يونس
Yunus (Jonah)Dhul-Nun (Companion of the Whale)
Also known as: Jonah, Dhul-Nun (The One of the Whale), Sahib al-Hut (Companion of the Whale)
Nation / People
The people of Nineveh (Naynawa) in ancient Iraq
Period
Approximately 8th century BCE; the Assyrian period
Lifespan
Not specified
Burial Place
Mosul (ancient Nineveh) in Iraq, where a mosque bore his name until modern times
Message
One must not act on one's own initiative without divine permission even when feeling frustrated. Sincere repentance, even in extreme circumstances, is always accepted by Allah.
Lineage
- 1.Matta- Father
Key Miracles
- Swallowed by a great whale and emerging alive after a period inside it
- The whale did not digest him, preserved by the command of Allah
- His supplication from within the whale: "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers"
- Upon his emergence, a gourd tree (yaqtin) was caused to grow over him to shelter him
- His entire people of 100,000+ believed after his return, a unique occurrence
Key Stories
- Preached to the people of Nineveh who rejected him
- Left his people without permission from Allah before the command to leave was given
- Boarded a ship; when lots were cast to identify who should be thrown overboard, his name was drawn
- He entered the sea and was swallowed by a whale
- His prayer from within the whale's belly
- Spat out onto a barren shore, then sheltered by the gourd tree
- Sent back to Nineveh; his entire people, 100,000 or more, believed - the only recorded instance of an entire city accepting a Prophet
Mentioned in the Quran
Special Characteristics
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 'No Muslim calls upon Allah with this supplication, for any matter whatsoever, except that Allah responds to him.' His dua from within the whale (Dua Dhul-Nun) is among the most powerful supplications in Islam. He is one of the few Prophets whose people all believed.