AND, INDEED, there came unto Abraham Our [heavenly] messengers, bearing a glad tiding. They bade him peace; [and] he answered, "[And upon you be] peace!" - and made haste to place before them a roasted calf. 69 And when he saw their hands not reaching towards it, he was suspicious of them and conceived a fear of them. They said, 'Fear not; we have been sent to the people of Lot.' 70 And his wife was standing. She laughed. Then We gave her the glad tidings of Is'haq, and after Is'haq, Ya'qub. 71 She said: 'Woe is me! Shall I bear a child now that I am an old woman and my husband is well advanced in years. This is indeed strange!' 72 They said, "Are you astonished at God's command? May the mercy of God and His blessings be upon you, O people of this house. Surely, He is praiseworthy and glorious." 73 Thus when fear had left Abraham and the good news had been conveyed to him, he began to dispute with Us concerning the people of Lot. 74 Abraham was kind, compassionate, and penitent. 75 Thereupon (Our angels) said to him: 'O Abraham! Desist from this, for indeed your Lord's command has come; and a chastisement which cannot be averted is about to befall them.' words literally suggest; the purpose is merely to express a sense of wonder. 76 And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was distressed and knew not how to protect them. He said: This is a distressful day. 77 And his people came to him, (as if) rushed on towards him, and already they did evil deeds. He said: O my people! these are my daughters-- they are purer for you, so guard against (the punishment of) Allah and do not disgrace me with regard to my guests; is there not among you one right-minded man? 78 They said, "You certainly know that we have no right to your daughters and you know what we want". 79 He said, "If only I had against you some power or could take refuge in a strong support." 80 The angels said, "O Lot, indeed we are messengers of your Lord; [therefore], they will never reach you. So set out with your family during a portion of the night and let not any among you look back - except your wife; indeed, she will be struck by that which strikes them. Indeed, their appointment is [for] the morning. Is not the morning near?" 81 So when Our Commandment came, We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down, and rained on them stones of baked clay, piled up; 82 Marked from before thy Lord. Nor are they from the wrong-doers far away. 83