Prophet Jonah
- Categories: Stories of the Prophets -
Prophet Jonah[1] was sent to
a community in Iraq. Renowned Islamic scholar, ibn Kathir calls it
Nineveh. As is the case with all the Prophets of God Jonah came to
Nineveh to call the people to worship One God. He spoke of a God
free from any partners, sons, daughters or co equals and implored
the people to stop worshipping idols and engaging in evil
behaviour. However, the people refused to listen, and tried to
ignore Jonah and his words of admonishment. They found Prophet
Jonah irritating.
The conduct of his people exasperated Jonah and he decided to
leave. He gave a final warning that God would punish their arrogant
behaviour but the people jeered and claimed that they were not
afraid. Jonah's heart filled with anger towards his foolish people.
He decided to leave them to their inevitable misery. Jonah gathered
a few meagre belongings and decided to put as much distance as
possible between himself and the people he had come to
despise.
{And remember when he (Jonah) went off
in anger.} [Quran 21:87]
{وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ
مُغَاضِبًا} [الأنبياء:٨٧]
Transliteration: Wa Dhā An-Nūni 'Idh Dhahaba
Mughāđibāan
Ibn Kathir describes the scene in Nineveh immediately after Jonah
left. The sky began to change colour, it turned as red as fire. The
people were filled with fear and understood that they were only
moments from destruction. The entire population of Nineveh gathered
on a mountaintop and begged for God's forgiveness. God accepted
their repentance and removed the wrath that was hanging ominously
over their heads. The sky returned to normal, and the people
returned to their homes. They prayed that Jonah would come back to
them and guide them to the straight path.
In the meantime, Jonah had boarded a ship in the hope that it would
take him as far away from his heedless people as possible. The ship
and its many passengers sailed into the calm seas. As the darkness
fell around them, the sea suddenly changed. The wind began to blow
violently and whipped up a storm of great magnitude. The boat
shuddered and felt as if it were about to split into pieces. The
people huddled in the dark and decided to throw their luggage
overboard but it made no difference. The wind blew and the boat
trembled. The passengers decided the weight was contributing to
their dilemma so decided to cast lots to throw one of the
passengers overboard.
The waves were as high as mountains and the wild storm plunged the
boat up and down as if it were as light as a matchstick. It was a
seafaring tradition to cast lots by writing down all the names and
drawing one person to be cast overboard. The name was drawn and it
was Jonah, but the people were appalled. Jonah was known to be a
pious and righteous man and they did not want to throw him into the
angry sea. They cast again and yet again, but both times the name
drawn was Jonah's.
Jonah, the Prophet of God knew that this was not random. He
understood that this was in destiny as predetermined by God so he
looked at his fellow passengers and flung himself over the side of
the boat. The passengers gasped in horror as Jonah fell into the
water to be scooped up in the enormous jaws of a giant fish.
When Jonah awoke from unconsciousness, he thought that he was dead
and was lying in the darkness of his grave. He felt around him and
realised that this was not a grave but the belly of the giant fish.
He was afraid. He felt his heart beating deep in his chest and
lurching towards his throat with every ragged breath he took. Jonah
was sitting in strong, acidic, digestive juices that were eating
away at his skin and he cried out to God. In the darkness of the
fish, in the darkness of the sea and in the darkness of the night
Jonah raised his voice and called out his distress to God.
{None has the right to be worshipped
but you oh God, glorified are you and truly I have been one of the
wrongdoers!} [Quran 21:87]
{أن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ
سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ}
[الأنبياء:٨٧]
Transliteration: 'An Lā 'Ilāha 'Illā 'Anta Subĥānaka
'Innī Kuntu Mina Až-Žālimīna
Jonah continued praying and repeating his supplication to God. He
realised his wrongdoing and begged for God's forgiveness. Prophet
Muhammad tells us that the angels are drawn to humankind
remembering God. This is what happened to Prophet Jonah; the angels
heard his cry in the darkness and recognised his voice. They knew
of Prophet Jonah and his honourable behaviour in the face of
adversity. The angels approached God saying, "isn't that the sound
of your righteous servant?
God answered yes. God heard Jonah's call and saved him from his
distress. Jonah remembered God in times of ease, so God remembered
Jonah in his time of distress. The supplication that Jonah used can
be repeated by anybody in times of distress. God said in Quran that
He saved Jonah, and thus He will save the believers. [Quran
21:88]
At God's command the giant fish surfaced and ejected Jonah onto the
shore. Jonah's body had been burned by the digestive juices; his
skin could not protect him from the sun and the wind. Jonah was in
pain and continued to cry out for protection. He continued to
repeat his supplication and God caused a vine/tree to grow over him
offering protection from the elements and providing Jonah with
food. As Jonah slowly became well again he realised that he needed
to return to his people and continue the work God had proscribed
for him.
{And, verily, Jonah was one of the
Messengers. When he ran to the laden ship, he agreed to cast lots
and he was among the losers, then a big fish swallowed him and he
had done an act worthy of blame. Had he not been of them who
glorify God, he would have indeed remained inside its belly (the
fish) until the Day of Resurrection. But We cast him forth on the
naked shore while he was sick and We caused a plant of gourd to
grow over him. And We sent him to a hundred thousand people or even
more, and they believed, so We gave them enjoyment for a
while.} [Quran 37:139-148].
{وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
﴿١٣٩﴾ إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ
الْمَشْحُونِ ﴿١٤٠﴾ فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ
الْمُدْحَضِينَ ﴿١٤١﴾ فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ
وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ﴿١٤٢﴾ فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ
مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ ﴿١٤٣﴾ لَلَبِثَ فِي
بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٤٤﴾ ۞
فَنَبَذْنَاهُ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ
﴿١٤٥﴾ وَأَنبَتْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَجَرَةً مِّن
يَقْطِينٍ ﴿١٤٦﴾ وَأَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ
مِائَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ ﴿١٤٧﴾
فَآمَنُوا فَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ} [الصافات:
139-١٤٨]
Transliteration: Wa 'Inna Yūnis Lamina
Al-Mursalīna(139) 'Idh 'Abaqa 'Ilá Al-Fulki
Al-Mashĥūni(140) Fasāhama Fakāna Mina Al-Mudĥađīna(141) Fāltaqamahu
Al-Ĥūtu Wa Huwa Mulīmun(142) Falawlā 'Annahu Kāna Mina
Al-Musabbiĥīna(143) Lalabitha Fī Baţnihi 'Ilá Yawmi
Yub`athūna(144) Fanabadhnāhu Bil-`Arā'i Wa Huwa Saqīmun(145) Wa
'Anbatnā `Alayhi Shajaratan Min Yaqţīnin(146) Wa 'Arsalnāhu
'Ilá Miā'ati 'Alfin 'Aw Yazīdūna(147) Fa'āmanū
Famatta`nāhum 'Ilá Ĥīnin(148)
When Jonah recovered he returned to Nineveh and was amazed at the
change in his people. They informed Jonah of their fear when the
sky had turned blood red and how they had gathered on the mountain
to beg God's forgiveness. Jonah lived amongst his people and taught
them to worship One God and to live lives of piety and
righteousness and more than 100,000 people living in Nineveh lived
in tranquillity...for a while.
The story of Prophet Jonah teaches us to have patience, especially
in the face of adversity. It teaches us to remember God in the good
times and the bad. It teaches us to remember God in this life so
that He will remember us when we die. If we remember God when we
are young He will remember us when we are old and if we remember
God when we are healthy He will remember us when we are sick, sad,
or tired. Distress can be relieved only, by turning to God with
sincerity.
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Footnotes:
[1] Based on the work of Imam
Ibn Kathir. The Stories of the Prophets.
By Aisha Stacey
The Religion of Islam