Kifungu hiki, ambacho ni kirefu kiasi, kinataja baadhi ya mifano ya rehema ya Mungu na adhabu anayoiteremsha. Miongoni mwake ni jinsi Ibrahimu alivyopewa, katika uzee wake, habari njema ya kuzaliwa kwa mwana, na jinsi Lut na watu wa nyumbani mwake, isipokuwa mkewe, walivyookolewa kutokana na hatima iliyowapata waovu. Pia kinajumuisha kutajwa kwa adhabu mbaya zilizowapata watu wa Madyan na wa 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.

Hadithi hizi zote zinafuata utangulizi unaosema: "Waambie waja Wangu kwamba Mimi peke yangu ndiye Mwingi wa kusamehe, Mwenye rehema kubwa; na pia, adhabu Yangu ndiyo chungu sana." (Aya 49-50) Baadhi yake zinathibitisha yale yaliyosemwa kuhusu rehema ya Mungu, na baadhi zinathibitisha kwamba adhabu Yake ni kali kweli. Hadithi hizi pia zinarejelea yaliyotajwa mwanzoni mwa sura, zikithibitisha onyo lililomo: "Waache wale na kufurahia, na matumaini yawadanganye. Kwani watajua hakika [ukweli]. Hatukuwahi kuiangamiza jamii yoyote isipokuwa ufunuo wa Mungu ulikuwa umewafikia. Hakuna jamii inayoweza kutangulia muda wake, wala kuucheleweshaa." (Aya 3-5) Hizi zilikuwa mifano ya miji iliyoangamizwa na Mungu baada ya kupuuza maonyo yote waliyopewa. Adhabu yao iliwafika tu baada ya muda waliopewa kupita. Hadithi tulizonazo katika sehemu hii pia zinathibitisha yaliyotajwa mapema katika sura kuhusu malaika na kazi yao wanapotumwa kwa amri ya Mungu: "Wanasema: 'Ewe unayeteremshiwa ukumbusho huu! Hakika wewe ni mwenye wazimu. Kwa nini usituletee malaika, ikiwa wewe ni mkweli?' Hatuwateremshi malaika ila kwa haki, na kisha, [wakanushaji] hawatapewa muhula zaidi." (Aya 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)

"Waambie waja wangu kwamba Mimi peke yangu ndiye Mwenye kusamehe sana, Mwenye rehema tele; na pia, adhabu yangu ndiyo chungu zaidi ya mateso." (Aya ya 49-50) Amri hii kwa Nabii ﷺ inakuja baada ya kutajwa malipo ya waumini wanaomcha Mungu na adhabu ya wakosefu. Uhusiano wake uko wazi. Lakini rehema ya Mungu na msamaha wake vimetajwa kabla ya adhabu, kwa sababu vinaendana na neema ambayo Mungu amejifunga nafsi yake kuitoa. Wakati mwingine, ni adhabu na mateso pekee yanayotajwa, au yanapewa nafasi ya kwanza katika maandishi, lakini hilo ni kwa sababu tu kuna haja maalum ya kushughulikiwa hivyo.

“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.

Kisha tunapewa simulizi ya kukutana kwa Nabii Ibrahim na malaika waliotumwa kwa Lut. Kisa hiki kimetajwa mara kadhaa katika Qur'ani, kila mara kwa namna tofauti inayoendana na muktadha unaokitangulia. Kisa cha Lut peke yake pia kimetajwa katika sehemu nyingine.

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.

Mfano, hadithi ya Lutu imo katika Sura ya 7, Al-A‘raf, na simulizi tofauti ya Ibrahimu na hadithi ya Lutu imetolewa katika Sura ya 11, Hud. Katika ya kwanza tunaona Lutu akiwakemea watu wake kwa matendo yao machafu, na jibu lao kwake: “Watoeni katika mji wenu; kwani hawa ni watu wanaojiepusha (na uchafu).” (7: 82) Pia inataja kumwokoa yeye na jamaa yake, isipokuwa mkewe, aliyekusudiwa kubaki nyuma pamoja na walioangamizwa. Hakuna kutajwa kwa malaika kumjia au kwa mpango wa watu wake dhidi yao. Katika ya pili, hadithi ya malaika pamoja na Ibrahimu na Lutu imesimuliwa kwa mpangilio tofauti kabisa. Huko tunapata maelezo zaidi kuhusu Ibrahimu na habari njema aliyopewa mbele ya mkewe. Pia kuna kutajwa kwa mabishano yake na malaika kuhusu Lutu na watu wake, jambo lisilotajwa hapa. Njia tofauti zinafuatwa katika sura mbili katika kusimulia matukio yanayohusu malaika na Lutu. Katika Sura ya Hud, malaika hawamfunulii utambulisho wao hadi watu wake walipofika, na alikuwa amewasihi wawaepushe wageni wake, lakini maombi yake yote yalianguka masikioni pasipo kusikia. Alipokata tamaa nao, alilia kwa huzuni:

Na wakati wajumbe [wa Mungu] walipofika nyumbani kwa Lut, alisema: 'Nyinyi ni watu msiojulikana hapa.' Wakajibu: 'Hapana, lakini tunakuletea habari ya lile walilokuwa wakilibishania. Tunakuletea uhakika [wa utimilifu wake], kwa kuwa hakika tunasema kweli.Ondoka pamoja na jamaa yako usiku wa giza, na wewe mwenyewe uwafuate kwa nyuma. Asimwangalie nyuma yeyote kati yenu, bali endeleeni mpaka mahali mliloamriwa.' Na Tulimfafanulia jambo hilo, kwamba mabaki ya mwisho ya wale [waliodhulumu] yatafutiliwa mbali kufikia asubuhi.

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)

Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo awali, sura inasema kwamba malaika mara moja wanamfunua Lutu utambulisho wao wa kweli na kwamba wamekuja kutekeleza yale ambayo watu wake waliyabishania kuhusu adhabu yao kwa matendo yao maovu. Adhabu hiyo inakuja kutimiza maonyo ya Mungu, ikithibitisha ukweli kwamba malaika wanapotumwa kwa jamii, adhabu yao ni ya papo hapo.

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.

"Akasema: 'Hamjulikani hapa.'" (Aya ya 62) Alisema hivi kwa hasira, kwa kuwa alikuwa anafahamu vyema tabia za watu wake na alitarajia watakalojaribu kufanya dhidi ya wageni wake. Alikuwa mgeni miongoni mwa watu wake, nao walikuwa na kiburi katika uovu wao. Kwa hiyo anawaambia wageni wake kwamba si busara kwao kuja katika mji ambao sifa za watu wake zinajulikana sana. "Wakajibu: 'La, lakini tunakuletea habari ya kile walichokuwa wakibishana juu yake. Tunakuletea uhakika [wa kutimia kwake], kwa kuwa hakika tunasema kweli.'" (Aya ya 63-64) Kauli hizi zote zinatuonyesha kiwango cha wasiwasi na huzuni ya Lutu, kwani alitaka kuwakaribisha wageni wake lakini pia kuwalinda dhidi ya mipango ya watu wake. Kwa hiyo, wao humhakikishia mara kwa mara kabla ya kumpa maagizo yao: "Ondokeni pamoja na familia yenu usiku wa manane, wewe mwenyewe ukiwafuata nyuma yao. Asimwangalie yeyote kati yenu nyuma, bali endeleeni hadi mahali mlipoamriwa." (Aya ya 65) Hivyo Lutu alipaswa kuondoka mjini usiku, kabla ya kuchomoza kwa alfajiri. Alipaswa kutembea nyuma ya wale ambao wangeokolewa pamoja naye ili kuhakikisha kwamba hakuna aliyebaki nyuma, na hakuna aliyetazama nyuma, kama watu waliohamishwa wasiotaka kuiacha nchi yao.

Miji hiyo iliharibiwa kwa tukio la kimaumbile linaloonekana kufanana na matetemeko ya ardhi na milipuko ya volkano, ambayo wakati mwingine huambatana na kuzama kwa ardhi na mvua ya mawe. Wakati mwingine vijiji na miji yote huzama kabisa. Inasemekana kwamba Bahari ya Chumvi (Bahari ya Mauti) iliundwa baada ya tukio hili, ambalo lilishuhudia kuzama kwa Sodoma na Gomora, wakati uso wa ardhi ulipoporomoka na kutengeneza ziwa ambalo baadaye lilijaa maji. Hatutajaribu kueleza adhabu yao hiyo mahususi kama tetemeko la ardhi au volkano, kwa kuwa mtazamo wetu umejengwa badala yake juu ya imani kamili isiyokubali maelezo kama hayo.

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.

Tunajua kwa hakika kwamba matukio yote ya kimaumbile yanaendeshwa kulingana na sheria ambayo Mwenyezi Mungu ameiweka kwa ulimwengu. Lakini hakuna jambo wala tukio linalotokea kwa msingi wa lazima. Linatokea kwa kutimiza mapenzi ya Mwenyezi Mungu, ambayo yanahusu hali hiyo mahsusi. Hakuna mgongano kati ya kuendeshwa kwa sheria ya Mwenyezi Mungu na haja ya kuwepo kwa mapenzi ya Mwenyezi Mungu kwa kila tukio. Pia tunajua kwa hakika kwamba katika baadhi ya hali, Mwenyezi Mungu, kwa hekima yake, hutimiza mapenzi yake mahsusi kupitia tukio fulani, ili kutumikia kusudi fulani. Kilichoangamiza miji ya Lutu hakihitaji kuwa tetemeko la ardhi la kawaida au volkano. Mwenyezi Mungu angeweza kupenda kuwaletea adhabu yoyote aliyoichagua, wakati wa uchaguzi wake na kwa njia aliyoiamua. Huo ndio msimamo wa kueleza, kwa msingi wa imani, matukio yote ya kimuujiza yaliyotokea katika nyakati za manabii wote.

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.