Tafseer of The Spider · Al-Ankaboot · 29:33
And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was distressed for them and felt for them great discomfort. They said, "Fear not, nor grieve. Indeed, we will save you and your family, except your wife; she is to be of those who remain behind.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the saying of the Exalted: وَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا سِيءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا وَقَالُوا لا تَخَفْ وَلا تَحْزَنْ إِنَّا مُنَجُّوكَ وَأَهْلَكَ إِلا امْرَأَتَكَ كَانَتْ مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ (33) (And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was distressed on their account and felt straitened on their account. And they said: "Fear not, nor grieve; indeed, we shall save you and your family, except your wife; she is among those who stay behind." (29:33))
The Exalted, whose remembrance is sublime, says: وَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا (And when Our messengers came to Lot) — namely, from among the angels — سِيءَ بِهِمْ, He says: the angels caused him distress by their coming to him, and that was because they became his guests, and so they caused him distress thereby. His saying سِيءَ بِهِمْ is a passive construction derived from "it caused him distress."
And it is related from Qatāda that he used to say: his apprehension concerning his people became evil, and he felt straitened in his heart on account of his guests.
Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related that to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on his (Qatāda's) authority: وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا, he says: his heart became straitened by receiving them as guests, because of what he knew of the evil of his people's conduct.
As Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying: وَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا سِيءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا — he said: by reason of the hospitality, out of fear for them because of what he knew of the wickedness of his people.
And His saying وَقَالُوا لا تَخَفْ وَلا تَحْزَنْ, the Exalted, whose remembrance is sublime, says: the messengers said to Lot: fear not for us that your people should reach us, and grieve not over what we have informed you of, namely that we shall destroy them. And that was because the messengers said to him: "O Lot, indeed we are the messengers of your Lord; they shall not reach you; so depart with your family during a part of the night" (cf. 11:81), إِنَّا مُنَجُّوكَ (indeed, we shall save you) from the punishment that shall descend upon your people, وَأَهْلَكَ, He says: and we shall save your family with you, إِلا امْرَأَتَكَ (except your wife), for she shall perish among those of her people who perish; she was among those who stayed behind, whose lives were long.
