سُوْرَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ

Surah As-Saaffaat (37) — Ayah 141

Those drawn up in Ranks · Meccan · Juz 23 · Page 451

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فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُدْحَضِينَ ﴿141﴾

Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Then he (agreed to) cast lots, and he was among the losers.

Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning

فَسَاهَمَ fasāhama Then he drew lots
فَكَانَ fakāna and was
مِنَ mina of
ٱلْمُدْحَضِينَ l-mud'ḥaḍīna the losers

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 141) ➊ { فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِيْنَ:’’سَاهَمَ‘‘} (Mufa‘alah) to take part in drawing lots. {’’ الْمُدْحَضِيْنَ ‘‘ ’’أَدْحَضَ يُدْحِضُ‘‘} is the passive participle from (If‘al), to slip, to invalidate. From these verses, the situation of the incident is understood as follows: The ship in which Yunus (peace be upon him) boarded was overloaded beyond its capacity. During the journey, in case of a storm or any danger, extra load is first thrown into the sea to reduce the burden. If the danger still remains after that, then some people are thrown overboard so that not everyone drowns. The same situation occurred with the ship in which Yunus (peace be upon him) was traveling. Thus, it was decided to draw lots, and those whose names came up would be thrown into the sea. The lot was drawn, and Yunus (peace be upon him) was among those whose names came up to be thrown into the sea. The words {’’ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِيْنَ ‘‘} (so he became among those who lost the lot or were made to slip) indicate that along with Yunus (peace be upon him), the names of other people also came up in the lot; Allah knows best how many they were. In short, all of them were picked up and thrown into the sea.

➋ At this point, some tafsirs have written: "When Yunus (peace be upon him) boarded the ship and the ship reached deep water, instead of moving forward, it started circling. The people of the ship said to the passengers that such a situation occurs to us when a runaway slave is on board. They drew lots that whoever's name came up would be thrown into the sea. The lot was drawn three times, but each time it came up with the name of Yunus (peace be upon him). The lot was drawn repeatedly because, seeing the piety of Yunus (peace be upon him), they did not want to throw him into the sea. When the lot came up with his name three times, he himself became ready to jump into the sea, saying, 'I am the runaway slave.'" In this story, there are things that are neither in the Qur'an nor in the hadith, nor are they proven by any reliable source, so it is difficult to accept them.

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

141. Then lots were cast [81], and he was among the losers [82].

[81]
Drawing of Lots in the Boat:

Sayyiduna Yunus (peace be upon him) was sent to the people of Nineveh. He fled and reached the seashore, where he saw that the boat was already packed full. At his request, the boatmen allowed him to board as well. As soon as they set off, instead of moving forward, the boat began to spin around. Based on their experience, the boatmen told the passengers that such a situation arises for them when a runaway slave is aboard. They drew lots, and the lot fell upon Sayyiduna Yunus (peace be upon him). Even after drawing lots a second and third time, the name of Sayyiduna Yunus kept coming up, and all of this was happening according to the will of Allah.

[82]
Sayyiduna Yunus (peace be upon him) in the Belly of the Fish:

Thus, the boatmen picked up Sayyiduna Yunus (peace be upon him) and threw him into the sea. A very large whale was already waiting with its mouth open. It immediately swallowed Sayyiduna Yunus (peace be upon him) in a single gulp. In this way, Sayyiduna Yunus entered the belly of the fish alive and well.
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