سُوْرَةُ الْقَلَمِ
Surah Al-Qalam (68) — Ayah 48
فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ ﴿48﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So wait with patience for the Decision of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish - when he cried out (to Us) while he was in deep sorrow. (See the Qur’ân, Verse 21:87).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَٱصْبِرْ
fa-iṣ'bir
So be patient
لِحُكْمِ
liḥuk'mi
for (the) decision
رَبِّكَ
rabbika
(of) your Lord
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَكُن
takun
be
كَصَاحِبِ
kaṣāḥibi
like (the) companion
ٱلْحُوتِ
l-ḥūti
(of) the fish
إِذْ
idh
when
نَادَىٰ
nādā
he called out
وَهُوَ
wahuwa
while he
مَكْظُومٌۭ
makẓūmun
(was) distressed
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.
48. So be patient for the command of your Lord, and do not be like the companion of the fish [24] (Jonah), when he called out while he was full of grief [25].
[24] That is, just as Sayyiduna Yunus ؑ, being distressed by the opposition of his people, displayed impatience. Without waiting for divine revelation, he himself threatened them with punishment and then departed from there. You should not do so; rather, bear the harm, mockery, ridicule, and opposition of the people with patience. And remain patient until you are commanded to migrate from here.
[25]
What Distresses Did Sayyiduna Yunus Face That Filled Him to the Throat:
﴿مَكْظُوْمٍ﴾ ﴿كظم﴾ refers to the windpipe, and ﴿كظم السقاء﴾ means to fill a waterskin to the brim and then seal its mouth. And ﴿كظيم﴾ and ﴿مكظوم﴾ refer to a person who is filled up to the windpipe with grief or anger but does not express it and suppresses it.
The Litany in the Belly of the Fish:
In this verse, the state of Sayyiduna Yunus ؑ is described when he went into the belly of the fish. At that time, he was a collection of various sorrows. For example, the sorrow that his people did not believe; the sorrow that the promised punishment he had announced did not come; the sorrow of leaving his people without a clear command from Allah; then the sorrow of ending up in the belly of the fish. In all these distresses and sorrows, the only way out he saw was to glorify Allah and declare His oneness and seek forgiveness for his sins from Allah. Thus, as long as he remained in the belly of the fish, he kept reciting ﴿لَّآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّآ اَنْتَ سُبْحٰــنَكَ اِنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ﴾. Until Allah delivered him from that affliction.
[24] That is, just as Sayyiduna Yunus ؑ, being distressed by the opposition of his people, displayed impatience. Without waiting for divine revelation, he himself threatened them with punishment and then departed from there. You should not do so; rather, bear the harm, mockery, ridicule, and opposition of the people with patience. And remain patient until you are commanded to migrate from here.
[25]
What Distresses Did Sayyiduna Yunus Face That Filled Him to the Throat:
﴿مَكْظُوْمٍ﴾ ﴿كظم﴾ refers to the windpipe, and ﴿كظم السقاء﴾ means to fill a waterskin to the brim and then seal its mouth. And ﴿كظيم﴾ and ﴿مكظوم﴾ refer to a person who is filled up to the windpipe with grief or anger but does not express it and suppresses it.
The Litany in the Belly of the Fish:
In this verse, the state of Sayyiduna Yunus ؑ is described when he went into the belly of the fish. At that time, he was a collection of various sorrows. For example, the sorrow that his people did not believe; the sorrow that the promised punishment he had announced did not come; the sorrow of leaving his people without a clear command from Allah; then the sorrow of ending up in the belly of the fish. In all these distresses and sorrows, the only way out he saw was to glorify Allah and declare His oneness and seek forgiveness for his sins from Allah. Thus, as long as he remained in the belly of the fish, he kept reciting ﴿لَّآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّآ اَنْتَ سُبْحٰــنَكَ اِنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ﴾. Until Allah delivered him from that affliction.
