The Origin of The Prophetic Name Lut (لوط)

Introduction:

The word “Lut” (لوط) is the name of one the named prophets in The Quran. In this article, we will be examining a linguistic facet of the text pertaining to onomastics in regards to the Prophetic name “Lut” as it makes specific editorial choices to indicate to us the meaning of the name of the prophet even though Muhammad ﷺ was an unlearned, illiterate man from the desert by self-admission. This will be a growing series where more instances of such precise diction that is only available to a writer who knows the origins of multiple words from multiple different languages could have known. From this, we can recognize that the author of the Qur’an had to come from a supernatural being; namely God as this goes well beyond the capabilities of a single, unlearned shepherd especially when combined with the other mountains of proof for Islam.

Origins of the Prophetic name:

Lut (عليه السلام) lived in the same time period as Ibrahim (عليه السلام) and he was also not an Israelite since he lived before they existed.

Modern Linguistic scholarship suggests that the name “Lut” (لوط) is derived from the Hebrew word “לוט,” which is a verb which has the root meanings covering, veiling, and enveloping. The name of Lut (عليه السلام) in The Quran is truly remarkable and is a prime example of one of the many onomastic intertexts found within the text. This particular example is just a small piece of the the Ijaz of The Quran. The Quran is replete with such linguistic wonders, and it is what sets this text apart from all others religious scriptures.The Semitic “L-W-T”, which is present in both Hebrew and Arabic, has the meanings as the Hebrew which was covering, veiling, and enveloping. The Qur’anic name (لوط) appears to have originated from the Hebrew verb “לוט”. It is an onomastic transformation of a “Fa’il” (verb) from another language to an “Ism’ Mawsool” (proper noun) in Arabic, which denotes an objective state (the one who is covered/veiled). This is a specific choice by the author and the significance of this name will be further expounded upon below.

Qur’anic usage of the name and its relevance:

We can observe an ironic antonym of the meaning of “Lut” when The Quran describes the people that lived in his city, whose character and conduct was the opposite of his. In his address to the people who came to violate his angelic guests, Lut (عليه السلام) said, as reported in The Quran, addressing them:

He said, “Indeed, these are my guests, so do not shame me…” (15:68)

In Surah Naml verse 54, the word “shame” is derived from the trilateral root “F-D-H” (فضح) in Arabic, which means to uncover or make naked. This is in contrast to the Hebrew/Arabic word “L-W-T” (لوط), which as mentioned earlier, means to cover, veil, envelope. Lut (عليه السلام) urged them to stop and reminded them of the importance of modesty and decency. Therefore, the fact that his name is derived from the root word “L-W-T” which means to cover or veil, is significant in that it reflects his character and the message that he conveyed to his people, that of modesty, purity and obedience. The people of Lut (عليه السلام) openly engaged in the act of sodomy, which they knew was wrong. They not only committed this act shamelessly but also did so in public, without any barrier or veil to conceal their actions. This public display of wickedness and disregard for modesty and decency is symbolic of the concept of “fadhah” (فضح), something which represents the wicked of his people, those who are the opposite of who Lut (عليه السلام) was, Lut (عليه السلام) was not a man of “shamefulness and wickedness” but of “veiled modesty and righteous purity”.

The name Lut (لوط) is not just a label, his name is an actual representation of his essence, of who he was, This is an example of how the Quran uses language to convey deeper meanings and insights beyond the surface level. Another linguistic subtlety can be found in the verses that talks about the escape of Lut (عليه السلام)and the few righteous of his nation, under the guise of night:

“So travel with your family during a portion of the night and follow behind them and let not anyone among you look back and continue on to where you are commanded” (15:65)

Lut (عليه السلام) departed under the veil of night, covered by darkness and the protection of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), hidden away and veiled from the knowledge of his wicked nation, who were unaware of his departure. The people of Lut (عليه السلام) were also then physically afflicted with blindness as punishment and as such they were put to shame and also “uncovered” and removed from the Mercy of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). This onomastic miracle in The Quran regarding the name of Lut (عليه السلام) in conjunction with the numerous other examples to follow serves as compelling evidence of The Quran’s I’jaz, which is the miracle of its linguistic and literary perfection that many fail to recognize. The precision and subtlety of the language in The Quran demonstrate that it could not have been authored by Muhammad (ﷺ), who was well known for being unlettered and could have no knowledge of detailed Semitic etymology. 

Conclusion:

The linguistic excellence of The Quran is a testament to its divine origin, and the onomastic miracle surrounding the name of Lut (عليه السلام) is just one example of the many linguistic miracles found throughout The Quran. The Qur’an had endless words to use to describe both Lut (عليه السلام) and the disbelievers yet it specifically uses the words that would make the most sense with the Hebrew origins of the name. By studying these linguistic miracles, one can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of The Quran’s perfection, as well as the wisdom and power of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).