Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Lut, peace be upon him, and
how he warned his people of Allah's punishment for committing an act of
immorality which no human ever committed before them -- intercourse with males
instead of females. This is a major sin, whereby men are satisfied with men and
women are with women (i.e., homosexuality). Lut said:
[أَتَأْتُونَ
الْفَـحِشَةَ وَأَنتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ]
(Do you commit immoral sins while you see) meaning, `while you see one
another, and you practice every kind of evil in your meetings.'
[أَءِنَّكُمْ
لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِّن دُونِ النِّسَآءِ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ
تَجْهَلُونَ ]
(Do you practice your lusts on men instead of women Nay, but you are a people
who behave senselessly.) means, `you do not know anything of what is natural or
what is prescribed by Allah.' This is like the Ayah:
[أَتَأْتُونَ
الذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ الْعَـلَمِينَ - وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ مِّنْ
أَزْوَجِكُمْ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ عَادُونَ ]
(Go you in unto the males of mankind, and leave those whom Allah has created
for you to be your wives Nay, you are a trespassing people!) (26:165-166)
[فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ
قَوْمِهِ إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ أَخْرِجُواْ ءَالَ لُوطٍ مِّن قَرْيَتِكُمْ إِنَّهمْ
أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ ]
(There was no other answer given by his people except that they said: "Drive
out the family of Lut from your city. Verily, these are men who want to be clean
and pure!'') means, `they feel embarrassed because of the deeds you are doing,
and because you approve of your actions, so expel them from among yourselves,
for they are not fit to live among you in your city.' So, the people resolved to
do that, and Allah destroyed them, and a similar end awaits the disbelievers.
Allah says:
[فَأَنجَيْنَـهُ
وَأَهْلَهُ إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَـهَا مِنَ الْغَـبِرِينَ ]
(So, We saved him and his family, except his wife. We destined her to be of
those who remained behind.) meaning, she was one of those who were destroyed,
with her people, because she was a helper to what they did and she approved of
their evil deeds. She told them about the guests of Lut so that they could come
to them. She did not do the evil deeds herself, which was because of the honor
of the Lut and not because of any honor on her part.
[وَأَمْطَرْنَا
عَلَيْهِمْ مَّطَرًا]
(And We rained down on them a rain.) means; stones of Sijjil, in a
well-arranged manner one after another. Marked from your Lord; and they are not
ever far from the evildoers. Allah said:
[فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ
الْمُنذَرِينَ]
(So, evil was the rain of those who were warned.) meaning, those against whom
proof was established and whom the warning reached, but they went against the
Messenger and denied him, and resolved to drive him out from among them.
[قُلِ الْحَمْدُ
لِلَّهِ وَسَلَـمٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى ءَآللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا
يُشْرِكُونَ - أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ
السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَنبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَّا كَانَ لَكُمْ
أَن تُنبِتُواْ شَجَرَهَا أَإِلَـهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ
]
(59. Say : "Praise and thanks be to Allah, and peace be on His servants whom
He has chosen! Is Allah better, or what they ascribe as partners'') (60. Is not
He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the
sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight It is
not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any god with
Allah Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals!)