Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 87

(Ayah 87) ➊ { وَ ذَا النُّوْنِ :} means remember the man of the fish. The plural of {’’ النُّوْنِ ‘‘} is {’’نِيْنَانٌ‘‘}, just as the plural of {’’حُوْتٌ‘‘} is {’’حِيْتَانٌ‘‘}. By this is meant Yunus bin Matta (with the pattern of {شَتّٰي}), who was from Nineveh (with kasrah on the first nun and fathah on the second), which was near Mosul (Iraq).

➋ { اِذْ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا: ’’ مُغَاضِبًا ‘‘} is an active participle from the form Mufa‘alah, which involves mutual participation, or it is meant in the sense of exaggeration. When Yunus (peace be upon him) invited his people and they persisted in disbelief, he finally became weary and, in a state of intense anger, supplicated against them and threatened them with punishment, leaving them without Allah’s permission. Whereas the position of prophethood required that, despite all their rage and disbelief and rebellion, he should have remained among them and never left them without Allah’s command, just as Nuh (peace be upon him) spent nine hundred and fifty years in calling his people, never became weary, nor supplicated against them, until Allah informed him that no one else from his people would believe. See Surah Hud (36). Therefore, Allah said to our Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): «{ فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَ لَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوْتِ }» [ القلم : ۴۸ ] “So be patient for the decision of your Lord and do not be like the companion of the fish.” And He said: «{ فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ اُولُوا الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ وَ لَا تَسْتَعْجِلْ لَّهُمْ }» [ الأحقاف : ۳۵ ] “So be patient as were those of determination among the messengers and do not be hasty for them (regarding punishment).” Allah described Yunus (peace be upon him) leaving without permission as a servant fleeing, saying: «{ اِذْ اَبَقَ اِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُوْنِ }» [ الصافات : ۱۴۰ ] “When he ran away to the laden ship.” For more on the story of Yunus (peace be upon him), see Surah Yunus (98) and Surah As-Saffat (139–148).

➌ { فَظَنَّ اَنْ لَّنْ نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ : ’’ اَنْ ‘‘} is originally a shortened form of {’’أَنَّا‘‘}, with the omission of {’’ نَا ‘‘} and the nun of {’’ أَنَّ ‘‘} made silent, or {’’ أَنْ ‘‘} is an explanatory particle meaning {’’أَيْ‘‘}. Here is a question: since {’’قَدَرَ يَقْدِرُ‘‘} means to have power, to have control, how could it be that a great prophet of Allah would think that Allah could not have control over him? There are two answers: one is that he never thought that Allah could not have control over him; rather, the reality is that Allah expresses severe displeasure even at the slightest shortcoming of His prophets. This verse describes his state that, by leaving without permission, it appeared as if he thought that no one could seize him. The second answer, which is better, is that here {’’ لَنْ نَّقْدِرَ ‘‘} does not mean to have power, but rather to restrict and to seize, as Allah said: «{ اَللّٰہُ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ وَ يَقْدِرُ }» [ الرعد : ۲۶ ] “Allah expands provision for whom He wills and restricts it.” And He said: «{وَ مَنْ قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهٗ فَلْيُنْفِقْ مِمَّاۤ اٰتٰىهُ اللّٰهُ }» [ الطلاق : ۷ ] “And for him whose provision is restricted, let him spend from what Allah has given him.” The meaning of the verse would then be that Yunus (peace be upon him) thought that for leaving his people without permission, We would not seize him. Some scholars have considered the first meaning to be entirely incorrect.

➍ {فَنَادٰى فِي الظُّلُمٰتِ :} Here, a long story has been omitted, which is mentioned in Surah As-Saffat (139–148). Its summary is that he left his people and boarded a ship for a sea journey, which was overloaded. A storm came and there was a danger of everyone drowning, so after throwing out the cargo to lighten the ship, it was decided to throw some people into the sea. Lots were drawn, and along with several others, the lot fell to Yunus (peace be upon him), so he too was thrown into the sea, where, by Allah’s command, a very large fish swallowed him whole. Now he was in a place of utter darkness. It was a prison where there was no visitor, no one to plead his case, no one to follow up, no term for the imprisonment, rather a decision of imprisonment until the Day of Judgment (if he did not glorify Allah), and no hope except from Allah. In these many darknesses, he called upon his Lord in a state filled with grief, as He said: «{ اِذْ نَادٰى وَ هُوَ مَكْظُوْمٌ }» [ القلم :۴۸ ] “When he called out while he was distressed.”

➎ In the Qur’an, the word {’’ الظُّلُمٰتِ ‘‘} always appears in the plural, never in the singular. (Ibn Ashur) Then, the darknesses of the sea are beyond count. Allah said: «{ اَوْ كَظُلُمٰتٍ فِيْ بَحْرٍ لُّجِّيٍّ يَّغْشٰىهُ مَوْجٌ مِّنْ فَوْقِهٖ مَوْجٌ مِّنْ فَوْقِهٖ سَحَابٌ ظُلُمٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ }» [ النور : ۴۰ ] “Or (the deeds of the disbelievers are) like the darknesses in a deep sea, covered by a wave, above which is another wave, above which is a cloud—darknesses, some of them above others.” According to Allah’s statement, when the darknesses of the sea are not just {’’ الظُّلُمٰتِ ‘‘} but { ’’ ظُلُمٰتٌۢ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ ‘‘}, then what need is there to include the darkness of night to complete the plural form of { ’’ الظُّلُمٰتِ ‘‘}? Even if Yunus (peace be upon him) supplicated during the day, it would still be {’’ فِي الظُّلُمٰتِ ‘‘}. [ التفسیر القرآنی للشیخ عبد الکریم الخطیب ]

➏ { اَنْ لَّاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْتَ:} This {’’ اَنْ ‘‘} is also originally a shortened form of {’’أَنَّهُ‘‘}, or it is an explanatory particle meaning {’’ أَيْ ‘‘}. Allah said in the next verse: «{ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهٗ }» “So We responded to him.” Here, a question arises: Yunus (peace be upon him) did not ask for anything—not deliverance nor relief from the calamity—so which supplication did Allah accept? The answer (and Allah knows best) is that he made the best supplication according to his situation. First, he praised Allah, declaring that there is no deity except You; You are my Master and my God, I am Your servant and Your slave, I and all that I have are entrusted to You and subject to You. Then he glorified Him, declaring that You are free from every defect and shortcoming; in this trial and calamity, there is no injustice or excess from You, Your essence is completely free from injustice. What You have done is Your right as Master and God, and in it are countless wisdoms. Finally, he confessed his own wrongdoing, that surely what has happened to me is because of my own wrongdoing against myself. This supplication is the best because, in affirming Allah’s oneness, there is an implicit request that none but You can deliver me from this calamity; in the glorification, there is an expression that You are not incapable of delivering me from this calamity, from which outwardly there is no way out; and the confession of being among the wrongdoers is the most subtle form of seeking forgiveness and pardon. Ayyub (peace be upon him) also sufficed in his supplication by presenting his condition and invoking Allah’s mercy. For more details on the best supplication, see the commentary of Surah Al-Fatihah regarding {’’ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘}. For further details on the story of Yunus (peace be upon him), see Surah As-Saffat and Surah Al-Qalam.