Verses 54–58
This is a summary of Lot’s story, where the aspect of warning dominates the aspect of glad tidings, much like the previous story.
Commentary
وَ لُوطاً إِذْ قالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَ تَأْتُونَ الْفاحِشَةَ وَ أَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ ٥٤
(27:54) And (We sent) Lot, when he said to his people: What? Do you commit indecency (al-fāḥishah) while you see?
It has been said that the conjunction “and” joins the verse to “We sent…” () in the previous story. Therefore, the same verb “sent” is implied in this verse: “And We certainly sent Lot…” This is what some exegetes have said. It could also be that the conjunction “and” joins the entire story of Lot to the entire story of Ṣāliḥ. Then the verb “remember” would be implied: “And remember Lot…” Fāḥishah means “something extremely reprehensible.” Here it means “sodomy.”
… while you see?: That is: “You commit indecency while you can see one another.” This is equivalent to what is narrated from him elsewhere: And you commit evil deeds in your assemblies? (). Some have suggested that it refers to seeing in the heart. The meaning would be: “You are aware of the indecency of this act.” However, this is a stretch of the meaning [beyond textual and contextual evidence].
أَ إِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجالَ شَهْوَةً مِنْ دُونِ النِّساءِ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ ٥٥
(27:55) What? Do you indeed approach (innakum la-taʾtūna) men lustfully rather than women? Nay, you are a people who act ignorantly.
This is a rhetorical question that implies denial and rebuke of their action. The question involves two articles of emphasis: inna and lām (in innakum la-taʾtūna). This shows that what is being questioned is so reprehensible that no one would approve of it. Irrespective of these points, the verse itself is an interpretation of “indecency” [in the previous verse].
… Nay, you are a people who act ignorantly (tajhalūna): The verb tajhalūna is in the present tense, which shows continuation. The meaning is: You persist in your ignorant behavior. Thus, there is no point in rebuking and criticizing you, because you are not a people who would refrain.
The verse should have naturally used yajhalūna is in the third person, but it says tajhalūna in the second person (lit. “you are a people who acts ignorantly”). This is an example of using the effect instead of the cause. It is as if the verse is saying: Nay, you are a kind of people who act ignorantly, thus you act ignorantly.
فَما كانَ جَوابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلاَّ أَنْ قالُوا أَخْرِجُوا آلَ لُوطٍ مِنْ قَرْيَتِكُمْ إِنَّهُمْ أُناسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ ٥٦
(27:56) But the answer of his people was no other except that they said: Turn out Lot’s followers from your town; surely they are a people who would keep pure!
What is meant by “keeping pure” is that they keep away from this act. They used this expression to deride and mock them.
فَأَنْجَيْناهُ وَ أَهْلَهُ إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْناها مِنَ الْغابِرِينَ ٥٧
(27:57) But We delivered him and his family (ahlihi) except his wife; We ordained her to be of those who remained behind.
What is meant by ahl here is his household in particular, based on what God says elsewhere: But We did not find therein save a (single) house of those who submitted ().
… We ordained her to be of those who remained behind: That is: We included her among those who were left to be punished.
وَ أَمْطَرْنا عَلَيْهِمْ مَطَراً فَساءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ ٥٨
(27:58) And We rained on them a rain (maṭaran), and evil was the rain of those who had been warned.
What rained upon them were stones of baked clay, based on the verse: And We rained down upon them stones of baked clay (). The word maṭaran (a rain) is in the indefinite form (nakirah), which indicates type and kind in this verse. That is: We sent down upon them a kind of rain which had such a tremendous story.
Here is how the author’s point can be rendered into English (although it is not an exact translation): The verse should have naturally said, “You are the kind of people that they act ignorantly” (where “they” is normally dropped in English). However, it says, “You are the kind of people that you act ignorantly.” This shows an implied omission in the verse, which can be elaborated as seen at the end of the paragraph. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, the indefinite form here indicates the greatness and immensity of the kind of punishment that was rained down upon them. (Trans.) ↩︎