Because These Are People Who Want to Be Pure

The people of Lūṭ heard this message, that Lūṭ was telling them that what you're doing is wrong.

And the answer of his people was only that they said: drive them out of your town. Why? What was the justification given by the people of Lūṭ? Innahum qawmun yataṭahharūn^**: because these are people who want to be pure.

See how the good becomes bad, and the bad becomes good? How the concepts are turned upside down? The people of Lūṭ are saying: kick Lūṭ out. Why? Because they want to be pure. You're supposed to be impure. If you want to stay here, you cannot be pure. In other words, they're saying that our law does not protect the pure people. If you want to be clean, then you're in the wrong place.

It's the same thing with Muslims now living in the West. If you are going to follow the rules of Allah (swt) and be pure, you are looked at as fundamentalist or extremist. You have to go with the society in these impurities and dirt to get along. This is ṭahārah. And they were upset because the people of Lūṭ had ṭahārah; they wanted them to leave.

And then they said: if you cease not, O Lūṭ, verily you will be one of those who are driven out. Lūṭ, even though he is alone, he is telling them in public the truth: qāla innī li-ʿamalikum min al-qālīn. Realise and know that I disapprove, severely and strongly, what you are doing. I'm not going to get along with you. I'm not going to get along with you. I do not approve what you're doing. And then he made a duʿāʾ: rabbi najjinī wa ahlī mimmā yaʿmalūn. My Lord, save me and my family from what they do.