Wannan dogon sako yana ambaton wasu misalai na rahamar Allah da azabar da Yake aukarwa. Daga cikinsu akwai yadda aka yi wa Ibrahim albishir da samun ɗa a lokacin tsufansa, da kuma yadda aka tsira da Lут da iyalansa, sai matarsa kaɗai, daga abin da ya faɗa wa azzalumai. Har ila yau, sun haɗa da ambaton azabobin masifa da suka faɗa wa mutanen Madyan da na al-Ĥijr.

This rather long passage refers to some examples of God’s mercy and the punishment He inflicts. These include how Abraham was given in his old age the happy news of a son to be born to him, and how Lot and his household, except his wife, were saved from the fate that befell the wrongdoers. They also include a reference to the fateful punishments that befell the people of the Madyan and those of al-Ĥijr.

Duk waɗannan labarai suna zuwa ne bayan gabatarwar da ke cewa: “Ka faɗa wa bayina cewa Ni ne kaɗai Mai yawan gafara, Mai jin ƙai.” Kuma azabata ita ce azaba mai raɗaɗi.” (Ayoyi 49-50) Wasu daga cikinsu suna tabbatar da abin da aka faɗa game da jinƙan Allah, wasu kuma suna tabbatar da cewa azabarsa mai raɗaɗi ce ƙwarai. Waɗannan labarai kuma suna komawa ga abin da aka ambata a farkon sūrah, suna tabbatar da gargaɗin da ke cikinta: “Ku bari su ci su more, bege ya shagaltar da su. Lallai za su sani [gaskiya].” Ba mu taɓa halakar da wata al’umma ba sai bayan an sanar da ita saƙonnin Allah. Babu wata al’umma da za ta iya kawo ƙarshen ajalinta ko ta jinkirta shi.” (Ayoyi 3-5) Waɗannan misalai ne na garuruwan da Allah ya halaka bayan sun yi watsi da dukan gargaɗin da suka samu. Azabarsu ba ta same su ba sai bayan lokacin da aka ba su ya ƙare. Labarun da muke da su a wannan sashe kuma suna tabbatar da abin da aka ambata a baya game da mala’iku da aikinsu idan an aike su da umarnin Allah: “Sun ce: ‘Kai wanda aka saukar masa da Tunatarwa, lallai kai mahaukaci ne! Don me ba ka kawo mana mala’iku ba, idan kana cikin masu gaskiya?’ Ba mu taɓa saukar da mala’iku sai da gaskiya, kuma a lokacin ba za a ƙara ba su wani jinkiri ba.” (Ayoyi 6-8)

All these stories occur after an introduction that says: “Tell My servants that I alone am Much Forgiving, truly Merciful; and also, My punishment is indeed the most grievous suffering.” (Verses 49-50) Some of them thus confirm what has been said about God’s mercy, and some confirm that His punishment is grievous indeed. These stories also refer to what is mentioned at the opening of the sūrah, confirming the warning it contains: “Let them eat and enjoy themselves, and let their hopes beguile them. For they will surely come to know [the truth]. Never have We destroyed any community unless divine revelations have been made known to it. No community can ever forestall its term, nor can they delay it.” (Verses 3-5) These were examples of cities destroyed by God after they ignored all the warnings they had received. Their punishment only befell them after the time they were given had lapsed. The stories we have in this passage also confirm what is mentioned earlier in the sūrah concerning the angels and their mission when they are sent with God’s orders: “They say: ‘You to whom this reminder has been bestowed from on high! You are truly mad. Why do you not bring the angels before us, if you are truthful?’ We never send down angels except in accordance with the truth. And then, [the unbelievers] would be given no further respite.” (Verses 6-8)

"Ka gaya wa bayina cewa, Ni kaɗai ne Mai yawan gafara, Mai jin ƙai; kuma azaba ta ita ce azaba mai raɗaɗi ƙwarai." (Ayoyi 49-50) Wannan umarni ga Annabi ﷺ ya zo ne bayan an ambaci ladan masu tsoron Allah da azabar azzalumai. Alaƙar a bayyane take. Amma an ambaci jin ƙan Allah da gafararSa kafin azaba, domin sun dace da alherin da Ya ɗauki alhakin bayarwa. Wani lokaci, ana ambaton azaba da wahala kawai, ko kuma a fifita su a cikin rubutu, amma hakan ya faru ne saboda akwai buƙatar musamman ta yin haka.

“Tell My servants that I alone am Much Forgiving, truly Merciful; and also, My punishment is indeed the most grievous suffering.” (Verses 49-50) This order to the Prophet (peace be upon him) comes after the reward of God-fearing believers and the punishment of wrongdoers are mentioned. The link is self-evident. But God’s mercy and forgiveness are mentioned before the punishment, because they fit in with the grace God has committed Himself to bestow. Sometimes, only the punishment and suffering are mentioned, or they are given precedence in the text, but that is only because there is special need for such treatment.

Daga nan kuma ana ba mu labarin haduwar Annabi Ibrahim da mala'iku da aka aika zuwa ga Lutu. Wannan labari an ambace shi a cikin Alkur'ani sau da dama, kowane lokaci ta hanya daban wacce ta dace da yanayin da yake zuwa a cikinsa. Labarin Lutu kadai ma an ambace shi a wasu wurare.

We are then given an account of the encounter between the Prophet Abraham and the angels sent to Lot. This episode is mentioned several times in the Qur’ān, each time in a different way which fits the context in which it occurs. The story of Lot alone is also mentioned in other places.

Misalin misali, labarin Lūɗ yana cikin Sūrah 7, Al-A‘rāf, kuma wani labarin daban na Ibrāhīm da Lūɗ yana cikin Sūrah 11, Hūd. A cikin na farko akwai la'antar da Lūɗ ya yi wa munanan ayyukan al'ummarsa, da amsarsu gare shi: “Ku kore su [watau Lūɗ da iyalinsa] daga ƙasarku, domin lallai su mutane ne da suke nisantar aikata alfasha.” (7: 82) Haka kuma ya ambaci ceton shi da iyalinsa, sai dai matarsa wadda aka ƙaddara za ta zauna baya tare da waɗanda za a hallaka. Babu ambaton mala'iku sun zo wurinsa ko shirin mutanensa a kansu. A na biyu kuwa, an ba da wani tsari gaba ɗaya daban ga labarin mala'ikun tare da Ibrāhīm da Lūɗ. A can akwai ƙarin bayani game da Ibrāhīm da labari mai daɗi da aka ba shi a gaban matarsa. Haka kuma akwai ambaton muhawararsa da mala'ikun game da Lūɗ da al'ummarsa, wanda ba a ambata ba a nan. Layukan da aka bi a sūrorin biyu wajen ba da labarin al'amuran mala'ikun da Lūɗ sun bambanta. A cikin Sūrah Hūd, mala'ikun ba su bayyana kansu gare shi ba sai bayan mutanensa sun zo, kuma ya roƙe su da su bar baƙinsa, amma dukan roƙonsa ya faɗi a kunnuwa marasa ji. Sa'ad da ya yanke ƙauna daga gare su, ya yi kira cikin baƙin ciki:

{Kuma sa'ad da manzannin [Allah] suka zo gidan Lut, ya ce: "Ba ku san ku ba a nan." Suka ce: "A'a, amma mun zo maka da labarin abin da suke jayayya a kansa. Muna kawo maka tabbatacce, domin lalle mu masu gaskiya ne. Ka tashi da iyalinka a cikin dare, kai kuma ka bi bayansu, kuma kada wani daga cikinku ya waiwaya, amma ku tafi inda aka umarce ku." Kuma Mun bayyana masa al'amarin, cewa tabbas ragowar waɗancan [azzalumai] za a shafe su da safe.}

And when the messengers [of God] came to the house of Lot, he said: ‘You are unknown here.’ They answered: ‘No, but we bring you news of that over which they have been disputing. We are bringing you the certainty [of its fulfilment], for we are speaking the truth indeed. Depart with your household in the dead of night, with yourself following them in the rear. Let none of you look back, but proceed to where you are commanded.’ And We made plain the case to him, that the last remnant of those [wrongdoers] will be wiped out by the morning. (Verses 61-66)

Kamar yadda aka nuna a baya, surat ta bayyana cewa mala'iku sun bayyana ainihin asalinsu ga Lut nan take, kuma sun zo ne domin cika abin da mutanensa suka yi jayayya a kansa game da azabarsu saboda laifukansu. Wannan azaba tana zuwa ne a matsayin cika gargadin Allah, wanda ke tabbatar da cewa idan aka aiko mala'iku zuwa wata al'umma, azabarsu tana zuwa nan take.

As indicated earlier, the sūrah states that the angels immediately reveal their true identity to Lot and that they have come to accomplish what his people disputed about their punishment for their misdeeds. That punishment comes in fulfilment of God’s warnings, confirming the fact that when angels are sent to a community, their punishment is immediate.

"Ya ce: ‘Ku baki ne a nan.’" (Aya ta 62) Ya faɗi haka cikin fushi, domin ya san sosai halayen mutanensa, kuma yana tsammanin abin da za su yi wa baƙinsa. Shi baƙo ne a cikin mutanensa, kuma sun kasance masu girman kai a cikin lalacewarsu. Saboda haka ya gaya wa baƙinsa cewa bai dace ba su zo birni alhali sunan mutanensa ya shahara. "Suka amsa: ‘A’a, amma mun zo maka da labarin abin da suke jayayya a kansa. Mun zo maka da tabbaci [na cikarsa], domin lalle mu masu faɗar gaskiya ne.’" (Aya ta 63-64) Duk waɗannan maganganun suna nuna mana girman damuwa da tsoron Lut, domin yana son karɓar baƙi yadda ya kamata, amma kuma yana son kare baƙinsa daga shirin mutanensa. Saboda haka suna ta tabbatar masa lokaci bayan lokaci, kafin su ba shi umarninsa: "Ka tafi tare da iyalanka a cikin duhun dare, kai kuma ka bi bayansu. Kada wani daga cikinku ya waiwaya baya, amma ku ci gaba zuwa inda aka umarce ku." (Aya ta 65) Don haka Lut zai bar garin da dare, kafin wayewar gari. Zai yi tafiya a bayan waɗanda za a tsira da su tare da shi, don tabbatar da cewa babu wanda ya rage a baya, kuma babu wanda ya waiwaya baya, kamar mutanen da aka kora daga gidajensu waɗanda ba sa son barin ƙasarsu.

Garuruwan sun halaka sakamakon wani al'amari na halitta wanda yake kama da girgizar ƙasa da fashewar tsaunukan wuta, waɗanda wani lokaci ana tare da nutsewar ƙasa da zubar da duwatsu. Wani lokaci ana nutsar da ƙauyuka da garuruwa gaba ɗaya haka. An ce Tekun Matattu ya samu ne bayan wannan lamari, wanda ya shaida nutsewar Saduma da Gomorra, lokacin da saman ƙasa ya rushe ya samar da tafki wanda daga baya ruwa ya cika shi. Ba za mu yi ƙoƙarin bayyana azabarsu ta musamman a matsayin girgizar ƙasa ko tsaunin wuta ba, domin hanyarmu tana kan cikakken imani wanda ba ya yarda da irin waɗannan bayanai.

The towns were ruined by a natural phenomenon which seems similar to that of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which are sometimes accompanied by earth subsidence and a showering of stones. Sometimes complete villages and towns are so immersed. It is said that the Dead Sea was formed after this event, which witnessed the sinking of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the surface of the earth collapsed forming a lake that was later filled with water. We will not try to explain their particular punishment as an earthquake or a volcano, for our approach is based instead on complete faith that does not admit such explanations.

Mun sani tabbas cewa dukkan abubuwan halitta suna aiki ne bisa ga wata doka da Allah ya tsara wa duniya. Amma babu wani abu ko al'amari da yake faruwa bisa tilas. Yana faruwa ne domin cika nufin Allah, wanda ya shafi wannan yanayi musamman. Babu wani sabani tsakanin aikin dokar Allah da buƙatar nufin Allah a kowane al'amari. Mun kuma sani tabbas cewa a wasu lokuta Allah, cikin hikimarsa, yakan cika wani takamaiman nufinsa ta hanyar wani al'amari, domin ya yi wata manufa ta musamman. Abin da ya halakar da garuruwan Lutu ba lallai ba ne ya zama girgizar ƙasa ta yau da kullum ko wuta mai fitowa daga dutse. Allah na iya nufin ya aukar musu da duk wani bala'i da ya zaɓa, a lokacin da ya zaɓa, da hanyar da ya ƙayyade. Ga yadda ya kamata a bayyana, bisa imani, dukkan al'amura masu ban mamaki da suka faru a zamanin dukkan annabawa.

We know for certain that all natural phenomena operate in accordance with a law that God has laid down for the universe. But no phenomenon or event occurs on the basis of inevitability. It occurs in fulfilment of God’s will, which applies particularly to that situation. There is no conflict between the operation of God’s law and the need for an act of God’s will for every event. We also know for certain that in some cases God, in His wisdom, accomplishes a particular will of His through a certain event, in order to serve a certain purpose. What destroyed Lot’s townships need not be an ordinary earthquake or volcano. God might have willed to inflict on them whatever scourge He might have chosen, at the time of His choice and by the method He determined. That is the approach to explain, on the basis of faith, all miraculous events that took place at the times of all prophets.