Story of Prophet Yunus
Prophet Yunus, also known as Jonah in the Bible, was a messenger of Allah sent to the people of Nineveh. He lived in the city of Mosul, which was located on the bank of the River Tigris. Prophet Yunus was a pious man who spent his life preaching the message of Allah to the people of Nineveh. He advised them to worship only one God and to live righteous lives. Despite his efforts, the people of Nineveh refused to accept his message and continued to indulge in sinful activities. Disheartened by the lack of response, Prophet Yunus left Nineveh and headed towards the sea. He hoped to reach a land where people would be more receptive to his message. As he boarded a ship, a storm started brewing, which grew more intense with time. The sailors did not know what to do and believed that someone on the ship must have brought bad luck. They cast lots to decide who the culprit was, and the lot fell on Prophet Yunus. Realizing that he was the reason for the storm, Prophet Yunus asked the crew to throw him into the sea to save themselves. As he was thrown into the water, a whale swallowed him whole. Inside the whale’s belly, Prophet Yunus called out to Allah, asking for his forgiveness and mercy. His prayers were answered, and the whale vomited him out onto the shore of Nineveh. After being rescued, Prophet Yunus returned to preaching his message to the people of Nineveh. This time, the people were more receptive and accepted his teachings. They repented their sins, and Allah forgave them. The life of Prophet Yunus teaches us the importance of repentance, patience, and persistence in spreading the message of Allah. It also shows us the power of Allah’s mercy and the importance of always turning to Him in times of distress.
The following Quranic verses mention the story of the prophet Yunus peace be upon him.
Sura Yunus Ayah (Verse) 98-109
٩٨ فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
98 If only there was one town that believed and benefited by its belief. Except for the people of Jonah. When they believed, We removed from them the suffering of disgrace in the worldly life, and We gave them comfort for a while.
٩٩ وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَآمَنَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنْتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ
99 Had your Lord willed, everyone on earth would have believed. Will you compel people to become believers?
١٠٠ وَمَا كَانَ لِنَفْسٍ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۚ وَيَجْعَلُ الرِّجْسَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
100 No soul can believe except by God’s leave; and He lays disgrace upon those who refuse to understand.
١٠١ قُلِ انْظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَا تُغْنِي الْآيَاتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَنْ قَوْمٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
101 Say, “Look at what is in the heavens and the earth.” But signs and warnings are of no avail for people who do not believe.
١٠٢ فَهَلْ يَنْتَظِرُونَ إِلَّا مِثْلَ أَيَّامِ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ
102 Do they expect anything but the likes of the days of those who passed away before them? Say, “Then wait, I will be waiting with you.”
١٠٣ ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي رُسُلَنَا وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نُنْجِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
103 Then We save Our messengers and those who believe. It is binding on Us to save the believers.
١٠٤ قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي شَكٍّ مِنْ دِينِي فَلَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِنْ أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ ۖ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
104 Say, “O people, if you are in doubt about my religion—I do not serve those you serve apart from God. But I serve God, the one who will terminate your lives. And I was commanded to be of the believers.”
١٠٥ وَأَنْ أَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا وَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
105 And dedicate yourself to the true religion—a monotheist—and never be of the polytheists.
١٠٦ وَلَا تَدْعُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنْفَعُكَ وَلَا يَضُرُّكَ ۖ فَإِنْ فَعَلْتَ فَإِنَّكَ إِذًا مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
106 And do not call, apart from God, on what neither benefits you nor harms you. If you do, you are then one of the wrongdoers.
١٠٧ وَإِنْ يَمْسَسْكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَا كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ وَإِنْ يُرِدْكَ بِخَيْرٍ فَلَا رَادَّ لِفَضْلِهِ ۚ يُصِيبُ بِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
107 If God afflicts you with harm, none can remove it except He. And if He wants good for you, none can repel His grace. He makes it reach whomever He wills of His servants. He is the Forgiver, the Merciful.
١٠٨ قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُمُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ ۖ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا ۖ وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِوَكِيلٍ
108 Say, “O people, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever accepts guidance is guided for his own soul; and whoever strays only strays to its detriment. I am not a guardian over you.”
١٠٩ وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَاصْبِرْ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ
109 And follow what is revealed to you, and be patient until God issues His judgment, for He is the Best of judges.
Sura Nisa Ayah (Verse) 163
١٦٣ إِنَّا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ كَمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ نُوحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ ۚ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيسَىٰ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُونُسَ وَهَارُونَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا
163 We have inspired you, as We had inspired Noah and the prophets after him. And We inspired Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and Jesus, and Job, and Jonah, and Aaron, and Solomon. And We gave David the Psalms.
Sura Anbiya Ayah (Verse) 87-88
٨٧ وَذَا النُّونِ إِذْ ذَهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
87 And Jonah, when he stormed out in fury, thinking We had no power over him. But then He cried out in the darkness, “There is no god but You! Glory to You! I was one of the wrongdoers!”
٨٨ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
88 So We answered him, and saved him from the affliction. Thus We save the faithful.
Sura Saffat Ayah (Verse) 139-148
١٣٩ وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
139 And Jonah was one of the messengers.
١٤٠ إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ
140 When he fled to the laden boat.
١٤١ فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ
141 He gambled and lost.
١٤٢ فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ
142 Then the fish swallowed him, and he was to blame.
١٤٣ فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ
143 Had he not been one of those who praised.
١٤٤ لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ
144 He would have stayed in its belly until the Day they are raised.
١٤٥ فَنَبَذْنَاهُ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ
145 Then We threw him into the wilderness, and he was sick.
١٤٦ وَأَنْبَتْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَجَرَةً مِنْ يَقْطِينٍ
146 And We made a gourd tree grow over him.
١٤٧ وَأَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ مِائَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ
147 Then We sent him to a hundred thousand, or more.
١٤٨ فَآمَنُوا فَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
148 And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment for a while.