and inspiring them to perform good deeds—that is, to act in accordance with the revealed laws; and to establish the prayer, meaning to observe it diligently; and to give zakah, meaning to pay it (1); and they were worshippers of Us, affirming Our oneness.

“And to Lot We gave judgment and knowledge, and We saved him from the town that practised wicked deeds. Indeed, they were an evil, defiantly disobedient people. (74) And We admitted him into Our mercy. Indeed, he was among the righteous. (75) And Noah, when he called upon Us before, We answered him and saved him and his family from the great distress. (76) And We aided him against the people who denied Our signs. Indeed, they were an evil people, so We drowned them all. (77) And David and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field, when the sheep of the people had grazed therein at night; and We were witnesses to their judgment. (78)”

“And to Lot We gave”—that is, We gave to Lot. It is also said that the meaning is: Mention Lot, to whom We gave—“judgment,” meaning the ability to decide justly between disputants, “and knowledge. And We saved him from the town that practised wicked deeds,” namely Sodom. Its people engaged in anal intercourse with males and passed wind in their gatherings, along with other reprehensible acts which they committed. “Indeed, they were an evil, defiantly disobedient people. And We admitted him into Our mercy. Indeed, he was among the righteous.”

“And Noah, when he called,” that is, when he supplicated, “before,” meaning before Abraham and Lot. “We answered him and saved him and his family from the great distress.” Ibn Abbas said: From drowning and from his people’s denial. It is also said that this was because he lived longer than any of the prophets and endured the severest trial. Distress is the most intense form of grief (2).

“And We aided him”: We protected him from the people who denied Our signs, so that they could not harm him. Abu Ubaydah said: It means, We aided him against the people. “Indeed, they were an evil people, so We drowned them all.”

His saying, exalted is He: “And David and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field”: they differed over the field. Ibn Masud, Ibn Abbas, and most Quran commentators said that the field was a vineyard whose clusters hung down. Qatadah said that it was crops. “When the sheep of the people had grazed therein at night,” meaning that they grazed there at night and ruined it. Nafsh is grazing by night, and hamal is grazing by day,