فَأَنجَيْنَـٰهُ وَأَهْلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَهُۥ كَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْغَـٰبِرِينَ 83
Translations
So We saved him and his family, except for his wife; she was of those who remained [with the evildoers].
Transliteration
Fa-anjaynahu wa-ahlahu illa imra'atahu kanat min al-ghäbirin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how Allah saved Lot (Lut) and his family from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, with the exception of his wife who remained behind with those who disbelieved. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari emphasize that Lot's wife rejected faith despite witnessing her husband's message and the miraculous signs, thus she was included among those destroyed (al-ghäbirin - those who remained/were left behind). This demonstrates that family ties cannot save one from divine punishment if one persists in disbelief and rejection of the truth.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Lot in Surah Al-A'raf, which recounts the stories of various prophets and their peoples during the Meccan period. The context addresses the fate of Lot's community and his family, providing the Meccan believers with examples of how Allah protected the faithful and punished the transgressors, serving as a warning and encouragement during the persecution of early Muslims.
Related Hadiths
The story of Lot's wife is referenced in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim through various hadiths about the people of Lot and the destruction of their city. Additionally, Tirmidhi records hadith about the wives of the prophets, including the mention of Lot's wife as an example of a disbelieving wife.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that proximity to truth and righteousness—even through family bonds with a prophet—does not guarantee salvation; rather, personal faith and submission to Allah are essential. It serves as a reminder that no one can intercede for those who deliberately reject Allah's guidance, emphasizing individual accountability on the Day of Judgment.
Related Ayahs
فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allāh upon the liars [among us]."
فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيْهِم بِعِلْمٍ ۖ وَمَا كُنَّا غَآئِبِينَ
Then We will surely relate [their deeds] to them with knowledge, and We were not [at all] absent.
وَكُلًّا ضَرَبْنَا لَهُ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلَ ۖ وَكُلًّا تَبَّرْنَا تَتْبِيرًا
And for each We presented examples [as warnings], and each We destroyed with [total] destruction.
ٱلْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَىٰٓ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَآ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْسِبُونَ
That Day, We will seal over their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify about what they used to earn.