Summary
The article concludes the story of Prophet Yūnus (AS) by describing his sincere repentance inside the whale, Allah’s acceptance of his supplication, his miraculous rescue, and his return to a believing people. It highlights Allah’s mercy, forgiveness, and the power of sincere repentance.
‘When Allah, the Most High, decided to imprison Prophet Yunus (AS) in the belly of the whale, He inspired the whale not to harm him. When the whale reached the depth of the sea, Prophet Yunus (AS) heard a movement. He wondered what it was, but Allah made him realize that it was the marine animals praising Allah.”
Ibn Jareer reported in his book of Tafsir on the authority of Anas ibn Malik that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “When Prophet Yunus was in the belly of the whale he said, ‘O Allah, there is none worthy of You. You are glorified, indeed I am the wrongdoers.’ The prayer appeared from beneath the throne. This call went and hovered around the Mighty Throne, and the angels said, ‘O Lord, this is the voice of one who is weak but known, in a faraway strange land.’ Allah, may He be exalted, said, ‘Do you not know who this is?’ They said, ‘No, O Lord, who is he?’ Allah, may He be exalted, said, “My servant Yunus.’ They said, ‘Your servant Yunus, from whom accepted prayers and deeds would ascend to you? O Lord, will You not have mercy on him for what he did during his time of ease, and save him from this trial and tribulation?’ He said, ‘Of course.’ So, He commanded the great fish to cast him forth on the naked shore.”
Allah knows best about the exact duration of Prophet Yunus’ (AS) stay in the belly of the whale, though some scholars contend that it could have been between 3 to 40 days. Ibn Kathir said, “They differed as to how long he spent in the belly of the fish. Some said three days; this was the view of Qatadah. Some said seven days; this was the view of Jafar As-Sadiq, may Allah be pleased with him. Some said forty days; this was the view of Abu Malik. Mujahid said, narrating from Ash-Sha`bi, ‘It swallowed him in the morning and cast him forth in the evening.’” (Ibn Kathir, Surah Saffat -142) All the creatures in the sea, hearing the dua of Prophet Yunus (AS), began to sing Allah’s praises after hearing it. Inside the whale, enveloped in darkness, he was constantly engaged in this dua day and night. Inflamed and in pain, Prophet Yunus (AS) repented sincerely, and Allah knew that the Prophet truly regretted his actions. Hence, Allah granted him forgiveness and allowed him to survive. The whale, by Allah’s command, went to the shore and released the Prophet on the ‘naked shore.’ According to Ibn Abbas (RA), this refers to a place without any vegetation and dwellings. However, due to being in the belly of the whale for a long time, Yunus (AS) was extremely weak, and he collapsed on the shore when he was discharged from the whale’s stomach. He took shelter under the shade of a gourd vine which also provided him with sustenance.“So, we answered his call and delivered him from the distress. And thus, do we deliver the believers (who believe in the Oneness of Allah, abstain from evil and work righteousness).” [Quran, 21:88]
“He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected. But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill. And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine.” [Quran, 37:144-146]
‘Thus, eventually he was rehabilitated and he regained his strength. Later, he made his way back to his homeland. He realized that his people had repented, given up idolatry and had now become believers and accepted the message of Allah. Thus, not only did Allah forgive Yunus (AS) for his transgression, but He also made his task easy for him.“And we sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or more. And they believed so we gave them enjoyment for a while.” [Quran, 37:147-148]
Referring to the noble position of Prophet Yunus (AS), Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated (in a famous hadith),“One should not say that I am better than Yunus bin Matta.” (Bukhari)
Lessons to Learn From the Story of Prophet Yunus (AS) The Quran tells us instances of the adversities and afflictions faced by many Prophets in their lifetime so that we can learn lessons from the way they dealt with them and we can draw strength and fortitude to cope with adversities successfully. There are many lessons to be learnt from the story of Prophet Yunus (AS) that all Muslims can implement in our daily lives:- Calamities and trials do not mean one is a sinner. On the contrary, they can elevate us. Calamities teach sincerity, perseverance and patience. Underlying all tribulations, one has to remember that the only one who can provide relief from each catastrophe is Allah.
- The Prophets of Allah were immensely righteous and pious people but they were human beings as well, and as humans they could make mistakes. How they acted in the face of adversity and turned to Allah is what we need to emulate in our daily lives when faced with afflictions and sorrow.
- Allah describes in Surah al-Anbiya how Prophet Yunus (AS) “went off in anger.” This demonstrates how important it is to control our anger, which is a major human weakness. We must avoid making decisions in haste and in anger as it often causes us to regret it in the future. Hence, Allah reminds us that rage is something we need to gain mastery over before it spirals out of control.
- Yunus (AS) was in the most hopeless of predicaments after being swallowed by the whale. Yet, he did not lose hope in the mercy of Allah. First, he pondered over his actions and realized his mistake. He tried to rectify that mistake by praying to Allah with a beautiful and heartfelt invocation that would go on to become a stronghold for all future Muslims – a dua they could say in the face of any misfortune. It was a truly sublime way of asking Allah for forgiveness by admitting to one’s shortcomings. As Muslims, we should never lose hope in the infinite mercy of Allah, especially if we are true in repentance. Sometimes, people give up hope after sinning, but we must always remember that Allah is the Most Merciful, and He can forgive us if we turn to Him not only with true remorse, but also remind ourselves never to repeat the same mistake again.
- Prophet Yunus’ (AS) story shows us the importance of always remembering Allah. We must be mindful of Him at all times. This helps us to keep away from sin and to also get close to Him, which should be the ultimate aim for every Muslim. With true faith, it is Allah who can provide relief to us from everything in life – both in times of ease and times of difficulty.
- Prophet Yunus (AS) stayed in the belly of the whale for what could have been several days. He probably suffered mentally and physically. However, he kept himself focused on the remembrance of Allah, and continued to pray and repent sincerely. He remained patient until Allah decided his fate. So, Allah commanded the fish to throw him out and then enabled him to live under the miraculous growth of the gourd vine. Thus, true Muslims must always be patient with Allah’s Decree.
- To remain patient, as Allah says,
“So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish – when he cried out in agony’…. [Quran Surah Al Qalam 68:48]
Till today, as Muslims we supplicate to Allah and often repeat Prophet Yunus’(AS) dua in many dire situations, and we all hope and pray fervently that Allah will alleviate our pain and suffering and grant us peace and His bountiful blessings each time we turn to Him ardently.Sources: Stories of the Prophets, 2000, Darul-Ishaat, Karachi Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Second Edition (English), September 2000, Darussalam Publishers
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