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Prophet Jonah
was sent to a community in Iraq. Renowned Islamic scholar, ibn Kathir calls
it Nineveh. As is the case with all the Prophets of God Jonah came to Nineveh to call the people to worship One God. He spoke of a God free from any partners,
sons, daughters or co equals and implored the people to stop worshipping idols
and engaging in evil behaviour. However, the people refused to listen, and
tried to ignore Jonah and his words of admonishment. They found Prophet Jonah
irritating.
The conduct of his people exasperated Jonah and he
decided to leave. He gave a final warning that God would punish their arrogant
behaviour but the people jeered and claimed that they were not afraid. Jonah’s
heart filled with anger towards his foolish people. He decided to leave them
to their inevitable misery. Jonah gathered a few meagre belongings and decided
to put as much distance as possible between himself and the people he had come
to despise.
“And remember when he (Jonah) went off in anger.” (Quran
21:87)
Ibn Kathir describes the scene in Nineveh immediately
after Jonah left. The sky began to change colour, it turned as red as fire. The
people were filled with fear and understood that they were only moments from
destruction. The entire population of Nineveh gathered on a mountaintop and
begged for God’s forgiveness. God accepted their repentance and removed the
wrath that was hanging ominously over their heads. The sky returned to normal,
and the people returned to their homes. They prayed that Jonah would come back
to them and guide them to the straight path.
In the meantime, Jonah had boarded a ship in the hope
that it would take him as far away from his heedless people as possible. The ship
and its many passengers sailed into the calm seas. As the darkness fell around
them, the sea suddenly changed. The wind began to blow violently and whipped
up a storm of great magnitude. The boat shuddered and felt as if it were about
to split into pieces. The people huddled in the dark and decided to throw
their luggage overboard but it made no difference. The wind blew and the boat
trembled. The passengers decided the weight was contributing to their dilemma
so decided to cast lots to throw one of the passengers overboard.
The waves were as high as mountains and the wild storm
plunged the boat up and down as if it were as light as a matchstick. It was a
seafaring tradition to cast lots by writing down all the names and drawing one
person to be cast overboard. The name was drawn and it was Jonah, but the
people were appalled. Jonah was known to be a pious and righteous man and they
did not want to throw him into the angry sea. They cast again and yet again,
but both times the name drawn was Jonah’s.
Jonah, the Prophet of God knew that this was not
random. He understood that this was in destiny as predetermined by God so he
looked at his fellow passengers and flung himself over the side of the boat. The
passengers gasped in horror as Jonah fell into the water to be scooped up in
the enormous jaws of a giant fish.
When Jonah awoke from unconsciousness, he thought that
he was dead and was lying in the darkness of his grave. He felt around him and
realised that this was not a grave but the belly of the giant fish. He was
afraid. He felt his heart beating deep in his chest and lurching towards his
throat with every ragged breath he took. Jonah was sitting in strong, acidic,
digestive juices that were eating away at his skin and he cried out to God. In
the darkness of the fish, in the darkness of the sea and in the darkness of the
night Jonah raised his voice and called out his distress to God.
“None has the right to be worshipped but you oh God, glorified
are you and truly I have been one of the wrongdoers!” (Quran 21:87)
Jonah continued praying and repeating his supplication
to God. He realised his wrongdoing and begged for God’s forgiveness. Prophet
Muhammad tells us that the angels are drawn to humankind remembering God. This
is what happened to Prophet Jonah; the angels heard his cry in the darkness and
recognised his voice. They knew of Prophet Jonah and his honourable behaviour
in the face of adversity. The angels approached God saying, “isn’t that the
sound of your righteous servant?
God answered yes. God heard Jonah’s call and saved him
from his distress. Jonah remembered God in times of ease, so God remembered
Jonah in his time of distress. The supplication that Jonah used can be repeated
by anybody in times of distress. God said in Quran that He saved Jonah, and
thus He will save the believers. (Quran 21:88)
At God’s command the giant fish surfaced and ejected
Jonah onto the shore. Jonah’s body had been burned by the digestive juices;
his skin could not protect him from the sun and the wind. Jonah was in pain
and continued to cry out for protection. He continued to repeat his
supplication and God caused a vine/tree to grow over him offering protection
from the elements and providing Jonah with food. As Jonah slowly became well
again he realised that he needed to return to his people and continue the work
God had proscribed for him.
"And, verily, Jonah was one of the Messengers. When he
ran to the laden ship, he agreed to cast lots and he was among the losers, then
a big fish swallowed him and he had done an act worthy of blame. Had he not
been of them who glorify God, he would have indeed remained inside its belly
(the fish) until the Day of Resurrection. But We cast him forth on the naked
shore while he was sick and We caused a plant of gourd to grow over him. And
We sent him to a hundred thousand people or even more, and they believed, so We
gave them enjoyment for a while.” (Quran 37:139-148).
When Jonah recovered he returned to Nineveh and was
amazed at the change in his people. They informed Jonah of their fear when the
sky had turned blood red and how they had gathered on the mountain to beg God’s
forgiveness. Jonah lived amongst his people and taught them to worship One God
and to live lives of piety and righteousness and more than 100,000 people
living in Nineveh lived in tranquillity...for a while.
The story of Prophet Jonah teaches us to have patience,
especially in the face of adversity. It teaches us to remember God in the good
times and the bad. It teaches us to remember God in this life so that He will
remember us when we die. If we remember God when we are young He will remember
us when we are old and if we remember God when we are healthy He will remember
us when we are sick, sad, or tired. Distress can be relieved only, by turning
to God with sincerity.
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