سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 81
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰلُوطُ إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن يَصِلُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكَ ۖ فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مُصِيبُهَا مَآ أَصَابَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ ٱلصُّبْحُ ۚ أَلَيْسَ ٱلصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍ ﴿81﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
They (messengers) said: "O Lût (Lot)! Verily, we are the messengers from your Lord! They shall not reach you! So travel with your family in a part of the night, and let not any of you look back; but your wife (will remain behind), verily, the punishment which will afflict them, will afflict her. Indeed, morning is their appointed time. Is not the morning near?"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
يَـٰلُوطُ
yālūṭu
O Lut
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, we
رُسُلُ
rusulu
(are) messengers
رَبِّكَ
rabbika
(of) your Lord
لَن
lan
never
يَصِلُوٓا۟
yaṣilū
they will reach
إِلَيْكَ ۖ
ilayka
you
فَأَسْرِ
fa-asri
So travel
بِأَهْلِكَ
bi-ahlika
with your family
بِقِطْعٍۢ
biqiṭ'ʿin
in a part
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلَّيْلِ
al-layli
the night
وَلَا
walā
and (let) not
يَلْتَفِتْ
yaltafit
look back
مِنكُمْ
minkum
anyone of you
أَحَدٌ
aḥadun
anyone of you
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱمْرَأَتَكَ ۖ
im'ra-ataka
your wife
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed, it
مُصِيبُهَا
muṣībuhā
will strike her
مَآ
mā
what
أَصَابَهُمْ ۚ
aṣābahum
will strike them
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
مَوْعِدَهُمُ
mawʿidahumu
their appointed time
ٱلصُّبْحُ ۚ
l-ṣub'ḥu
(is) morning
أَلَيْسَ
alaysa
Is not
ٱلصُّبْحُ
l-ṣub'ḥu
the morning
بِقَرِيبٍۢ
biqarībin
near
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 81) ➊ {قَالُوْا يٰلُوْطُ اِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ … :} When the wicked people of the nation did not desist, but instead climbed over the walls or broke down the door and entered, Allah Almighty blinded all of them and they fled from there. There is an indication of this in Surah Qamar, where it is said: «{ وَ لَقَدْ رَاوَدُوْهُ عَنْ ضَيْفِهٖ فَطَمَسْنَاۤ اَعْيُنَهُمْ فَذُوْقُوْا عَذَابِيْ وَ نُذُرِ }» [ القمر : ۳۷ ] "And indeed, they attempted to seduce him concerning his guests, so We blinded their eyes. So taste My punishment and My warning." The meaning of the verse is that when the angels saw that Lut (peace be upon him) had become completely helpless and was deeply grieved because he could not stop the evildoers of his people, they revealed themselves and said, "We are angels sent by your Lord." They further reassured him that these people would never be able to reach him.
➋ {فَاَسْرِ بِاَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ الَّيْلِ …:} That is, leave here with your family during a part of the night, and none of you should look back. The command to leave only with the family was given because, except for them, no one else had become Muslim. See Surah Adh-Dhariyat (35, 36).
➌ {اِلَّا امْرَاَتَكَ :} There can be two interpretations of this: one is that it is an exception from {’’ فَاَسْرِ بِاَهْلِكَ ‘‘}, meaning, leave with your family except for your wife. The second is that none of you should look back, but your wife will look back, and because of her disbelief and sympathy for her people, when she sees the punishment upon them, she will cry out, so the same punishment will befall her as will befall them. The first meaning is closer. (And Allah knows best.) Naturally, a person wishes for the swift destruction of his enemy; the angels informed him that the punishment would come upon them in the morning. In response to Lut (peace be upon him)'s request for more haste, they said: «{ اَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيْبٍ }» "Is not the morning near?" Perhaps the morning was appointed because it is a time of rest and people are somewhat awake. Punishment at a time of rest is more painful, and for those who witness it, it is more instructive. (Al-Alusi) On {’’ اَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيْبٍ ‘‘}, Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "Our Prophet (peace be upon him) conquered Makkah in the morning; perhaps this is an indication of that." (Muwaddih)
➋ {فَاَسْرِ بِاَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍ مِّنَ الَّيْلِ …:} That is, leave here with your family during a part of the night, and none of you should look back. The command to leave only with the family was given because, except for them, no one else had become Muslim. See Surah Adh-Dhariyat (35, 36).
➌ {اِلَّا امْرَاَتَكَ :} There can be two interpretations of this: one is that it is an exception from {’’ فَاَسْرِ بِاَهْلِكَ ‘‘}, meaning, leave with your family except for your wife. The second is that none of you should look back, but your wife will look back, and because of her disbelief and sympathy for her people, when she sees the punishment upon them, she will cry out, so the same punishment will befall her as will befall them. The first meaning is closer. (And Allah knows best.) Naturally, a person wishes for the swift destruction of his enemy; the angels informed him that the punishment would come upon them in the morning. In response to Lut (peace be upon him)'s request for more haste, they said: «{ اَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيْبٍ }» "Is not the morning near?" Perhaps the morning was appointed because it is a time of rest and people are somewhat awake. Punishment at a time of rest is more painful, and for those who witness it, it is more instructive. (Al-Alusi) On {’’ اَلَيْسَ الصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيْبٍ ‘‘}, Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: "Our Prophet (peace be upon him) conquered Makkah in the morning; perhaps this is an indication of that." (Muwaddih)
