And certainly did Our messengers come to Abraham with good tidings; they said, "Peace." He said, "Peace," and did not delay in bringing [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, standing [nearby,] laughed [with happiness]; whereupon We gave her the glad tiding of [the birth of] Isaac and after Isaac, of [his son] Jacob. 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 amazed at the decree of Allah? May the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, people of the house. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy and Honorable." 73 And when the awe departed from Abraham, and the glad news reached him, he pleaded with Us on behalf of the folk of Lot. 74 for, behold, Abraham was most clement, most tender-hearted, intent upon turning to God again and again. 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 apostles came to Lut, he was grieved for them, and he lacked strength to protect them, and said: This is a hard day. 77 And his people came rushing towards him, and since aforetime they used to commit crimes (sodomy, etc.), he said: "O my people! Here are my daughters (i.e. the daughters of my nation), they are purer for you (if you marry them lawfully). So fear Allah and degrade me not as regards my guests! Is there not among you a single right-minded man?" 78 They said: assuredly thou knowest that we have no right to thy daughters, and verily thou knowest that which we would have. 79 He said, 'O would that I had power against you, or might take refuge in a strong pillar!' 80 They said, 'Lot, we are messengers of thy Lord. They shall not reach thee; so set forth, thou with thy family, in a watch of the night, and let not any one of you turn round, excepting thy wife; surely she shall be smitten by that which smites them. Their promised time is the morning; is the morning not nigh?' 81 So when Our decree came to pass, We turned them upside down and rained down upon them stones, of what had been decreed, one after another. 82 Marked with fire in the providence of thy Lord (for the destruction of the wicked). And they are never far from the wrong-doers. 83