Tafseer Ibn Kathir of ASY SYU'ARAA' [165]

165. ”Go you in unto the males of Al-`Alamin (people),'' 166. ”And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your wives Nay, you are a trespassing people!'' 167. They said: ”If you cease not, O Lut, verily, you will be one of those who are driven out!'' 168. He said: ”I am indeed of those who disapprove with severe anger and fury your behavior.'' 169. ”My Lord! Save me and my family from what they do.'' 170. So, We saved him and his family, all, 171. Except an old woman among those who remained behind. 172. Then afterward We destroyed the others. 173. And We rained on them a rain, and how evil was the rain of those who had been warned! 174. Verily, in this is indeed a sign, yet most of them are not believers. 175. And verily your Lord, He is indeed the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.   The Prophet of Allah forbade them from committing evil deeds and intercourse with males, and he taught them that they should have intercourse with their wives whom Allah had created for them. Their response was only to say:

(If you cease not, O Lut,) meaning, `if you do not give up what you have brought,'

(verily, you will be one of those who are driven out!) meaning, `we will expel you from among us.' This is like the Ayah,

(There was no other answer given by his people except that they said: ”Drive out the family of Lut from your city. Verily, these are men who want to be clean and pure!'') (27:56). When he saw that they would not give up their ways, and that they were persisting in their misguidance, he declared his innocence of them, saying:

(I am, indeed, of those who disapprove with severe anger and fury) `Of those who are outraged, I do not like it and I do not accept it, and I have nothing to do with you. ' Then he prayed to Allah against them and said:

(My Lord! Save me and my family from what they do.) Allah says:

(So, We saved him and his family, all. Except an old woman among those who remained behind.) This was his wife, who was a bad old woman. She stayed behind and was destroyed with whoever else was left. This is similar to what Allah says about them in Surat Al-A`raf and Surah Hud, and in Surat Al-Hijr, where Allah commanded him to take his family at night, except for his wife, and not to turn around when they heard the Sayhah as it came upon his people. So they patiently obeyed the command of Allah and persevered, and Allah sent upon the people a punishment which struck them all, and rained upon them stones of baked clay, piled up. Allah says:

(Then afterward We destroyed the others. And We rained on them a rain) until Allah's saying;

(And verily, your Lord, He is indeed the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful. )