Story Rivers & lakes Beliefs and teachings

Share

Among the prophetic accounts in the Quran, that of Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon him, holds a unique place: it features an immense fish that becomes, unwittingly, the instrument of a spiritual lesson meant for all believers. This story is so significant that it lends its name to an entire chapter, Surah Yunus, and another passage is devoted to it in Surah As-Saffat.

The Prophet in Flight and the Trial of the Sea

According to the Quranic account, Yunus left his people before God commanded him to do so, discouraged by his people's refusal to listen to his message. He boarded a ship, but it was threatened with sinking. It is reported that the sailors cast lots to determine who should be thrown into the sea to lighten the vessel, and the lot fell upon Yunus repeatedly. It was then that he was engulfed by the sea and swallowed by a great fish sent by God.

﴿ فَٱلْتَقَمَهُ ٱلْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ﴾

"The fish swallowed him while he bore blame."

(Surah As-Saffat, verse 142)

The Supplication in Darkness

Within the fish's belly, plunged into the darkness of the ocean depths, Yunus acknowledged his wrongdoing and turned to God with complete humility. He uttered a prayer that became renowned in Islamic tradition, as recorded in Surah Al-Anbiya:

﴿ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ﴾

"He called out in the darkness: 'There is no god but You. Glory be to You! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers.'"

(Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 87)

The Quran makes clear that had Yunus not been among those who glorify God, he would have remained in the fish's belly until the Day of Resurrection. Through this sincere prayer, God forgave him and ordered the fish to cast him onto a barren shore. There, according to the account in Surah As-Saffat, God caused a plant to grow over him to provide shade and comfort during his recovery.

Why Does This Account Remain So Important?

This story imparts several essential lessons that Quranic scholars have long reflected upon:

• The importance of patience and never despairing of God's mercy, even in the darkest trial;
• The value of sincere repentance, expressed through a prayer still recited today by many believers in times of hardship;
• The reminder that every creature, including a fish of the depths, obeys God's command and can become a sign of His power and mercy.

It is reported in an authentic hadith, cited in Sahih al-Bukhari, that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ spoke of Yunus with great respect, reminding us that it is not fitting to rank the prophets in a way that diminishes one above another.

This account thus invites believers to regard carefully all marine and terrestrial creatures, who each participate, in their own way, in the order willed by God. The fish of Yunus caused the prophet no harm: it protected him in the heart of the deep waters before setting him free upon the shore. It is a beautiful call to treat animals, even the most inconspicuous or feared creatures such as sea life, with respect and kindness, for they too are part of the creation entrusted to our care.