Which Prophet Was Swallowed by a Whale, Then Rescued by Allah?
من النبي الذي التقمه الحوت ثم نجّاه 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).
هو يونس عليه السلام، قال الله تعالى: 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 | خروج يونس مغاضبًا
Yunus left his people in anger 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 departure the Quran itself treats as blameworthy (37:142). When the ship was in danger of sinking, they cast lots, and the lot fell on him, so he was thrown overboard (37:141).
خرج يونس عليه السلام من قومه مغاضبًا قبل أن يأذن الله له، بعد أن أبطؤوا في الاستجابة لدعوته، وقد وصف الله خروجه بقوله: (إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ) (الصافات 37: 140)، وعدّ القرآن ذلك أمرًا يُلام عليه، فقال: (فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ) (الصافات 37: 142). ولما أشرفت السفينة على الغرق اقترعوا، فوقعت القرعة عليه، فأُلقي في البحر: (فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ) (الصافات 37: 141).
2. The Prayer That Saved Him | الدعاء الذي نجّاه
Inside the whale, in the darkness mentioned in the Quran, 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)
وفي بطن الحوت، في الظلمات التي ذكرها القرآن، نادى يونس ربه: (لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ) (الأنبياء 21: 87). وهذه دعوة ذي النون، من أكثر الأدعية ترديدًا عند المسلمين، وقد نصّ القرآن على أن تسبيحه هو الذي نجّاه من أن يلبث في بطن الحوت إلى يوم يُبعثون.
3. A Prophet Named Alongside Ilyas in the Same Surah | مع إلياس في سورة واحدة
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.
وجاءت قصة يونس عليه السلام في سورة الصافات قريبًا من قصة إلياس عليه السلام، كما بيّنا في جواب: من هو النبي الذي ذُكر في سورة الصافات باسمين مختلفين؟ والقصتان على نسق السورة: تسمية الرسول، ثم ذكر ابتلائه، ثم بيان رحمة الله به مع تكذيب قومه أو ما بدر منه.
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.