On the appointed day...

On the appointed day, the children were separated from the mothers and the calves from the mother‑cows; everybody fasted, all of them went out of the village; there they cried, they prayed, they prostrated to God and asked His forgiveness and pray, to Him to avert that affliction. The sky was covered with black clouds, day became like night, thunder and lightening were shattering the whole atmosphere. It appeared that soon the punishment from God would wipe out the whole nation of Prophet Yunus.

It was fortunate that they had repented before seeing the punishment; and, there­fore, God in His mercy forgave them, and as their prayers,…