The air in the city of Sodom hung thick with an unsettling quiet. But it was not a peaceful quiet. It was the silence of people lost to their own desires, a city steeped in a wickedness unseen before on Earth. Here lived Prophet Lut, a man of profound wisdom and understanding, whom Allah had blessed with "judgement and knowledge".
Lut was Abraham's nephew, and he lived among a people who committed "wicked deeds" and were "defiantly disobedient". Their most shocking sin was their open embrace of unnatural acts: "sexual intercourse with males instead of females". It was an evil "not known among the Children of Adam before, nor did it even cross their minds" (Ibn Kathir on 7:81). Beyond this, they engaged in highway robbery and committed other sins openly in their gatherings, showing no shame (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on ).
Lut's Plea for Purity
Day after day, Lut stood before his people, his heart heavy with concern. "O my people," he pleaded, "do you commit such lewdness as none preceding you has committed in all of the nations?". He urged them to turn to the natural way Allah had provided, to marry women and build families. "Verily, you practice your lusts on men instead of women," he cried, "Nay, you are a people who cross the limits". He warned them that their persistent wrongdoing would bring a "painful punishment".
But his words fell on deaf ears. The leaders of the city, proud and arrogant, scoffed at him. "Indeed we see you in foolishness," they declared, "and we certainly believe you to be one of the liars". They even threatened him and his few followers, saying, "Expel them from your city. Surely they are folk who would be pure!". They mocked Lut, finding fault with his call to purity (Ibn Kathir on 7:82). Lut was filled with "distress and fear" for them, knowing the dreadful fate that awaited those who defied Allah (Ibn Kathir on 29:33).
The Guests of Abraham and Lut
One day, far from Sodom, three handsome young men arrived at the tent of Prophet Abraham. Abraham, renowned for his hospitality, hastened to prepare a fattened, roasted calf for his guests (11:70, Ibn Kathir on ). He watched, concerned, as their "hands not reaching for it," meaning they wouldn't eat. He felt "apprehension", as angels, by nature, do not consume food.
Seeing his worry, the guests revealed their true identity. "Fear not," they said, "We have been sent to the people of Lot". They then delivered glad tidings to Abraham and his wife, Sarah: they would be blessed with a son, Isaac (Ibn Kathir on , 15:53).
Abraham, a man of deep compassion and humility (Ibn Kathir on ), began to plead with the angels concerning Lut's people. He questioned if they would destroy a city that held even a handful of righteous people, asking about 300, 200, 40, 30, or even just five believers. Each time, the angels confirmed they would not. Abraham then specifically mentioned Lut, asking if he would be spared. The angels reassured him, saying, "We know better who is there. We will verily, save him and his family except his wife" (Ibn Kathir on ). Finally, they told Abraham to "give up this plea. Indeed, the command of your Lord has come, and indeed, there will reach them a punishment that cannot be repelled".
Soon after, the angels arrived at Lut's house, still in their human disguise. Lut’s heart sank as he saw them. He knew the depravity of his people and dreaded what they might do to his guests. This was indeed a "very hard day" for him (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on ).
Unbeknownst to Lut, his own wife, a disbeliever, quickly spread word throughout the city about the handsome strangers in their home. The wicked men of Sodom, filled with vile lust, rushed to Lut's house, "happily rejoicing" (Ibn Kathir on 15:70) at the prospect of their evil deeds. They tried to break down the door and scale the walls (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on ).
Lut desperately tried to protect his guests. "Verily, these are my guests, so do not shame me. And have Taqwa of Allah, and do not disgrace me," he pleaded (15:70 from Tafsir on 15:70). He even offered them the women of the city, saying, "These are my daughters, if you must act (so)" (15:71 from Tafsir on ). But the perverse men only mocked him. "Surely, you know that we have neither any desire nor need of your daughters," they retorted, "and indeed you know well what we want!" (11:79 from Tafsir on ).
As the situation grew desperate, the angels revealed their divine nature. "O Lot, indeed we are messengers of your Lord; therefore, they will never reach you," they announced. With a swift act, the Archangel Jibril struck the men, blinding them. They stumbled around in confusion, feeling for the walls, their threats now hollow (54:37, Ibn Kathir on ).
The Decree of Destruction
The angels then gave Lut his instructions. "So set out with your family during a portion of the night and let not any among you look back - except your wife; indeed, she will be struck by that which strikes them". Allah had decreed that Lut's wife, due to her disbelief and betrayal, would be "of those who remain behind" (15:60, 27:57) and would perish with her people. Some scholars say she either didn't leave the town or, in her regret, looked back at the city, at which point she was struck down (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on , Ibn Kathir on ).
"Indeed, their appointment is for the morning. Is not the morning near?" the angels told Lut. Lut, eager for the justice to come, expressed a desire for it to happen sooner. The angels assured him that morning was indeed close (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on ). Allah had conveyed the decree: "those sinners would be eliminated by early morning".
The Overturned Towns
Under the cover of darkness, Lut gathered his believing family. "So set out with your family during a portion of the night and follow behind them and let not anyone among you look back and continue on to where you are commanded", the angels instructed. As the first rays of dawn touched the horizon, a piercing "shriek seized them", followed by a violent tremor (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on . then see how was...](7:84), ).
Then, by Allah's command, the Archangel Jibril lifted the entire landmass of the four towns, Sodom and its surrounding villages (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on ), high into the sky. Everything on it remained in place, even a vessel of water, as human, animal, and canine voices cried out in terror. Then, with divine might, the land was turned "upside down" (11:82, 15:74, 29:34, 53:53). Following this, a devastating "rain of stones of layered hard clay" (11:82, 51:33, 54:34) descended upon them (7:84, 15:74, 27:58). Each stone was marked, some say with the name of the person it was destined to destroy (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on . then see how was...](7:84), 51:34, Ibn Kathir on , 51:34). The cities were utterly destroyed, becoming a "rain of evil", a putrid, stinking lake, known today as the Dead Sea (Ibn Kathir on , Ma'arif-ul-Quran on . then see how was...](7:84), 15:76).
Lut and his believing family were saved (21:74, 27:57, 54:34). Only "a single house of Muslims" was found within those cities. Allah’s power and justice were absolute.
Travelers continue to pass by these desolate ruins, visible on the ancient trade route between Arabia and Syria (15:76, 25:40, Ibn Kathir on 15:76). Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself would hasten through such places, lowering his head, as a powerful reminder of Allah's swift punishment (Ma'arif-ul-Quran on 15:76). "Then see how was the end of the criminals".
This is a story that stands as a stark warning, a vivid reminder of the consequences for those who defy Allah's commands and persist in grave sins. It teaches that Allah's justice is sure, and His mercy is for those who believe and strive for purity.