7. Sura al-Araf
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلُوطًا
...
7: 80. We also (sent) Lut:
C1049. Lut is the Lot of the English Bible. His story is biblical, but freed from some shameful features which are a blot on the biblical narrative, (e.g., see Gen. 19:30-36).
He was a nephew of Abraham, and was sent as a Prophet and warner to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, cities utterly destroyed for their unspeakable sins. They cannot be exactly located, but it may be supposed that they were somewhere in the plain cast of the Dead Sea.
The story of their destruction is told in the 19th chapter of Genesis. Two angels in the shape of handsome young men came to Lot in the evening and became his guests by night. The inhabitants of Sodom in their lust for unnatural crime invaded Lut's house but were repulsed. In the morning, the angels warned Lut to escape with his family. "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (Gen. 19:24-26).
Note that Lut's people are the people to whom he is sent on a mission. He was not one of their own brethren, as was Salih or Shu'aib. But he looked upon his people as his brethren (50:13), as a man of God always does.
... إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٨٠﴾
he said to his people:
"Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you?
إِنَّكُمْ
لَتَأْتُونَ
الرِّجَالَ
شَهْوَةً
مِّن
دُونِ
النِّسَاء...
7: 81. "For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women:
...بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُّسْرِفُونَ ﴿٨١﴾
ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds."
Asad’s Version:
7: 80 And Lot, when he said unto his people : ‘Will you commit abominations such as none in all the world has ever done before you?
7: 81 Verily, with lust you approach men instead of women: nay, but you are people given to excesses!”
11.Surah Hud
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلَمَّا جَاءتْ
رُسُلُنَا
لُوطًا سِيءَ
بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ
بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا...
11 : 77. When Our Messengers came to Lut, he was grieved on their account and felt himself powerless (to protect) them.
...وَقَالَ هَـذَا يَوْمٌ عَصِيبٌ ﴿٧٧﴾
He said: "This is a distressful day."
C1574. The story of Lut, as referred to in 7:80-84, laid emphasis on the rejection of Lut's mission by men who practised unnatural abominations. See n. 1049 to 7:80.
Here the emphasis is laid on Allah's dealings with men;
- in mercy for true spiritual service and in righteous wrath and punishment for those who defy the laws of nature established by Him;
- also on men's dealings with each other and the contrast between the righteous and the wicked who respect no laws human or divine.
وَجَاءهُ
قَوْمُهُ يُهْرَعُونَ
إِلَيْهِ...
11: 78. And his people came rushing towards him,
...وَمِن قَبْلُ كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ...
and they had been long in the habit of practicing abominations.
...قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ هَـؤُلاء بَنَاتِي هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ...
He said:
"O my people! here are my daughters: they are purer for you (if ye marry)!
C1575. The Biblical narrative suggests that the daughters were married and their husbands were close by (Gen. 19:14) and that these same daughters afterwards committed incest with their father and had children by him (Gen. 19:31-33).
The holy Quran nowhere suggests such abominations. Some Commentators suggest that "my daughters" in the mouth of a venerable man like Lut, the father of his people, may mean any young girls of those Towns.
"My son" (waladi) is still a common mode of address in Arabic-speaking countries when an elderly man addresses a young man.
...فَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَلاَ تُخْزُونِ فِي ضَيْفِي...
Now fear Allah, and cover me not with shame about my guests!
...أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَّشِيدٌ ﴿٧٨﴾
Is there not among you a single right-minded man?"
Pickthall’s Version:
11: 77
Pickthall And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was distressed and knew not how to protect them. He said: This is a distressful day.
Transliteration Wa lamma_ ja_'at rusuluna_ lu_tan si'a bihim wa da_qa bihim zar'aw wa qa_la ha_za_ yaumun 'asib(un).
11: 78
Pickthall And his people came unto him, running towards him and before then they used to commit abominations. He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man?
Transliteration Wa ja_'ahu_ qaumuhu_ yuhra'u_na ilaih(i), wa min qablu ka_nu_ ya'malu_ nas sayyi'a_t(i), qa_la ya_ qaumi ha_'ula_'i bana_ti hunna atharu lakum fa-ttaqulla_ha wa la_ tukhzu_ni fi daifi, alaisa minkum rajulur rasyid(un).