أَتَأْتُونَ ٱلذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 165
Translations
Do you approach males among the worlds
Transliteration
Ata'tun adh-dhukrana min al-'alamin
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah is part of Prophet Lut's address to his people, questioning their shameful practice of approaching men instead of women. The phrase emphasizes the unnatural and perverted nature of this sin, as Lut condemns his people for leaving the natural inclination (fitrah) that Allah created. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note that this ayah serves as a rhetorical rebuke, highlighting how the people of Lut knowingly abandoned the lawful and pursued the forbidden, making them the first nation to commit this abomination.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears within the narrative of Lut's people (Ash-Shu'ara 26:160-175), a Meccan surah that recounts the stories of various prophets and their rejecting peoples. The context describes Lut's warnings to his community about their immoral practices, using this ayah as part of his direct appeal to their reason and conscience before Allah's punishment came upon them.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The greatest sins are to associate partners with Allah, to disobey parents, to commit murder, and to bear false witness.' (Sahih Bukhari 2654). Additionally, 'Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Lut, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.' (Sunan Abu Dawud 4462) - This hadith directly addresses the sin mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that Allah has established natural inclinations and moral boundaries rooted in His divine wisdom, and that abandoning these leads to spiritual and social destruction. For modern readers, it underscores the importance of adhering to Islamic moral teachings and recognizing that true human fulfillment comes through following the guidance Allah has revealed.