وَلَمَّا جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا سِيءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا وَقَالَ هَذَا يَوْمٌ عَصِيبٌ ﴿۷۷﴾ وَجَاءَهُ قَوْمُهُ يُهْرَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَمِنْ قَبْلُ كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ هَؤُلَاءِ بَنَاتِي هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ فِي ضَيْفِي أَلَيْسَ مِنْكُمْ رَجُلٌ رَشِيدٌ ﴿۷۸﴾ قَالُوا لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا لَنَا فِي بَنَاتِكَ مِنْ حَقٍّ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِيدُ ﴿۷۹﴾

﴾77﴿ Wa lammaa jaaa'at Rusulunaa Lootan seee'a bihim wa daaqa bihim zar'anw wa qaala haazaa yawmun 'aseeb
﴾78﴿ Wa jaaa'ahoo qawmuhoo yuhra'oona ilaihi wa min qablu kaanoo ya'maloonas saiyiaat; qaala yaa qawmi haaa'ulaaa'i banaatee hunna atharu lakum fattaqul laaha wa laa tukhzooni fee daifee alaisa minkum rajulur rasheed
﴾79﴿ Qaaloo laqad 'alimta maa lanaa fee banaatika min haqq, wa innaka lata'lamu maa nureed

﴾77﴿ And when Our angels came to Lot (peace be upon him), he was distressed because of them and felt constrained on their account, and he said, 'This is a very difficult day
﴾78﴿ And his people came rushing towards him, and before this, they used to commit sinful deeds. He said, O my people, these are my daughters (the women of the community); they are purer for you. So fear Allah and do not disgrace me concerning my guests. Is there not among you a man of reason
﴾79﴿ They said, Surely, you know that we have no need for your daughters, and surely you know what we desire

[77] This is the fifth narrative, and it relates to the second central claim of the surah: that knowledge of the unseen (ʿilm al-ghayb) is exclusive to Allah.
Lūṭ (peace be upon him) did not know the reality of the angels when they came to him — he didn’t recognize them as messengers, nor did he possess the power to protect his guests or repel his people’s evil.
(بِهِمْ) — the pronoun has two possible references:
1. Preferred opinion: It refers to the angels — meaning he was distressed because of their coming, knowing how his people would respond to strangers.
2. Another view: It refers to his own people — meaning he was distressed because of their evil intentions and behavior.
(وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا) — this is an idiomatic expression meaning his strength or capacity was too tight, i.e., he was overwhelmed or unable to cope.
The origin of the phrase comes from a camel’s stride (ذِرَاع) — when the camel is burdened heavily, it shortens its steps; metaphorically, this reflects someone weighed down and restricted.
Here, (ذَرْعًا) may also metaphorically relate to the chest (sadr), indicating tightness of heart.
The pronoun (بِهِمْ) in this phrase refers to his people, not the angels — meaning he was distressed by them, their presence, and their behavior.
(عَصِيبٌ) — means extremely difficult or painful, and is derived from (عِصَابَة) — something wrapped around the head due to pain.
It signifies a time that brings immense distress, pressure, or hardship — i.e., Lūṭ was facing a crisis beyond his ability to bear.
[78] (أَهْرَعَ) — though in form it is passive (majhūl), it is used here in the active meaning, indicating eagerness and rushing with excitement.
It’s as if the people were inciting one another, driven by their uncontrolled lust, hastening toward the guests.
(وَمِنْ قَبْلُ كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ) — this phrase gives the reason for their rushing; they were already accustomed to committing evil deeds.
Among these (السَّيِّئَاتِ) were:
– Homosexual acts,
– Harassing guests,
– Throwing stones,
– Blocking roads, and other immoral and shameful behaviors.
(قَالَ) — Lūṭ (peace be upon him) said this in an attempt to stop them, to appeal to their remaining sense of decency.
(بَنَاتِي) — refers to the women of his nation, not his biological daughters.
As a prophet, his people were like his children, and this is supported by Mujāhid and Saʿīd ibn Jubayr.
He was essentially saying: If you truly desire intimacy, then marry lawfully from among the women — this is pure and allowed.
(أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ) — the comparative form (afʿal) isn’t meant to compare two valid options; rather, it’s a rhetorical expression, because in sodomy there is no purity at all.
So the intent is: This path (marriage) is pure, and that one is utterly impure.
(رَشِيدٌ) — meaning righteous, wise, and upright, someone who promotes good and forbids evil.
He’s reminding them: I’m not offering this suggestion out of desire, but out of concern, guidance, and moral responsibility.
[79] (حَقٍّ) — in this context, it does not mean truth or right in the usual sense, but rather is used to mean a personal need or desire, specifically sexual desire (shahwah).
Their use of the word here reflects their shamelessness and moral corruption, as they openly justified their sinful intent by calling it a right or natural urge.
(مَا نُرِيدُ) — means we only want (the guests) for indecent acts, i.e., they openly admitted that their intent toward Lūṭ's guests was to commit fāḥishah (sexual immorality).
This phrase shows the depth of their depravity, as they no longer even tried to hide or justify their behavior — they boldly stated their immoral purpose.