It is narrated from Wahb bin Munabbih (may Allah have mercy on him) that, concerning the story of Ishaq (peace be upon him) when Allah commanded Ibrahim (peace be upon him) to sacrifice him, he said: Allah Almighty granted Ishaq to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) on the night the angels departed from him. When he was seven years old, Allah revealed to Ibrahim (peace be upon him) that he should sacrifice him and make him an offering. In those days an offering would be accepted and raised up (to the heavens). Ibrahim (peace be upon him) concealed this from Ishaq and from all the people, and confided it to a friend of his who was called al-Azar al-Siddiq, and he was the first person to believe in Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and his message. This friend said to him: "Indeed, Allah does not test someone like you with such a thing (actually being sacrificed); rather, He wishes to try you and test you. So do not think ill of Allah at all, for Allah is going to make you a leader for the people." And there is no might and no power for Ibrahim and Ishaq (peace be upon them both) except through Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Then Wahb narrated a long hadith, until Wahb said: And it has reached me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ishaq outstripped people in a supplication in which no one before him had preceded him, and he will surely stand on the Day of Resurrection and intercede for the people of this supplication (that is, the believers in Allah's Oneness). And Allah Almighty turned to Ibrahim at that station and said: 'O Ibrahim, O most truthful of the truthful, listen to Me.' And He said to Ishaq: 'O most patient of the patient, listen to Me. Indeed, today I have tested you both with a great trial with which I have not tested anyone of My creation. O Ibrahim, I tested you with the fire, and you showed a patience the like of which no one in the worlds has shown; and I tested you with striving (jihad) in My path while you were alone and weak, and you proved true and showed a patience and truthfulness the like of which no one in the worlds has shown. And O Ishaq, I tested you with sacrifice, and you were not miserly with your life, nor did you consider it (the sacrifice) too great in obedience to your father, and you regarded it as very slight and small for the sake of Allah, because of the good reward you hoped for and the joy of meeting Him. And indeed, today I make a covenant with you both which I will never break. As for you, O Ibrahim, I have made intimate friendship (khullah) binding upon Myself for you. So you are My intimate friend (Khalil) from among the people of the earth, to the exclusion of the men of all the worlds, and this is a virtue which no one attained before you and which no one after you should attain.' So Ibrahim (peace be upon him) fell down in prostration upon hearing this saying of Allah, out of reverence for it and giving thanks to Allah. 'And as for you, O Ishaq, ask of Me whatever you wish; ask Me and make your judgement, and you will be given what you ask.' Ishaq (peace be upon him) said: 'O my God, I ask You to choose me for Yourself, and to make me an intercessor for Your servants who believe in Your Oneness. So whichever servant meets You in a state of not associating anything with You, protect him from the Fire.' His Lord said to him: 'I have made binding for you what you asked, and I have made your guardianship (wilayah) certain for you. What I have promised you both is a promise which I will never break, a covenant which I will not violate, and a pleasant gift which will not be withdrawn.'"

It is narrated from al-Tamimi (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: 'And when his Lord tested Ibrahim with certain words, and he fulfilled them' [Surah al-Baqarah: 124] : "What is meant by these (words) are the rites of Hajj." The chain of this hadith is sahih (authentic), and it has many supporting narrations which I have recorded in the Book of the Rites (Kitab al-Manasik). Mention of Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him): The narrations agree that he was from the household (family) of Ibrahim (peace be upon him); then the scholars differed on whether he was his son or his nephew.

Wahb bin Munabbih (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: "When Sayyidah Sarah (peace be upon her) passed away, Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) married a woman whose name was Hajura. She bore him seven sons: Nafis, Madyan, Kaysan, Lut, Sarkh, Umaym and Naghshan." And he also mentioned in this book: "Allah granted Madyan ranks for Ibrahim (peace be upon him), and Lut (peace be upon him) was also one of them."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "The Prophet Lut (peace be upon him) was the nephew of the Friend of Allah, Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him)." This chain is sahih (authentic). And in the book of Isma'il bin Abd al-Karim it is narrated from Abd al-Samad bin Ma'qil that he said: I heard Wahb bin Munabbih saying: "Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) set out for the land of Sham, taking with him his wife Sarah and her brother Lut." And this is a third view (concerning Lut (peace be upon him)).

Muhammad bin Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "The Prophet Lut (peace be upon him) is in fact Lut bin Faran bin Azar bin Nahur, and he was the nephew of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), the Friend of the Most Gracious. And al-Mu'tafikah (the towns that were overturned) were the people of Lut."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: 'Or if I could take refuge in a strong support' [Surah Hud: 80] , that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "May Allah Almighty have mercy on Lut (peace be upon him); he used to take refuge in a strong support (that is, Allah Almighty). And every prophet whom Allah Almighty sent after him, He sent among an honoured and numerous kin (a powerful clan) of his people." This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Muslim, but the two Shaykhs did not record it with this addition; however, they both agreed on the hadith of al-Zuhri, which he narrates from Sa'id and Abu Ubayd, from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), in abridged form.

It is narrated from Ibn Jurayj (may Allah have mercy on him) concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: 'Or if I could take refuge in a strong support' [Surah Hud: 80] , that he said: "It has reached us that every prophet who was sent after Lut (peace be upon him) was sent only among an honoured and powerful clan (or numerous kin) of his people."

Al-Suddi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Lut (peace be upon him) set out and went and stayed among the people of Sodom. He found those people in a state where they committed indecency with men. So he settled there among them, and Allah Almighty sent him as a prophet to them. So he called them and admonished and exhorted them. Then the outcome of their story was what Allah Almighty has related in His Book."

Ka'b al-Ahbar (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "The Prophet of Allah Lut (peace be upon him) was the nephew of Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him). He was a fair-skinned man with a handsome face, a fine nose, small ears and long fingers. His front teeth (thanaya) were very beautiful, and when he smiled he looked the most handsome of people. He was the best, most dignified and wisest of people. He was the one who caused his people the least harm (that is, he was extremely gentle). And this was at the time when he faced from his people the great abuse which they intended against him, and he said: 'If only I had strength against you, or could take refuge in a strong support.' [Surah Hud: 80] "

Abu Abdullah bin Battah informed us; he said: Al-Hasan bin al-Jahm narrated to us; al-Husayn bin al-Faraj narrated to him, and al-Waqidi told him; he said: It has reached us that when Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) migrated to the land of Sham and his people expelled him from there as an outcast, he departed from there, and with him was Sayyidah Sarah (may Allah be pleased with her). She said to Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him): "I have given myself to you," so Allah Almighty revealed to him that he should marry her, and this was the first revelation that Allah sent down to him. And from among a group of his people, Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) believed in him, and he said: 'Indeed, I am emigrating to my Lord. Indeed, He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.' [Surah al-Ankabut: 26] . Then those people expelled them from the land of Babylon while they were heading for the Holy Land, until they reached Harran; and from there too the people expelled them, until they reached Jordan, and there was a tyrant from among the tyrants there, until Allah Almighty destroyed him. Then Sayyiduna Ibrahim (peace be upon him) returned to Sham, and with him was Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him). Then Allah Almighty granted prophethood to Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) and sent him to al-Mu'tafikat, "the overturned towns", as a messenger and a caller to Allah. These were five cities, the largest of which was "Saduma", then "Amuda", then "Aruma", then "Sa'ura" and then "Sabura", and the population of these cities consisted of four million people. So Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) settled in "Saduma" and remained among them for twenty-some years, commanding them to do good, forbidding them from evil, and calling them to Allah and to His worship, and inviting them to abandon the indecencies and filthy deeds in which they were engaged. And hospitality to guests was obligatory upon Sayyiduna Lut (peace be upon him) just as it was obligatory upon Sayyiduna Ibrahim and Sayyiduna Isma'il (peace be upon them both), but his people would not host anyone, and they would approach males from among mankind for indecency and leave the women. So Allah Almighty reproached them for this in the Noble Qur'an on the tongue of their prophet, and said: 'Do you approach males from among mankind, and leave what your Lord has created for you of your wives?' [Surah al-Shu'ara: 165-166] .