سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 82
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا جَعَلْنَا عَـٰلِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا حِجَارَةً مِّن سِجِّيلٍ مَّنضُودٍ ﴿82﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So when Our Commandment came, We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down, and rained on them stones of baked clay, in a well-arranged manner one after another;
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَمَّا
falammā
So when
جَآءَ
jāa
came
أَمْرُنَا
amrunā
Our Command
جَعَلْنَا
jaʿalnā
We made
عَـٰلِيَهَا
ʿāliyahā
its upside
سَافِلَهَا
sāfilahā
its downside
وَأَمْطَرْنَا
wa-amṭarnā
and We rained
عَلَيْهَا
ʿalayhā
upon them
حِجَارَةًۭ
ḥijāratan
stones
مِّن
min
of
سِجِّيلٍۢ
sijjīlin
baked clay
مَّنضُودٍۢ
manḍūdin
(in) layers
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
So when Our command came, We turned that town upside down [93], and rained upon them stones of layered clay, marked from your Lord.
[93]
Was the Punishment on the People of Lut a Volcanic Explosion?
This was the command of divine punishment upon which the angels were appointed. Jibreel ؑ lifted the city of Sodom and the surrounding towns, which were the dwelling places of these wicked people, along with the entire region of land, on his wings. Then, after raising it high into the sky, he overturned that region and hurled it down to the earth. Then, upon that region, stones were rained down continuously from above, and these were not ordinary stones but stones marked with specific signs. This double punishment was given to them due to the intensity of divine wrath. Some people present a rational explanation of this divine punishment, saying that it was a volcanic explosion. Lava erupted from the earth with great force, which lifted that region of land upwards, which later fell down. Then, the molten material of that same lava reached the atmosphere, solidified, and rained down upon that region in the form of stones. This explanation, although it seems plausible, we hesitate to accept it, for this was not merely a natural event, because Allah Almighty sent His angels specifically for this purpose, as is clearly stated in these verses. However, the punishments that befell other nations can be considered as occurring through natural causes, although those events too took place only by the command and will of Allah.
[93]
Was the Punishment on the People of Lut a Volcanic Explosion?
This was the command of divine punishment upon which the angels were appointed. Jibreel ؑ lifted the city of Sodom and the surrounding towns, which were the dwelling places of these wicked people, along with the entire region of land, on his wings. Then, after raising it high into the sky, he overturned that region and hurled it down to the earth. Then, upon that region, stones were rained down continuously from above, and these were not ordinary stones but stones marked with specific signs. This double punishment was given to them due to the intensity of divine wrath. Some people present a rational explanation of this divine punishment, saying that it was a volcanic explosion. Lava erupted from the earth with great force, which lifted that region of land upwards, which later fell down. Then, the molten material of that same lava reached the atmosphere, solidified, and rained down upon that region in the form of stones. This explanation, although it seems plausible, we hesitate to accept it, for this was not merely a natural event, because Allah Almighty sent His angels specifically for this purpose, as is clearly stated in these verses. However, the punishments that befell other nations can be considered as occurring through natural causes, although those events too took place only by the command and will of Allah.
