JONAH IN A HARD TRIAL VERSES NO.139-148

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Quran,Translation and Commentary in Brief (Vol. 05)
Verses 149-160Verses 139-148

      This is the sixth and the last of the stories of the prophets in this chapter. (Sِ37)

      From among them all, only the people of Jonah, repented and returned in time.

      What of GHORAISH the people of Mohammad the Messenger of God? Were they willing to repent and follow their prophet, or would prefer the destiny of those who rejected faith and got the Hell of their evil deeds? That's the question now.

      Jonah was a prophet sent to a wicked and sinful people of Nineveh. He warned, preached, advised, and threatened but of no use. No one believed him! Like any other apostle, he began his mission with condemning and decrying idolatry and enjoining Monotheism. He was belied by almost all his people. Only a very few men responded positively to his call, among whom there were a couple of scholars.

      Jonah abandoned to despair for being hasty. He found most of the people of Nineveh steeped in wickedness, and he threatened them by the wrath of Allah. He deemed that Allah would soon punish such that rebellious people.

      Jonah did not consider God's infinite Mercy that usually precedes His wrath; and so he left his people behind and ran away in anger!

 

      After his departure the two or more believing scholars who were there, began to admonish the inhabitants of Nineveh, who grew mild and repented and returned to God. So were they forgiven by Allah while their fugitive apostle knew not.

      Jonah should have stayed there and insisted upon his assertions, but he was hasty and left his people and ran away as a fugitive to a port. He embarked a ship ready to sail, but heavily loaded.

      He seemed to the crew and passengers to be a fugitive slave, and soon after the sea became furious with a wild storm. The crew suspected him to be responsible for their ill-luck, that was near to happen.

      they drew lot, and the lot fell on Jonah. So they cast him off the boat, and soon after a whale swallowed Jonah!

      The Arabic, ``HUT'' translated to, ``WHALE'' literally implies a large fish of an extraordinary size like a whale or crocodile.

      Oh! What a misfortune! Jonah was entrapped by several darknesses! That of going astrayِthat of the nightِthat of the surrounding sea water; and after all the awful darkness in the bottom of the whale. So he could not have any hope of rescue in that position, or to see the colourful light of life once again.

      There, amid the awful darknesses, he began to Glorify Allah and to celebrate his praise. In a very fervent prayer he said:-

      ``There is no God except you alone. Who might be able to save me from this great grief of mine except you? It was my own fault and you are free of all wrongs and blames. It was me who oppressed and was indeed wrong. No one do I have to blame except myself.''

      In the chapter of, (THE PROPHETS-VERSE NO.87) we read:-

      ``And ZOL-NOON, when he went away in anger and deemed that We would not take it hard over him. Then he cried out in darknesses that there is no God except You. Glory be to you. I was of the oppressors. So We answered him and delivered him from grief, and so do We deliver the believers.''

      The whale could be the grave of Jonah up to the Resurrection Day, but God's Grace and Mercy came to his help and did it otherwise:-

      ``But We cast him forth in an uncultivated shore, while he was sick. And we caused to grow over him a gourd-plant.''

      The gourd-plant is a creeper that can spread over any roof or ruined structure.

      Jonah became sound and safe by the Grace of his Compassionate Lord, and went once again to the people of Nineveh, and found them all believers! The population of the town was more than a hundred thousands in number. The town welcomed Jonah, and he lived a happy religious leader, and did his best to lead his people to salvation and prosperity.

      For a detail about NINEVEH, please read volume 3, page 136 of this our book.

 

 

Verses 149-160Verses 139-148
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Lotus
Mitra
Nazanin
Titr
Tahoma