26:163 Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)

قال لهم وقالوا كما قال من قبلهم, تشابهت قلوبهم في الكفر, فتشابهت أقوالهم، وكانوا - مع شركهم - يأتون فاحشة لم يسبقهم إليها أحد من العالمين، يختارون نكاح الذكران, المستقذر الخبيث, ويرغبون عما خلق لهم من أزواجهم لإسرافهم وعدوانهم فلم يزل ينهاهم حتى قَالُوا له لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنْتَهِ يَا لُوطُ لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُخْرَجِينَ أي: من البلد، فلما رأى استمرارهم عليه قَالَ إِنِّي لِعَمَلِكُمْ مِنَ الْقَالِينَ أي: المبغضين له الناهين عنه، المحذرين.

يقول تعالى مخبرا عن عبده ورسوله لوط عليه السلام وهو لوط بن هاران بن آزار وهو ابن أخي إبراهيم الخليل عليه السلام وكان الله تعالى قد بعثه إلى أمة عظيمة في حياة إبراهيم عليهما السلام وكانوا يسكنون سذوم وأعمالها التي أهلكها الله بها وجعل مكانها بحيرة منتنة خبيثة وهي مشهورة ببلاد الغور بناحية متاخمة لجبال البيت المقدس بينها وبين بلاد الكرك والشوبك فدعاهم إلى الله عز وجل أن يعبدوه وحده لا شريك له وأن يطيعوا رسولهم الذي بعثه الله إليهم ونهاهم عن معصية الله وارتكاب ما كانوا قد ابتدعوه في العالم مما لم يسبقهم أحد من الخلائق إلى فعله من إتيان الذكور دون الإناث.

Lut and His Call

Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Lut, peace be upon him. He was Lut bin Haran bin Azar, the nephew of Ibrahim Al-Khalil, upon him be peace. Allah sent him to a mighty nation during the lifetime of Ibrahim, peace be upon them both. They lived in Sadum (Sodom) and its environs, where Allah destroyed them and turned the area into a putrid, stinking lake, which is well-known in the land of Al-Ghur the Jordan Valley, bordering the mountains of Jerusalem, between the mountains and the land of Al-Karak and Ash-Shawbak. He called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or associate, and to obey the Messenger whom Allah sent to them. He forbade from disobeying Allah and committing the sin that they had invented which was unknown on earth before their time; intercourse with males instead of with females. Allah said:

أَتَأْتُونَ الذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ الْعَـلَمِينَ - وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُمْ مِّنْ أَزْوَجِكُمْ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ عَادُونَ - قَالُواْ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ يلُوطُ لَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُخْرَجِينَ - قَالَ إِنِّى لِعَمَلِكُمْ مِّنَ الْقَـلِينَ

So fear God and obey me.

Commentary

وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِ‌هِينَ ﴿149﴾And you hew out houses from the hills with pride. [ 149]

According to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، the word فَارِ‌هِينَ (Farihin) means arrogant and conceited people. But Abu Salih and Imam Raghib have taken this word to mean experts. Therefore, the meaning of the verse is that Allah Ta’ ala has favoured you by teaching such skills that you could make houses by cutting hills. The essence of all this is that you should remember the bounties of Allah Ta’ ala and should not make mischief and trouble on earth.

Useful vocations are Divine Graces provided they are not employed in bad things

This verse indicates that nice vocations are Allah's Graces, and to draw benefit from them is lawful. But if they are used for some sinful purpose or in an unlawful act, or if someone gets involved in them with unnecessary concentration, then it is not lawful to adopt them. An example of unnecessary construction of tall buildings and its contempt has just been mentioned in the previous verses.