The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 789
PT. 23 AȘ-ṢĀFFĀT 134. And assuredly Lot, too, was one of the Messengers, 3349 135. "When We delivered him and all his family, 136. Except an old woman who was among those who stayed behind. 137. dThen We utterly destroyed the others. 3350 138. And surely you pass by them in the morning, 3351 139. And by night. Then why & do you not understand?3352 CH. 37 وَاِنَّ لُوطًا لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ) اِذْ نَجَّيْنَهُ وَ أَهْلَةَ أَجْمَعِيْنَ إِلَّا عَجُوزًا فِي الْغَبِرِينَ ثُمَّ دَمَّرْنَا الْآخَرِيْنَ. وَإِنَّكُمْ لَتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُّصْبِحِينَ ) وَبِالَّيْلِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ & a7:81; 26:161; 29:29. 26:171; 29:33; 51:36. 7:84; 11:82; 15:61; 27:58. d26:173. 15:77. 3349. Commentary: For Lot see 15:62-78. 3350. Important Words: (We utterly destroyed) is the intensive form of (damara). They sayi. e. he intruded upon them; he came upon them without per- mission. (dammara) means, He (God) utterly destroyed them or annihilated them (Aqrab). Commentary: and Both the towns, Sodom Gomorrah, to which Lot preached his Message were completely destroyed; only the members of Lot's family, except his wife, were saved. 3351. Commentary: See next verse. 3352. Commentary: Sodom and Gomorrah were situated on the highway from Arabia to Syria where the Arab caravans passed by day and night. At another place in the Quran these towns are mentioned as having been situated "on a road that still exists" (15:77). The present and the preceding verses are full of extreme pathos. The Quraishites of Mecca are told that a great Prophet has come to them. They have rejected him. They know that there had lived in the neighbouring land another Prophet, Lot. His people also rejected him and God utterly destroyed them for their wicked and abominable deeds. The site of their annihilated towns lies on the highway which leads to Syria to which country their (of the Quraishites) caravans frequently pass. Then why do they not take a lesson from the fate that met the people of Lot, and accept their own Prophet-the Holy Prophet Muḥammad? 2703