Nabi Yunus

Yunus was sent to the population of Ninawa, which numbered more than one hundred thousand people. Calling for a long time without success, he left them in a state of anger before Allah's permission, thinking that Allah would not narrow his situation. He boarded a ship laden with cargo; when a storm necessitated a reduction in load, lots fell upon him many times, so he was thrown into the sea and swallowed by a large fish.

In the darkness of the night, the sea, and the belly of the fish, Yunus cried out with a prayer that was the legacy of all the oppressed people: "La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minazh-zhalimin — there is no god but You, Glory be to You, verily I am one of the wrongdoers." Allah said, "So We answered his prayer and We saved him from sorrow; thus We save the believers." If it weren't for the fact that he was a person who glorified a lot, he would have lived in the belly of a fish until the day he rose.

Jonah was thrown onto land sick, and God grew a gourd-like tree to shelter him. Meanwhile, the Ninawa people - the only people in the Koran who believed completely after seeing the signs of punishment - repented, then Allah lifted the punishment and gave them pleasure for a certain time. Jonah returned to the people who now believed, and Allah sent him to a hundred thousand people or more.

Rasulullah ﷺ said that the prayer of Dzun-Nun is not offered by a Muslim in any difficulty but Allah grants it. The story of Jonah teaches that admitting one's mistakes is the door out of darkness, and that the repentance of a people can reject the doom that has already appeared.

Yunus was sent to the people of Ninawa, but because his people had denied it for a long time, he left in anger before receiving permission from Allah, thinking that Allah would not narrow his situation. He boarded a ship full of cargo; when the ship was about to sink, a lottery was held and his name came out, then he was thrown into the sea.

A big fish swallowed him. In the layered darkness — the darkness of the night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of the belly of the fish — Yunus cried out, "La ilaha illa Anta, Glory be to You, verily I am one of the wrongdoers." Allah saved him and brought him to the shore in a sick condition, then grew a pumpkin tree to shade him. Rasulullah ﷺ reported that the prayer of Dzun-Nun was not read by a Muslim in difficulty but that Allah answered it.

After Yunus left, his people saw the signs of punishment and repented sincerely, so Allah lifted the punishment from them - the only country whose entire population believed and was saved after almost being punished. Jonah returned and found his people had believed; he was sent to a hundred thousand people or more. The story teaches that a preacher should not be hasty and remain patient, and that the door to repentance is open as long as the punishment has not truly fallen.