Lut was a nephew of Ibrahim, bom to his brother name Haran in the city of Ur. Haran had died when Ibrahim quit Ur, and Lut accompanied his uncle Ibrahim in his travels. When Ibrahim finally settled in Kin'an, Allah appointed Lut as His messenger to the people inhabiting the northern vally of River Jordan, in the region of Motaffakah. There were two prosperous cities in this region known as Sodom and Gomorrah.
The people living in this region were morally corrupt. They openly practiced homosexuality. They defied the teachings of Lut and ridiculed and tortured him. In fact the degree of defiance was so high that Lut and his family lived 1 constant threat of persecution.
The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
It was the year when Allah sent instructions to Ibrahim for ritual circumcision. He received Angels who informed him of the doom that was in stock for the people of Sidom and Gomorrah. Ibrahim asked for the safety of his nephew Lut and his family. After assurances from Allah about the safety of his nephew and his family, the angels left for the territory of the ill fated people.
The angels arrived at the door of Lut in the form of handsome lads. The towns people rushed to grab them for their pleasure. Lut pleaded for their release but failed due to their superior numbers and determination. The angels delivered the instructions from Allah to Lut and told him to quit the region immediately and none of them should look back.
No sooner the family of Lut had climbed the hills beyond the territory of Sodom and Gomorrah, than a terrible earth quake struck the region. A fire of sulphur and huge boulders flung from above and from the bowels of the earth, fully destroying the people and the two cities. The wife of Lut sympathized with the sinful people and disobeyed the instructions of Allah. She turned back to look at the raging destruction down in the valley and was converted to a pillar of rock. Lut hurried out of the region with rest of his family to the sanctuary promised by Allah.
References: al Qur'an: Sura Anam, A'raf, ]Lud, Hajar, Anmbiya'. Shu'ra', Nahl, Ankaboot, Sa:faat, Zafiyat, Najan, Qamar, Tahreem.
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