Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/240)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

It is also related that they would sit in their assemblies, each man with a bowl of pebbles before him. Whenever a traveler passed by, they would pelt him; and whichever of them struck him had the first claim over him. It is also said that one of them would take what the traveler had with him, sodomize him 67/b, and fine him three dirhams; and they even had a judge to enforce this.

Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said: “They would break wind in their gatherings.” (1) Mujahid said: “They would have intercourse with one another in their gatherings.” (2) It is related from Abdullah ibn Salam that they would spit upon one another. Makḥul said: Among the habits of the people of Lot were chewing gum, dyeing the fingertips with henna, loosening the waist-wrapper, whistling, pelting others, and sodomy. (3)

“But his people’s only answer,” when Lot denounced the vile acts they committed, “was to say” to him mockingly, “Bring Allah’s punishment upon us, if you are truthful”—that is, if you are truthful in claiming that the punishment will descend upon us. Thereupon:

“He said, ‘My Lord, support me against the people who spread corruption.’” (30)

(1) See: al-Nahhas, Ma'ani al-Quran, 5:223; al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:461; Zad al-Masir, 6:269. (2) Al-Suyuti, 6:461, attributed it to al-Firyabi, Sa'id ibn Mansur, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abi Hatim, and al-Khara'iti in Masa'wi al-Akhlaq (Vices of Character). (3) It is also narrated from Ibn Abbas and Mujahid. See al-Durr al-Manthur, 6:461; Zad al-Masir, 6:269. Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir said in his exegesis of the verse, 3:412: “That is, in their gatherings they would engage in improper words and deeds, without any of them reproving another for any of it.” He then mentioned the various interpretations of this reprehensible conduct. Al-Tabari, 20:146, preferred the view that it means: “In your gatherings, you pelt passersby and mock them,” based on the narration to that effect from the Messenger of Allah in the hadith of Umm Hani.

وَيُرْوَى أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَجْلِسُونَ فِي مَجَالِسِهِمْ، وَعِنْدَ كُلِّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ قَصْعَةٌ فِيهِ حَصًى فَإِذَا مَرَّ بِهِمْ عَابِرُ سَبِيلٍ حَذَفُوهُ فَأَيُّهُمْ أَصَابَهُ كَانَ أَوْلَى بِهِ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ يَأْخُذُ مَا معه وينكحه ٦٧/ب وَيُغَرِّمُهُ ثَلَاثَةَ دَرَاهِمَ، وَلَهُمْ قَاضٍ بِذَلِكَ. وَقَالَ الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ: كَانُوا يَتَضَارَطُونَ فِي مَجَالِسِهِمْ (١) . وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: كَانَ يُجَامِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا فِي مَجَالِسِهِمْ (٢) . وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلَامٍ قَالَ: كَانَ يَبْزُقُ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ. وَعَنْ مَكْحُولٍ قَالَ: كَانَ مِنْ أَخْلَاقِ قَوْمِ لُوطٍ مَضْغُ الْعِلْكِ وَتَطْرِيفُ الْأَصَابِعِ بِالْحِنَّاءِ، وَحَلُّ الْإِزَارِ، وَالصَّفِيرُ، وَالْحَذْفُ، وَاللُّوَاطِيَّةُ (٣) ، ﴿فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ﴾ لَمَّا أَنْكَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ لُوطٌ مَا يَأْتُونَهُ مِنَ الْقَبَائِحِ، ﴿إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا﴾ لَهُ اسْتِهْزَاءً: ﴿ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾ أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ نَازِلٌ بِنَا، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ. ﴿قَالَ رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ (٣٠) ﴾

(١) انظر: معاني القرآن للنحاس: ٥ / ٢٢٣،الدر المنثور: ٦ / ٤٦١، زاد المسير: ٦ / ٢٦٩. (٢) عزاه السيوطي (٦ / ٤٦١) للفريابي، وسعيد بن منصور، وابن جرير، وابن المنذر، وابن أبي حاتم، والخرائطي في "مساوئ الأخلاق". (٣) وهو مروي أيضا عن ابن عباس ومجاهد. وانظر الدر المنثور: ٦ / ٤٦١، زاد المسير: ٦ / ٢٦٩. وقال الحافظ ابن كثير في تفسير الآية (٣ / ٤١٢) : أي: يفعلون ما لا يليق من الأقوال والأفعال في مجالسهم التي يجتمعون فيها، لا ينكر بعضهم على بعض شيئا من ذلك" ثم ذكر القوال في معنى هذا المنكر. ورجح الطبري (٢٠ / ١٤٦) قول من قال: معناه: وتحذفون في مجالسكم المارة بكم، وتسخرون منهم، لما ذكر من الرواية بذلك عن رسول الله ﷺ في حديث أم هانئ.