختصمتَا في الولدِ فقالَ: ائتوني بالسكينِ أشقُّهُ بينَكما،

(١) كما في قوله تعالى: ﴿قَالَ إِنَّ فِيهَا لُوطًا قَالُوا نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ فِيهَا لَنُنَجِّيَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ﴾ [العنكبوت: ٣٢]، ﴿إِلَّا آلَ لُوطٍ إِنَّا لَمُنَجُّوهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (٥٩)﴾ [الحجر: ٥٩].