Transliteration:( Qaala inna feeha Lootaa; qaaloo nahnu a'lamu biman feehaa lanunajjjiyannahoo wa ahlahooo illam ra atahoo kaanat minal ghaabireen )
"He said, 'Indeed, there is Lut in it [75].' They said, 'We know well [76] who is in it. We shall surely deliver him [77] and his family, except his wife, she is among those who remain behind [78].'"
Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him) expressed astonishment upon hearing of the punishment, since Hazrat Lut (peace be upon him) still lived among the people. This reflects the principle that no punishment descends while a Prophet is still present with the disbelievers. He did not intercede for the wrongdoers themselves, but rather voiced concern due to the Prophet’s presence.
The angels responded, “We know well who is in it,” emphasizing their awareness, but without implying superiority over Hazrat Ibrahim (peace be upon him). This affirms that angelic knowledge is granted by Allah, and it does not exceed that of a Prophet.
They assured that Hazrat Lut and his family would be rescued. Although salvation belongs solely to Allah, the angels—acting by Divine Command—stated, “We will deliver them,” which shows that Allah’s actions are sometimes expressed through His chosen servants. This supports the understanding that Prophets and saints can be means of deliverance and relief, by Allah’s permission.
His wife was excluded from salvation, as she was among those who would remain and face punishment. This demonstrates that the angels are granted knowledge of people’s fate, such as whether they will die as believers or disbelievers, and where and how their end will come. Therefore, believing that Prophets and saints can possess knowledge of certain unseen matters is not shirk (polytheism), but is supported by Quranic precedent.
The tafsir of Surah Ankabut verse 32 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Ankabut ayat 31 which provides the complete commentary from verse 31 through 35.
(29:32) Abraham said: “But Lot is there.”[55] They replied: “We are well aware of those who are there. We shall save him and all his household except his wife.” His wife is among those who will stay behind.[56]
55. According to the initial part of this story as related in Surah Hud, the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) at first was perturbed to see the angels in human shape, for he knew that the coming of the angels in human shape was always a prelude to some dangerous mission. Then, when they gave him the good news, his fear was allayed and he came to know that they had been sent to the people of Lot (peace be upon him). Then he began making entreaties of mercy for those people (Surah Hud, Ayat 74-75), but his entreaties were not granted, and it was said: “Do not plead for them any more: your Lord’s decree has been issued, and the punishment now cannot be averted,” (Surah Hud, Ayat 76). After this answer, when the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) lost all hopes of any increase in the respite of Lot’s (peace be upon him) people, he became anxious about the Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) himself, and said, what has been related here: “Lot (peace be upon him) is there.” That is, “If the torment comes down when Lot (peace be upon him) is there, how will he and his household remain safe from it?”
56. According to (Surah Tahrim, Ayat 10), this woman was not faithful to the Prophet Lot (peace be upon him). That is why it was decreed that she too, would be afflicted with the torment in spite of being a Prophet’s wife. Most probably when the Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) had come to Jordan after the migration and settled there, he might have married among the people living there. But the woman did not believe even after spending a lifetime with him, and her sympathies remained with her own people. As Allah has no consideration for relationships and brotherhoods and every person’s case is decided on the basis of his own faith and morality, even being a Prophet’s wife did not profit her in any way and she met her doom along with her own people with whom she had remained attached in faith and morality.
For a faster and smoother experience,
install our mobile app now.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics