قَالَ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِىٓ إِن كُنتُمْ فَـٰعِلِينَ 71
Translations
[Lot] said, "These are my daughters - if you would be doers [of lawful marriage]."
Transliteration
Qala haula'i banati in kuntum fa'ilin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records the response of Prophet Lot (Lut) to the people of Sodom who came to him with their shameful intentions. When confronted with their demand to commit immoral acts, Lot offered his daughters in marriage as a lawful alternative, demonstrating his desperate attempt to redirect them from their abominable sin. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this offer was made within the context of Lot's prophetic wisdom—he was attempting to persuade them away from homosexuality, which was a grave transgression and had never been committed by any people before them.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Prophet Lot in Surah Al-Hijr, which details the story of his people's rejection and their pursuit of forbidden acts. The broader context shows Lot's struggle against a society deeply entrenched in sexual immorality, and this verse reflects his final attempt at moral persuasion before divine punishment was executed against them.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this ayah, Surah Al-Araf 7:80-81 provides complementary Quranic material on the same narrative. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned in various hadiths (recorded in Jami' at-Tirmidhi and others) that the sin of Lot's people was the greatest sin, emphasizing the severity of the transgression Lot was confronting.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even when facing a society steeped in sin, believers must employ wisdom and compassion in their call to righteousness, offering alternatives and attempting redemption before judgment falls. It also illustrates that some societies can become so corrupted that their recovery becomes impossible, serving as a warning about the consequences of collective moral decline.