Surah 26

Surah 26:165

"Do you approach the males of all peoples,"
Lut's Denunciation of His People's Deeds, Their Response and Their Punishment Verses 26:165-175
Show Full Scripture Context (26:165-175) — 11 Verses
Verse 165

أَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلذُّكۡرَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Do you approach the males of all peoples,

Verse 166

وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمۡ رَبُّكُم مِّنۡ أَزۡوَٰجِكُمۚ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٌ عَادُونَ

and leave your wives whom your Lord created for you? Yes! You are a people who transgress!’

Verse 167

قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمۡ تَنتَهِ يَٰلُوطُ لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُخۡرَجِينَ

They said, ‘If indeed you do not stop, Lot, you will indeed be one of the expelled.’

Verse 168

قَالَ إِنِّي لِعَمَلِكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَالِينَ

He said, ‘Surely I am one of those who despise what you do.

Verse 169

رَبِّ نَجِّنِي وَأَهۡلِي مِمَّا يَعۡمَلُونَ

My Lord, rescue me and my family from what they do.’

Verse 170

فَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَأَهۡلَهُۥٓ أَجۡمَعِينَ

So We rescued him and his family – all (of them) –

Verse 171

إِلَّا عَجُوزٗا فِي ٱلۡغَٰبِرِينَ

except for an old woman among those who stayed behind.

Verse 172

ثُمَّ دَمَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأٓخَرِينَ

Then We destroyed the others.

Verse 173

وَأَمۡطَرۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم مَّطَرٗاۖ فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ ٱلۡمُنذَرِينَ

We rained down on them a rain, and evil was the rain on those who had been warned!

Verse 174

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗۖ وَمَا كَانَ أَكۡثَرُهُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ

Surely in that is a sign indeed, but most of them do not believe.

Verse 175

وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Surely your Lord – He indeed is the Mighty, the Compassionate.

The Prophet of Allah forbade them from committing evil deeds and intercourse with males, and he taught them that they should have intercourse with their wives whom Allah had created for them. Their response was only to say: {If you cease not, O Lut,} meaning, 'if you do not give up what you have brought,' {verily, you will be one of those who are driven out!} meaning, 'we will expel you from among us.' This is like the Ayah, {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!"} 27:56. When he saw that they would not give up their ways, and that they were persisting in their misguidance, he declared his innocence of them, saying: {I am, indeed, of those who disapprove with severe anger and fury} 'Of those who are outraged, I do not like it and I do not accept it, and I have nothing to do with you.' Then he prayed to Allah against them and said: {My Lord! Save me and my family from what they do.} Allah says: {So, We saved him and his family, all. Except an old woman among those who remained behind.} This was his wife, who was a bad old woman. She stayed behind and was destroyed with whoever else was left. This is similar to what Allah says about them in Surat Al-A'raf and Surah Hud, and in Surat Al-Hijr where Allah commanded him to take his family at night, except for his wife, and not to turn around when they heard the Sayhah as it came upon his people. So they patiently obeyed the command of Allah and persevered, and Allah sent upon the people a punishment which struck them all, and rained upon them stones of baked clay, piled up. Allah says: {Then afterward We destroyed the others. And We rained on them a rain,} until Allah's saying; {And verily, your Lord, He is indeed the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.}

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.