Tafsir of Surah Al-Hijr - Verse 65

Lut is ordered to leave with His Family during the Night

Allah tells us that His angels ordered Lut to set out after part of the night had passed. They told him to walk behind them, to protect them. Similarly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would walk in the rear of the army on military campaigns, in order to help the weak and carry those who had no means of transport.

وَلاَ يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ

(and let no one amongst you look back,) meaning - when you hear the people screaming from their torment, do not turn around to look at them; leave them to face whatever punishment and vengeance is coming to them.

وَامْضُواْ حَيْثُ تُؤْمَرُونَ

(but go on to where you are ordered.) - it is as if they had a guide with them to show them the way.

وَقَضَيْنَآ إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ الاٌّمْرَ

(And We made this decree known to him) meaning - We already told him about that.

أَنَّ دَابِرَ هَـؤُلآْءِ مَقْطُوعٌ مُّصْبِحِينَ

(that those (sinners) would be rooted out in the early morning.) meaning in the morning, as in another Ayah:

إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ الصُّبْحُ أَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍ

(Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near) 11:81

From verse 48: لَا يَمَسُّهُمْ فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَ‌جِينَ (No weariness shall touch them therein nor will they be expelled from there), we learn about two features of Jannah: (1) No one shall ever feel tired or weak. This is contrary to what happens in our mortal world where hard work naturally results in fatigue. In fact, even a state of total rest and fun would sometimes tire a person out, no matter how enjoyable are things one is occupied with. (2) The other feature of Jannah we discover is that the blessings once received there shall be eternal. These blessings shall never diminish nor shall anyone be expelled from there. In Surah Sad, it was said:إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَرِ‌زْقُنَا مَا لَهُ مِن نَّفَادٍ (This is sustenance provided by Us which is never to exhaust - 38:54). And in the present verse, it was said: وَمَا هُم مِّنْهَا بِمُخْرَ‌جِينَ (nor will they be expelled from there) that is, they shall never be deprived of the state of bliss bestowed upon them. This is contrary to the affairs of the mortal world where the recipient of the best of conveniences lives under the apprehension that the Over of the facilities may become displeased with him one of those days and expel him out.

As for the third probability, that the blessings of Jannah may remain everlasting, nor one is expelled from there, but one may himself get bored by living there and wish to go out, the Qur’ an has demolished this probability in one sentence of Surah Al-Kahf with the following words: لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا (That is, these people too would never seek to return from there - 18:108).

It was one command with which the angels had gone to Abraham. It was another command with which they reached Lot. The first command was in the shape of a special gift from God and the second one was in the shape of God’s special punishment. Those angels had come to Lot in the shape of human beings. Their task was to carry into effect God’s verdict upon the prophet’s rejectors. According to the angels’ advice, Lot along with other people of the Faith, left the town in the darkness of the night. Thereafter, in the early morning the whole area was devastated by the explosions of a severe earthquake. All the deniers were summarily killed. Where did this devastation take place? It took place in this very world which they had considered their own world; in which all appeared to them their comrades and supporters. That very plan which a man considered his key to success becomes an instrument of destruction for him, if God so commands. That very palace of which a man is so proud is turned into a ruin, like a heap of debris descending upon him.