Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:26

Meaning: He affirmed his truthfulness, peace be upon him, regarding all his statements, or affirmed his prophethood when he claimed it. It does not mean he merely affirmed his truthfulness in the monotheism he called to, for he was not otherwise before that; as he, peace be upon him, was far removed from disbelief.

What has been said—that he believed him, peace be upon him, when he saw the fire did not burn him—is weak in terms of narration and logic. This is because its apparent meaning necessitates that he did not believe before that, which is not befitting for him, peace be upon him. Some have interpreted it in the manner we mentioned, or that it refers to the high rank of faith, which only a select few attain.

Lot is, according to Jami' al-Usul, the son of his brother Haran, son of Tarah. Some have mentioned that he was the son of his sister.

{And he said}

That is, Abraham, peace be upon him, as Qatadah and al-Nakha'i have maintained. It is said that the pronoun refers to Lot, peace be upon him, but that is of no weight due to the disjointedness it necessitates. The sentence is an explanatory resumption, as if it were said: "What did he, peace be upon him, do?" The response is: He said, {Indeed, I am an emigrant}—meaning from my people—{to my Lord}, meaning to the place to which my Lord commanded me to emigrate. It is also said: To where I am not prevented from worshipping my Lord. It is also said: The meaning is, "emigrating from those among my people who opposed me, drawing closer to my Lord."

{Indeed, He}—the Almighty—{is the Exalted in Might}—the Prevailer over His command, who shall protect me from my enemies—{the Wise}, who performs no action except that which contains wisdom and benefit; therefore, He does not command me except with that which contains my welfare.

It is narrated that he, peace be upon him, emigrated from Kutha in the Sawad of Kufa with Lot and Sarah, his cousin, to Harran, then from there to the Levant. He settled in a village in the land of Palestine, and Lot settled in Sadum (Sodom), which is the Overturned City, at a distance of a day and a night's journey from the village of Abraham, peace be upon them both. He was at that time, according to al-Kashshaf and al-Bahr, seventy-five years old. He was the first to emigrate for the sake of Allah the Exalted.