Quran Universe
51:36

فَمَا وَجَدۡنَا فِيهَا غَيۡرَ بَيۡتٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ

Fama wajadna feeha ghayra baytin mina almuslimeena

And We found not within them other than a [single] house of Muslims.

Word by word
  1. فَمَاBut not
  2. وَجَدۡنَاWe found
  3. فِيهَاtherein
  4. غَيۡرَother than
  5. بَيۡتٖa house
  6. مِّنَof
  7. ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَthe Muslims
Adh-Dhariyat · 51:36Makkah

In a whole town, only one household held on.

Being the one house

What was found there
the whole townturned away
except
1one household of Muslims
What counts
safety in numberseveryone else does it
one house is enoughto be seen and saved

When the town was searched, only one household of Muslims was found: Lut's family. Even inside it, his wife stayed behind, as the tafsir notes. The rest of the town had turned away.

The office where everyone pads expenses. The friend group where everyone mocks the same person. The family where no one prays. You can be the one house. It feels lonely, and it is seen.

If everyone around me does it, it cannot be that bad.

Allah looks at each house, not at the average of the street.

Try this

Pick one small thing you do differently from your circle for Allah's sake, and keep doing it today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 51:31)

(Ibrahim) said: "Then for what purpose you have come, O messengers? (31)They said: "We have been sent to a people who are criminals. (32)"To send down upon them stones of clay. (33)"Marked by your Lord for transgressors. (34)So We brought out from therein the believers (35)But We found not there any household of the Muslims except one (36)And We have left there a sign for those who fear the painful torment (37)

The Angels were sent to destroy the People of the Prophet Lut

Allah the Exalted said about Ibrahim, peace be upon him,

فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّوْعُ وَجَاءَتْهُ الْبُشْرَىٰ يُجَادِلُنَا فِي قَوْمِ لُوطٍ - إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَحَلِيمٌ أَوَّاهٌ مُنِيبٌ - يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَٰذَا ۖ إِنَّهُ قَدْ جَاءَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَإِنَّهُمْ آتِيهِمْ عَذَابٌ غَيْرُ مَرْدُودٍ

(Then when the fear had gone away from (Ibrahim), and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with Us for the people of Lut. Verily, Ibrahim was, without doubt forbearing, used to invoke Allah with humility, and was repentant. "O Ibrahim! Forsake this. Indeed, the commandment of your Lord has gone forth. Verily, there will come a torment for them which cannot be turned back.")(11:74-76) Allah said here,

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ

((Ibrahim) said: "Then for what purpose you have come, O messengers?") meaning, 'what is the mission that you were sent with,'

قَالُوا إِنَّا أُرْسِلْنَا إِلَىٰ قَوْمٍ مُجْرِمِينَ

(They said: "We have been sent to a people who are criminals.") in reference to the people of Lut,

لِنُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِنْ طِينٍ - مُسَوَّمَةً

(To send down upon them stones of baked clay, marked), or written,

 عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لِلْمُسْرِفِينَ

(by your Lord for transgressors.) recorded with Allah to their names; each stone has the name of its companion. Allah said in Surat Al-'Ankabut,

قَالَ إِنَّ فِيهَا لُوطًا ۚ قَالُوا نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ فِيهَا ۖ لَنُنَجِّيَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَهُ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ 

((Ibrahim) said: "But there is Lut in it." They said: "We know better who is there. We will verily save him and his family except his wife: she will be of those who remain behind.")(29:32), and said here,

فَأَخْرَجْنَا مَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ 

(So We brought out from therein the believers.) they are: Lut and his family, except his wife,

فَمَا وَجَدْنَا فِيهَا غَيْرَ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ 

(But We found not there any household of the Muslims except one.) Allah the Exalted said,

وَتَرَكْنَا فِيهَا آيَةً لِلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ 

(And We have left there a sign for those who fear the painful torment.) meaning, 'We left a proof of the punishment, torment and stones made of Sijjil (baked clay) that We sent on them; We made their dwelling place a putrid, evil, dead sea. This should provide a lesson for the believers,'

لِلَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ الْعَذَابَ الْأَلِيمَ

(for those who fear the painful torment.)