"And when the fear had left Abraham" the terror, "and the good tidings had reached him" of Isaac, "he began to plead with Us concerning the people of Lot." Qatada said: It was mentioned to us that his pleading with them was that he said to them: What do you think, if there were fifty believers among them, would you punish them? They replied: No. This continued until it reached ten, he said: What do you think, if there were ten believers among them, would you punish them? They replied: No.
﴿فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّوْعُ﴾ الْفرق ﴿وجاءته الْبُشْرَى﴾ بِإِسْحَاقَ ﴿يُجَادِلُنَا فِي قَوْمِ لُوطٍ﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: وَذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّ مُجَادَلَتَهُ إِيَّاهُمْ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَهُمْ: أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِمْ خَمْسُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَمُعَذِّبُوهُمْ أَنْتُمْ؟ قَالُوا: لَا. حَتَّى صَارَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى عَشَرَةٍ، قَالَ: أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِمْ عشرةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَمُعَذِّبُوهُمْ أَنْتُم؟ قَالُوا: لَا.
