Prophet Muhammad, for whom a special surah was revealed in the Holy Quran. Yunus peace be upon him is a prophet sent to the city of Nineveh, the center of the Assyrian Empire. It is estimated that he lived in the 8th century BC. His father is a righteous person named Metta. Hz. Yunus (peace be upon him) was born and raised in Nineveh, and when he was thirty years old, God gave him the duty of prophethood.
Hz. In addition to his prophetic mission, Yunus’ life gained meaning and depth with the miraculous experience he had in the belly of the fish. Nineveh The message he brought to his people and the tests he faced in this process are just a few of the elements that make his story unique. This incident is also mentioned in the QuranIt offers a spiritual adventure about Prophet Yunus’ efforts to preach to his people, their reaction, and the period in which he lived in the belly of the fish.
Hz. The People of Prophet Jonah, the People of Nineveh
people of NinevehThey worshiped idols and statues and were an extremely cruel society. Hz. When Prophet Yunus started calling for monotheism, only two people believed in him. One of them was knowledgeable and wise, the other was busy with worship. Others are Hz. They said to Yunus:
“−While we have a community that includes many soothsayers, scholars and artists, you stand alone and claim that the way of our ancestors is wrong! You reject our gods! Do you want to bind us with unusual provisions?
However, these words were not enough and Hz. They tortured Yunus in various ways. Hz. Yunus, on the other hand, showed patience and tolerance towards what they did, and again, with compassion, invited them to the belief of monotheism. It was a reminder that God’s punishment is severe. But they ignored these warnings and said:
“-If torment will come and destroy us because of one person, let them bring that torment!”
Hz. He was extremely upset by the stubborn curses of the people of Yunus. He couldn’t stand it anymore and left them without waiting for God’s permission. While he was on the road, God Almighty revealed to him:
“O Yunus! Go back and invite them to faith for forty more days!”
Upon this order, Hz. Yunus returned among his people. He informed them of Allah’s command and punishment. But they still did not repent. When thirty-seven days had passed from the promised days, the people still did not believe. Hz. Yunus said:
“Then the one who will come to you in three days wait for the punishment! You will see that your faces will turn yellow as a sign of this torment!”
And without waiting for God’s command, he left them with great sadness.
This departure was not an escape from the divine duty or a rebellion against the duty given by God. just iwas to get away from a rebellious communitywas to leave a rebellious tribe that did not accept the supreme invitation.
The Only Nation That Repented and Was Saved from Destruction were the People of Nineveh
Hz. The day that Yunus had foretold had come and The faces of the people of Nineveh were turned yellow and pale, as a harbinger of torment. At that moment, everyone understood the truth and said these words to each other:
“−Here is the sign of the torment that Yunus foretold! “We have never seen him lie before.”
The sky began to darken and everyone was screaming helplessly. They were desperately looking for a way out and said to each other:
“−If Yunus is among us, do not be afraid! If he is gone, the torment will destroy us!”
They felt great remorse and deep regret for what they had done. Because the punishment of Allah was very near and they did not know what to do. With a great desire to repent, they ran to a righteous person who showed them the right path. That person said:
“−There are only two days left for the punishment to come. Now go up to that high hill (the hill of repentance)! Say goodbye to each other and return the rights you usurped to their owners! Then make a vow to the Lord of Yunus, and let everyone, young and old, rich and poor, eat! Then, uncover your heads and pray as follows: ‘O Lord of Yunus! We repented. We believed in you. We accepted the prophethood of Yunus. “When we find Yunus, we will implement the orders and prohibitions he brought!”
The Ninevites carried out these instructions with tears in their eyes. In the name of Rahman, Allah accepted their repentance and removed the divine punishment from them. This incident took place on Friday and was also Ashura daywas. This special event is described in the Holy Quran as follows:
“There has never been a city whose people believed and whose faith benefited them! However, the tribe of Yunus is an exception; When they believed, we removed from them the torment of disgrace in the worldly life and made them live and benefit until their end came.” (Yunus, 98)
Hz. Yunus’s people, because of their disbelief They are the only people who repented and were saved while heading towards destruction.. This is a special manifestation of Allah’s grace, and many verses in Surah Yunus clearly state that the mercy of the Merciful is greater than the divine punishment.
Events that Prophet Yunus Experienced While He was on the Ship
Zunnun, Hz. It is the nickname of Yunus and means fish owner. This nickname was given to him because he was swallowed by a fish in the sea.
Hz. Yunus, after leaving the city He came to the edge of the Tigris River and boarded a ship.I. It is stated in the Holy Quran as follows:
“And when he got on a full ship and ran away.” (al-Saffat, 140)
The ship stopped after a while and they could not move forward. Thinking that they will sink that there was a sinner on the ship they believed. They drew lots to determine who this was and the lot was Hz. He went out to Yunus. Realizing that he was a part of the test, he said with submission:
“−Yes, I am this sinful servant!” said.
However, those on the ship realized that he was a righteous man and drew lots several more times, but each time the result was again Hz. He went out to Yunus. Finally, “Of course this servant must be guilty!” saying Hz. They left Yunus in the sea. It is stated in the verses as follows:
“They drew lots with those on the ship, and he (Yunus) was among the losers.” (al-Saffat, 141)
“(He) thought that We would never trouble him…” (al-Anbiya, 87)
“While Jonah was condemning himself, a fish swallowed him.” (al-Saffat, 142)
Hz. The Time Yunus Spent in the Belly of the Fish
Hz. Yunus was now in the belly of a fish. It was dark and closed there, but Hz. Yunus was conscious and conscious. God Almighty, commanded the fish not to harm Jonah or break his bones. gave.
Hz. Yunus consented to divine providence and surrendered to the will of his Lord. This situation is explained in the verse as follows:
“…(And) in the darkness (Yunus, very sadly, presented his situation to his Lord as follows): “There is no god but You. I exalt You. Indeed, I have become one of the wrongdoers!” (al-Anbiya, 87)
Hearing some sounds in the belly of the fish, Hz. Yunus wondered about this situation and God Almighty revealed to him that the fish was in his belly and said:
“O dolphin! These voices are the voices of the creatures chanting in the sea.”
Hz. Even in this difficult and distressing situation, Yunus did not refrain from remembering his Lord. He was busy with forgiveness and prayer. When the angels saw his situation, they interceded with God. Finally, upon this monotheism and glorification of Hazrat Yunus, Allah accepted his prayer and saved him from this trouble:
“Thereupon we accepted His prayer and delivered Him from grief. This is how We save the believers.” (al-Anbiyâ, 88)
The only reason for this forgiveness is Hz. Yunus glorified Allah a lot:
“If he had not been among those who glorified Allah, he would have remained in her womb until the day they were resurrected.” (es-Saffât, 143-144)
Hz. He was saved thanks to Yunus’ remembrance of his Lord, his understanding of his mistake, and his trust in the Lord. This situation was a great mercy and blessing for him.
An important point is Hz. He was patient for 37 days during the forty-day period when Yunus’s people were to be destroyed, but he could not find the strength to be patient for three more days.. In return, Allah subjected him to a great test by training him in patience in the belly of the fish.
Hz. Yunus’ Rescue from the Belly of the Fish
Ultimately, Hz. The fish, which carried Yunus like a great trust, left him on the shore by God’s command. God Almighty says:
“We took him out in a weak state. And we planted a broad-leaved plant like the squash on top of it (to provide shade).” (es-Saffât, 145-146)
When the fish left him on the shore, Hz. Yunus was weak, exhausted, sick and in need of protection. His body was very weak. The weather was quite hot. God grew a plant with broad leaves that would protect it from the burning rays of the sun.. In addition, God Almighty said that Hz. He dripped some kind of milk onto Yunus.
Hz. After recovering himself, Yunus headed towards Nineveh. When he approached the city, he met a shepherd and asked about the situation of his people. The shepherd told him what happened. He reported that his people believed, repented, and thus God forgave them. The shepherd also said that everyone is Hz. He said that Yunus was waiting for his return to declare God’s commands.
When his people heard the news, they immediately went to Hz. He ran to Yunus. Meanwhile, Hz. Yunus was praying. After he finished his prayer, they greeted him with longing and apologized. Hz. Yunus treated them with forgiveness and tolerance and taught them the commandments of Allah. After this, his people lived a happy and good life when they obeyed Allah and His prophet.
