Yunus

Prophet Yunus (Jonah) is mentioned in the Quran, primarily in Surah As-Saffat (Chapter 37), verses 139-148.

The Holy Quran

| Chapter 37, Verses 139-148

And Yunus was indeed one of the messengers.

˹Remember˺ when he fled to the overloaded ship.

Then ˹to save it from sinking,˺ he drew straws ˹with other passengers˺. He lost ˹and was thrown overboard˺.

Then the whale engulfed him while he was blameworthy.

Had he not ˹constantly˺ glorified ˹Allah˺,

he would have certainly remained in its belly until the Day of Resurrection.

But We cast him onto the open ˹shore˺, ˹totally˺ worn out,

and caused a squash plant to grow over him.

We ˹later˺ sent him ˹back˺ to ˹his city of˺ at least one hundred thousand people,

who then believed ˹in him˺, so We allowed them enjoyment for a while.

Prophet Yunus was sent by Allah to guide the people of Nineveh, who had turned away from the worship of Allah and engaged in sinful behaviour. He called them to repentance and urged them to return to the path of righteousness.

However, the people of Nineveh ignored Prophet Yunus's message and continued in their sinful ways. Feeling discouraged, Prophet Yunus left Nineveh without Allah's permission and boarded a ship bound for another land.

While at sea, a storm arose, threatening to capsize the ship. The crew, realising that the storm was a punishment from Allah, decided to cast lots to determine who was responsible for bringing about Allah's wrath. The lot fell upon Prophet Yunus, and he was thrown overboard into the raging sea.

As Prophet Yunus was thrown into the sea, he was swallowed by a large fish (traditionally believed to be a whale). Inside the belly of the fish, Prophet Yunus realised his mistake and sought forgiveness from Allah. He prayed fervently and repented for his disobedience.

Moved by Prophet Yunus's sincere repentance, Allah commanded the fish to vomit him out onto the shore. Prophet Yunus emerged from the belly of the fish unharmed and returned to Nineveh to fulfil his mission.

This time, the people of Nineveh listened to Prophet Yunus's message and repented sincerely. They turned away from their sinful ways, and Allah forgave them. The city of Nineveh was spared from destruction, and its inhabitants were granted mercy and salvation.

The story of Prophet Yunus in the Quran serves as a reminder of the importance of obedience, patience, and repentance. It teaches us that Allah is merciful and forgiving, and He responds to sincere repentance with His boundless grace and mercy.