Prophet Lut(Alaih Assalaam)

Prophet Lut(Alaih Assalaam) and his family lived among very evil and disobedient people. These people did many things which Allah had forbidden. So Allah commanded Lut (Alaih Assalaam)to tell them: You must stop doing evil and believe in Allah. Allah has sent me to warn you of a terrible punishment that is going to befall you if you do not obey Him.

But people refused to listen to Lut(Alaih Assalaam). They even laughed at him because he would not join them in doing evil deeds.

One day, some visitors came to Lut(Alaih Assalaam). The evil people wanted to capture his visitors and harm them. Lut (Alaih Assalaam) was very afraid that he would not be able to protect his guests. But to Lut(Alaih Assalaam)’s surprise and relief, the visitors said: You need not be frightened. Those evil-doers cannot harm us. For we are messengers of Allah. We have come from Allah to tell you to take your family and leave this town at night. None of you should try to turn and look back or stay behind. Only those who go without looking back will be saved.

Lut (Alaih Assalaam) knew at once that the visitors were indeed Allah’s angels. They had come so that Lut (Alaih Assalaam) and his family could escape and be safe, for Allah was going to punish the evil-doers of that town. Lut (Alaih Assalaam) and his family, however, had believed in Allah and prayed to Him. Therefore they were to be saved.

At once, Lut(Alaih Assalaam) and his family got ready and left their house at night when it was dark, so that the evil people would not see them. But then, just as they were leaving, Lut(Alaih Assalaam)’s wife turned back and stayed behind. She refused to believe in Allah and was also disobedient. So she was not saved from punishment and death when Allah sent down a rain of fire and stones. All the houses in the town were destroyed and the disobedient people perished in the rain of fire and stones.

Only Lut (Alaih Assalaam)and the rest of his family were rescued, and they praised and thanked Allah for having saved them.

Prophet Shu’aib(Alaih Assalaam)

Allah has sent a prophet to every people. Prophet Shu’aib(Alaih Assalaam) was sent to the people of Madyan. These people, who were merchants and traders, were also called forest dwellers because they lived near a thick forest.

Shu’aib(Alaih Assalaam) said to them: You should pray to Allah Who has created you. You should not cheat other people who come to buy from you.

But the forest dwellers did not listen to Shu’aib(Alaih Assalaam). They wanted to earn more money, and they earned more by cheating their customers. So they went on doing it. What was more, they refused to believe what Shu’aib (Alaih Assalaam) told them. Get out of our town or we will throw stones at you, the forest dwellers threatened. If what you say is true, then we would have been punished long ago. We don’t believe you and we are not going to worship Allah. We are not afraid of His punishment.

It did not take long for Allah’s punishment to come to them. They all died in one day from a terrible earthquake. The large amounts of money which they had gained and collected could not help them at all. So their cheating was punished and it had done them no good at all to demand high prices and get rich quickly.

When the town was destroyed, Shu’aib(Alaih Assalaam) and his companions who believed in Allah were saved. As the forest dwellers died, Shu’aib(Alaih Assalaam) said to them: I have always reminded you to pray to Allah and I have warned you not to cheat other people. Now Allah has punished you!