The story of Jonah (Yunus)
๐ In short
Jonah, peace be upon him, was a prophet God sent to the people of Nineveh. He left his people in anger before God gave him permission and boarded a ship, then a huge whale swallowed him. In the darkness of the whale's belly he called on God, and God saved him.
ูููุง ุฅููููฐูู ุฅููููุง ุฃููุชู ุณูุจูุญูุงูููู ุฅููููู ูููุชู ู
ููู ุงูุธููุงููู
ูููู๐คฉ Did you know?
- In the Qur'an Jonah is called โDhun-Nunโ, and โnunโ means whale.
- The Qur'an has a surah named after Jonah, peace be upon him: surah number 10.
- The Prophet ๏ทบ said that no Muslim calls on God with Jonah's prayer for something without God answering them (reported by at-Tirmidhi).
- Jonah's people numbered more than 100 thousand, as Surat as-Saffat says.
๐ Find out more
๐ In a ship
Jonah boarded a ship full of people; the waves rose up and it nearly sank. They drew lots to lighten the load, the lot fell on Jonah, and he was thrown into the sea.
๐ In the whale's belly
A huge whale swallowed him, and he was in three darknesses: the darkness of night, the darkness of the sea and the darkness of the whale's belly. He called out: โThere is no god but You! Glory be to You! I have truly been among the wrongdoers.โ
๐ก Saved
God answered his prayer, and the whale threw him out onto the shore, weak and ill. God made a gourd plant grow over him to shade him, until he was strong and well again.
๐ฏ A people who believed
Jonah went back to his people and found they had all believed and turned back to God, and they lived well. They are the only people who all believed together, so God lifted the punishment from them.
๐ Key words
- Dhun-Nun
- The man of the whale, a title of Jonah
- Gourd
- A plant with big leaves, like a pumpkin
- Drawing lots
- A way of choosing someone by chance
๐ฑ Put it into practice today
Learn Jonah's prayer: โThere is no god but You! Glory be to You! I have truly been among the wrongdoersโ, and say it when you feel down or afraid.
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 What swallowed Jonah?
2 What does โDhun-Nunโ mean?
3 What did Jonah find when he went back to his people?