Tafsir

Learn Your Essential Lesson From Sites Ruined by Divine Punishment

In verses 75 and 76: إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ ﴿75﴾ وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍ مُّقِيمٍ ﴿76﴾ (Surely, in that there are signs for those who read signs. And surely, it [ their city ] is located on the straight road), Allah Ta’ ala has pointed out to the geographical location of such ruined cities which fall on the main road which takes people from Arabia to Syria. Also said with it was that in them there are great signs of the perfect power of Allah Ta’ ala for those who believe and have the necessary hindsight and foresight.

About this, there is another statement in Surah al-Qasas where it was said: لَمْ تُسْكَن مِّن بَعْدِهِمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا (not lived in after them except a little - 28:58). In other words, after their destruction by Divine punishment, these habitations were not repopulated except some. So, by combining these indicators, we can see that Allah Ta’ ala has made these ruined habitations and homes a site from which coming generations could learn their essential lesson.

This is the reason why the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، whenever he has passed by these sites, went through a particular emotional state under which he would be overwhelmed by the awe of Almighty Allah and which caused his blessed head to lower down and he would then try to make his mount hasten through these sites. This particular mode of action taken by the Holy Prophet ﷺ has established the sunnah that making sites which have been hit by Divine punishment a place of picnic and amusement is hard-heartedness at its ugliest. Rather than do something like that, the only method of learning a lesson from them is to think about and feel the very presence of the most perfect power of Allah Ta’ ala on the site being visited which should cause one to tremble with the fear of His punishment.

The habitations of the time of Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) which were over-turned are located, as said by the Qur'an, on the Arabia-Syria route. This site is still present in the proximity of Jordan in the form of a wilderness below the sea level. On a major portion, flows a particular kind of water like a river. Sea life cannot survive here. Therefore, it is called the Dead Sea or the Sea of Lut (علیہ السلام) .