The People of Lut: The History of a Cursed Nation – Obaidul Haque Badal
Prophet Ibrahim’s (A.S.) nephew, Lut, had not yet received prophethood at that time. However, he had been staying with his paternal uncle Ibrahim for a long time. At one point, Allah the Almighty granted this righteous nephew, Lut, prophethood. After granting him prophethood, Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, assigned Lut (A.S.) a special responsibility.
At that time, there was a prosperous city located between present-day Jordan and Bayt al-Muqaddas. Its name was Sodom. The land there was extremely fertile. As a result, the inhabitants of Sodom had abundant crops and immense wealth. Naturally, they were a prosperous people. Their prosperity led them astray. Intoxicated by wealth and desire, the people of Sodom forgot the countless blessings bestowed upon them by their Creator. Their abundance itself drew them toward sinful practices. Forgetting their Lord, they became absorbed in amusement and pleasure. Free mixing between men and women, reckless dancing, and drinking alcohol were part of their daily lives. Nudity, obscenity, and lust had taken a powerful hold over them. In the history of mankind, they became the first people to engage in the grave and impure practice of homosexuality.
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, sent Lut (A.S.) to guide the inhabitants of Sodom. He went to that people as a warner. He called the entire community to abandon their sinful ways and return to the path of righteousness. He warned them about the terrible consequences that awaited them. But the disobedient people refused to repent for their wrongdoing and continued to cling to the very sinful practices in which they were deeply immersed. Then a terrible punishment, the curse of Allah, descended upon them.
Prophet Lut (A.S.), as a warner and in accordance with Allah’s command, went to the people of Sodom with his followers. He told his people, “You have committed a sin such as no other nation in the history of the world has ever committed. Therefore, I fear that a punishment may befall you such as has never befallen any other nation before. O my people, I have been chosen for you, and I have been commanded to warn you. I call upon you to restrain yourselves from this wrongdoing and submit yourselves to the commandments of Almighty Allah. I ask no reward from you in return for this call. My reward lies only with the Almighty Lord. Will you not accept the call of your brother? Will you not fear Almighty Allah? Do you not know how severe He is in punishment?”
The sinful people of Lut laughed at and rejected the call of Allah’s Prophet. They ignored his warnings and said, “O Lut, we are not concerned about this imaginary punishment of yours. No matter how much you cry out, it will never enter our hearts. We will continue living our lives of reckless pleasure just as we have always done. We will continue to make this city a place of pleasure at night, just as we have always done. And we will fulfill all our desires just as we have always done.”
They repeatedly rejected the warning of Allah’s Prophet. Nevertheless, Lut (A.S.) did not hesitate to save his people from the severe punishment of Allah. Again and again, he continued to call them away from the path of sin and back to the commands of Allah. But they continued to reject the Prophet.
At one point, they became annoyed and mocked Allah’s Prophet Lut (A.S.), saying, “O Lut! You are so righteous! Why are you in this city of sin? Leave this settlement and hide yourself in some hole.” Then they began to mock Allah’s Prophet with laughter. They drove him away with insults and began persecuting his followers.
Lut (A.S.) tried with all his strength to turn this community, which was standing at the gates of destruction and upon whom the decree of the curse had been pronounced, away from its inevitable fate. But despite all his efforts, he failed. When the arrogant and accursed people rejected the call of Lut (A.S.), he left everything to the decision of Allah.
Then, one day, three strangers arrived in the city. They were young and extremely handsome. Their charming faces had neither beards nor moustaches. They inquired about Lut and sought shelter as guests in his house. Allah’s Prophet warmly welcomed the strangers. However, the arrival of three handsome young men in the city did not escape the notice of the sexually deviant people. They felt intense attraction toward the young men and followed them all the way to Lut’s door. Then they knocked on the door and said, “O Lut! You are not homosexual. Therefore, you have no use for these handsome young men. Instead, hand them over to us.”
At the words of the people who were afflicted with distorted sexual desires, Allah’s Prophet became bewildered and helpless. In desperation, he said, “I can marry my daughters to you, but I cannot allow my guests to become victims of your lust. They are under my protection.”
The people replied, “O Lut, we are not interested in your daughters. You know very well that we have no attraction toward women. Therefore, we will not leave without those young men.”
Hearing such words, Allah’s Prophet felt deeply ashamed and helpless in front of his guests. Seeing his condition, the visiting guests reassured him. They said, “O Prophet of Allah, do not be distressed. You have nothing to fear, for we are responsible for your safety. We have come here in the appearance of ordinary young men, but we are not ordinary. Then they revealed their true identity. They were actually three powerful angels sent by Allah. They had come to destroy this city filled with sin.
Then they told Allah’s Prophet Lut (A.S.), “Leave this city before dawn. For as soon as the light of morning appears, we will bring it down to the ground. Those who follow you will be saved from the wrath of Allah. But whoever looks back will also be destroyed.”
Before dawn broke, Allah’s Prophet Lut (A.S.) left the sinful city with his family and followers. His wife was also among the disobedient. Nevertheless, at Lut’s repeated requests, she agreed to leave the city with her husband. When Allah’s Prophet and his companions had crossed the boundary of the city, destruction had already begun behind them. With a tremendous roar, the ground began to shake. One by one, palace-like buildings collapsed. Flames of fire came rushing down like meteors and reduced the entire city to ashes. The people ran like madmen in an attempt to save themselves, but they failed. For no one can escape the curse of Allah.
The moment had come when the door of repentance was still open. When a warner had warned them. But they rejected and mocked him. When they crossed all limits, they became deserving of the wrath of Almighty Allah. They were the people who chose the path of error instead of guidance and purchased punishment instead of forgiveness.
In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty says: “And We gave Lut wisdom and knowledge. We rescued him from the town whose inhabitants were engaged in obscene acts. They were an evil and sinful people. And We admitted him into Our mercy. Indeed, he was among the righteous.” (Surah Al-Anbiya: Verses 74–75).
Allah Almighty also says, “Then when Our command came, We turned that land upside down and rained upon it layers upon layers of baked clay stones.” Surah Hud (11:82).
In another verse, He says, “Such is the punishment of your Lord! He punishes a people when they transgress. Surely, His punishment is painful and severe.” (Surah Hud 102)
Allah Almighty did not forgive a single sinner from that impure city. Even Lut (A.S.)’s own wife was not spared. Despite the prohibition, she looked back and, in an instant, was turned into stone. She was the wife of a Prophet, yet she was a disobedient woman who had strayed from the path of Allah’s grace.
The history of the people of Lut is unknown to no one. This incident is mentioned not only in the Holy Quran, but also in the Old Testament and the New Genesis. There too, the history of the disobedient people of Lut is described. On the shores of the Dead Sea, some remnants of that destroyed city still stand as witnesses to the passage of time. Yet despite these clear signs, mankind is still engaged in that sinful practice today. In particular, in some religious educational institutions in Bangladesh, this sinful practice has seemingly taken the form of an epidemic. At night, in the dark chambers of madrasas, innocent children are subjected to sexual abuse. They are safe from no one—not the older students, teachers, or religious instructors. Their wrongdoing seems to have surpassed even that of the people of Lut. On the other hand, a section of so-called progressives claims this as their right. For them, the warning is nothing more than a fairy tale. Is their transgression bringing about another destruction?
May Allah grant everyone the correct understanding. May He forgive everyone. Ameen.
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