11-69 And certainly Our messengers came to Abraham with good news. They said: Peace! Peace! said he. And he made no delay in bringing a roasted calf.
وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ بِٱلْبُشْرَىٰ قَالُوا۟ سَلَـٰمًۭا ۖ قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌۭ ۖ فَمَا لَبِثَ أَن جَآءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيذٍۢ (۶۹)
11-69a: حَنِيذٍۢ – It means roasted between two (hot) stones and this is done so that the juices drain out (R).
The real purport here is not a narration about Abraham but that of Lot. Since the messengers who brought the news of the destruction of Lot’s nation also brought the glad tidings for Abraham, the Quran here and elsewhere where the Quran mentions the punishment of Lot’s nation has begun the narrative with the glad tidings of the birth of a son to Abraham. The indication in pairing these two incidents is that Allah does not desire to destroy people but to the contrary blesses them with great prizes. However, when a nation goes beyond limits in evil deeds, it becomes necessary to destroy the nation to save humanity at large. So, Abraham was granted the magnificent good news before the punishment of Lot’s nation, and it is conveyed that if a nation is being destroyed then it is from Abraham’s seed that another nation will be raised.
Were the messengers angels or humans: Who are these messengers? They disclose their purpose for coming as إِنَّآ أُرْسِلْنَآ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِ لُوطٍۢ (We have been sent to Lot’s people) (11:70). In the traditions about this subject, it is stated that they were angels, and their number is variously given from three to eleven. Some traditions name the angles as Gabriel, Michael and Israel. In Section 18 of Genesis, the Bible too states these were three angels who appeared in the form of humans. However, all the events that are narrated in the Bible show them as humans. For example, Abraham extending them hospitality, their partaking of his hospitality and Abraham accompanying them to show them the way, etcetera. It is further mentioned in the Bible that they gave him the glad tidings of a son and then departed for Sodom, the habitation where Lot lived.
The Quran does not mention anywhere clearly that they were angels but does state that when Abraham brought them food, they did not eat. However, all their other actions resembled humans and there can be many reasons for not partaking of Abrham’s food. It is possible that the reason they did not eat was that they were not hungry or were fasting. There is no hadith of the Holy Prophet which shows that they were angles. As for their giving Abrahm the news of a son, there is nothing strange that there were some pious people of the time to whom Allah gave this glad tiding and they mentioned it to Abraham. Allah had previously communicated to Abraham that he would have a son, but that prophecy had been fulfilled by the birth of Ishmael. So it is possible that Abraham thought that he would not have any more children and Allah communicated to him through another source that he would have a son from Sarah as well.
In fact these messengers were sent for Lot’s nation, a people who were evil and indulged in unnatural acts of homosexuality. The purpose of sending them there appears to be to furnish a final testimony against them in the following manner. They had been indulging in unnatural acts between themselves but now they tried to violate the guests, who considered these acts reprehensible and whose honor it was incumbent on them to protect. This ignited Allah’s wrath against them. If the messengers were angels through whom Allah conveys His messages to humans then it should have happened in the way Allah has disclosed Himself: أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًۭا فَيُوحِىَ بِإِذْنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ(or by sending a messenger and revealing by His permission what he pleases) (42:51). Divine revelation and the coming of an angel do not take place in the manner indicated here. In Divine revelation a person is transposed into a spiritual world. When Gabriel brought revelation to the Holy Prophet, those around him were unable to see him or hear the revelation he was bringing even though the Holy Prophet received the most excellent and glorious revelation. So, the revelation to Abrahma and Lot could only be in the same manner that the Holy Prophet received revelation. Since these events do not have the same coloring, it has to be admitted that the messengers were some righteous persons who were sent to the nation of Lot as a sign and it is in this respect that the term messenger has been used for them. There is a parallel with the story of Salih where it is stated about the she-camel that was sent: إِنَّا مُرْسِلُوا۟ ٱلنَّاقَةِ فِتْنَةًۭ لَّهُم (Surely We are going to send the she-camel as a trial for them) (54:27).
Abraham’s hospitality: Abraham’s response in quickly bringing a roasted calf shows the kind of hospitality that perfects the good manners of a host. Abraham did not enquire from his guests whether they would like to eat, but straight away presents them with the best nutritional food available with him. The lesson taught here is that even such an enquiry is an imperfection in hospitality. Abraham put in so much effort, even though in the end, his guests did not eat the food. This incident is narrated to convey that whatever affable disposition was possessed by any prophet was also possessed by the Holy Prophet in its most excellent form. The attention drawn to certain manners and morals of specific prophets is for this purpose.
The use of the greeting سلام by both parties is to show that to hail each other with the salutation of peace has always been the way to greet each other. Even for a nation that knows no other way to greet except Good Morning and Good Evening, in their sacred scripture Jesus greets his disciples with peace. “Jesus met them, saying: All hail” (Matthew 28:9).
11-70 But when he saw that their hands reached not to it, he mistrusted them and conceived fear of them. They said: Fear not; we have been sent to Lot’s people.a
فَلَمَّا رَءَآ أَيْدِيَهُمْ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةًۭ ۚ قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّآ أُرْسِلْنَآ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِ لُوطٍۢ (۷۰)
11-70a: نَكِر – اَنۡکِرۡتُ and نَکَرۡتُ have the same meaning. انکار عرفان is the opposite of to recognize, that is a stranger, and نَکِرَ ھم is used in this sense (R). The reason for this is that according to the prevalent culture of the time if someone came as a guest and did not eat, the presumption was that he had come with ill intentions.
أَوْجَسَ – وَجۡس صَوت means concealed, that is a voice that cannot be heard. اِیجاس is to feel something in your heart (R).
In accordance with the custom of the time, Abraham interpreted the non-partaking of food by his guests as meaning that they had some ill intention. Hence, he felt fear in his heart. They answered this by saying that in fact there was good news for him, and if there is any bad news they have brought, it for the nation of Lot.
11-71 And his wife was standing (by), so she wondered. Then We gave her the good news of Isaac, and beyond Isaac, of Jacob.a
وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ قَآئِمَةٌۭ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَـٰهَا بِإِسْحَـٰقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَـٰقَ يَعْقُوبَ (۷۱)
11-71a: ضَحِكَتْ – ضِحۡك is an expression of joy on the face and a smile that exposes the teeth which is the product of happiness in the heart. Metaphorically, it is also used for a derisive or jeering look, as in وَكُنتُم مِّنْهُمْ تَضْحَكُونَ (and you used to laugh at them) (23:110) and إِذَا هُم مِّنْهَا يَضْحَكُونَ (they laughed at them) (43:47). It is also used in the sense of just happiness, as in مُّسْفِرَةٌۭ ضَاحِكَةٌۭ (bright, laughing) (80:38 and 39) and فَلْيَضْحَكُوا۟ قَلِيلًۭا (Then let them laugh a little) (9:82). It s also used for a look of amazement (R).
وَرَآءِ – Its root is وری and it is used both for at the back and in the front. Thus, it is a thing concealed, whether in the front or behind (T). So, the meaning of مِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَـٰقَ will be in front of Isaac, that is in the next generation or the child of Isaac. Thus, the glad tiding is not only for the birth of a son but also the birth of a nation and hence it is conveyed that this son will have a son. According to Taj ul Arus, الوراء ایضاً ولد الولد , that is the son of a son is also called وَرَآءِ . This is also the meaning attributed to Ibn Abbas (IJ).
It is conveyed in ٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ قَآئِمَةٌۭ that Abraham’s wife was also busy in serving the guests and if by her ضِحۡك is taken that she laughed or was happy, then it could be because she felt reassured that the guests had not brought any bad news for them but for the nation of Lot. This happiness is not about the birth of Isaac because that news is conveyed later. If ضِحۡك is taken to be amazement, then the amazement is because even though both husband and wife had made so much effort in their service, but they still did not eat the food.
11-72 She said: O wonder! Shall I bear a son when I am an extremely old woman, and this my husband an extremely old man? This is a wonderful thing indeed!a
قَالَتْ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا۠ عَجُوزٌۭ وَهَـٰذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌۭ (۷۲)
11-72a: يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ – The literal meaning of وَیۡل is woe, but the expression يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ is used by Arabs also at times of amazement (IJ).
11-73 They said: Wonderest thou at Allah’s commandment? The mercy of Allah and His blessings on you, O people of the house! Surely He is Praised, Glorious.
قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ رَحْمَتُ ٱللَّهِ وَبَرَكَـٰتُهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَمِيدٌۭ مَّجِيدٌۭ (۷۳)
11-74 So when fear departed from Abraham and good news came to him, he began to plead with Us for Lot’s people.a
فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلرَّوْعُ وَجَآءَتْهُ ٱلْبُشْرَىٰ يُجَـٰدِلُنَا فِى قَوْمِ لُوطٍ (۷۴)
11-74a: روع – رُوۡع means heart. A hadith states: اِنَّ رُوحُ الۡقُدُسِ نَفَثَ رُوۡعی (The Holy Spirit cast it in my heart), and رُوۡع is that thing which when cast into the heart strikes fear in it (R). A statement in the hadith is: اللّٰہم امن روۡعاتی and رَوۡعات is the plural form of رَوۡعة that is once the fear (LA).
يُجَـٰدِلُنَا فِى قَوْمِ لُوطٍ that is when Abraham received the new of the chastisement of Lot’s nation, he prayed to Allah for it to be averted. It is called مجادلہ because the Divine intention had become manifest.
11-75 Surely Abraham was forbearing, tender-hearted, oft-returning (to Allah).
إِنَّ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ لَحَلِيمٌ أَوَّٰهٌۭ مُّنِيبٌۭ (۷۵)
11-75a: مُنِيب – نَوۡب means oft-returning, and نائبة is misfortune or calamity because they keep coming repeatedly. انابة is to turn to Allah repeatedly with sincerity and seeking forgiveness, as in خَرَّ رَاكِعًۭا وَأَنَابَ (he fell down bowing and turned (to God)) (38:24); وَأَنِيبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ (And turn to your Lord) (39:54); مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ (Turning to Him) (30:31).
11-76 O Abraham, cease from this. Surely the decree of thy Lord has gone forth and there must come to them a chastisement that cannot be averted.
يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَـٰذَآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ قَدْ جَآءَ أَمْرُ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَإِنَّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِمْ عَذَابٌ غَيْرُ مَرْدُودٍۢ (۷۶)
11-77 And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was grieved for them, and he was unable to protect them, and said: This is a distressful day!
وَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًۭا سِىٓءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًۭا وَقَالَ هَـٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَصِيبٌۭ (۷۷)
11-77a: سِىٓءَ بِهِمْ – سُوۡء is that which causes a person grief or sorrow (R). Hence, سِىٓءَ بِهِمْ means he felt sorrowful on their account.
ضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًۭا – ذِراع is the arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, as in ذَرْعُهَا سَبْعُونَ ذِرَاعًۭا فَٱسْلُكُوهُ (Chain the length of which is seventy cubits) (69:32). Just as ید metaphorically means strength, similarly ذَرۡع also means strength. The meaning of ضاقَ بِالۡامۡرِ ذَرۡعُه‘ is that his strength in the matter was weak (LA).
عَصِيبٌۭ – عَصَب means tendon. عَصۡب is used for everything hard and strong and عصیب means hard (R).
When Allah’s messengers came to Lot, he worried for their safety either because of the wicked ways of his nation or because they did not approve of strangers to come and stay with him as is indicated in أَوَلَمْ نَنْهَكَ عَنِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ (Did we not forbid thee from (entertaining) people) (15:70). Lot feared that he will not be able to protect his guests and felt sorrowful on that account.
11-78 And his people came to him, (as if) driven on towards him, and they were used to the doing of evil deeds before. He said: O my people, these are my daughters — they are purer for you; so guard against (the punishment of) Allah and disgrace me not about my guests. Is there not among you any right-minded man?a
وَجَآءَهُۥ قَوْمُهُۥ يُهْرَعُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ۚ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِى هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ ۖ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُخْزُونِ فِى ضَيْفِىٓ ۖ أَلَيْسَ مِنكُمْ رَجُلٌۭ رَّشِيدٌۭ (۷۸)
11-78a: يُهْرَعُونَ – The meaning of ھَرِعَ and اَھۡرَع is to rush or drive headlong rashly and threateningly (R). Ibn Jarir in defining يُهْرَعُونَ has cited this verse: فجؤا يُهْرَعُونَ و ھم اساری – نقود ھم علی رغم الانوف which supports the meaning given above because prisoners are driven harshly and threateningly. He has also stated there that shivering from cold, anger or fever is also called اَھۡرَع. Their hastening here is attributed to their immoral quest (IJ).
ضَيْف – Its literal meaning is مَیۡل that is to be inclined. So, ضَيْف is somebody who is inclined towards staying with you, or in other words is a guest and because it is a verbal noun, hence it is used both for the singular and plural. ضِیافة is derived from it and so is اضافة which is used in the study of syntax (R).
The use of the word يُهْرَعُونَ for Lot’s nation shows that they hastened to Lot out of some fear, and it is possible that they were afraid that Lot was gathering some strangers, but the words that follow which mention their previous immoral acts does not support this assumption. This goes to show that they had come with the same intention. The shamelessness of this nation had exceeded all limits and they had become blind to openly and publicly showing a desire to commit immoral acts even with guests. They had no reverence for anything.
Lot’s daughters: هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِى هُنَّ أَطْهَرُ لَكُمْ (These are my daughters – they are purer for you). One of the interpretations given is that to save his guests, Lot offered his daughters in marriage to them, while previously he had been rejecting their marriage proposals. Now for the safety of his guests, he even agreed to give his daughters in marriage to them. Some other commentators opine that the purpose of these words is just to shame them and not to actually give the daughters in marriage to them. Mujahid, Qatadah, ibn Jarir and others narrate that in هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ بَنَاتِى the indication is to women generally, and what Lot is saying is that their wives are present to satisfy their lust, and this is purer for them and that they should give up all prohibited and immodest ways. The women in general were referred to as بَنَاتِى because a prophet stands in the relationship of a father to his people (IJ). There is a weakness in this explanation in that the prophet is like a father for the believers but not for the disbelievers. Even so, بَنَاتِى can metaphorically be taken to refer to women in general. This interpretation is better and shows that Lot drew their attention to the natural and pure relationship between man and woman. The Bible has an extremely obscene story about the daughters of Lot that they made their father drunk with wine and committed incest with him. This Book is called holy even after narrating such lewd stories and the Christians are proudly spreading it in the world. If they had any shame, they could at least have taken such obscene stories out of it.
11-79 They said: Certainly thou knowest that we have no claim on thy daughters, and thou knowest what we desire.a
قَالُوا۟ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا لَنَا فِى بَنَاتِكَ مِنْ حَقٍّۢ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نُرِيدُ (۷۹)
11-79a: The reply that we have no claim on your daughters appears to indicate that since Lot was not from their tribe, they were not interested in marrying his daughters or that Lot had previously rejected proposals of marriage from them for his daughters.
11-80 He said: Would that I had the power to repel you! — rather I shall have recourse to a strong support.a
قَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ لِى بِكُمْ قُوَّةً أَوْ ءَاوِىٓ إِلَىٰ رُكْنٍۢ شَدِيدٍۢ (۸۰)
11-80a: رُكْن – The رُكْن of a thing is that side of it which causes it to stand erect and so metaphorically it means strength, that is support. Derived from it is رَکَنَ that is inclined to one side, as inلَا تَرْكَنُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا (incline not to those who do wrong) (11:113). اَرۡکَانُ الۡعِبَدات are the elements of worship that are foundational and whose abandonment makes the worship worthless (R).
What is meant by رُكْنٍۢ شَدِيدٍ : There is first an admission of weakness by Lot that he does not have the strength to confront them to save his guests, and so he states: ءَاوِىٓ إِلَىٰ رُكْنٍۢ شَدِيدٍۢ (I take recourse to a strong support). Although some commentators have taken the strong support to be his family, it is clear from a saying of the Holy Prophet that by support is meant Allah. Accordingly, the words of the Hadith are: رَحِمَ اللّٰہُ لوطاً فَاِنَّه‘ کان یاۡدی الی رُكْنٍۢ شَدِيدٍۢ (Allah had mercy on Lot because he sought recourse to a strong support) (IJ) that is Allah.
11-81 They said: O Lot, we are the messengers of thy Lord. They shall not reach thee. So travel with thy people for a part of the night — and let none of you turn back — except thy wife. Surely whatsoever befalls them shall befall her. Surely their appointed time is the morning. Is not the morning nigh?a
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰلُوطُ إِنَّا رُسُلُ رَبِّكَ لَن يَصِلُوٓا۟ إِلَيْكَ ۖ فَأَسْرِ بِأَهْلِكَ بِقِطْعٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَلَا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنكُمْ أَحَدٌ إِلَّا ٱمْرَأَتَكَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مُصِيبُهَا مَآ أَصَابَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ مَوْعِدَهُمُ ٱلصُّبْحُ ۚ أَلَيْسَ ٱلصُّبْحُ بِقَرِيبٍۢ (۸۱)
11-81a: أَسْرِ – The meaning of سَرۡی and اَسۡرَی is traveled by night. قِطْعٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلَّيْلِ is a portion of the night.
يَلْتَفِتْ – For التفات see 10-78a. According to Ibn Abbas the purported meaning here is یَتَخلَّفۡ , that is do not stay behind (RM). Some have taken the meaning to be look behind.
The Quran does not give the details of how those people failed in their design. It is stated in some traditions that they were made blind.
11-82 So when Our decree came to pass, We turned them upside down, and rained on them stones, as decreed, one after another,a
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا جَعَلْنَا عَـٰلِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا حِجَارَةًۭ مِّن سِجِّيلٍۢ مَّنضُودٍۢ (۸۲)
11-82a: عالی – سافل – سُفۡل – is the opposite of عُلُوّ (exaltedness, sublimity, superiority), and اَسۡفل is the opposite of اَعۡلیٰ (high) (R). In وَٱلرَّكْبُ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ ۚ(while the caravan was in a lower place than you) (8:42) the purport is that the place because of its proximity to the sea was at an elevation lower than Madinah. In إِذْ جَآءُوكُم مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنكُمْ (When they came upon you from above you and below you) (33:10) the meaning is low ground, and in َوَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ ۗ (and made lowest the word of those who disbelieved) (9:40), ٱلسُّفْلَىٰ is used in the sense of brought low. In ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَـٰهُ أَسْفَلَ سَـٰفِلِينَ (Then we render him the lowest of the low) (95:5), أَسْفَلَ is used in the sense of being in a despicable condition.
سِجِّيلٍۢ – It is generally considered to be an Arabicized foreign word that means baked clay pebbles. However, the root of this word سجل is present in the Arabic language and words derived from it are extensively used in the Arabic language. Hence it is an error to consider سِجِّيلٍۢ as an Arabicized word. سَجۡل is a big drum full of water. There is a statement of Abu Sufyan الحرب بینناسِجَالٌ that is in the battle between us sometimes one side wins and sometimes the other. A statement in the hadith about the recitation of a surah describes it as فَسَجَلَھَا that is it was recited with mixed inflections because another meaning of سَجۡل is صَبّ to drop. اَسۡجَلَ means اَرۡسَل or اَطۡلَق , that is sent or left it or gave it freedom. سِجّل means record book of promises. Abu Ubaidah states that من سجیل means کثیرۃ شدیدۃ that is abundant and strong. According to some سجیل is from اَسۡجَل in the sense of اَرۡسَلَ let fall. Thus, those stones were sent on them or allowed to fall. Another interpretation is that by سجیل is meant سِجِّل that is they were written for or decreed for them. سِجّیل and سجّین have the same meaning and سجِّین as كِتَـٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ (written book) occurs in the Quran: وَمَآ أَدْرَىٰكَ مَا سِجِّينٌۭ كِتَـٰبٌۭ مَّرْقُومٌۭ (And what will make thee know what the prison is? It is a written book) (83:8-9) (LA). Ibn Jarir has cited some scholars that by سجیل is meant hard.
مَّنضُودٍ – نَضۡد means to stack articles one on top of another (R). The meaning of مَّنضُودٍۢ is یَتۡبع بعضُه‘ بعضاً (IJ) which means they came one after another, or in other words were raining one after the other. Other uses of the word in the Quran are: طَلْحٍۢ مَّنضُودٍۢ (clustered banana trees) (56:29) and similarly طَلْعٌۭ نَّضِيدٌ (piled one above another) (50:10).
How were the dwellings of Lot’s nation destroyed: Some commentators in explaining جَعَلْنَا عَـٰلِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا have surmised on the basis of some traditions that Gabriel lifted that part of the earth and raised it so high that the denizens of heaven heard the cocks crowing and the barking of dogs and then threw it down from there. However, there is no such mention in any hadith and if such was meant, then the mention of raining stones would be meaningless because if the top of the land went down and the bottom came up then where were the stones rained? The Quran by mentioning the raining of stones has shown that by سَافِلَهَا (upside down) is meant to destroy. In another place, the punishment of this nation is just mentioned as: أَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَرًۭا (We rained on them a rain) (27:58) and in another place as إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حَاصِبًا (Surely We sent upon them a stone-storm) (54:34). Thus, this was the actual punishment with which the land was destroyed. It is obvious that the raining of stones takes place because of volcanic eruptions, and this is also what is meant by sent one after another.
11-83 Marked (for punishment) with thy Lord. And it is not far off from the wrongdoers.a
مُّسَوَّمَةً عِندَ رَبِّكَ ۖ وَمَا هِىَ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍۢ (۸۳)
11-83a: The stones are called مُّسَوَّمَةً or marked to show that it was as if the stones were decreed for them. By وَمَا هِىَ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بِبَعِيدٍۢ it is conveyed that the place where the nation of Lot dwelled is not far from those who were now opposing the Holy Prophet. In another place it is stated that they pass by this place. An alternate meaning is that a similar punishment awaits the opponents.
Bayan-ul-Quran 