“So do not be among those who despair”—those who deem the coming of good unlikely. Rather, remain ever hopeful of Allah’s bounty and beneficence, goodness and gracious favor. Abraham answered them, saying, “Who despairs of his Lord’s mercy except those who have gone astray?”—those who have no knowledge of their Lord or of the perfection of His power. As for those upon whom Allah has bestowed guidance and profound knowledge, despair can find no way into them, for they know many of the causes, means, and avenues through which Allah’s mercy comes. Then, when they gave him these glad tidings, he realized that they had been sent on an important mission.
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⦗57 - 77⦘ “He said, ‘What, then, is your mission, O messengers?’ They said, ‘We have been sent to a sinful people, except for the family of Lot. We will surely save them all, except his wife. We have decreed that she will be among those who remain behind.’ When the messengers came to the family of Lot, he said, ‘You are people unknown to me.’ They said, ‘Rather, we have brought you that which they used to doubt. We have come to you with the truth, and we are indeed truthful. So set out with your family during a portion of the night, follow behind them, and let none of you look back. Proceed to wherever you are commanded.’ And We conveyed to him that decree: the last remnant of those people would be cut off by daybreak. The people of the city came rejoicing. He said, ‘These are my guests, so do not disgrace me. Fear Allah and do not put me to shame.’ They said, ‘Did we not forbid you to receive anyone?’”
That is, the Close Friend, peace be upon him, said to the angels, “What, then, is your mission, O messengers?” In other words: What is your purpose, and why have you been sent?
“They said, ‘We have been sent to a sinful people’”—that is, their corruption had become widespread and their evil immense, so that we might punish and chastise them—“except for the family of Lot,” meaning Lot and his household, “except his wife. We have decreed that she will be among those who remain behind,” meaning among those left to suffer the punishment. As for Lot, We shall bring him and his family out and save them from it. Abraham then began disputing with the messengers concerning their destruction and appealing to them, but he was told, “O Abraham, turn away from this. Your Lord’s command has surely come, and an irreversible punishment is coming upon them.” They then departed from him.
“When the messengers came to the family of Lot, he said” to them, “You are people unknown to me”—that is, I do not recognize you and do not know who you are.
“They said, ‘Rather, we have brought you that which they used to doubt’”—that is, we have brought you the punishment about which they used to doubt and concerning which they accused you of lying when you warned them of it. “We have come to you with the truth,” which is no jest, “and we are indeed truthful” in what we have told you.
“So set out with your family during a portion of the night”—that is, in the midst of the night, when eyes are asleep and no one will know of your departure—“and let none of you look back”; that is, make haste and move quickly. “Proceed to wherever you are commanded,” as though a guide accompanied them to show them where to go. “And We conveyed to him that decree”—that is, We informed him with a definitive message admitting no exception—“the last remnant of those people would be cut off by daybreak.” In other words, the punishment would come upon them in the morning, sweeping them away and utterly destroying them.
“The people of the city came”—that is, the city in which Lot’s people lived—“rejoicing,” passing the glad news among themselves about Lot’s guests, the beauty of their faces, and their own ability to overpower them. Their aim was to commit indecency against them. They came until they reached Lot’s house and began pressuring Lot to give them access to his guests, while Lot sought protection from them and said, “These are my guests, so do not disgrace me. Fear Allah and do not put me to shame.” That is: Be mindful of Allah first and foremost; but if there is no fear of Allah within you, then at least do not disgrace me over my guests by perpetrating this heinous deed against them.
“They said” to him, responding only to his words, “Do not put me to shame”: “Did we not forbid you to receive anyone?” We already warned you, and one who gives warning has thereby discharged his responsibility.