'So when Our command came, We made their highest part their lowest.' He said: So when the dawn approached, Lot and his family departed, and Gabriel (peace be upon him) lifted their land with his other wing until he reached the lowest heaven with it, such that the angels heard the barking of their dogs and the sounds of their poultry, then he overturned it upon them. It had been covenanted to Lot that 'let not any among you look back, except your wife.' So when the old woman—the woman of evil—heard the rumbling, she looked back, and there struck her what struck her people. Then stones followed those who were outside of their cities. Qatada said: They were three.
Al-Hasan said: God—Glorified is He—did not send a prophet after Lot except that he was in the protection of his clan. The wife of Lot was a hypocrite who manifested Islam while her heart was upon disbelief.
'And We rained upon it stones of Sijjil.' Qatada said: Of clay. 'Mandud' (layered/piled up), meaning:
﴿فَلَمَّا جَاءَ أَمْرُنَا جَعَلْنَا عَالِيَهَا سافلها﴾ قَالَ: فَلَمَّا كَانَ فِي السَّحَرِ، خَرَجَ لوطٌ وَأَهْلُهُ، وَرَفَعَ جِبْرِيلُ عليه السلام أَرْضَهُمْ بِجَنَاحِهِ الآخَرِ، حَتَّى بَلَغَ بِهَا السَّمَاءَ الدُّنْيَا؛ حَتَّى سَمِعَتِ الْمَلائِكَةُ نُبَاحَ كِلابِهِمْ وَأَصْوَاتَ دَجَاجِهِمْ، فَقَلَبَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ، وَكَانَ قَدْ عُهِدَ إِلَى لوطٍ أَلا يَلْتَفِتْ مِنْكُمْ أحدٌ إِلا امْرَأَتَكَ؛ فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتِ الْعَجُوزُ - عَجُوزُ السُّوءِ - الْهَدَّةَ الْتَفَتَتْ، فَأَصَابَهَا مَا أَصَابَ قَوْمَهَا، ثُمَّ اتَّبَعَتِ الْحِجَارَةُ مَنْ كَانَ خَارِجًا مِنْ مَدَائِنِهِمْ، قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: كَانَتْ ثَلاثًا.
قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: فَلَمْ يَبْعَثِ اللَّهُ - سُبْحَانَهُ - بَعْدَ لوط نَبِيًّا إِلا فِي عزٍّ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ، وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةُ لوطٍ مُنَافِقَةً، تُظْهِرُ الإِسْلامَ، وَقَلْبُهَا عَلَى الْكُفْرِ.
﴿وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهَا حِجَارَةً مِنْ سِجِّيلٍ﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: مِنْ طِينٍ ﴿مَنْضُودٍ﴾ أَي:
