Lessons from the story of Prophet Lut (AS): When I recall my childhood, stories of Prophets always made me fascinated. For example, I remember how the people of Prophet Lut’s city were tormented because they were disbelievers.
Let’s learn (see also the duas of the Prophets) about who Prophet Lut was, what challenges he faced while preaching Islam, and most importantly, what lessons we learn from his life.
What Can We Learn From The Story of Prophet Lut?
Prophet Lut (A.S) is one of the noble prophets mentioned in the Quran. (A well-known narration speaks of 124,000 prophets in total, but its chain is considered weak by many scholars, and the order of the prophets is not established by authentic texts.) He was the nephew of Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and was sent to the city of Sodom near the Dead Sea by the order of Allah. Sodom is also known as “The overturned city”.
Since the people of Sodom were disbelievers, Prophet Lut was sent as guidance to stop the wrongdoings and choose the righteous path.
Let’s get into the depth and see what the story of Prophet Lut (AS) holds for us.
What wrongdoings were observed in the city of Sodom?
- They were attracted to the same genders, that is they practiced homosexuality which was against nature.
- It was a piece of cake to murder anyone including the travelers.
- Dacoity, looting travelers and stealing properties was a common act and was considered quite normal.
- The Quran also mentions that they practised highway robbery and committed indecency openly in their gatherings (29:29).
What was the most common act performed by the people of Sodom among all those wrongdoings?
These wrong habits and degenerated lifestyles were carried by the nation of Sodom. However, in stories and movies what they used to be famous for or in the history of Islam, the nation of Prophet Lut (A.S) is remembered as Homosexuals.
What is homosexuality?
In Homosexuality, a person falls for sexual activities with the same gender. A man with a man and a woman with a woman.
A common adjective for female attraction is called lesbian and gay for male attraction.
What difficulties and challenges did Prophet Lut (A.S) faced in his life after he came to the city of Sodom?
Since they were disbelievers, they gave him a tough time, didn’t believe him or his teachings, and started a campaign against Prophet Lut to prove him wrong.
The people used to threaten him of his life and that if he didn’t stop preaching Islam, he would be thrown away from the city.
Prophet Lut, with a heavy heart, continued his mission for years and kept spreading the light of Islam and its teachings. Only a few members from his family stood by him, rest, the whole nation including his wife, betrayed him and didn’t put an ear to his sayings.
What punishments were given to the people of Sodom for their evil acts?
Just when Prophet Lut left the city with the members, Allah sent the horrendous torment. The Quran says that Allah turned the town upside down and rained upon it stones of baked clay (11:82-83), and that He blinded the eyes of those who tried to assault the guests (54:37). Some books of tafsir add further details, such as the town being lifted up before being overturned, but these come from non-authentic reports and should not be treated as certain.
The Quran says that Allah left a clear sign in the ruins for people who reflect (29:35), so that others may take heed.
After going through the whole story of Prophet Lut (A.S), what did it teach you?
The lessons are as follows:
6 – Fear Allah & The Day of Judgement
Have a firm belief in this quote “Every soul shall taste death.” The people of Sodom never believed in the righteous teachings and Allah’s power. They always made fun and ignored the signs.
They used to say to Prophet Lut, “If you are true and there exists any God, show us any sign or bring Allah’s torment to us?” Allah sent angels in the form of handsome young men as guests to Prophet Lut (A.S). Since the people of Sodom were involved in homosexuality, they didn’t even spare the angels of Allah and ran towards them to perform the evil act. Prophet Lut despite telling them that Allah sends these angels, they didn’t believe him and kept on looking for ways to get to those angels to perform wrong deeds with them.
5 – Be Wise & Polite When Conveying the Message of Religion
If you want a nonbeliever to accept Islam, be patient and gently answer all his perceptions and disbeliefs, following the manners of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). On the other hand, if you are harsh and arrogant with whatever concept and teachings you know, you are already misleading them.
4 – Beware of Hypocrites
Just as Prophet Nuh’s wife, Prophet Lut’s wife also remained with the disbelievers and tasted the torment. The Quran (66:10) says that the wives of Prophet Nuh and Prophet Lut betrayed them by not following their message, and that being married to a prophet did not save them. Some commentators report that Lut’s wife told her people about his guests, though this detail is not stated in the Quran. The lesson is that faith is personal: family ties cannot replace belief and good deeds. Here are some authentic Islamic Quotes On Hypocrisy, Its Types, Signs & Dangers.
3 – Condemn the Wrong Acts
All those crimes and sins that were practiced by the nation of Prophet Lut are practiced by today’s nation. Therefore, it’s high time we should condemn such heinous acts like homosexuality, child pornography, human trafficking, adultery, robbery and murders otherwise, Allah’s torment is near and the disbelievers should take notes.
2 – You Don’t Have to go with the Majority’s Decision
Even if everyone is doing it, it might not be right. Don’t go with what the majority believes. That’s what Prophet Lut’s people did. Some of his family members didn’t believe what the whole nation said and left them and came with prophet Lut.
1 – Homosexuality is Prohibited in Islam
Near Allah, homosexuality is one of the biggest sins and he has prohibited it in Islam. To fulfill your sexual desires, Allah has ordered you to get married to the opposite gender.
Hence we see that the people of Lut denied the true essence of slam and disagreed with the teachings of Prophet Lut (A.S). As a result, they were given several warnings and severe punishments by Allah. There is a valuable lesson in the story of Prophet Lut for all times, especially in today’s world where homosexuality is unfortunately widespread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Prophet Lut (AS)?
Lut (AS) was a prophet of Allah and a contemporary and relative of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). He was sent to the people of a town in the region of the Dead Sea who had spread indecency among them.
Where is the story of Prophet Lut mentioned in the Quran?
His story appears in several surahs, including Surah Al-A’raf (7:80-84), Hud (11:77-83), Al-Hijr (15:57-77) and Ash-Shu’ara (26:160-175).
What was the sin of the people of Lut?
The Quran condemns their indecency, which included men approaching men, as well as highway robbery and arrogance in rejecting their prophet. Islamic teaching also stresses calling to the truth with wisdom and good manners, as in our post on the manners of the Prophet.
Was Prophet Lut’s wife saved?
No. The Quran says she remained behind and was among those destroyed (7:83), and gives her as an example that closeness to a prophet cannot replace faith (66:10).
What lessons can we take from this story?
Scholars highlight steadfastness in conveying the message, hospitality, holding to the truth even when one is in a minority, and the seriousness of persisting in sin and rejecting guidance. Take questions about rulings to a qualified scholar.