Quran Universe
29:28

وَلُوطًا إِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِنَّكُمۡ لَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنۡ أَحَدٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

Walootan ith qala liqawmihi innakum latatoona alfahishata ma sabaqakum biha min ahadin mina alAAalameena

And [mention] Lot, when he said to his people, "Indeed, you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds.

Word by word
  1. وَلُوطًاAnd Lut
  2. إِذۡwhen
  3. قَالَhe said
  4. لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓto his people
  5. إِنَّكُمۡIndeed,you
  6. لَتَأۡتُونَcommit
  7. ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةَthe immorality
  8. مَاnot
  9. سَبَقَكُمhas preceded you
  10. بِهَاwith it
  11. مِنۡany
  12. أَحَدٖone
  13. مِّنَfrom
  14. ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَthe worlds
Al-'Ankabut · 29:28Makkah

Lut named what no one else would.

Speaking up when wrong has become normal

The scene
Luta prophet among them
denounces
a new immoralitynone before had done it
When everyone does it
normal nowso it must be fine
still wrongpopularity changes nothing

Lut, who had emigrated with Ibrahim, was sent to the people of Sadum. Ibn Kathir says he denounced their immoral deeds, a sin that no one before them had committed. They also rejected Allah and opposed His Messenger.

At your workplace, padding expenses is just what everyone does. Nobody blinks. When a wrong becomes normal, it gets harder to see. Lut's courage was to call it what it was, starting with his own people's conduct.

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

Wrong stays wrong even when it is normal. I can be the one who quietly does not join in.

Try this

Notice one thing everyone around you does that you know is wrong, and step out of it today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And (remember) Lut, when he said to his people: "You commit immoral sins which none has preceded you in (committing) it in all creatures. (28)"Verily, you practice sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer! And practice Al-Munkar in your meetings." But his people gave no answer except that they said: "Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful. (29)He said: "My Lord! Give me victory over the people who are corrupt. (30)

The preaching of Lut and what happened between Him and His People

Allah tells us that His Prophet Lut, peace be upon him, denounced his people for their evil deed and their immoral actions in having intercourse with males, a deed which none of the sons of Adam had ever committed before them. As well as doing this, they also disbelieved in Allah and rejected and opposed His Messenger, they robbed wayfarers, they would lie in wait on the road, kill people and loot their possessions.

 وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنْكَرَ

(And practice Al-Munkar in your meetings.) This means, 'in your gatherings you do and say things that are not befitting, and you do not denounce one another for doing such things.'

Some said that they used to have intercourse with one another in public; this was the view of Mujahid. Some said that they used to compete in passing gas and laughing. This was the view of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and Al-Qasim. Some of them said that they used to make rams fight one another, or organize cockfights. They used to do all of these things, and they were even eviler than that.

فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

(But his people gave no answer except that they said: "Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful.") This is indicative of their disbelief, scornful attitude and stubbornness. So Allah's Prophet asked for help against them, and said:

 رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

(My Lord! Give me victory over the people who are corrupt.)