The Prophets (Anbiyā'): Verses 87–88

Verses 87–88: "And Dhu al-Nūn, when he departed in anger..."

Herein lie several issues:

There is no dispute that Dhu al-Nūn (The Man of the Fish) refers to the Prophet Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon him.

• Al-Nūn means the fish. We have previously established that when a name can be either a mere epithet or descriptive, it is preferable to interpret it as descriptive, especially when the meaning of that description is relevant to the context.

There is a difference of opinion regarding whether Yunus's time in the fish occurred before or after he was fully engaged in delivering God's message.

The First Opinion (Entrapment occurred before his mission to Nineveh):

Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) narrated: Yunus and his people lived in Palestine. A king attacked them and captured nine and a half tribes, leaving two and a half tribes remaining. God revealed to the Prophet Shu'ayb (peace be upon him) to go to King Hizqil and tell him to send a strong and trustworthy prophet, as God would inspire those people to send the Children of Israel with him. The King asked whom he recommended, noting there were five prophets in his kingdom. Yunus ibn Matta replied, "He is strong and trustworthy."

The King summoned Yunus and ordered him to leave. Yunus asked, "Has God commanded you to send me out?" The King replied, "No." Yunus asked, "Have you named me?" The King replied, "No." Yunus then said, "There are prophets other than me here." They insisted, so Yunus left, angry with the King and his people.

He went to the Sea of Rome and found people preparing a ship, so he boarded with them. When the ship sailed far out, it capsized, and they nearly drowned. The sailors said, "There is a disobedient person or an escaped slave among us, for the ship does not behave like this without wind unless a disobedient person is aboard." They agreed that if they faced such a trial, they would cast lots, and whoever was chosen by lot would be thrown overboard, as it is better for one person to drown than the whole ship.

They cast lots three times, and the lot fell on Yunus every time. He confessed, "I am the disobedient man and the escaped slave," and threw himself into the sea. A great fish came and swallowed him. God revealed to the fish, "Do not harm a single hair on him, for I have made your belly a prison for him, not a food source for you."

When God saved him from the fish's belly, He cast him onto the barren land like a plucked chick, without hair or skin. God caused a gourd tree to grow over him, providing shade and fruit until he grew strong. When the tree withered, Yunus grieved for it. He was asked, "Do you grieve for a tree, yet you did not grieve for one hundred thousand people or more, when you did not go to them or seek their comfort?"

Then God revealed to him and commanded him to go to them. Yunus headed toward them until he entered their land, not far from them. Yunus approached them and told their king, "God has sent me to you to send the Children of Israel with me." They replied, "We do not know what you are saying. If we knew you were truthful, we would have done so. We came to your homes and captured you; if what you say were true, God would have prevented us from doing so."

Yunus walked among them for three days, calling them to this. When they refused, God revealed to him: "Tell them, 'If you do not believe, the punishment will come to you.'" He conveyed this message, but they still refused. He left them. When they realized he was gone, they regretted their actions and went out searching for him but could not find him.

They consulted their religious scholars about their situation and Yunus's message. The scholars advised, "Look for him in the city. If he is still there, none of the punishment he warned of will descend. If he has left, then what he said is true." They searched, and it was reported that he left in the evening. When they despaired of finding him, they locked the city gates. Their cattle and sheep were not brought in, mothers were separated from their infants, and the children and mothers remained apart. Then they stood waiting for dawn.

When dawn broke, they saw the punishment descending from the sky. They tore their garments, pregnant women miscarried, children cried out, and sheep and cattle bleated. God then lifted the punishment from them. They sent for Yunus, believed him, and sent the Children of Israel with him.

According to this view, Yunus's mission occurred after he was cast out by the fish. The evidence for this view is God's saying in Surah As-Saffat: {So We cast him onto the barren land while he was sick. And We caused a plant of gourd to grow over him. And We sent him to one hundred thousand or more.} (As-Saffat: 145–147).

There is another narration supporting this view: Gabriel (peace be upon him) told Yunus, "Go to the people of Nineveh and warn them that the punishment has arrived." Yunus asked for a mount, but Gabriel replied, "The matter is too urgent for that." Yunus became angry and went to the ship. The rest of the story is as mentioned until the fish swallowed him, and he was taken to Nineveh, where he was cast out.

The Second Opinion (Entrapment occurred after calling the people of Nineveh):

They argue that the story of the fish happened after he called the people of Nineveh and delivered God's message to them. When they did not believe the warning of punishment, and the punishment was subsequently lifted after he warned them, he left them in anger. They mention several reasons for his anger and departure:

1. He was ashamed to remain among a people who had experienced him as a liar.
2. It was their custom to kill liars.
3. He felt pride/indignation (anāfah).
4. The punishment did not descend upon them initially.

Most scholars hold that the story of the fish and Yunus's departure in anger occurred after God sent him to them and after the punishment was lifted.

Those who permit the possibility of sin for the Prophets (peace be upon them) use this verse as evidence in several ways:

1. Departure in Anger: Most exegetes state that Yunus left in anger at his Lord. This is the view of Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Ash-Sha'bi, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Wahb, and the chosen view of Ibn Qutaybah and Ibn Jarir. If so, his anger toward God is one of the greatest sins. Even if this anger was directed at the King or the people, it was still forbidden, as God says: {So be patient with your Lord's decree, and be not like the companion of the fish.} (Al-Qalam: 48), implying Yunus's action was prohibited.
2. "He thought that We would never have power over him": This implies he doubted God's power.
3. "Indeed, I was among the wrongdoers": Dhulm (wrongdoing) is a term of censure, as God says: {Indeed, the curse of God is upon the wrongdoers.} (Hud: 18).
4. Punishment: If he committed no sin, why did God punish him by casting him into the fish's belly?
5. "And He found him blameworthy": (As-Saffat: 142). Mulīm means one deserving of blame, which implies he was a sinner.
6. Prohibition of Imitation: The command {and be not like the companion of the fish} would be invalid if the companion of the fish were not sinful. If he was sinful, the purpose is achieved.
7. Status of Ulū al-'Azm (Those of Resolve): If the command is {and be not like the companion of the fish} and also {So be patient as were those of resolve among the messengers} (Al-Ahqaf: 35), it implies Yunus was not among those of resolve, while Moses was. Furthermore, regarding Moses, it is said that if he were alive, he would have no choice but to follow the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whereas regarding Yunus, it is said, "Do not prefer me over Yunus ibn Matta." (This last point is considered outside the scope of interpreting the verse itself.)

Rebuttal to the Arguments:

• Rebuttal to Point 1 (Anger at God): The verse does not explicitly state he was angry at God. We affirm that it is impossible for a Prophet of God to be angry with his Lord, as this implies ignorance of God's sovereignty over command and prohibition. One ignorant of God cannot be a believer, let alone a Prophet. If the narration means he left in anger regarding a matter of readiness or voluntary action (nawafil), Prophets are above that, as they cannot disobey a divine command. God says: {It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when God and His Messenger have decreed a matter, to have any choice in their affair.} (Al-Ahzab: 36). If disobedience in preparation is impossible, then the anger cannot be directed at God. Therefore, the anger must be directed at someone other than God—likely his people or the King, or both. His anger toward his people might mean he angered them by leaving, due to their fear of the punishment descending upon them after his departure. (Some read the word as mughḍaban [one who is made angry]).
• Rebuttal to Anger at People being Forbidden: We deny that his anger toward the people was forbidden by {and be not like the companion of the fish}. God commanded him to deliver the message, but He did not command him to remain with them forever. The command to deliver the message does not necessitate repetition. Thus, leaving them was not a sin. As for the anger itself, we deny it was a sin, because since it was not explicitly forbidden beforehand, he thought it permissible, as he only acted out of anger for God, zeal for his religion, and hatred for disbelief and its adherents. However, it would have been better for him to be patient and await permission from God for emigration, which is why God said, {and be not like the companion of the fish}—perhaps God intended the highest station for Muhammad (PBUH).

• Rebuttal to Point 2 (Doubting God's Power): We do not accept that dhann (thinking/assuming) here means doubting God's inability. Anyone who thinks God is incapable is an unbeliever, and this cannot be attributed to any believer, let alone a Prophet. This requires interpretation, with several possibilities:
  1. "We would not restrict him": Meaning, "We would not constrain him." This aligns with verses like {God extends provision for whom He wills... and restricts} (Al-Ankabut: 12). The meaning is that Yunus thought he had a choice: stay or leave, and God would not restrict his choice. It was known that delaying his departure was better, so this statement serves as an excuse for his departure, not as intentional sin, but based on his assumption that the matter was open-ended.
  2. Parable/Metaphor: His state was likened to that of one who thought God would not restrict him, by leaving without awaiting God's command.
  3. "We would not decree for him": Meaning, "We would not decree severe punishment for him." This is the view of Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Kalbi, and a narration from Al-Awfi via Ibn Abbas, chosen by Al-Farrā' and Al-Zajjaj. Al-Zajjaj noted that naqdir (We decree) and nuqaddir (We measure/determine) are related. (Variations in recitation regarding the verb form are noted here.) Ibn Abbas explained to Mu'awiyah regarding this verse: "This is about qadar (measurement/fate), not qudrah (power)."
  4. "We would not act": Since power and action are related, one can metaphorically stand for the other.
  5. Rhetorical Question: It means, "Did he think that We would not act concerning him?" (Ibn Zayd).
  6. Pre-Prophethood: If this event occurred before his prophethood (as per the first opinion), it is not impossible for such a thought to cross the mind of a non-Prophet due to Satanic whispering, which he then refuted with proof and evidence.

• Rebuttal to Point 3 (Being a Wrongdoer): If we take this before prophethood, there is no issue. If after, it requires interpretation, as taking it literally implies the Prophet deserves cursing, which no Muslim asserts. If interpretation is necessary, we say he abandoned the best course of action while capable of achieving it, and this constitutes dhulm (injustice to oneself).

• Rebuttal to Point 4 (Punishment): We deny that this was punishment, as Prophets cannot be punished. It was a trial (miḥnah). However, many exegetes describe any harm resulting from a fault as punishment.

• Rebuttal to Point 5 (Blame): The blame was due to abandoning the superior action.

Al-Kashshāf states that ẓulumāt (darknesses) refers to the intense, thick darkness inside the fish, similar to God's saying: {God has taken away their light and left them in darknesses} (Al-Baqarah: 17).

Some scholars consider different types of darkness:

• If the call occurred at night, there is the darkness of night, the sea, and the fish's belly.
• If during the day, the darkness of the fish's intestines is added, or perhaps the fish that swallowed Yunus was swallowed by an even larger fish, or because when a large fish dives deep, the water above it is darkness upon darkness.
• As for the view that the fish dove to the seventh earth: if this is established by reliable narration, there is no issue. If it is stated merely to justify the darkness, our previous points suffice.

The meaning is: "There is no god but You." The Prophet (PBUH) said: "No distressed person calls upon God with this supplication except that his prayer is answered." Al-Hasan said: God only saved him because he acknowledged his own wrongdoing.

This is a declaration of transcendence from all imperfections, including inability. This indicates that his meaning in {He thought that We would never have power over him} was not that he thought God was incapable. Rather, he said {Exalted are You} because God did not act unjustly, out of desire for vengeance, or out of inability to free him from confinement. Rather, God acted according to the requirements of Divinity and wisdom.

This means: "I wronged myself by fleeing my people without Your permission." It is as if he said: "I was among the wrongdoers, and now I am among the repentant and regretful; therefore, remove this trial from me." This is supported by {So We responded to him}.

Another view is that he described God by {There is no god but You} as possessing the perfection of Lordship, and he described himself by {Indeed, I was among the wrongdoers} with the weakness of humanity and deficiency in fulfilling the right of Lordship. This degree of contrast is sufficient for the request, as the poet said:

Abdullah ibn Rafi', the freed slave of Umm Salamah, narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) that when God intended to confine Yunus (PBUH), He revealed to the fish: "Take him, but do not scratch his flesh or break a bone." The fish took him and plunged to the bottom of the sea. Yunus heard a sound and thought to himself, "What is this?" God revealed to him: "This is the glorification of the sea creatures." So Yunus glorified God, and the angels heard his glorification and said the like.

This means from the distress of being in the fish's belly and from the distress of his mistake. Just as We saved Yunus from the anguish of confinement when he called upon Us, We save the believers from their distress when they seek refuge in Us.

Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas narrated from the Prophet (PBUH): "The supplication of Dhu al-Nūn while in the belly of the fish—Lā ilāha illā Anta subḥānaka innī kuntu mina aẓ-ẓālimīn—no Muslim slave ever supplicated with it while distressed except that God answered his prayer."

Al-Kashshāf noted that some recited nunajjī (We save) and nunajjī (We save) and najā (He saved). He criticized the view that made najā a verb whose yā’ was sent back and attributed to its source, making al-mu'minīn the object of the verbal noun, calling it a weak forced interpretation.

(The Ninth Story: The Story of Zakariyā, peace be upon him)

Verse 89: {And [mention] Zakariyā, when he called out to his Lord, "My Lord, leave me not childless, and You are the best of inheritors."}

Verse 90: {So We responded to him and granted him Yahyā, and made his wife fit [for childbearing]. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were humble to Us.}