Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (الكتاب/257)

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

It is self-evident that Solomon never meant to carry the sentence out, and Lot’s offer should be understood in the same way. Hence his people retorted, “You certainly know that we have no claim to your daughters, and you surely know what we want” (Hud 79). He was also hoping to find some excuse in the eyes of his guests.

On this interpretation there is no need to fall back on the view advanced by some commentators that the words “Here are my daughters” (Hud 78) mean “their wives,” on the basis that a prophet stands in the place of a father to his community. Two considerations preclude that reading:
• First, he says, “Here are my daughters,” while gesturing toward them as people actually present.
• Second, there is no precedent for calling a man’s wives “daughters,” and a prophet is only a father to those who believe in him, not to unbelievers. The imagined problem therefore disappears once we grasp what has been explained: Lot knew his people had no lawful claim to his daughters; he was merely seeking to repel them by whatever means he could.

The pressure on Lot intensified and he exclaimed, “If only I had strength to withstand you, or could seek refuge in some mighty support” (Hud 80)—that is, I would have driven you off myself. When he perceived that they were firmly set on their vile purpose he said, “My people, fear Allah, and do not disgrace me regarding my guests. Is there not one man among you who is upright?” (Hud 78). Yet in their blindness and intoxication they plunged still further into tyranny.

At that moment the angels of the Most Merciful disclosed their mission to him: they had been sent to destroy those people. Gabriel—or another angel among those who were forcing the door—struck them with a blow that obliterated their eyes. This was an immediate punishment and a sample of the retribution awaiting anyone who attempts what they had done to Lot’s guests.

The angels then ordered Lot to leave with his family at the beginning of the night and to press on until he had left the town behind, so that he might be spared the humiliation of the impending punishment. He set out, and by dawn they were already beyond the city. Allah then overturned their dwellings, turning their highest part into the lowest, and rained upon them “stones of layered baked clay, heaped one upon another, marked by your Lord; and such punishment is not far from the wrongdoers” (Hud 82-83)—those who follow in their footsteps.

ومن المعلومِ أنهُ لا يقعُ ذلكَ، وهذا مثلُهُ؛ ولهذا قالَ قومهُ: ﴿لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا لَنَا فِي بَنَاتِكَ مِنْ حَقٍّ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِيدُ﴾ [هود: ٧٩]، وأيضًا يريدُ بعضَ العذرِ من أضيافهِ. وعلى هذا التأويلِ لا حاجةَ إلى العدولِ إلى قولِ بعضِ المفسرينَ: ﴿هَؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي﴾ [هود: ٧٨] يعني: زوجاتُهم، يعني: لأنَّ النبيَّ أبٌ لأمتهِ؛ فإنَّ هذا يمنعهُ أمرانِ: • أحدُهما: قولهُ: ﴿هَؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي﴾ [هود: ٧٨] يشيرُ إليهنَّ إشارةَ الحاضرِ. • ثانيًا: هذا الإطلاقُ على زوجاتِهم لا نظيرَ لهُ، وأيضًا النبيُّ إنما هوَ بمنزلةِ الأبِ للمؤمنينَ بهِ، لا للكفارِ، والمحذورُ الذي توهموهُ يزولُ بما ذكَرْنا، وأنهُ يَعْلَمُ أنهُ لا حقَّ لهم فيهنَّ، وإنما يريدُ مدافعتَهم بكلِّ طريقٍ. فاشتدَّ الأمرُ بلوطٍ وقالَ: ﴿لَوْ أَنَّ لِي بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ آوِي إِلَى رُكْنٍ شَدِيدٍ﴾ [هود: ٨٠] أي: لدافعتُكم، فلما رآهم جازمِينَ على مرادِهم الخبيثِ قال لقومهِ: يا قومِ، اتقُوا اللهَ، ﴿وَلَا تُخْزُونِ فِي ضَيْفِي أَلَيْسَ مِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَشِيدٌ (٧٨)﴾ [هود: ٧٨]، فاستلجُّوا في طغيانِهم وسكرِهم، فحينئذٍ أخبرَتْهُ ملائكةُ الرحمنِ بأمرِهم، وأنهم أُرسِلُوا لإهلاكِهم، فصدَمَ جبريلُ أو غيرهُ من الملائكةِ الذينَ يعالجونَ البابَ ليدخلُوا على لوطٍ؛ فطمَسَ بهذهِ الصدمةِ أعينَهم، فكان هذا عذابًا معجَّلًا وأنموذجًا لمن باشرُوا مراودةَ لوطٍ على أضيافهِ. وأمرُوا لوطًا أنْ يسريَ بأولِ الليلِ بأهلهِ ويلحَّ في السيرِ حتى يخلفَ ديارَهم، وينجوَ من معرَّةِ العذابِ، فخرجَ بهم، فما أصبحَ الصباحُ حتى خلفُوا ديارَهم، وقلبَ اللهُ عليهم ديارَهم، فجعَلَ أعلاها أسفلَها، وأمطَرَ عليها ﴿حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ مَنْضُودٍ (٨٢) مُسَوَّمَةً عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ وَمَا هِيَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ [هود: ٨٢ - ٨٣] الذينَ يعملونَ عملَهم ﴿بِبَعِيدٍ (٨٣)﴾.