26. Surah al-Furqan, Mecca 47]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ لُوطٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿١٦٠﴾

26: 160. The people of Lut rejected the messengers.

C3209. The story of Lut (Lot) will be found in 7:80-84: see n. 1049.

Here the point is that the people of the Cities of the Plain were shamelessly addicted to vice against nature, and Lut's warning only exasperated them, until they were destroyed by a shower of brimstone.

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ لُوطٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٦١﴾

26: 161. Behold, their brother Lut said to them:

"Will ye not fear (Allah)?

إِنِّي لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ ﴿١٦٢﴾

26: 162. "I am to you a messenger worthy of all trust.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ﴿١٦٣﴾

26: 163. "So fear Allah and obey me.

وَمَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ...

26: 164. "No reward do I ask of you for it:

...إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٦٤﴾

my reward is only from the Lord of the Worlds.

أَتَأْتُونَ الذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿١٦٥﴾

26: 165. "Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males.

وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُم...

26: 166. "And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your mates?

...بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ عَادُونَ ﴿١٦٦﴾

Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!"

قَالُوا لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ يَا لُوطُ لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُخْرَجِينَ ِ﴿١٦٧﴾

26: 167. They said: "If thou desist not, O Lut! thou wilt assuredly be cast out!"

C3210. Their threat to cast him out has a grim significance in what actually happened. They were destroyed where they were, and he was glad to escape the dreadful Punishment according to the warning he had received.

قَالَ إِنِّي لِعَمَلِكُم مِّنَ الْقَالِينَ ﴿١٦٨﴾

26: 168. He said:

"I do detest your doings."

C3211. He was only among them from a stem sense of duty. The whole atmosphere there was detestable to him, and he was glad to escape when duty no longer demanded his presence there. He prayed for deliverance from such surroundings.

Asad’s Version:

26:160 [AND] the people of Lot 70 gave the lie to [one of God's] message-bearers

(26:161) when their brother Lot said unto them: "Will you not be conscious of God?

(26:162) Behold, I am an apostle [sent by Him] to you, [and therefore] worthy of your trust:

(26:163) be, then, conscious of God, and pay heed unto me!

26:164 "And no reward whatever do I ask of you for it: my reward rests with none but the Sustainer of all the worlds.

(26:165) "Must you, of all people, [lustfully] approach men,

(26:166) keeping yourselves aloof from all the [lawful] spouses whom your Sustainer has created for you? Nay, but you are people who transgress all bounds of what is right!"

26:167 Said they: "Indeed, if thou desist not, O Lot, thou wilt most certainly be expelled [from this town ship]!"

(26:168) [Lot] exclaimed: "Behold, I am one of those who utterly abhor your doings!"