Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet ﷺ that Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: "It is not permissible for any of My servants to say that he is better than Yunus bin Matta."

Abdullah bin Salamah narrates from Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said that it is not permissible for any of My servants to say that I am better than Yunus, son of Matta; he glorified Allah in the darknesses.

Hazrat Abdullah narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is not permissible for anyone to say that I am better than Yunus bin Matta.

Hazrat Abu Alia narrates that the cousin of your Prophet ﷺ, Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), told me that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is not permissible for a person to say that I am better than Yunus bin Matta."

Amr bin Maymoon narrates that Abdullah bin Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed us in the treasury and said: Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) promised his people that punishment would come upon them and informed them that the punishment would descend upon them within three days. So, they separated every mother from her child, then they went out and began to weep and seek forgiveness from Allah. Thus, Allah withheld the punishment from them. Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) waited for the punishment the next day, but he saw nothing. In those days, if someone lied, he would be killed. So, he left in anger until he reached a boat, and they recognized him and allowed him to board. When he boarded the boat, it stopped moving, while other boats would move right and left. They said, “What has happened to the boat?” Others replied, “We do not know.” Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) said, “There is a servant in it who has fled from his Master, and the boat will not move until you throw him into the water.” They said, “O Prophet of Allah! By Allah, we cannot throw you.” (2) So Yunus (peace be upon him) said, “Draw lots; whoever’s name is drawn, throw him overboard.” The lot fell in the name of Yunus (peace be upon him), but they refused to throw him. Then they said, “Whoever’s name is drawn three times, throw him overboard.” So, the lot fell in the name of Yunus (peace be upon him) three times. A fish had been appointed for him. When he fell, it swallowed him and took him down to the depths of the earth. Yunus (peace be upon him) heard the pebbles glorifying Allah { فَنَادَی فِی الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لاَ إلَہَ إلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَک إنِّی کُنْت مِنْ ألظَّالِمِینَ }. He glorified Allah in three darknesses: the darkness of the fish’s belly, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of the night. Allah says that then We cast him onto the open field while he was sick, and he became like a bird without feathers. Allah caused a gourd plant to grow over him, from which he took shade and ate. When it dried up, he began to weep. Allah revealed to him, “You weep over the drying of a plant, but you do not weep over more than one hundred thousand people whom you intended to destroy.” (3) So he left and reached a boy who was herding goats and said to him, “O boy! To which people do you belong?” He said, “To the people of Yunus.” He said, “When you go to them, tell them that you met Yunus (peace be upon him).” The boy said, “If you are Yunus, then you know that whoever lies and has no proof is killed. So who will testify for me?” Yunus said to him, “This tree and this place will testify for you.” The boy said, “Then command them.” So Yunus (peace be upon him) said to them, “When this boy comes to you, testify for him.” They said, “Alright.” The boy returned to his people, and he had brothers and was influential. He went to the king and said, “I met Yunus (peace be upon him), and he sends you greetings.” The king ordered him to be killed, but the people said, “He has witnesses.” So the king sent some people with him. They reached the tree and the place, and the boy said to them, “I ask you by Allah, did Yunus (peace be upon him) appoint you as witnesses?” They said, “Yes!” So the people returned in fear and said, “This tree and this land testify for the boy.” They went to the king and told him what they had seen. (4) Abdullah said, “The king took the boy’s hand, seated him in his place, and said, ‘You are more deserving of this place than I am.’” Abdullah said, “After that, the boy ruled over them for forty years.”

Hazrat Abu Malik says that Hazrat Yunus (peace be upon him) remained in the belly of the fish for forty years.

Mansur narrates from Hazrat Salim regarding the interpretation of { فَنَادَی فِی الظُّلُمَاتِ }, he said that it refers to the darkness of the belly of the fish and the darkness of the sea.

Hazrat Saeed bin Jubair says that { فَنَادَی فِی الظُّلُمَاتِ } refers to the darkness of the night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of the fish.

Amr bin Murrah narrates from Hazrat Abdullah bin Harith that he said: When the fish made you its morsel and threw you onto the ground, and you heard it reciting tasbih, this encouraged you to recite tasbih as well.