By Bassam Zawadi
Christian missionaries try to quote the Quran in order to show that it says that Prophet Lot peace be upon him was willing to give his daughters to men in order to have them raped. They think that the Quranic narrative is the same as the disturbing one found in their own Bible regarding Prophet Lot…
Genesis 19:1-9
1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”
“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
3 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. 4 Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old-surrounded the house. 5 They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”
6 Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7 and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. 8 Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”
9 “Get out of our way,” they replied. And they said, “This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
John Gill says regarding verse 8…
this was a very great evil in Lot to make such an offer of his daughters; it was contrary to parental love and affection, an exposing the chastity of his daughters, which should have been his care to preserve; nor had he a power to dispose of them in such a manner: and though fornication is a lesser evil than sodomy, yet all evil is to be avoided, and even it is not to be done that good may come: nothing can be said to excuse this good man, but the hurry of spirit, and confusion of mind that he was in, not knowing what to say or do to prevent the base designs of those men; that he might be pretty certain they would not accept of his offer, their lust burning more after men than women; that this showed his great regard to the laws of hospitality, that he had rather sacrifice his daughters to their brutal lusts, than give up the men that were in his house to them; and that he might hope that this would soften their minds, and put them off of any further attempt; (John Gill’s Exposition to the Bible, Commentary on Genesis 19:8, Source)
Here we see that the Bible says that Lot said to his people that they can do what ever they please with his two daughters.
Now let’s see what the Quran says…
Surah 11:77-79
And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was distressed and knew not how to protect them. He said: This is a distressful day. And his people came unto him, running towards him – and before then they used to commit abominations – He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man? They said: Well thou knowest that we have no right to thy daughters, and well thou knowest what we want.
Surah 15:67-71
And the people of the city came, rejoicing at the news (of new arrivals). He said: Lo! they are my guests. Affront me not! And keep your duty to Allah, and shame me not! They said; Have we not forbidden you from (entertaining) anyone? He said: Here are my daughters, if ye must be doing (so).
Ibn Kathir says…
Concerning the statement,
(and since aforetime they used to commit crimes.) This means that this did not cease being their behavior until they were seized (by Allah’s torment) and they were still in the same condition.
(He said: “O my people! Here are my daughters (the women of the nation), they are purer for you…”) This was his attempt to direct them to their women, for verily the Prophet is like a father for his nation. Therefore, he tries to guide them to that which is better for them in this life and the Hereafter. This is similar to his statement to them in another verse,
(Go you in unto the males of the nation, and leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your wives Nay, you are a trespassing people!)[26:165-166] Allah said in another verse,
(They (the people of the city) said: “Did we not forbid you from entertaining any of the `Alamin”)[15:70] This means, “Didn’t we forbid you from hosting men (male) guests”
([Lut] said: “These (the girls of the nation) are my daughters, if you must act (so).” Verily, by your life, in their wild intoxication, they were wandering blindly.)[15:71-72] Then, Allah said, in this noble verse,
(Here are my daughters, they are purer for you.) Mujahid said, “Actually, they were not his daughters, but they were from among his nation. Every Prophet is like a father to his nation.” A similar statement has been reported from Qatadah and others. Concerning the statement,
(So have Taqwa of Allah and disgrace me not with regard to my guests!) This means, “Accept what I command you by limiting the fulfillment of your desires to your women.”
(Is there not among you a single right-minded man) This means, “Is there not a good man among you who will accept what I am enjoining upon you and abandon what I have forbidden for you”
(They said: “Surely, you know that we have no need of your daughters…”) This means, “Verily, you know that we do not want our women, nor do we desire them.”
(and indeed you know well what we want!) This means, “We only want males and you know that. So what need is there for you to continue speaking to us about this” (Tafsir of Ibn Kathir, Source)
Tabari in his Tafsir of Surah 11:78 quotes several narrations, which also state that Prophet Lot’s intention when he said “daughters” meant the women of his tribe. (Source)
Also when Lot referred the men to the women it was not that they just go unto them and fornicate with them. It was meant for purposes of marriage…
And his people, when they became aware of them, came to him, running, hastening, towards him – and previously, before they came, they had been committing abominations, namely, penetrative sexual intercourse with men. He, Lot, said, ‘O my people! Here are my daughters, marry with them; they are purer for you. So fear God, and do not degrade me, [do not] disgrace me, before my guests. Is there not among you any upright man?’, to enjoin decency and forbid indecency? (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 11:78, Source
He said, ‘These here are my daughters, if you must be doing’, what you desire [to do] in the way of satisfying your lust, then marry them. God, exalted be He, says: (Jalal ud-Din Siyuti, Tafsir al-Jalalayn, Commentary on Surah 15:71, Source
Narrated by Qutada: Allah’s Messenger Lot commanded the people to marry women. (Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, Jami’ al-bayan fi ta’wil al-Qur’an, Commentary on Surah 15:71, Source
Qurtubi also says the same thing in his commentary on Surah 11:78 (Source) and Surah 15:71 (Source) that Prophet Lot meant that the men should go and marry the women of his tribe.
Obviously the Quran in no way shows that Prophet Lot ordered the men to go and rape his daughters or anyone but that he wanted them to become normal and marry the women of the tribe
The Bible clearly teaches that Lot was talking about his own blood daughters because it says
Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them
Its a shame that the Bible depicts this horrible portrayal of the glorious Prophets
.Praise to Allah for sending us down the Quran in order to correct these misconceptions of some of the greatest men that ever lived