Punishment
A storm of stones (حَاصِبًا)
A forceful wind that flings pebbles and stones upon them.
Core imagery and message
Exception
Except the family of Lūṭ (آلَ لُوطٍ)
An explicit exemption is made for the Aal of Lūṭ.
Timing
Saved pre‑dawn (بِسَحَرٍ)
Their rescue was tied to a specific early time.
Lexical and tafsir: حَاصِبًا (Haasiban)
Meanings and notes
A wind that hurls stones
- Ibn ‘Āshūr: a wind that flings pebbles, lifting them from the ground by its force.
- Abū Ḥayyān: derived from حَصْباء (pebbles); linked to “وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةً مِّن سِجِّيلٍ” (Al‑Ḥijr: 74).
- Al‑Biqāʿī: a stone‑hurling wind, each stone smaller than a handful; destructive—burning, submerging, and splitting them open.
- Tafsīr attributed to Ar‑Rāzī: every wind that hurls stones is called حاصبًا; the Angels moved the winds and caused the stones to strike them.
Pattern of destruction
From above and from below
It is indicated that stones rained from the sky and were also hurled from the ground—destruction enveloping from both directions.
A parallel is drawn with the people of Nūḥ: destruction by water descending from the sky and gushing from the ground.
“Except the Aal of Lūṭ” — Who are they?
Scope
Interpretations of آلَ
- His family, specifically his daughters, in the case where only he and his daughters were saved.
- Those who believed and followed him, not limited to his daughters.
Conceptual contrast
Family by belief vs blood
According to the view that آلَ includes the believers, this contrasts with what occurred with Nūḥ.
إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي
إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ
Belief defined who was counted as “family” in Lūṭ’s case; disbelief excluded Nūḥ’s son despite close relation.
“We saved them pre‑dawn” — Process and timing
Specific timing
Appointed window
Other verses clarify they were instructed to leave at a specific time and go to a specific place; here, the pre‑dawn window is emphasized.
Verb nuance
نَّجَّيْنَا — step‑by‑step deliverance
The form of the verb indicates gradualness: their salvation unfolded in stages, not all at once—what is mentioned here marks the first part of the rescue.