The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 565
PT. 8 AL-A'RĀF are a people who exceed all bounds. '980 CH. 7 b النِّسَاءِ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمُ مُّسْرِفُونَ وَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِةٍ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا And the answer of his. 83 people was no other than that أَخْرِجُوهُمْ مِنْ قَرْيَتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ they said, “Turn them out of يَتَطَهَّرُونَ your town, for they are men who would keep pure. '981 فَأَنْجَيْنَهُ وَأَهْلَةَ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَهُ كَانَتْ مِنَ And We saved him and his. 84 الغبِرِينَ family, except his wife; she was of those who stayed behind. 982 a27:57. 26:171-172; 27:58; 29:34; 37:135-136. 980. Commentary: Lot rebuked his people for having not only innovated the extremely foul practice of sodomy, but for having also excelled in other evil practices. 981. Commentary: The word (who would keep pure) may also signify "who affect to be pure"; because the ✓ (form) of is not unoften used to imply affectation. The word was used by the opponents of Lot about his followers by way of taunt, signifying that they posed and paraded as extra-righteous and holy persons. 982. Important Words: (who stayed behind) is derived from i. e. he or it remained, lasted or continued; he stayed, tarried or waited; or contrarily, he or it passed away or went away; or it (a wound) was or became in a bad state, especially after once being healed; or it healed externally while it was in a withering state internally; he (a man) hid enmity or hatred in his heart. So is one who remains or stays or tarries behind or waits, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The verse does not necessarily imply that the wife of Lot was a disbeliever. The fact that she tarried to inform her relatives of the impending punishment shows that she probably possessed some faith. As, however, she disregarded the 1005 command that no warning of the coming calamity was to be given to any disbeliever, she was punished. The word (who stayed behind) treated under Important Words above throws some interesting light on the real condition of Lot's wife. Most probably she outwardly believed in her husband but was like a withering wound within and stayed or lingered behind, while Lot and his companions hurriedly left the doomed place. There exists some difference of opinion among students of history as to the situation of the place where the