And she said, “Woe is me! Shall I give birth when I am an old woman and this husband of mine is an old man? This is indeed an astonishing thing!” These were two factors that would ordinarily preclude the birth of a child.
“They said, ‘Are you astonished at Allah’s command?’” There is nothing astonishing about His command, for His perfect will prevails in all things. Nothing lies beyond His power, especially what He ordains and brings to pass for the members of this blessed household.
“May Allah’s mercy and His blessings be upon you, people of the household.” That is, may His mercy, beneficence, and blessings never cease to be upon you. His blessing means an increase in His bounty and beneficence and the bestowal of divine good upon a servant. “Indeed, He is Praiseworthy and Glorious.” That is, He is praiseworthy in His attributes, for they are attributes of perfection, and praiseworthy in His deeds, for His deeds are beneficence, generosity, kindness, wisdom, justice, and equity.
He is Glorious, and glory is the grandeur and vastness of His attributes. His are the attributes of perfection, and every attribute of perfection belongs to Him in its most perfect, complete, and comprehensive form.
“When fear had left Abraham”—the fear he had felt of his guests—“and the glad tidings had reached him” of a child, he then turned to disputing with the messengers over the destruction of the people of Lot. He said to them, “Lot is in it.” They replied, “We know best who is in it. We shall surely save him and his family, except his wife.”
“Indeed, Abraham was forbearing”—that is, he possessed excellent character and great forbearance and did not become angry at the ignorant conduct of the ignorant.
“He often implored Allah”—that is, he humbly supplicated Allah at all times—“and continually turned back to Him”—that is, he repeatedly returned to Allah through knowing and loving Him, turning toward Him and away from all besides Him. This is why he pleaded on behalf of those whose destruction Allah had decreed.
He was therefore told, “O Abraham, turn away from this” disputation. “Your Lord’s command has already come” for their destruction, “and an irresistible punishment is surely coming upon them.” There was thus no benefit in his disputing.
“When Our messengers came”—that is, the angels who had departed from Abraham—“to Lot, he was distressed on their account.” Their arrival troubled him, “and he felt constrained on their account and said, ‘This is a grievous day.’” That is, it was a day of severe hardship and distress, for he knew that his people would not leave them alone. They appeared as young, smooth-skinned, beardless men of consummate form and beauty. Thus, what he had feared came to pass.
“His people came rushing eagerly toward him.” That is, they hastened toward him, intending to commit with his guests the obscenity they habitually practised. Hence He said, “They had previously been committing evil deeds”—namely, the obscenity in which no one among all peoples had preceded them.
“He said, ‘My people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you’” than my guests. [This was like Solomon’s proposal to the two women that the child over whom they were disputing should be cut in two, in order to reveal the truth. He knew that his daughters were beyond their reach and that they had no right to them. The paramount aim was to repel this grave obscenity] (1).
“So fear Allah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests.” That is, either be mindful of Allah or, at the very least, show regard for me concerning my guests and do not disgrace me before them.
“Is there not among you a right-minded man” who will forbid and restrain you? This demonstrates their corruption and how utterly bereft they were of goodness and honour.
“They said” to him, “You certainly know that we have no claim to your daughters, and you certainly know what we want.” That is, we want only men and have no desire for women.
Lot—peace be upon him—became deeply distressed and “said, ‘If only I had some power against you, or could take refuge in a mighty stronghold,’” such as a tribe capable of protecting me, I would stop you.
This was with regard to outward, tangible means. In reality, he took refuge in the mightiest stronghold: Allah, whose power no one can withstand. Thus, when matters reached their limit and the distress intensified, “they said” to him, “We are messengers of your Lord.” They informed him of their true identity so that his heart might be reassured. “They will never reach you” with any harm.
Gabriel then struck them with his wing and blinded their eyes. They went away threatening Lot with vengeance at daybreak. The angels instructed Lot to travel by night with his family “during a portion of the night”—that is, during a part of it well before dawn—so that they could get far away from their town.
“And let none of you look back.” That is, hasten to depart, concern yourselves solely with escaping, and do not look back at what lies behind you.
“Except your wife. Indeed, she will be struck” by the punishment “that strikes them,” for she shared her people’s sin and would inform them of Lot’s guests whenever guests stayed with him.
“Their appointed time is the morning.” It was as though Lot sought to hasten it, so he was told, “Is not the morning near?”