The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 52)
The Betrayal of the Wife of Prophet Lut (peace be upon him)
Allah Almighty says regarding the betrayal of the wife of Prophet Lut (peace be upon him): «فَخَانَتَاهُمَا…» Translation: “They betrayed them both…”
The meaning of betrayal here is betrayal in religion. This means that they did not follow their husbands in religion. The wife of Noah (peace be upon him) did not follow her husband’s religion and, in addition, she spread the rumor among her people that Noah (peace be upon him) was insane.
The wife of Lut (peace be upon him) also, in addition to not believing in her husband’s religion, informed her people about the arrival of Lut’s guests (peace be upon him).
Anyone who says anything other than this about their betrayal has committed a great mistake; Because in the story of the slander (Ifk) that befell the mother of the Believers, Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her), when He revealed the revelation to her and rebuked the slanderers, Allah said: “لَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَیراً وَقَالُوا هَذَا إِفْكٌ مُّبِینٌ” Translation: “Why should not the believing men and believing women, when they hear this slander, think of themselves as righteous (and chaste) and say: This is a great and clear slander?” [1]
And also says: “إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم مَّا لَیسَ لَكُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَیناً وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِیمٌ * وَلَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا یكُونُ لَنَا أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَذَا سُبْحَانَكَ هَذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِیمٌ * یعِظُكُمُ اللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا لِمِثْلِهِ أَبَداً إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِینَ” Translation: “(The torment would have seized you) when you welcomed this rumor and intercepted it from each other’s tongues, and spread with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was a small matter, while it was great in the sight of Allah (and entails a severe punishment). Why should you not have said, when you heard it, “Let us not speak of this slander, Glory be to Allah! This is a great slander!” Allah advises you that you should never repeat such a thing (and make yourselves dirty with such a sin. Because true faith is incompatible with false slander)”. [2]
And then He says: “الْخَبِیثَاتُ لِلْخَبِیثِینَ وَالْخَبِیثُونَ لِلْخَبِیثَاتِ وَالطَّیبَاتُ لِلطَّیبِینَ وَالطَّیبُونَ لِلطَّیبَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ مُبَرَّؤُونَ مِمَّا یقُولُونَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِیمٌ.” Translation: “Impure women belong to impure men, and impure men belong to impure women, and pure women belong to pure men, and pure men belong to pure women. (So how do you accuse Aisha, the chaste, the wife of Muhammad, the trustworthy, the messenger of the Lord of the worlds?!) They are free from the unjust defamation that are attributed to them, (and for this reason) they will enjoy forgiveness from Allah and will have a valuable provision (which is eternal Paradise and its unimaginable blessings)”. [3]
Educational lessons from the story of Lut (peace be upon him)
In today challenging world, where moral and family values are sometimes forgotten, rereading these stories is more vital than ever. The educational lessons that we learn from the life of Prophet Lut (peace be upon him) are a beacon of light for us to take firm steps in life and build a family based on love, faith, and morality. In the following pages, we will discuss some of these precious lessons in detail in order to uncover the wisdom hidden in this blessed life and apply them in our lives.
The First lesson: A Believer is Optimistic and conversable
Believers should always have good suspicion of themselves and other true believers and consider it unlikely that they will commit major sins. If they hear an unpleasant word about a believer, especially the prophets, their hearts should abhor hearing it and refrain from speaking about it.
Therefore, the wives of the prophets are free from inappropriate actions, even if they are unbelievers. As Ibn Abbas and other great predecessors and successors have said: No prophet’s wife has ever committed adultery. Whoever says otherwise has committed a great mistake.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah bless him) in his interpretation of the verse «فَخَانَتَاهُمَا» (they betrayed them both) says about the wives of Noah and Lut (peace be upon them): “The meaning of betrayal is not committing an indecent act, but rather betrayal of religion; because the wives of the prophets are infallible from committing such acts, due to the sanctity of the prophets.” He quotes Al-Awfi from Ibn Abbas as saying: “Their betrayal was that they were not faithful to their husbands’ religion.” As for Lut’s wife, she informed his people about Lut’s guests who were committing an obscene act”. [4]
Al-Alusi says: “Those two (the wives of Noah and Lut) were hypocrites. Then he continues: And here, adultery should not be interpreted as adultery, because many people have narrated from Ibn Abbas that: “No prophet’s wife ever committed adultery”. [5]
Ashras attributes it to the Prophet. Then he says: “It is stated in Al-Kashshaf that it is not permissible to mean adultery, debauchery, and immorality, because this is considered ugly and defective in the nature of every human being, unlike disbelief, which the disbelievers do not consider ugly, but rather consider it good and call it right.” [6]
The second lesson: All ties will be severed on the Day of Judgment, except the tie of faith.
If a disbeliever has a kinship or marriage with a believer or a righteous person, these ties will not benefit him at all. We saw this truth in the story of the wives of Noah and Lut (peace be upon them). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also told his daughter and aunt that he could not make them free from [the punishment of] Allah. The wives of the two Prophets were noble, but their marriage did not benefit them because of their disbelief.
Therefore, it is obligatory upon the preachers and educators to clarify this truth for the people and guide them towards good and righteous deeds, because only these deeds benefit a person.
Allah the Almighty says: «یوْمَ لَا ینفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ * إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِیمٍ.» Translation: “The Day when wealth (i.e. material power) and children (i.e. human power) will not benefit anyone. Rather, only the one who comes to Allah with a sound heart (from the disease of disbelief and hypocrisy) will be saved”. [7]
And He also says: «كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِینٌ.» Translation: “Because everyone is responsible for the deeds he has done”. [8]
And also: «وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى.» Translation: “And no one bears the burden of another’s sin (and is not punished for another’s crime.)”. [9]
Imad al-Din Abu al-Fida Ismail, Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim, vol. 4, p. 392.
Shahab al-Din Mahmud, al-Alusi, Ruh al-Ma’ani, vol. 28, p. 162; al-Nayshaburi, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi, Tafsir al-Wasit, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1415 AH, vol. 4, p. 322.
Jar Allah Mahmud, al-Zamakhshari, al-Kashaf, p. 1123.
