The Qur’an does not present the stories of prophets merely as a chain of historical events. Rather, these narratives are multi-layered, didactic texts designed to support human intellectual and moral development, shed light on social responsibilities, and convey the workings of the divine system through symbols.
In this context, the narrative of the “guests” who visited Prophets Abraham and Lot, while on the surface appearing as a simple scene of hospitality, in depth reveals:
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The way revelation unfolds,
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Levels of human consciousness,
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The balance between divine mercy and justice,
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And how natural laws are interwoven with the process of revelation.
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Why was the revelatory knowledge not given directly to Abraham and Lot without the mediation of messengers?
The Forms of Revelation and the Role of Messengers: The Case of Abraham and Lot
👉 Read more on this in “The Forms of Revelation and the Role of Messengers”
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1. The Unseen Dimension of Hospitality: Revelation in Disguise
Hud 69:
“And indeed, Our messengers came to Abraham with glad tidings. They said, ‘Peace.’ He answered, ‘Peace,’ and he hastened to bring them a roasted calf.”
The Qur’an explicitly identifies the visitors as “Our messengers” (رُسُلُنَا). However, Abraham does not immediately recognize their true identity. This is because the messengers appear in a form fully integrated into everyday human life.
This suggests that revelation sometimes comes:
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Not directly,
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But through seemingly ordinary events,
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Perceptible only through heightened consciousness and intuition.
These visitors are not merely paying a visit but are tasked with a dual mission:
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Mercy: Announcing the birth of Isaac.
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Justice: Delivering the decree concerning the destruction of Lot’s people.
2. Messengers Who Did Not Extend Their Hands to Food: Awakening Awareness and Ethical Mission
Hud 70:
“But when he saw their hands did not reach for it, he felt uneasy with them and harbored fear. They said, ‘Fear not. We have been sent to the people of Lot.’”
In the culture of hospitality, eating food together symbolizes:
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Trust,
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Sincerity,
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And peaceful intent.
When Abraham notices that his guests refrain from eating, he experiences a profound sense of fear. This reaction arises from both:
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A cultural cue that these visitors might not be ordinary,
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And an inner suspicion that their mission could be ominous.
The messengers sense his unease and reassure him:
“Fear not; we have been sent to the people of Lot.”
This reflects a Qur’anic principle echoed by many prophets:
“I do not ask you for any reward.” (cf. Ash-Shu‘arāʾ 26:109, 127, 145…)
Even food, in this sense, could symbolize compensation, which these messengers categorically avoid.
3. The Laughing Woman: Intuitive Grasp of Glad Tidings
Hud 71:
“And his wife was standing by, and she laughed. We gave her glad tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac, Jacob.”
Abraham’s wife, though aware of her old age and barrenness, responds with laughter—not in disbelief but as a gesture of astonished yet surrendered acceptance.
Her standing posture implies:
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She is not passive,
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But an alert witness,
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Perceiving and internalizing the revelatory moment.
What is announced is more than a birth; it signifies the continuity of divine guidance through her lineage—Isaac and Jacob as future carriers of the message.
4. Is This a Miracle? No, It Is Divine Will and Natural Law
Although Abraham’s wife is biologically beyond childbearing, the Qur’an does not frame this event as a miracle in the sense of violating natural laws. Instead, it presents it as:
Hud 73:“This is the command of your Lord. Indeed, He does what He wills.”
Here, the emphasis lies on God’s creative power to produce extraordinary outcomes within His own established order, without suspending the natural laws (Sunnatullah).
This approach reflects the Qur’anic view that divine action does not contradict nature but transcends and utilizes it.
5. Guests or a Divine Battalion? Small in Number but Heavy with Mission
The Qur’an teaches:
“None knows the armies of your Lord except Him.” (Al-Muddathir 74:31)
Yet Abraham’s visitors are:
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Few in number,
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Not warriors, but emissaries carrying mercy and judgment.
This is further supported in:
Al-Hijr 15:68:“Lot said, ‘These are my guests, so do not disgrace me.’”
Had they been numerous or militarily formidable, Lot would not have felt the need to protect them. Thus, they are a small, focused delegation.
6. Did the Punishment Come from the Sky or Rise from the Earth? The Divine Language of Natural Disasters
The Qur’an narrates Lot’s people’s destruction:
“We rained down upon them stones of baked clay.” (Adh-Dhāriyāt 51:34)“We turned them upside down.” (Hud 11:82)
This language aligns with geological events:
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The region lies on active fault lines near the Dead Sea,
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Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, gas emissions, and land subsidence are endemic.
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The “baked stones” may signify lava-fused rocks.
Thus, the Qur’an depicts natural disasters as vehicles of divine justice—not mythical interventions from above but real events embedded in God’s laws.
7. Conclusion: Revelation and Divine Warning in the Guise of Hospitality
This story is not merely a visit to Abraham’s home; it is akin to a visit to the heart of every conscious reader. It teaches:
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Revelation is not always direct; it may manifest through symbols and actions.
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Divine order carries both mercy and judgment.
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Messengers never seek personal gain; their mission is purely ethical.
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Punishment emerges through natural processes; revelation works in harmony with creation, not against it.
🔚 Final Reflection
Qur’an (Al-Isrāʾ 17:95):
“Say: ‘If there were angels walking securely upon the earth, We would have sent down to them an angel as a messenger from the heavens.’”
