وَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوٓا۟ أَخْرِجُوهُم مِّن قَرْيَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ 82
Translations
But the answer of his people was only that they said, "Evict them from your city! Indeed, they are men who keep themselves pure."
Transliteration
Wa mā kāna jawābu qawmihi illā an qālū akhrijūhum min qaryatikum, innahum unāsun yatahharun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the response of the people of Lot to his preaching against immoral acts: they mockingly demanded his expulsion from their city, sarcastically describing his followers as people who purify themselves. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that the people's mockery reveals their arrogance and rejection of truth—they twisted the concept of purity (tahārah) into ridicule, showing their spiritual blindness and commitment to their sins despite clear divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This verse occurs within the narrative of Prophet Lot in Surah Al-A'raf (ayahs 80-84), recounting his mission to the people of Sodom and their rejection of his message. The context illustrates the pattern throughout the Quran of how communities respond to prophets with scorn and dismissal rather than reflection, ultimately facing divine punishment.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah, and to disobey parents, and the sin like that of the people of Lot.' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). This hadith connects the severity of the sins of the people of Lot with major Islamic transgressions.
Themes
Key Lesson
Even when the truth is presented clearly through God's messengers, those whose hearts are sealed by sin may respond with mockery and obstinacy rather than reflection. This ayah reminds believers that upholding divine values may invite ridicule from society, yet steadfastness in truth is more valuable than the approval of the misguided.