Lot (lûṭ)
Bible
When Abraham, obeying God’s call, left his country to go to the land that God had promised him, he “took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had amassed” (Gen. 12:5). Later Abraham and Lot separated, Abraham giving Lot the choice of the place to dwell. Lot chose the settlement of Sodom, in the Jordan plain which was irrigated and fertile, while Abraham settled in the land of Canaan (Gen. ch.13).
Abraham receives the messengers of God at the Oak of Mamre (Gen. 18:1-15), and accompanies them to Sodom for which he intercedes (Gen. 18:16-33). Sodom is destroyed with all its inhabitants, except for Lot and his family, apart from his wife who looked back (Gen. 19:1-29).
Qur’an
In Q 6:86 Lot is found among a list of prophets. The story of Lot is told briefly in the following sura:
We sent Lot and he said to his people, “How can you practise this outrage? No other people has done so before. You lust after men rather than women! You transgress all bounds!” The only response his people gave was to say [to one another], “Drive them out of your town! These men want to keep themselves chaste!” We saved him and his kinsfolk – apart from his wife who stayed behind – and We showered upon [the rest of] them a rain [of destruction] (Q 7:80-84; see also Q 11: 77-82).
There are other references to Lot in the Qur’an; see Q 15:61-71; 21:71, 74.
We find in sura 11 Abraham pleading for Lot’s people:
Then… he [Abraham] pleaded with Us for Lot’s people, for Abraham was forbearing, tender-hearted and devout. “Abraham, cease your pleading: what your Lord has ordained has come about; punishment is coming to them, which cannot be turned back” (Q 11:74-76).
The saving of Lot [but not the people of Sodom] is echoed later in the Qur’an:
We saved him [Abraham] and Lot [and sent them] to the land We blessed for all people (Q 21:71).
It can be noted that the land to which Abraham and Lot are sent is blessed for all people, not only for the people of Israel.
Make A Comment
Comments (0)