And when Our messengers came to Ibrahim with the glad tidings they said: "Verily, we are going to destroy the people of this town; truly, its people have been wrongdoers. (31)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. (32)And when Our messengers came to Lut, he was grieved because of them, and felt straitened on their account. They said: "Have no fear, and do not grieve! Truly, we shall save you and your family except your wife: she will be of those who remain behind. (33)"Verily, we are about to bring down on the people of this town a great torment from the sky, because they have been rebellious. (34)And indeed We have left thereof an evident Ayah for a folk who understand (35)

When Lut, peace be upon him, asked Allah to help him against them, Allah sent angels to help him. They first came to Ibrahim in the form of guests, so he offered them hospitality in the appropriate manner. When he saw that they had no interest in the food, he felt some mistrust of them and was fearful of them. They started to calm him down and gave him the news of a righteous son born by his wife Sarah, who was present, and she was astonished by this, as we have already explained in our Tafsir of Surat Hud and Surat Al-Hijr. When they brought this news to Ibrahim and told him that they were sent to destroy the people of Lut, he began to speak up for them, hoping to win more time for them so that they might be guided by Allah. When they said, "We have come to destroy the people of this township,"

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.") meaning, one of those who will be destroyed, because she used to support them in their disbelief and wrongdoing. Then the angels left him and visited Lut in the form of handsome young men. When he saw them like that,

سِيءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا

(he was grieved because of them, and felt straitened on their account.) means, he was worried since if he had them as guests then he was afraid for them and what his people might do to them, but if he did not host them, he was still afraid of what might happen to them. At that point he did not know who they were.

وَقَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ ۖ إِنَّا مُنَجُّوكَ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَكَ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ - إِنَّا مُنْزِلُونَ عَلَىٰ أَهْلِ هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ رِجْزًا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ

(They said: "Have no fear, and do not grieve! Truly, we shall save you and your family except your wife: she will be of those who remain behind. Verily, we are about to bring down on the people of this town a great torment from the sky, because they have been rebellious.") Jibril, peace be upon him, uprooted their town from the depths of the earth, lifted it up to the sky, then threw it upside down upon them. Allah rained upon them:

حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ مَنْضُودٍ - مُسَوَّمَةً عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَمَا هِيَ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍ

(stones of Sijjil, in a well-arranged manner one after another. Marked from your Lord; and they are not ever far from the evil doers.)[11:82-83] Allah turned the place where they had lived into a putrid, stinking lake, which will remain as a lesson to mankind until the Day of Resurrection, and they will be among those who are most severely punished on the Day of Resurrection. Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ تَرَكْنَا مِنْهَا آيَةً بَيِّنَةً

(And indeed We have left thereof an evident Ayah) i. e., a clear sign,

لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

(for a folk who understand.) This is like the Ayah,

وَإِنَّكُمْ لَتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُصْبِحِينَ - وَبِاللَّيْلِ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

(Verily, you pass by them in the morning And at night; will you not then reflect?)(37:137-138)