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Ummah

Surah At-Tahrim · سُوْرَةُ التَّحْرِيْمِ · Juz 28

Q 66:10

ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ نُوحٍ وَٱمْرَأَتَ لُوطٍ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَـٰلِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدْخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ

Translations

Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them, so those prophets did not avail them from Allah at all, and it was said, "Enter the Fire with those who enter."
Sahih International · EN
Allah a cité en parabole pour ceux qui ont mécru la femme de Noé et la femme de Lot. Elles étaient sous l'autorité de deux vertueux de Nos serviteurs. Toutes deux les trahirent et ils ne furent d'aucune aide pour [ces deux femmes] vis-à-vis d'Allah. Et il [leur] fut dit: «Entrez au Feu toutes les deux, avec ceux qui y entrent»,
Muhammad Hamidullah · FR

Tafsir

Allah gives an example of those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger that their relationship with the believers will not benefit them in any condition: the example of the two wives of two of the prophets of Allah: the wives of Noah and Lot. For verily they were wives to two pious servants, but they deceived their husbands by preventing from the path of Allah and helping the people of disbelief from their nations. Their being wives of these two pious servants did not help them, and it will be said to them: “Enter into the hellfire amongst the disbelievers and transgressors entering it.”

Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies
Read Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir (abridged, English))
O Prophet! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be severe against them; their abode will be Hell, and worst indeed is that destination (9)Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. They were under two of our righteous servants, but they both betrayed them. So, they availed them not against Allah and it was said: "Enter the Fire along with those who enter! (10) The Command for Jihad against the Disbelievers and the Hypocrites Allah the Exalted orders His Messenger ﷺ to perform Jihad against the disbelievers and hypocrites, the former with weapons and armaments and the later by establishing Allah's legislated penal code, وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ (and be severe against them) meaning, in this life, وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ (their abode will be Hell, and worst indeed is that destination.) that is, in the Hereafter. The Disbeliever shall never benefit from His Believing Relative on the Day of Resurrection Allah the exalted said, ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا (Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve) meaning, the disbelievers who live together in this life with Muslims, their mixing and mingling with Muslims will not help the disbelievers, nor will it avail them with Allah, until and unless they gain faith in their hearts. Then Allah mentioned the parable, saying, امْرَأَتَ نُوحٍ وَامْرَأَتَ لُوطٍ ۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَالِحَيْنِ (the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. They were under two of our righteous servants,) means, they were the wives of two of Allah's Messengers and were their companions by day and night, eating with them and sleeping with them, as much as any marriage contains of interaction between spouses. However, فَخَانَتَاهُمَا (they both betrayed them.) meaning, in the faith, they did not adhere to the faith sent through their husbands nor accepted their message. Therefore, all the intimate knowledge of their husbands neither helped them nor prevented punishment, hence Allah's statement, فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا (So, they availed them not against Allah) means, because their wives were disbelievers, وَقِيلَ (and it was said) meaning, to these wives, ادْخُلَا النَّارَ مَعَ الدَّاخِلِينَ (Enter the Fire along with those who enter!) The part of the Ayah that reads, فَخَانَتَاهُمَا (but they both betrayed them) does not pertain to committing illegal sexual intercourse, but to refusing to accept the religion. Surely, the wives of the Prophets were immune from committing illegal sexual intercourse on account of the honor that Allah has granted His Prophets, as we explained in Surat An-Nur. Al-'Awfi reported from Ibn 'Abbas, "They betrayed them by not following their religion. The wife of Prophet Nuh used to expose his secrets, informing his oppressive people whenever any person embraced the faith with Nuh. As for the wife of Prophet Lut, she used to inform the people of the city (Sodom), who committed the awful sexual act (sodomy), whenever a guest was entertained by her husband." Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "No wife of a Prophet ever committed adultery and fornication. Rather, they betrayed them by refusing to follow their religion." Similar was said by 'Ikrimah, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and others.

Arabic text: Tanzil (Uthmani). Translations: Sahih International (en), Muhammad Hamidullah (fr). tanzil.net