LOOT
(LOT)
PROPHET LOOT (LOT)
While Prophet Ibrahim was energetically spreading the cause of
Allah, a nephew of his by the name of Loot was also performing his work.
Prophet Loot was working in Sodom,
east of the Dead Sea in
Palestine.
Loot left Mesopotamia with Prophet Ibrahim to live in Palestine.
Allah then commanded him to help people in Sodom, because of their evil
ways. The people of Sodom
were wicked, just as wicked as those of South Mesopotamia.
Loot was foreign to the people of Sodom, but he was commanded by
Allah to go to Sodom to teach them Allah's Directives.
People living in Sodom were wicked and troublesome, and they used to
do many evil things, most notorious of which was homosexuality. The
tribes of the area used to be jealous of each other, and because of that
they hurt each other a great deal. They formed groups to attack, steal,
injure, and harm innocent people.
Prophet Loot preached diligently, and he tried to help the
people, convince them to be righteous, love Allah, and heed Him. They
listened to Loot at times, but few believed in him or his message. They
often refused to listen to him, and tried to hurt and ridicule him and his
followers. Most of them wanted to continue in their evil ways. They
continued to steal, hurt, and kill.
(Surah 29: Ayah 29. Also Surah 7 : Ayah 80-82. Also Surah 21: Ayah 74-75.)
Time passed and Prophet Loot found the people unwilling to
change. He had only a few followers and the rest of Sodom continued as
before, inclined to homosexuality, stealing, murdering, and destroying.
(Surah 26: Ayah 162-163.)
LOOT AND THE THREE ANGELS
One day, and to Loot's delight and surprise, three immaculate and
handsome men visited Loot. They were the same three angels who had
recently visited Prophet Ibrahim.
The three angels came to Loot with a message from Allah the
Most High. The message commanded Loot, his family, and the believers to
leave town, since a dreadful occurrence was going to happen. Loot's
wife was to be excluded because she was actually a disbeliever.
(Surah 15: Ayah 57-60.
Also Surah 11: Ayah 77-81.)
Prophet Loot spread the word to leave. The believers responded
immediately, and by evening time, they all left with their belongings. It
was a long caravan, gratefully moving to safety and away from the wicked
town.
WHAT HAPPENED THEN?
As Loot and the believers left Sodom a sudden deafening sound ripped
through the area. A frightening thing shook the very earth from
underneath, it was an earthquake, the likes of which was never seen. The
houses crumbled and collapsed as if they were toys. The buildings were
smashed to rubble, and huge fires were burning; the screams of panicked
people could be heard from a distance. Big rocks flew into the air just
to fall with a devastating impact, to destroy the wicked.
The houses and buildings fell on the people demolishing
everything with no mercy. Blood was everywhere, bodies lay motionless,
faces in shock of pain, death and ruin. The people of Sodom were caught
by surprise and devastated by the quake. They were the people who ignored
Prophet Loot, they were the evil doers whom Allah wanted to fiercely
punish. Thus the disbelievers were thoroughly destroyed.
(Surah 15: Ayah 73-75. Also Surah 7: Ayah 83-84. Also Surah
26: Ayah 170-175.)
Only Prophet Loot, his family, and the believers were saved. They
left to Palestine, where Prophet Loot continued his call for the belief in
Allah and to worship Him.