وَلَقَد راوَدوهُ عَن ضَيفِهِ فَطَمَسنا أَعيُنَهُم فَذوقوا عَذابي وَنُذُرِ

Certainly they even solicited of him his guests, whereat We blotted out their eyes, [saying]: ‘Taste My punishment and My warnings!’

EXEGESIS

Rāwadūhu (solicited of him) is from the infinitive murāwadah which means to request for something politely and with softness but with a level of deception.[1] The same verb has been used in the story of Prophet Yusuf (a): The woman in whose house he was solicited him (12:23).

The guests being referred to here are the angels who had come to Prophet Lot (a) and had taken the form of human beings. In this context, it means the people approached Prophet Lot (a) and asked him to allow them to fulfil their illicit sexual desires with his guests.[2]

Ṭamasnā (we blotted out); ṭams is to wipe out the effects or signs of something such that it is no longer recognised.[3] According to Hasan al-Baṣrī and Qatādah, it means they were struck with blindness. It has also been said that their eyes were literally blotted out and thus one could no longer identify their eye sockets, leaving their faces flat and smooth.[4]

In the phrase, Taste My punishment and My warnings, whilst tasting of the punishment is obvious, it is not very clear as to what tasting the warnings means. Some have suggested that the punishment was an affirmation of the warnings and thus the verse could be seen as telling them to taste the instantiation of the warnings.[5] In a similar vein, Ṭūsī states that warnings here are reference to the warnings about the punishment of God that Prophet Lot (a) had warned them about. As such, tasting of the warnings means tasting that which they were threatened with.[6]

EXPOSITION

The previous verse discussed how the people of Lot (a) confused the matter and raised doubts regarding his warnings. This verse adds that not only did they spread confusion and doubt in order to undermine their prophet’s message, their vileness and immodesty reached such an extent that they dared to solicit relations with his guests, who, unbeknownst to them, were angels sent by God to destroy the town. In other verses where this event is discussed in slightly more detail (15:61-71; see also 11:78-81), it is indicated that the people had previously warned Prophet Lot (a) not to host any guests. Prophet Lot (a) apparently would hasten to host any stranger that was passing through the town as a guest, out of fear lest his people attack the stranger and enact their vile desires.[7]

The verse does not explicitly mention who exactly from amongst the people came forward for such an indecent request and it seems farfetched to think the whole community solicited Prophet Lot (a) of his guests. It was most likely either some tribal chiefs or a group of the most daring from amongst them who had the least amount of shame. The resulting punishment was that this group lost their eyesight, which should have acted as a warning for the rest of the community.[8] Perhaps the reason why the verse apparently attributes this soliciting to the whole community is because the rest of the community approved this action and was pleased with it.[9]

It has been said that the reason why the punishment on the whole community was delayed until the morning was because this event took place the day before, and thus they were given a night of respite so they may ponder and take heed.[10]

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. It has been reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) in a lengthy hadith: ‘They cumulated upon him [Prophet Lot (a)] until they entered his house, so Gabriel exclaimed to him and said: “O Lot, leave them to enter.” So when they entered, Gabriel pointed with his fingers towards them, so they went blind, and that is the words of Allah, whereat We blotted out their eyes.’[11]
2. A similar report from either Imam al-Bāqir (a) or Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) states: ‘So Gabriel pointed at them with his hand and thus they returned blind, groping the walls with their hands, swearing that when the morning would come they would not leave anyone from the family of Lot alive.’[12]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some exegetes mention that angel Gabriel was commanded to wipe his wings on their faces which led to such a punishment.[13]

Some have suggested that they were not really hit with blindness, but it was only that they were unable to see the angels and thus thought that the house was empty.[14] The supporters of this view maintain that angels are such creatures that cannot be seen all the time. In this context, the people of Lot (a) forced themselves into his house hoping to encounter the guests but they saw the house as empty, whereas in reality the angels were standing right in front of them.[15]

Other exegetes who have more mystical leanings suggest that this verse refers to how they were made to become spiritually blind. Due to their polluted souls, they completely lost insight.[16]

Some have suggested that in Taste My punishment and My warnings, the tasting of the punishment refers to the worldly punishment, and the tasting of the warnings means tasting the consequences of rejecting the warnings, i.e. punishment. However, since it would seem redundant to refer to the same punishment twice in one statement, it is likely that the latter punishment refers to the punishment of the hereafter.[17]

[1] Munyah, 27/212.
[2] Safi, 5/103.
[3] Tibyan, 9/457.
[4] Tabrisi, 9/291.
[5] Ibn Ashur, 27/196.
[6] Tibyan, 9/457.
[7] Amthal, 8/93.
[8] Amthal, 17/336.
[9] Alusi, 14/90.
[10] Amthal, 17/336.
[11] Kafi, 5/548.
[12] Ilal, 2/552.
[13] Daqaiq, 12/548.
[14] Abu al-Futuh, 18/229.
[15] Abū al-Hasan Shaʿrānī, Pezhūhishhā-ye Qurʾānī, 3/1223.
[16] Qushayri, 3/499.
[17] Razi, 29/317.