passing the word from one to another and saying, “Two handsome, clean-shaven youths have come to Lot!” So they hurried off to him, that is, they rushed. They had already been practicing evil deeds before—specifically the grave obscenity of sodomy.

Lot said, “My people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me with regard to my guests.”

Some scholars explain that his words “these are my daughters” point to the women of the town, not to his own biological daughters. He meant the daughters of his people, for a prophet stands to his community in the place of a father. In effect he was saying, “Women are available to you.” The same meaning is found in another verse: “Do you approach males of all the worlds and leave the spouses your Lord has created for you? No, you are a people who overstep all bounds.” In other words, you abandon women, while you are a transgressing people.

In short, he—peace be upon him—said to them, “So fear Allah and do not disgrace me.” His additional statement, “These are my daughters; they are purer for you,” expresses a preference in which nothing at all can be said for the rejected alternative, because approaching males contains no purity whatsoever; it is pure filth and abomination, as the Almighty says, “We delivered him from the town that had been committing abominations.” Women, on the other hand, are purer for you, for their private parts become lawful through the bond of marriage.