قَالُوٓا۟ أَوَلَمْ نَنْهَكَ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 70
Translations
They said, "Have we not forbidden you from [protecting] people?"
Transliteration
Qālū awa lam nanhaka 'anil-'ālamīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The people of Lot respond to his warning by reminding him of his earlier prohibition against entertaining guests or having relations with strangers, sarcastically questioning why he now invites them. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain this as the people twisting Lot's words—he had warned them against their evil practices, not against hospitality itself. This demonstrates their obstinacy and rejection of the prophetic message, as they deliberately misrepresent his counsel to mock and belittle him.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative of Prophet Lot (Lūṭ) and the people of Sodom in Surah Al-Hijr. The context describes the final moments before the divine punishment, where Lot's people arrive at his house and he pleads with them to fear Allah and abandon their immoral practices, while they respond with mockery and distortion of his words.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly quotes this ayah, Surah Al-A'raf 80-81 contains a related account of Prophet Lot's message. The broader theme connects to hadiths about the rejection of prophets, such as those in Sahih Bukhari regarding how communities treat their messengers with disrespect and ridicule.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah illustrates how those who reject divine truth often resort to twisting words and mocking the messenger rather than engaging sincerely with the message. It serves as a reminder to remain steadfast in conveying truth despite ridicule, and to guard against the spiritual disease of deliberately distorting others' words to justify wrongdoing.