Surah 15. Al-Hijr

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Verses [Section]: 1-15[1], 16-25 [2], 26-44 [3], 45-60 [4], 61-79 [5], 80-99 [6]

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Quran Text of Verse 61-79فَلَمَّاAnd whenجَآءَcameاٰلَ(to the) familyلُوْطِ(of) Lutلْمُرْسَلُوْنَۙthe messengers قَالَHe saidاِنَّكُمْIndeed youقَوْمٌ(are) a peopleمُّنْكَرُوْنَ unknown قَالُوْاThey saidبَلْNayجِئْنٰكَwe have come to youبِمَاwith whatكَانُوْاthey wereفِیْهِin itیَمْتَرُوْنَ disputing وَ اَتَیْنٰكَAnd we have come to youبِالْحَقِّwith the truthوَ اِنَّاand indeed weلَصٰدِقُوْنَ surely (are) truthful فَاَسْرِSo travelبِاَهْلِكَwith your familyبِقِطْعٍin a portionمِّنَofالَّیْلِthe nightوَ اتَّبِعْand followاَدْبَارَهُمْtheir backsوَ لَاand notیَلْتَفِتْlet look backمِنْكُمْamong youاَحَدٌanyoneوَّ امْضُوْاand go onحَیْثُwhereتُؤْمَرُوْنَ you are ordered وَ قَضَیْنَاۤAnd We conveyedاِلَیْهِto himذٰلِكَ[that]الْاَمْرَthe matterاَنَّthatدَابِرَ(the) rootهٰۤؤُلَآءِ(of) theseمَقْطُوْعٌwould be cut offمُّصْبِحِیْنَ (by) early morning وَ جَآءَAnd cameاَهْلُ(the) peopleالْمَدِیْنَةِ(of) the cityیَسْتَبْشِرُوْنَ rejoicing قَالَHe saidاِنَّIndeedهٰۤؤُلَآءِtheseضَیْفِیْ(are) my guestsفَلَاso (do) notتَفْضَحُوْنِۙshame me وَ اتَّقُواAnd fearاللّٰهَAllahوَ لَاand (do) notتُخْزُوْنِ disgrace me قَالُوْۤاThey saidاَوَ لَمْDid notنَنْهَكَwe forbid youعَنِfromالْعٰلَمِیْنَ the world 15. Al-Hijr Page 266قَالَHe saidهٰۤؤُلَآءِTheseبَنٰتِیْۤ(are) my daughtersاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou would beفٰعِلِیْنَؕdoers لَعَمْرُكَBy your lifeاِنَّهُمْindeed theyلَفِیْwere inسَكْرَتِهِمْtheir intoxicationیَعْمَهُوْنَ wandering blindly فَاَخَذَتْهُمُSo seized themالصَّیْحَةُthe awful cryمُشْرِقِیْنَۙat sunrise فَجَعَلْنَاAnd We madeعَالِیَهَاits highest (part)سَافِلَهَاits lowestوَ اَمْطَرْنَاand We rainedعَلَیْهِمْupon themحِجَارَةًstonesمِّنْofسِجِّیْلٍؕbaked clay اِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیٰتٍ(are) the Signsلِّلْمُتَوَسِّمِیْنَ for those who discern وَ اِنَّهَاAnd indeed itلَبِسَبِیْلٍ(is) on a roadمُّقِیْمٍ established اِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیَةًsurely (is) a Signلِّلْمُؤْمِنِیْنَؕfor the believers وَ اِنْAnd wereكَانَAnd wereاَصْحٰبُ(the) companionsالْاَیْكَةِ(of) the woodلَظٰلِمِیْنَۙsurely wrongdoers فَانْتَقَمْنَاSo We took retributionمِنْهُمْ ۘfrom themوَ اِنَّهُمَاand indeed they bothلَبِاِمَامٍ(were) on a highwayمُّبِیْنٍؕ۠clear

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Translation of Verse 61-79

61. And when the messengers came to the family of Loot.⁶²

62. He said: “You appear to be strangers.”

63. They said: “Nay, but we have come to you with that about which they have doubt.⁶³

64. And we have brought you the truth, and verily we tell the truth:

65. So travel with your family in a part of the night and keep yourself in the rear,⁶⁴ and let none of you look back,⁶⁵ but go on to where you are commanded.”

66. And we made this decree known to him that their (sinners)root will be cut off by the morning.⁶⁶

67. And the inhabitants of the city came rejoicing.⁶⁷

68. (Loot) said: “Verily these are my guests,⁶⁸ do not disgrace me.⁶⁹”

69. And fear Allah, and do not shame me.”

70. They said: “Did we not forbid you from (entertaining) strangers.” ⁷⁰

71. Loot said: “Here are my daughters (for honourable purpose), if you must act (so)”.⁷¹

72. By your life verily in their wild intoxication they are moving blindly.⁷²

73. Then the dreadful sound overtook them at the time of sunrise.

74. Then We turned that township upside down, and We rained upon them stones of baked clay.⁷³

75. Verily there are big signs for those who read the signs intelligently.⁷⁴

76. And verily this (destroyed city) is on a highway.

75

77. Surely therein is a sign for the believers.⁷⁶

78. And (behold) the inhabitants of Aika were indeed wrong-doers.”⁷⁷

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Commentary

62. The angels had gone to Loot in the form of men, and from the narration in the Qur’an it appears that they appeared as handsome young men. That is why Prophet Loot thought that they were strangers who had come from outside his country and wanted to be his guests. Since that nation was to be put to a test, Allah had sent the angels in that form and for this good reason they did not disclose their identity to him. However subsequently they informed him of their true identity.

63. That is: They have brought punishment from Allah about which they were expressing their doubts. The angels informed Loot about this at the time when his house was surrounded by the people, as is narrated at another place.

64. The command to walk in the rear of the kinsfolk was given so that none of his kinsfolk returned home or looked back. Besides, there was a chance to test whether his home people would follow the command of Allah and walk on even if when they would not find the Prophet in front of them.

65. It has been explained in Surah Hood, Note No. 116.

66. That is: They will be completely destroyed.

67. That is: The inhabitants of the city reached Loot’s house when they learnt of the arrival of beautiful young men at the place. They were rejoicing at the prospect of getting victims for their nefarious acts.

68. Till then the angels had not disclosed their identity before Prophet Loot. The sayings of the angels, quoted in ayat Nos. 63 to 65 above, pertain to the time when the citizens had surrounded the house of Loot, who felt very anxious seeing the honour of his guest at stake.

69. That is: If you would elope with my guest, it would be very shameful for me.

70. That is: We had forbidden you to entertain any outsider or stranger males, then why did you invite these young men. It exposes the hooliganism of the community of Loot: they were not prepared to tolerate any of their countrymen entertaining with feeling of humanity male strangers in his house.

71. That is: If you want to satisfy your lust in a permissible way, then you have your wives at home. What is the meaning of giving up a natural and permissible way and adopting an unnatural and unlawful way? Prophet Loot drew the attention of his people towards this fact in a very dignified and civilized manner. This is the reason why he called the daughters of his community as his own daughters. For further explanation, please see Surah Hood, Note No.110.

72. On this occasion when Loot’s last advice also did not impress his community, Allah comforted him by saying that your whole life is an evidence of the fact that you have not spared any pains for bringing in reform in your community, but these people are so wicked that they are not prepared to act on your advice and they have been so much overcome by their lust that their intelligence is paralysed and they have become like blind men. Now they have been destined to receive their punishment.

It should be noted that on such occasions in Arabic an oath means giving witness and it is considered a fine style of speech.

73. This has been explained in Surah Hood, Note No.119.

74. For explanation, please see Surah Hood, Notes Nos. 147 and 148.

75. The region of Sodom and Gomorrah where the nation of Loot lived lies between Hijaz and Syria, and it was situated on the highway which was used by the trade caravans.

76. Sign of the fact that eventually mercy of Allah goes to the lot of the faithful and real honour and supremacy is their eventual reward.

77. “Aika” means thick trees. The region near Madiyan was full of trees with thick foliage, which was inhabited by the nation of Shuaib. Therefore, that nation was called the ‘People of Aika’. The chronicle of the community of Shuaib is narrated in Surah A’raf and Surah Hood. For explanation, Surah A’raf Note No. 134 to 149, and Surah Hood Notes Nos. 122 to 140 may be seen.