سُوْرَةُ الصَّافَّاتِ
Surah As-Saaffaat (37) — Ayah 142
فَٱلْتَقَمَهُ ٱلْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ﴿142﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then a (big) fish swallowed him as he had done an act worthy of blame.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَٱلْتَقَمَهُ
fal-taqamahu
Then swallowed him
ٱلْحُوتُ
l-ḥūtu
the fish
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
while he
مُلِيمٌۭ
mulīmun
(was) blameworthy
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.
142. So the fish swallowed him [83] while he was blameworthy [84].
[83] The meaning of ﴿مُلِيْمٌ﴾ is that person whose own conscience is reproaching him, acknowledging that he is truly at fault, whether anyone else reproaches him or not. Sayyiduna Yunus (peace be upon him) realized his ijtihadi mistake immediately after fleeing, and when his name kept coming up in the drawing of lots, he became certain of it.
[84] Thus, after entering the belly of the fish, he became engaged in repentance and seeking forgiveness before his Lord. In the darkness of the fish’s belly, his constant supplication was ﴿لاَ اِلٰهَ الآَ أنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّٰلِميْن﴾, as mentioned in Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 87. If he had not continued to recite these words of glorification, he would have remained in the belly of the fish forever, meaning he would have become its food and been digested within its body.
[83] The meaning of ﴿مُلِيْمٌ﴾ is that person whose own conscience is reproaching him, acknowledging that he is truly at fault, whether anyone else reproaches him or not. Sayyiduna Yunus (peace be upon him) realized his ijtihadi mistake immediately after fleeing, and when his name kept coming up in the drawing of lots, he became certain of it.
[84] Thus, after entering the belly of the fish, he became engaged in repentance and seeking forgiveness before his Lord. In the darkness of the fish’s belly, his constant supplication was ﴿لاَ اِلٰهَ الآَ أنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّٰلِميْن﴾, as mentioned in Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 87. If he had not continued to recite these words of glorification, he would have remained in the belly of the fish forever, meaning he would have become its food and been digested within its body.
