Allah tells us about how Lut's people came to him when they found out about
his handsome guests, and they came happily rejoicing about them.
[قَالَ إِنَّ
هَـؤُلآءِ ضَيْفِى فَلاَ تَفْضَحُونِ - وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُخْزُونِ
]
([Lut] said: "Verily, these are my guests, so do not shame me. And have Taqwa
of Allah, and do not disgrace me.'') This is what Lut said to them before he
knew that his guests were messengers from Allah, as mentioned in Surat Hud, but
here (in this Surah), we have already been told that they are messengers from
Allah, and this is followed by an account of Lut's people coming and his
exchange with them. However, here the conjunction (wa, meaning "and'') does not
imply the sequence of events, especially since there is something to indicate
that this is not the case. They said answering him,
[أَوَلَمْ نَنْهَكَ
عَنِ الْعَـلَمِينَ]
(Did we not forbid you from entertaining (or protecting) any of the `Alamin)
meaning, `did we not tell you that you should not have anyone as a guest' He
reminded them about their womenfolk and what their Lord had created for them in
the women of permissible sexual relationships. This issue has already been
explained and is no need to repeat the discussion here. All of this happened
while they were still unaware of the inevitable calamity and punishment that was
about to befall them the following morning. Hence Allah, may He be exalted, said
to Muhammad ,
[لَعَمْرُكَ
إِنَّهُمْ لَفِى سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ]
(Verily, by your life, in their wild intoxication, they were wandering
blindly.) Allah swore by the life of His Prophet , which is an immense honor
reflecting his high rank and noble status. `Amr bin Malik An-Nakari reported
from Abu Al-Jawza' that Ibn `Abbas said: "Allah has never created or made or
formed any soul that is dearer to him than Muhammad . I never heard that Allah
swore by the life of anyone else. Allah says,
[لَعَمْرُكَ
إِنَّهُمْ لَفِى سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ]
(Verily, by your life, in their wild intoxication, they were wandering
blindly.) meaning, by your life and the length of your stay in this world,
[إِنَّهُمْ لَفِى
سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ]
(in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly.) This was reported
by Ibn Jarir. Qatadah said:
[لَفِى
سَكْرَتِهِمْ]
(in their wild intoxication) "It means - in their misguided state;
[يَعْمَهُونَ]
(they were wandering blindly) means - they were playing. '' `Ali bin Abi
Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said:
[لَعَمْرُكَ]
(Verily, by your life) means by your life, and
[إِنَّهُمْ لَفِى
سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ]
(in their wild intoxica- tion, they were wandering blindly.) means that they
were confused.''
[فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ
الصَّيْحَةُ مُشْرِقِينَ - فَجَعَلْنَا عَـلِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِّن سِجِّيلٍ - إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ
- وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُّقِيمٍ - إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لآيَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
]
(73. So the Sayhah overtook them at the time of sunrise.) (74. And We turned
them upside down and rained stones of baked clay upon them.) (75. Surely, in
this are signs for those who see.) (76. And verily, they were right on the
highroad.) (77. Surely, there is indeed a sign in that for the believers.)
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