Ash-Shu'araa 26:161

Lut and His Call

Here Allah tells us about His servant and Messenger Lut, peace be upon him. He was Lut bin Haran bin Azar, the nephew of Ibrahim Al-Khalil, upon him be peace. Allah sent him to a mighty nation during the lifetime of Ibrahim, peace be upon them both. They lived in Sadum (Sodom) and its environs, where Allah destroyed them and turned the area into a putrid, stinking lake, which is well-known in the land of Al-Ghur the Jordan Valley, bordering the mountains of Jerusalem, between the mountains and the land of Al-Karak and Ash-Shawbak. He called them to Allah, to worship Him alone with no partner or associate, and to obey the Messenger whom Allah sent to them. He forbade from disobeying Allah and committing the sin that they had invented which was unknown on earth before their time; intercourse with males instead of with females. Allah said:

Commentary

وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا فَارِ‌هِينَ ﴿149﴾And you hew out houses from the hills with pride. [ 149]

According to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، the word فَارِ‌هِينَ (Farihin) means arrogant and conceited people. But Abu Salih and Imam Raghib have taken this word to mean experts. Therefore, the meaning of the verse is that Allah Ta’ ala has favoured you by teaching such skills that you could make houses by cutting hills. The essence of all this is that you should remember the bounties of Allah Ta’ ala and should not make mischief and trouble on earth.

Useful vocations are Divine Graces provided they are not employed in bad things

This verse indicates that nice vocations are Allah's Graces, and to draw benefit from them is lawful. But if they are used for some sinful purpose or in an unlawful act, or if someone gets involved in them with unnecessary concentration, then it is not lawful to adopt them. An example of unnecessary construction of tall buildings and its contempt has just been mentioned in the previous verses.