وَجَآءَهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ يُهْرَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِى هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ فِى ضَيْفِىٓ ۖ أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدٌ 78
Translations
And his people came hastening to him, and before [this] they had been doing evil deeds. He said, "O my people, these are my daughters; they are purer for you. So fear Allāh and do not disgrace me concerning my guests. Is there not among you a man of reason?"
Transliteration
Wa jaa'ahu qawmuhu yuhraʿūna ilayhi wa min qablu kānū yaʿmalūnas-sayyiāt. Qāla yā qawmi hā'ulā'i banātī hunna aṭharu lakum. Fattaqullāha wa lā tukhzūnī fī ḍayfī. A laysa minkum rajulun rashīd.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah depicts Prophet Lūt's desperate appeal to his people when they came rushing toward him with lustful intent toward his male guests. Recognizing the gravity of their sin, Lūt offered his daughters as a lawful alternative, emphasizing their purity, while simultaneously invoking taqwa (fear of Allah) and appealing to their sense of honor and wisdom. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurṭubī, this passage illustrates the prophet's moral courage and his people's deliberate rejection of divine guidance, with the rhetorical question 'Is there not among you one man of sense?' highlighting their descent into moral depravity.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Lūt (Lot) in Surah Hud, which is a Meccan surah addressing the Quraysh about divine justice and the punishment of previous peoples. The context describes the moment when Lūt's people approached his house with intent to commit the sin of sodomy against his guests, prompting the prophet's final plea for moral reform before their inevitable destruction.
Related Hadiths
The story of Lūt and his people is mentioned in several aḥādīth condemning sodomy as a grave sin. See Sunan Ibn Mājah and Sunan At-Tirmidhi regarding the Prophet Muhammad's condemnation of the actions of Lūt's people and their punishment.
Themes
Key Lesson
Even when facing hostile rejection, believers must maintain their principles and appeal to the conscience and reason of others, understanding that those who persistently reject divine guidance despite clear warnings face inevitable divine consequences. The ayah teaches that true leadership involves standing firm for morality even when surrounded by widespread corruption.
Related Ayahs
وَمَا نُؤَخِّرُهُۥٓ إِلَّا لِأَجَلٍ مَّعْدُودٍ
And We do not delay it except for a limited term.
إِن نَّقُولُ إِلَّا ٱعْتَرَىٰكَ بَعْضُ ءَالِهَتِنَا بِسُوٓءٍ ۗ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أُشْهِدُ ٱللَّهَ وَٱشْهَدُوٓا۟ أَنِّى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
We only say that some of our gods have possessed you with evil [i.e., insanity]." He said, "Indeed, I call Allāh to witness, and witness [yourselves] that I am free from whatever you associate with Allāh
وَيَـٰقَوْمِ لَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مَالًا ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ بِطَارِدِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُم مُّلَـٰقُوا۟ رَبِّهِمْ وَلَـٰكِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰكُمْ قَوْمًا تَجْهَلُونَ
And O my people, I ask not of you for it any wealth. My reward is not but from Allāh. And I am not one to drive away those who have believed. Indeed, they will meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people behaving ignorantly.
وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ٱعْمَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ مَكَانَتِكُمْ إِنَّا عَـٰمِلُونَ
And say to those who do not believe, "Work according to your position; indeed, we are working.