Surah Hud Tafseer

قَالُواْ يَا لُوطُ إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن يَصِلُواْ إِلَيْكَ

They (messengers said):"O Lut! Verily, we are the messengers from your Lord! They shall not reach you!

فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ

..

So travel with your family in a part of the night,

They commanded him to travel with his family during the last part of night and that he should follow them from behind. In this way it would be as though he were driving his family (as a cattle herder).

وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ

and let not any of you look back;

This means, "If you hear the sound of what (torment) befalls them (the people of the village), do not rush towards that disturbing noise. Rather, continue leaving."

إِلاَّ امْرَأَتَكَ

but your wife,

Most of the scholars said that;

this means that she would not travel at night and she did not go with Lut. Rather, she stayed in her house and was destroyed.

Others said that;

it means that she looked back (during the travel).

This later group says that;

she left with them and when she heard the inevitable destruction, she turned and looked back. When she looked she said, "O my people!" Thus, a stone came down from the sky and killed her.

Then they (the angels) brought close to him the destruction of his people as good news for him, because he said to them, "Destroy them in this very hour."

إِنَّهُ مُصِيبُهَا مَا أَصَابَهُمْ

verily, the punishment which will afflict them, will afflict her.

They replied,

إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ الصُّبْحُ

أَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍ

Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near!

They were saying this while Luts people were standing at his door. They tried to rush his door from all sides and Lut was standing at the door repelling them, deterring them and trying to prevent them from what they were doing. Yet, they would not listen to him. Instead, they threatened him and sought to intimidate him. At this point, Jibril came out to them and struck them in their faces with his wing. This blow blinded their eyes and they retreated, unable to see their way.

This is as Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدُوهُ عَن ضَيْفِهِ فَطَمَسْنَأ أَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِى وَنُذُرِ

And they indeed sought to shame his guest (asking to commit sodomy with them). So We blinded their eyes (saying), "Then taste you My torment and My warnings." (54:37