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15:73 Commentators were not certain about what caused the roaring blast (al sayhah). Several commentators gave a mystified connotation to the event; however, some of them suggested it was caused by a volcanic eruption. In order to understand the most likely event, first it is necessary to verify if there were any active volcanoes in the area where Lūt lived. Archeological evidences suggest Lūt lived in a fertile land in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea, or the Dead Sea) at the southern end of the Dead Sea in Palestine, where other biblical cities like Admah, Zeboiin and Zoar existed. Although the area in general was formed of metamorphic rocks, in the recent human history, there were no active volcanoes around the region, except very few, mostly in the south of Dahlak Archipelago in the Red Sea. None of these volcanoes could have caused the havoc to the cities Lūt lived due to their geographical distance. Furthermore, had the cities been destroyed by lava erupting from volcano, the Qur’ān would have mentioned molten rock, but the term used in describing the havoc is hardened rock (sijjīl) (11:82; 51:33; 54:34). The term roaring blast, therefore, must be referring to some other event, discussed in the next verse. |
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