Jonah
يونس
Jonah leaves in distress, is swallowed by the fish, calls in darkness, and returns to a believing people.
Named directly; also described as the man of the fish.
The story through its verses
Read continuously: every passage is already open and arranged in narrative order.
Leaving in anger
The man of the fish departs in anger.
وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَـٰضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And [remember] the Man of the Whale [i.e., Jonah] when he departed in anger[38], thinking that We would not take him to task. Then he cried out in the depths of darkness[39], “None has the right to be worshiped except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong”.
وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
Jonah was indeed one of the messengers.
إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى ٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلْمَشْحُونِ
When he fled to the fully laden ship,
Swallowed by the fish
After lots are cast, the great fish swallows him.
فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُدْحَضِينَ
then he cast lots[30] with them, but was among those who lost.
فَٱلْتَقَمَهُ ٱلْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ
The whale then swallowed him while he was blameworthy[31].
Prayer in darkness
He declares Allah’s oneness and admits wrongdoing; Allah saves him.
وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَـٰضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And [remember] the Man of the Whale [i.e., Jonah] when he departed in anger[38], thinking that We would not take him to task. Then he cried out in the depths of darkness[39], “None has the right to be worshiped except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong”.
فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَنَجَّيْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُـۨجِى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
So We answered his prayer and rescued him from distress. This is how We rescue the believers.
Cast ashore
He is cast ashore in sickness and a plant grows over him.
فَنَبَذْنَـٰهُ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ
But We cast him ashore on a barren land while he was ill,
وَأَنۢبَتْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَجَرَةً مِّن يَقْطِينٍ
and caused a gourd vine[33] to grow over him.
A people who believed
He is sent to a multitude who believe and benefit from faith.
وَأَرْسَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَىٰ مِا۟ئَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ
We sent him[34] to one hundred thousand people or more,
فَـَٔامَنُوا۟ فَمَتَّعْنَـٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
and they believed, so We let them enjoy for a while.
فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَـٰنُهَآ إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُوا۟ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَـٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
There had never been any town that believed [after seeing the punishment] and benefited from its faith except the people of Jonah[65]. When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world, and let them enjoy themselves for a while.
The Quran gives no account of Jonah’s death.