Verse 34
The Spider • makkah
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وَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا سِىٓءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا وَقَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ ۖ إِنَّا مُنَجُّوكَ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَكَ كَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْغَٰبِرِينَ
11:78.
7:84; 21:75; 27:58.
Important Words:
سییء (he was distressed) is passive verb from ساء. They say ساء الامر فلاناً i.e. the affair grieved such a one; or did with him what he hated. ساء به ظنا means, he suspected him (Aqrab).
ضاق بھم ذرعا (felt helpless on their account). ضاق means, it was or became narrow. They say ضاق عن الجواب i.e. he was incapable of replying. The expression ضاق به ذرعاً means, his power or ability was straitened or was inadequate to it or he was unable to do or accomplish the thing or he lacked strength or ability or power to do the thing (Lane).
Commentary:
Who the messengers mentioned in the verse were, what their mission was and why their visit distressed and grieved Prophet Lot has been explained in 11:70-71 & 15:68-72. It is enough for the purpose of the verse under comment to say that the messengers were righteous men of the locality and not angels as popularly believed, and that they had been commissioned by God to convey to Abraham and Lot the warning that Lot’s people were about to be punished on account of their vices and iniquities and to take Lot to a place of safety. Lot was distressed when the messengers arrived because his people being robbers were apprehensive of strangers visiting their city and therefore they had forbidden Lot to receive outsiders. It may further be noted here that "the messengers" brought to Abraham the glad tidings of the birth of a son, and at the same time the tidings that the people of Lot were going to be destroyed, the word البشری being applied to both good and bad news.
11:78.
7:84; 27:58.
Daqa Bihi Dhar‘an means, he lacked strength or ability or power to do the thing (Lane). Who the messengers mentioned in the verse were and what their mission was has been explained in 11:70, 71 and 15:68-72. Their visit distressed and grieved Prophet Lot because his people, having adopted the calling of the road, did not like strangers to visit their town and therefore they had forbidden Lot to receive outsiders. He feared that his people might humiliate him before his guests.