Tafseer Ibn Kathir of HUUD [80]

80. He said: ”Would that I had strength to overpower you, or that I could betake myself to some powerful support.'' 81. They (messengers) said: ”O Lut! Verily, we are the messengers from your Lord! They shall not reach you! So travel with your family in a part of the night, and let not any of you look back; but your wife (will remain behind), verily, the punishment which will afflict them, will afflict her. Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near'' Allah, the Exalted says that Lut was threatening them with his statement,

(Would that I had strength (men) to overpower you,) meaning, `I would surely have made an example of you and done (harm) to you from myself and my family.' In this regard, there is a Hadith which is reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,

(May Allah's mercy be upon Lut, for verily, he betook himself to a powerful support --ï´¿meaning Allah, the Mighty and Sublime.ï´¾ Allah did not send any Prophet after him, except amidst ï´¿an influential familyï´¾ among his people.) With this, the angels informed him that they were the messengers of Allah sent to them. They also told him that his people would not be able to reach him (with any harm).

(They (messengers said): ”O Lut! Verily, we are the messengers from your Lord! They shall not reach you!) They commanded him to travel with his family during the last part of night and that he should follow them from behind. In this way it would be as though he were driving his family (as a cattle herder).

(and let not any of you look back;) This means, ”If you hear the sound of what (torment) befalls them (the people of the village), do not rush towards that disturbing noise. Rather, continue leaving.''

(but your wife,) Most of the scholars said that this means that she would not travel at night and she did not go with Lut. Rather, she stayed in her house and was destroyed. Others said that it means that she looked back (during the travel). This later group says that she left with them and when she heard the inevitable destruction, she turned and looked back. When she looked she said, ”O my people!'' Thus, a stone came down from the sky and killed her. Then they (the angels) brought close to him the destruction of his people as good news for him, because he said to them, ”Destroy them in this very hour.'' They replied,

(Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near) They were saying this while Luts people were standing at his door. They tried to rush his door from all sides and Lut was standing at the door repelling them, deterring them and trying to prevent them from what they were doing. Yet, they would not listen to him. Instead, they threatened him and sought to intimidate him. At this point, Jibril came out to them and struck them in their faces with his wing. This blow blinded their eyes and they retreated, unable to see their way. This is as Allah said,

(And they indeed sought to shame his guest (asking to commit sodomy with them). So We blinded their eyes (saying), ”Then taste you My torment and My warnings.'')﴿54:37﴾