Tafsir of As-Saffat 37:143

(For had he not been of those who glorify [Allah])

Meaning: Of those who remembered Allah Almighty often through glorification (tasbih), as has been said. In the discourse of Qatadah, there is that which suggests the consideration of frequency. This is derived—according to what al-Khafaji stated—from the expression "of those who glorify" (min al-musabbihin) rather than saying "glorifying" (musabbihan), for it implies that he was deeply rooted among them, attributed to them, and counted in their ranks; and such a status necessitates frequency. It has been said: it is from the form taf'il [i.e., sabbaha], but this has been refuted on the grounds that the meaning of sabbaha does not necessarily imply that, since one says, "He glorified Allah" (sabbaha Allah). Alternatively, it may be said that it is meant to signify permanence—for being "of the glorifiers" suggests that glorification was their constant habit. The intent of tasbih here is its literal meaning, which is the aforementioned utterance or what bears its meaning; this has been narrated from Ibn Jubayr.

This state of being, according to some, occurred before the whale swallowed him, during days of ease. Abu Hayyan favored the view that it occurred while he was inside the belly of the whale, and that the tasbih was what Allah Almighty mentioned in His saying: "...and he called out within the darkness, 'There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.'" Some interpreted it as remembrance (dhikr) in a general sense, while others interpreted it as worship in a general sense. A group, including Ibn Abbas, interpreted it as prayer (salah). In fact, it is narrated from him that he said: "Every mention of tasbih in the Quran means prayer." You know that if the term, in what has been mentioned, is a Sharia-sanctioned truth [in its literal sense] and there is no other Sharia-sanctioned truth for tasbih, then there is no need for a contextual indicator. However, if it is a metaphor, or if tasbih has another specific Sharia-sanctioned meaning, then a contextual indicator is required. If one is found, then that is sufficient; otherwise, the matter is not hidden from you.

Just as there is disagreement regarding the time of the tasbih in the aforementioned sense, there is disagreement regarding its time in other senses. Ahmad recorded in al-Zuhd and others, on the authority of Ibn Jubayr regarding the saying of Allah Almighty: (For had he not been of those who glorify), that he said: "Of those who prayed before he entered the belly of the whale." Ahmad and others also recorded from al-Hasan regarding the verse, saying: "It was nothing but a prayer he performed inside the belly of the whale." This was mentioned to Qatadah, who said: "No, he only performed it during times of ease." It has been narrated from al-Hasan other than what was mentioned, for Ibn Abi Hatim, al-Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman, and al-Hakim recorded from him regarding the verse: "He used to pray often during times of ease. When he ended up in the belly of the whale, he thought it was death, so he moved his legs and found they were moving, so he prostrated and said: 'O Lord, I have taken a place of prayer for You in a place where no one has ever prostrated before.'"

Ibn Abi Shaybah recorded from Dahhak ibn Qays, who said: "Remember Allah Almighty during times of ease, and He will remember you during times of hardship. For Jonah (peace be upon him) was a righteous servant, remembering Allah Almighty. When he fell into the belly of the whale, Allah Almighty said: (For had he not been of those who glorify)... whereas Pharaoh was a tyrannical servant, forgetful of the remembrance of Allah Almighty. When the drowning overtook him, he said: 'I believe that there is no deity except that in whom the Children of Israel believe, and I am of the Muslims.' It was said to him: 'Now? And you had disobeyed before and were of the corrupters?'"

The most appropriate view is to interpret the period of his being "of the glorifiers" as encompassing both the time of ease and the time he spent in the belly of the whale, for his being characterized by that in both periods had a role in his emergence from the belly of the whale, which is understood from the saying of Allah Almighty: (For had he not been of those who glorify).