ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Ethics of The Prophets The Ethos Of Jonah (Yunus) ============================== Jonah was born 4708 years after the fall of Adam. He was a Prophet of Bani-Israel. According to the holy Quran "And Yunus was most surely of the apostles" (37:139) وإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ المُرسَلينَ. He was the son of EliJah(Ilyas) or Matthew. Hence he is called Jonah son of Matthew. His book consists of advice.

There is an interesting story about him the concise version of which goes as follows: When he fled his people for the city of Tressiss in Tunisia, he went to the seashore. The holy Quran says: "When he ran away to a ship completely laden" (37:140) إِذ أَبَقَ إِلى الفُلكِ المَشحُونِ. When they launched the ship, the sea became stormy without any wind to blow. There was a big wave in a way that those in the ship became worried. Jonah said: Throw me into sea so that you will have calm.

People said: We do not dare to commit such an act. Jonah said: The storm will not stop unless I am drowned. If you do not believe me, cast lot so as to decide who should be thrown into sea. The holy Quran says: "So he shared (with them), but was of those who are cast off (37:141). فَساهَمَ فَكانَ مِنَ المُدحَضينَ. This was repeated three times and eventually they threw him into sea.

The holy Quran says: "So the fish swallowed him while he did that for which he blamed himself." (37:142) فَالتَقَمَهُ الحُوتُ وَهوَ مُليمٌ. When he was in the belly of fish, he started glorifying God: "And Yunus, when he went away in wrath, so thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no god 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 the grief, and thus do We deliver the believers." (21:87-88) وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَهَبَ مُغاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أن لَن نَقدِرَ عَلَيهِ فَنادى في الظُّلُماتِ أن لا إِله إِلا أنتَ سُبحانَكَ إِنّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظّالِمينَ. فَاستَجَبنا لَهُ وَنَجَّيناهُ مِنَ الغَمِّ وَكذلِكَ نُنجي المُؤمِنينَ. The holy Quran further says: "then We cast him on to the vacant surface of the earth while he was sick." (37:145) فَنَبَذناهُ بِالعَراءِ وَهوَ سَقيمٌ.

After a few days, Jonah was given the mission to go to the city of Nineva. He did so. In this relation, the holy Quran says: "And they believed, so We gave them provision till a time." (37:148) فَآمَنوا فَمَتّعناهُم إِلى حِينٍ.