His saying, exalted and glorified is He: "So those are their houses, empty because of what they wronged. Indeed, in that is a sign for a people who know." "And We saved those who believed and were fearing [Allah]." "And [mention] Lot when he said to his people, 'Do you approach immorality while you see [it]?" "Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people behaving ignorantly.'" "So the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Expel the family of Lot from your city. Indeed, they are a people who keep themselves pure.'" "So We saved him and his family, except for his wife; We destined her to be of those who remained behind." "And We rained upon them a rain. And evil was the rain of those who were warned."

The matter of the houses and their destruction is what Allah, the Most High, informed about. In every scripture, it is stated that He only punishes the wrongdoers. In the Torah: "O son of Adam, do not wrong, lest your house be destroyed." And "empty" is in the accusative case as a state in which there is benefit. Its meaning is: empty and desolate. Al-Zajjaj said: It was also read as "empty" in the nominative case, and that is based on an implied subject, and the meaning is: it is empty, or it is a report about "those" and "their houses" as a substitute for a second report. These houses referred to are those about which the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said during the year of Tabuk: "Do not enter upon those who are being punished unless you are weeping..."

Then He, blessed and exalted is He, said: "And [mention] Lot." Its meaning is: and mention Lot. And "immorality" refers to the act of approaching men in their rears. "You see [it]" means: with your hearts that it is a sin and immorality. A group said: "You see [it]" with your eyes; because you expose yourselves by doing that and some of you do not cover from others.

The readers differed in His saying: "Do you indeed..." and it has been previously mentioned. The majority of the readers read: "the answer" in the accusative case, while Al-Hasan and Ibn Abi Ishaq read: "the answer" in the nominative case. Ibn Jinni attributed the reading in the nominative case to Al-Hasan and explained it in the rare readings.

And Allah, the Most High, informed about the people of Lot that they had left the path of argument in their response to him, and they were taken by force. They conspired to expel him and those who believed with him, then they condemned them by praising him, which is the purity from this vile act that they had agreed upon. Qatadah said: They criticized them, by Allah, without any fault. And Asim read - in the narration of Abu Bakr -: "We destined her" with the lightening of the letter 'd', while the majority of the readers read with the emphasis on the letter 'd'. The first meaning is: We made her and obtained her, and the second meaning is: We destined upon her, from destiny and decree.

'And the 'ghabirun': those who remain in punishment. Ghabara means to remain. Sometimes, in some of the speech of the Arabs, it may imply passing, but upon reflection, its meaning leans towards permanence. The rain that was sent upon them was stones from the Sijin, which destroyed them all. This verse is a foundation for those among the jurists who established stoning for sodomy. It provides comfort because Allah, glorified and exalted is He, punished them for their disbelief with it, and sent upon them stones for their disobedience. This saying is not compared to adultery where one considers the status of being chaste. Rather, Malik and others said: they are to be stoned in sodomy whether they are chaste or not. And it has been reported from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: 'Kill the one who does the act and the one upon whom the act is done.' Thus, those who have gone to stoning them have done so based on this verse.