وَقَضَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْأَمْرَ أَنَّ دَابِرَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ مَقْطُوعٌ مُّصْبِحِينَ 66
Translations
And We conveyed to him [the decree] of that matter: that those [sinners] would be eliminated by early morning.
Transliteration
Wa qadayna ilayhi dhalikal-amra anna dhabira haulai maqtu'un musbihin
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah commanded Lut (peace be upon him) that the roots/lineage of the people of Sodom would be cut off by morning, meaning their complete destruction was decreed. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah emphasizes Allah's decisive command to Lut regarding the inevitable annihilation of the transgressive people, with 'dahabir' (roots) referring to their total elimination—not a single one would remain. The phrase 'musbihin' (in the morning) indicates the swift and certain execution of this divine decree.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Prophet Lut in Surah Al-Hijr, which recounts the destruction of the people of Sodom for their rejection of faith and shameful deeds. The context shows Allah's reassurance to Lut that his people's doom is sealed, occurring after Lut warned them to abandon their evil practices. This narrative serves as a warning to the Meccan disbelievers about the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Surah Al-Hijr's account of Lut's people relates to the general hadith principle found in Sahih Muslim: 'The Messenger of Allah said: Every people has a fixed term, and when their term comes, they cannot delay it nor advance it by even an hour.' This reflects the certainty of divine punishment mentioned in 15:66.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that divine justice is absolute and inescapable—those who persistently reject faith and commit grave transgressions face certain reckoning in Allah's appointed time. For modern readers, it serves as a profound reminder that no amount of worldly power or numbers can protect the wicked from Allah's decree, encouraging steadfastness in faith and righteousness.
Related Ayahs
هَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّآ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ رَبُّكَ أَوْ يَأْتِىَ بَعْضُ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكَ ۗ يَوْمَ يَأْتِى بَعْضُ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكَ لَا يَنفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَـٰنُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ ءَامَنَتْ مِن قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِىٓ إِيمَـٰنِهَا خَيْرًا ۗ قُلِ ٱنتَظِرُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مُنتَظِرُونَ
Do they [then] wait for anything except that the angels should come to them or your Lord should come or that there come some of the signs of your Lord? The Day that some of the signs of your Lord will come no soul will benefit from its faith as long as it had not believed before or had earned through its faith some good. Say, "Wait. Indeed, we [also] are waiting."
وَمَا ظَنُّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْكَذِبَ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ
And what will be the supposition of those who invent falsehood about Allāh on the Day of Resurrection? Indeed, Allāh is the possessor of bounty for the people, but most of them are not grateful.
وَرَبُّكَ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُكِنُّ صُدُورُهُمْ وَمَا يُعْلِنُونَ
And your Lord knows what their breasts conceal and what they declare.
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًا لَّا تَجْزِى نَفْسٌ عَن نَّفْسٍ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يُقْبَلُ مِنْهَا عَدْلٌ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَـٰعَةٌ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided.