Which Prophet Was Swallowed by a Whale, Then Rescued by Allah?
من النبي الذي ابتلعه الحوت، ثم أنقذه الله؟
Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon him. "And Jonah was indeed one of the messengers. Remember when he fled to the overloaded ship. Then, to save it from sinking, he drew straws with other passengers. He lost and was thrown overboard. Then the whale swallowed him up while he was blameworthy. Had he not constantly glorified Allah, he would have certainly remained in its belly until the Day of Resurrection" (Surah As-Saffat 37:139-144).
يونس عليه السلام. وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ (سورة الصافات: 139-144).
1. Why Yunus Fled | لماذا فر يونس
Yunus left his people in frustration before Allah gave him permission to do so, after they had been slow to respond to his call. Surah As-Saffat describes this departure as fleeing "to the overloaded ship," a decision the Quran itself frames as blameworthy, which is why he was the one chosen by lot to be thrown overboard when the ship was in danger of sinking.
غادر يونس قومه في إحباط قبل أن يأذن له الله بذلك، بعد أن كانوا بطيئين في الاستجابة لدعوته. تصف سورة الصافات هذا الرحيل بأنه فرار "إلى الفلك المشحون"، وهو قرار يصفه القرآن نفسه بأنه مذموم، ولهذا وقع عليه الاختيار بالقرعة ليُلقى في البحر عندما كانت السفينة في خطر الغرق.
2. The Prayer That Saved Him | الدعاء الذي أنقذه
Inside the whale, in what the Quran describes as a threefold darkness, Yunus called out to Allah: "There is no god worthy of worship except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong" (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87). This supplication, known as the prayer of Dhun-Nun, is one of the most widely recited in Islam, and the Quran states directly that it was because of his constant glorification of Allah that he was saved rather than remaining in the whale's belly until the Day of Resurrection.
فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ (سورة الأنبياء: 87)
داخل الحوت، فيما يصفه القرآن بالظلمات الثلاث، نادى يونس ربه: "لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين" (سورة الأنبياء: 87). وهذا الدعاء، المعروف بدعاء ذي النون، من أكثر الأدعية تلاوة في الإسلام، وينص القرآن صراحة على أن تسبيحه المستمر لله هو ما أنجاه من البقاء في بطن الحوت إلى يوم القيامة.
3. A Prophet Named Alongside Ilyas in the Same Surah | نبي ذُكر إلى جانب إلياس في نفس السورة
Yunus's story appears in Surah As-Saffat just a short distance from the account of Prophet Ilyas, covered in Who Is the Prophet Mentioned in Surah As-Saffat With Two Different Names? Both accounts follow the same surah's pattern of naming a Messenger, describing his trial, and affirming Allah's mercy toward him despite his people's rejection or his own shortcoming.
تظهر قصة يونس في سورة الصافات على مسافة قصيرة من قصة النبي إلياس. تتبع القصتان نمط السورة نفسه في تسمية رسول، ووصف ابتلائه، وتأكيد رحمة الله به رغم رفض قومه أو تقصيره.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Which prophet was swallowed by a whale?
Prophet Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon him, as recorded in Surah As-Saffat 37:139-144.
What prayer did Yunus say inside the whale?
"There is no god worthy of worship except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong," recorded in Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87.
Why was Yunus thrown overboard?
He was chosen by lot on an overloaded ship after fleeing his people without Allah's permission.