إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ لُوطٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ 161
Translations
When their brother Lot said to them, "Will you not fear Allāh?
Transliteration
Idh qala lahum akhuhum Lut ala tattaqun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah depicts Prophet Lut addressing his people with a call to piety and God-consciousness, urging them to fear Allah. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this opening statement reflects Lut's compassionate approach as their brother (in kinship and prophethood) before delivering the explicit warning against their immoral practices. The phrase 'ala tattaqun' (will you not fear Allah) serves as a rhetorical plea, emphasizing both the urgency and accessibility of repentance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Ash-Shu'ara, a Meccan surah that recounts stories of various prophets and their peoples. The context here is part of the narrative of Prophet Lut's mission to his people in Sodom, illustrating the pattern of prophetic preaching: beginning with a call to God-consciousness before addressing specific transgressions. This thematic context emphasizes that all prophets initiated their message with taqwa (piety).
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'The best of you are those who have the best character' (Sahih Bukhari 3331). Additionally, Surah Al-Hujurat (49:13) relates to the broader theme of taqwa as the measure of honor before Allah, not lineage.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that effective guidance begins with appealing to conscience and fear of Allah rather than harsh condemnation, modeling the importance of compassionate preaching. For modern believers, it reminds us that our first obligation in advising others is to encourage taqwa and God-awareness as the foundation for moral reform.
Related Ayahs
فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
So fear Allāh and obey me.
فَجُمِعَ ٱلسَّحَرَةُ لِمِيقَـٰتِ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ
So the magicians were assembled for the appointment of a well-known day.
أَتَأْتُونَ ٱلذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
Do you approach males among the worlds
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَذَكَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَٱنتَصَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا ظُلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَسَيَعْلَمُ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَىَّ مُنقَلَبٍ يَنقَلِبُونَ
Except those [poets] who believe and do righteous deeds and remember Allāh often and defend [the Muslims] after they were wronged. And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned.