11.69 – Certainly Our messengers brought Abraham the good news

In this narrative (vv. 69–83), messengers bring Abraham good news of the birth of Isaac (Isḥāq, v. 71) and say they are on their way to the people of Lot (v. 70). Abraham’s wife (not named) laughs to hear about Isaac, then reflects on the strangeness of bearing a child at her age (v. 72).

The messengers visit Lot and urge him and his family to flee the city (vv. 77–83). This version refers to the evil deeds of the townspeople in a roundabout way (vv. 78–81, with frightening echoes of the Genesis 19 story), while other quranic versions specify the sin that brings judgment. The messengers say that Lot’s wife will be punished along with the rest of the town (v. 81).

The story about Abraham and the messengers appears in four other versions in the Quran. See “Abraham in the Quran”. This story of Lot is the second of eight versions, appearing together with Abraham and the messengers two other times (15.61–74; 29.28–34).