The Society of Lut AS
Prophet Lut (Lot) AS was the nephew of Ibrahim AS. After parting ways with Ibrahim AS, Sarah and Hajr, he went to the city of Sodom. It was from here that homosexuality originated, for no one on earth had indulged in this act previously.
We see from the first few stories of the Prophets involved them inviting their community towards monotheism to Allah. Lut’s AS prophetic mission had another dimension, which was to specifically prohibit the deviant sexual acts that his people were practising.
The community of Lut AS was bankrupt of morals and ethics. The men formed their own private clubs and societies from which they exercised their lustful practices with each other, leaving the women neglected and unable to find a spouse. Apart from their rampant homosexuality, they also used to be highway robbers (due to the strategic position of their towns on the highway), cheat their friends, and perform numerous acts of indecency in public assemblies and meetings. As usual, Shaitan had made them forget about the fate of Ad and Thamud, who were not too far from them, geographically and chronologically, and they became heedless of Allah in their decadent behaviour.
The Da’wah of Lut AS
Lut’s AS message was the same as his predecessors in Prophethood, which was to lead them towards Allah and to remind them to fear Allah. In addition, he tried to persuade them to marry in the manner ordained by Allah instead of engaging with those of the same gender for sexual satisfaction.
However, being too caught up with their own perverse inclinations, the people disliked Lut’s AS da’wah. To them, his purity had no place in their society.
The more he persuaded them to goodness, the more they despised and shunned him. Like the previous communities of the Prophets, they accused him of being a liar and tried to silence him with bribes. When this did not work, they became hostile and threatened to expel him from their midst. As with the majority of men who have deviated far from the right path, instead of wanting to emulate his purity, they loathed him for it.
The Quran makes various mentions of Lut’s AS prophetic mission:
“And [We had sent] Lot when he said to his people, ‘Do you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds? Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people.’ But the answer of his people was only that they said, ‘Evict them from your city! Indeed, they are men who keep themselves pure.’ So We saved him and his family, except for his wife; she was of those who remained [with the evildoers].” [7:80 – 7:83]
It is also mentioned in the Qur’an that:
“The people of Lot denied the messengers, When their brother Lot said to them, ‘Will you not fear Allah ? Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger. So fear Allah and obey me. And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds. Do you approach males among the worlds. And leave what your Lord has created for you as mates? But you are a people transgressing.’ He said, “Indeed, I am, toward your deed, of those who detest [it]. [26:160-168]
His community, blinded by their lust and desire, became increasingly insolent towards him. They remained unrepentant and neither accepted the call of Lut AS to believe in Allah and worship Him, nor cease from their indecent activities.
The Mysterious Guests
When it became apparent that his people would not budge from their ways, Lut AS cried out in distress for Allah: “My Lord, save me and my family from [the consequence of] what they do.” [26:169] Supplications from Prophets and Messengers are powerful, and Allah responded by sending angels to destroy the townsfolk.
Here, the story is intertwined with that of Ibrahim’s AS. Allah had dispatched angels to destroy Lut’s AS community. One their way, they visited Ibrahim AS and his wife Sara, to give the couple glad tidings of a child (Ishaq AS), and informed them of the imminent punishment that was going to befall the people of Lut AS – [Abraham] said, “Then what is your business [here], O messengers?” They said, “Indeed, we have been sent to a people of criminals. To send down upon them stones of clay, marked in the presence of your Lord for the transgressors.” 51:31-34). In another passage, Ibrahim AS said “Indeed, within it is Lut.” They said, “We are more knowing of who is within it. We will surely save him and his family, except his wife. She is to be of those who remain behind.” (29:32)
The angels, under the guise of handsome young men, then proceeded to of Lut AS in the evening, and asked him to house them for the night.
Naturally Lut AS was perturbed at the appearance of these mysterious guests. Knowing his townspeople’s inclinations, these strangers would have been unsafe if anyone else in town had hosted them, yet if the townspeople heard about these men, he also knew that he would be physically defenceless to protect them from their advances. “And when Our angels came to Lut, he was grieved and felt unable to protect them, and he said: ‘This is a distressful day.'” (11:77)
He took them in discreetly, careful to keep these handsome men hidden. However, unknown to him, Lut’s AS wife went out to the townspeople behind his back, and informed them of the arrival of the men, whose beautiful faces she had never seen before.
Not long after, the people went to his house and besieged it, for they wanted to lay their hands on these guests, in other words to sexually assault them. From the other side of the door, Lut AS tried to defend his guests and said ‘O my people! Here are my daughters, they are purer for you (if you marry them)’ (11:78) He was not referring to his daughters literally, but to the womenfolk of the town, for a Prophet is deemed as a father to his people. He appealed to them to take the purer path, saying that they should turn to their wives, or get married, instead of indulging in homosexuality.
While trying to fend them off, he also appealed to them: ‘So fear Allah and do not disgrace me about my guests. Is there not a single man among you right minded?’ (11:78) However, the men were too fuelled by desire that it obliterated all common decency from their actions. They replied to him: “You know that we have no desire towards your daughters, and you know what we desire.” (11:79) They were heedless of the consequences, and did not fear Allah’s punishment. Being intoxicated by lust, they became increasingly daring as they tried to enter the house in order to force themselves upon the guests. Lut AS was both outnumbered and feeble with old age, his guests were in peril and the situation was critical. “And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was distressed for them and felt for them great discomfort. They said, “Fear not, nor grieve. Indeed, we will save you and your family, except your wife; she is to be of those who remain behind.” (29:33)
Having revealed their true identities, the angels said “O Lut! We are messengers of your Lord, by no means they shall reach you.” (11:81) It is mentioned that Jibril AS came out to them, hit them on their faces with his wing, blinding them.
The Punishment
The angels then informed Lut AS about the impending punishment of the townspeople saying that “Morning is their time appointed (for their destruction), is not the morning almost nigh?” (11:81) Therefore, in the cover of the night, Lut AS fled the city with his family.
As the sun appeared in the horizon, the terrible punishment of Allah was unleashed. There was a thunderous cry and “When Our Command came to pass, We turned the habitation upside down, and rained upon them brimstone, hard as baked clay, layer on layer. Each one assigned from your Lord, and never far from the evildoers.” (11:82 -83) It is said that Jibril AS uprooted the cities from earth (seven in total, including the satellite towns), flipped them, together with their inhabitants, and flung them back upside down towards the earth. The hail of brimstones that ensued was deadly and precise, each with the name of the targeted person, and each meeting its mark. One can only imagine the mayhem and panic of the townspeople before their screams of terror were silenced forever.
It is not known whether the wife of Lut AS stayed behind with her people, or whether she followed Lut AS during his escape. However, when she heard the mighty blast and saw the city crashing down from the sky, she turned towards her people, demonstrating that her loyalties lay with them and not to Allah. One of the brimstones fell upon her, and she was smashed to pieces, meeting her horrific end with the rest of the non believers.
Allah has transformed that part of the region into a putrefied sea (which is agreed to be the Dead Sea between Jordan and Palestine), in which no life form can survive, and which bitter waters have no benefit to any living being. Neither can any life flourish at the surrounding shores. Allah had left it so as a sign and a warning against those who commit a similar act.
LESSONS LEARNT
The Prohibition Against Homosexuality
There are various categories of sins, ranging from minor to major, and then there is another category where the sin is so heavy that the wrongdoers are cursed by Allah. Once cursed, the persons fall outside the mercy of Allah, are blinded from receiving the message and their arrogance and sickness in their heart will prohibit them from seek guidance, repentance or even moving forward in their spiritual journey. The curse will cause them to be sealed by any guidance and repentance, being doomed to hell and and disgraced in Allah’s kingdom. Homosexuality is such an act. The throne of Allah shakes with wrath every time there is homosexual contact, whether it is a man touching a man or a woman touching a woman.
Allah has provided us with the proper and pure avenues of pleasure and physical companionship. In verse 21 of Surah Rum, Allah mentions that from one of His signs is that he creates pairs for us. In it, Allah tells us that He has created mates and spouses for us, in the natural order of things being those from the opposite gender, whose physical, emotional and psychological characteristics complement our own. Mankind is born with certain natural predispositions and emotions which are to be shared with spouses, including the feelings of closeness, companionship and tranquillity, and this is a sign for those who contemplate the wonders of Allah.
In today’s society the gender distinction has faded. Men behave like females, and women behave like males, whether in appearances, mentality or behaviour. When it comes to marriage, a woman struggles to find a male with the qualities of a man, and neither can the man easily find a female with the natural feminine qualities of a woman. Part of this is contributed by the free interaction between the genders – when the female is in constant company of men, their masculine attributes will erode her natural femininity, and similarly, when a man spends excessive time in the company of females, their feminine attributes will rub off on him.
Islam encourages us to marry at an early age, before certain habits start to form and before we start experimenting with prohibited or unnatural channels to release our sexual desires. The Prophet SAW used to say that if a man comes to marry your daughter, and you like his deen, manner and conduct, you must marry him to your daughter. Otherwise there will be a calamity in the whole ummah. Today we delay this occasion, shifting the deadline to when the degree is obtained and the career is established, or when sufficient fortune has been earned.
Further, it is forbidden for a man to imitate a woman and vice versa. Once, a man in red clothing approached the Prophet SAW, and was ignored. Similarly, a man who smelt strongly of a ladies’ perfume was turned away, both incidents evidencing that the Prophet SAW disliked it when a man assumed the characteristics of a woman. There is also authentic hadith which confirms that Allah curses the male imitating a female, and the female imitating a male. What if the Prophet SAW came today and saw the way we are dressing and behaving?
Homosexuality is also cultivated by the wrong environment, the lack of role models, and the lack of education on how we are to interact with each other. For example, even scholars are not allowed to sit alone with a young boy (whose facial hair has not started to grow), to protect against any corruption and temptation.
We should provide our children the right education, environment and companionship. The importance of the environment cannot be undermined. Lut AS was educated by Ibrahim AS at a time where there were just a handful of Muslims on the planet. We as human beings are contagious, and we imitate those we spend time with. It also works negatively – for example, when we start imitating Western trends, in dressing, speech and thinking, and most dangerously, adopting their ideologies, many of which are corrupted, such as the increasing tolerance and protection towards homosexuals and the granting of legal status to homosexual relationships.
We cannot guide whom we want
We had shown earlier how the wife of Nuh AS betrayed him and died as a non believer. Here we see the same fate befalling the wife of Lut AS. Her betrayal was through the disclosure of a family confidence when she revealed the presence of the guests to the townspeople. In so doing, she not only acted as a spy for them, but also breached one of the most sacred rules of marriage, which was to keep private the happenings within the household. It is imperative that, apart from a few permitted exceptions, the wife keeps silent of all the domestic activities, and it is forbidden for her to relay such details to others, even by way of casual conversation.
The betrayal of Lut’s AS wife also demonstrates that we do not have control over whom Allah wants to guide. Being pious does not guarantee the piety of our family and offspring. Our duty is to provide the right upbringing, based on correct values and halal income. However, guidance will come only from Allah, and He will guide whom He wants. Even Muhammad SAW, when he failed to persuade his beloved uncle Abu Talib to embrace Islam, was reminded by Allah that one does not guide whom he loves, but that Allah will guide whom He wants.
Our duty is to educate those under our responsibility, by setting the role model, showing the way and relying on Allah for the results. When we neglect our duties in life to command the good and prohibit the wrong, mischief spreads. Mankind will be far away from the Creator and guidance. Our environment and society will be corrupted by mischief, affecting our own immediate circle too, making living the straight path very difficult.
This is the punishment from Allah for our negligence. If the wrath of Allah descends, we will suffer the consequences too, for abandoning our duty to be the inviter of goodness. Today, we can see individuals or families try to live right path, running from country to country, society to society, looking for the right community or environment that is morally healthy for the family. It has become very difficult. Why? Again, because of our collective laxity of our duties to convey the message. We have become selfish, concerned about just our families and forgetting that we cannot divorce environment and society. Even if we try to develop the perfect family unit, once we step out of our household, our neighbours, the education system and the style of life will taint us, making living our lives as Allah wants for us extremely difficult. We can see live examples of this every day. We pay the price for our inattention by the opposition of others against us in this life, and our accountability to Allah on the Day of Judgment. The only way to be rescued is to lead a good life, and to be a part of conveying the message.
Cautious Tourism and Reminding Others
When we go to an area that Allah destroyed or cursed, we should be mindful not to take it as an amusement or a tourist attraction. When we visit such locations, we should contemplate the signs left by Allah, and fear that we could be next. We are supposed to remind ourselves of their fate and guard our own behaviour so that we are saved from suffering the same fate.
What if we ignore the sins, corruption, and people going astray around us? Not only will it affect us in our lives, it can also bring the anger and torture of Allah upon us, resulting in spiritual diseases and moral decay. Today, witnessing mischief and sins has become commonplace, which is the opposite of the personality of a Muslim. A Muslim should instead be angry for Allah and be upset about the mischief, and do everything possible in his capability to spread the message to help mankind towards the path of guidance.
The torture of Allah is not limited by geographical boundaries or politics, but is provoked by our actions. It can come at any moment, especially when people are playing – playing with their lives, being reckless of their spiritual well being and living without any respect or fear of Allah.
According to a hadith of Rasulullah SAW, Jibril AS was once commanded to destroy a village. Jibril AS enquired Allah about a worshipper within the village, who had been worshipping for close to 100 years without committing any sin. Allah instructed Jibril AS to start the torture and destruction with the pious man. Jibril AS was surprised and enquired why. Allah replied to Jibril AS, that the man used to observe the sins against Allah, without his face even turning red (meaning he did not even care). The understanding of this Hadith is that the man’s negligence of even feeling bad for his community’s actions made him deserve the torture of Allah, despite all his piety and worship.
Today, a lot of us call ourselves worshippers. We pray and fulfil the pillars of Islam, but we remain in our own shells, niether engaging nor even feeling or thinking about being a part of spreading goodness, preventing evil, caring for society or being a part of any action to be a cause of spreading the message and elevating the name of Allah. If this is how we continue to behave, we will not be saved. Instead, we will be the first to gain the fitnah, anger and torture of Allah. Today, the majority of Muslims are not only inattentive to their own Islam, but even the devout are passive about their duties: the honourable job and responsibility that Allah granted to us to be the carrier and the custodian of the message until the Day of Judgment. We either blame society and the sinners, or we disregard the wrongdoing, accompany the blatant sinners and even taking them as our friends. We do not even attempt to suppress their wrong, or lead them towards the mercy of Allah. At the minimum, we should get away and disassociate from them so that we are not a party to their actions.
