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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Hayat Al-Qulub, Vol. 1, Stories of the Prophets An account of Yunus ibn Matta and his respected father Says Almighty in the Holy Qur’an: “And wherefore was there not a town which should believe so that their belief should have profited them but the people of Yunus? When they believed, We removed from them the chastisement of disgrace in this world’s life and We gave them provision until a time.

(10:98) He asserts at another place: And Yunus when he went away in wrath, he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: “There is no Allah but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I am of those who make themselves to suffer loss.” So We responded to him and delivered him from his grief and thus do We deliver the believers.

(21:87-88) Imam al-Ridha is reported to have said that: He (Yunus As, the fish-related Prophet) was convinced that We (Allah Almighty) would not narrow down his provision. Some have said that he had imagined that, on his error of leaving the preferable ( Tark al-Awla ), We (Allah) would not take him to task.

Hence it is related from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir that he (Yunus) cried out in the darkness and Imam al-Ridha has said that he cried out in the (triple) darkness of the night, the sea and the inside of the fish (which had swallowed him up): “O My Lord! There is no Allah except You, I glorify You, clear You from all things which are not becoming You (you are absolutely faultless).

Doubtlessly I have erred in walking away from the people while it was better to remain among them.” Or he uttered these words by way of humility without having indulged in any sin or undesirable deed.

Imam al-Ridha is reported to have said that when Yunus remembered Allah with so much peace of mind in the belly of the fish and said that “I have never worshipped Allah like this before’ then (Allah said) “We accepted his prayer and delivered him from grief and sorrow and We relieve Believers like this from grief and sorrow whenever they seek Our shelter uttering these words.” As reliably and authentically said by Imam as-Sadiq.

And Allah says at another place: “And Yunus was most surely of the apostles.” “When he ran away (from the midst of his people) to a ship completely laden (with passengers and their goods).” “So he shared (with them), but was of those who are cast off.