Mustadrak al-Hakim — Hadith 4102

Abu Abdullah bin Battah informed us; he said: Al-Hasan bin al-Jahm narrated to us; al-Husayn bin al-Faraj narrated to him, and al-Waqidi told him; he said: It has reached us that when Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) migrated to the land of Sham and his people expelled him from there as an outcast, he departed from there, and with him was Sayyidah Sarah (may Allah be pleased with her). She said to Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him): "I have given myself to you," so Allah Almighty revealed to him that he should marry her, and this was the first revelation that Allah sent down to him. And from among a group of his people, Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) believed in him, and he said: 'Indeed, I am emigrating to my Lord. Indeed, He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.' [Surah al-Ankabut: 26]. Then those people expelled them from the land of Babylon while they were heading for the Holy Land, until they reached Harran; and from there too the people expelled them, until they reached Jordan, and there was a tyrant from among the tyrants there, until Allah Almighty destroyed him. Then Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) returned to Sham, and with him was Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him). Then Allah Almighty granted prophethood to Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) and sent him to al-Mu'tafikat, "the overturned towns", as a messenger and a caller to Allah. These were five cities, the largest of which was "Saduma", then "Amuda", then "Aruma", then "Sa'ura" and then "Sabura", and the population of these cities consisted of four million people. So Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) settled in "Saduma" and remained among them for twenty-some years, commanding them to do good, forbidding them from evil, and calling them to Allah and to His worship, and inviting them to abandon the indecencies and filthy deeds in which they were engaged. And hospitality to guests was obligatory upon Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) just as it was obligatory upon Sayyiduna Ibrahim and Sayyiduna Isma'il (peace be upon them both), but his people would not host anyone, and they would approach males from among mankind for indecency and leave the women. So Allah Almighty reproached them for this in the Noble Qur'an on the tongue of their prophet, and said: 'Do you approach males from among mankind, and leave what your Lord has created for you of your wives?' [Surah al-Shu'ara: 165-166].