The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 169
PT. 12 HŪD me not in the presence of my guests. Is there not among you any right-minded man?' 1459 1459. Important Words: (came running trembling with rage) is derived from ε. They say (hara'a) i. e. he went to him quickly and in a perturbed state of CH. 11 مِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدُ in a state of war with their neighbours (Gen. 14). Therefore they would not allow strangers to enter their towns, lest the latter should open the gates at night and let in the enemy. Lot, like all Prophets of God, being an | اهرع الرجل huria) or) هرع الرجل. mind (ahra'a) means, the man went quickly; and (uhri'a) means, the man was made to tremble with rage, fear, cold or weakness; he was made to go fast. The Arabs say, ✓s (yuhra'u) i. e. the old man came fast and trembling or came running in a perturbed state of mind. (Aqrab). Commentary: In ancient times, generally every town had a separate government of its own, which was carried on by the chiefs of the place by mutual consultation as a sort of republic: or by a king whose authority was confined to one village or a number of villages. The two towns, Sodom and Gomorrah, with which Lot was connected had such a government. They possessed no established government in the modern sense of the word (Gen. ch. 14). The inhabitants of these two towns had adopted the calling of the road and used to plunder wayfarers (Jew. Enc. under "Sodom"). A people who thus molested their neighbours naturally had to be on their guard against them and to be constantly apprehensive of reprisals. Besides, the people of Sodom were practically 1377 hospitable man, naturally used to look after the comfort of strangers and entertain them (15:71). His people, apprehensive as they were, repeatedly warned him to give up that practice. So when, on this occasion, he brought strangers into his house, his townsmen became infuriated and hastened to him with angry faces, because they thought they now had a suitable opportunity to punish him for giving shelter to strangers in defiance of their protests. Some commentators say that these visitors had come in the form of handsome boys and that Lot's people came running to him with evil intent. But there is nothing in the context to warrant such an inference. On the contrary in 15:71 we read that on seeing the strangers with Lot, his people demanded of him why he had brought these strangers when they had already forbidden him to do so. If they had come with an evil intention, they should have rejoiced at the sight of the strangers and not been displeased at seeing them. Moreover, vv. 15:68-70 signify that Lot's people rejoiced at having an opportunity to punish and disgrace him because he defied their protests. They were angry