The Coming of the Angels to Lut, His Grief, and His Discussion with His People
Allah tells;
وَلَمَّا جَاءتْ رُسُلُنَا لُوطًا سِيءَ بِهِمْ وَضَاقَ بِهِمْ ذَرْعًا
And when Our messengers came to Lut, he was grieved on account of them and was concerned for them.
Allah, the Exalted, informs about the coming of His messenger angels. After they informed Ibrahim of their mission to destroy the people of Lut, they left him and set out to destroy Lut's people that very night. After leaving Ibrahim, they came to Lut.
Some say that they came to him while he was on a piece of land that belonged to him. Others say that they came to him while he was in his home.
They approached him while they were in the most handsome of forms. They appeared in the forms of young men with handsome faces. This was a test from Allah that contained much wisdom and a firm evidence.
Their appearance saddened him (Lut) and he felt grief in his soul because of them. He was afraid that if he did not host them as his guests, someone else of his people would host them and harm them.
وَقَالَ هَـذَا يَوْمٌ عَصِيبٌ
He said;"This is a distressful day."
Ibn Abbas and others said that this means,
"A severe test for him."
This was because he knew that he would have to defend them and it would cause great problems for him.
Qatadah said,
"They came to him while he was on a piece of land that belonged to him. They requested him to host them. He agreed, but he was shy of them and he walked in front of them. On the way to his home he said to them in attempt to convince them to go away,
`By Allah, I do not know any people on the face of the earth more wicked and disgusting than these people of this town.'
Then he walked on a little further. Then he repeated the same statement to them. He continued doing this until he had repeated the same thing four times."
Then Qatadah said,
"They were ordered not to destroy them until their Prophet testified against them of this.