Messenger
Yunus peace be upon him
Dhun-Nun the man of the whale
Sent to the people of Nineveh. He left them in anger, was swallowed by a great fish and saved after his famous supplication. His people then believed and were spared.
Rasul (messenger): a prophet sent with a message to a people. Marked here when the Quran explicitly calls him a messenger; scholars also count others, such as Dawud, who was given the Zabur. Nabi (prophet): one who receives revelation from Allah. Every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger.
- Sent to
- The people of Nineveh "a hundred thousand or more" (37:147)
- Region
- Nineveh (near Mosul, Iraq)
- Named in the Quran
- 4 times by name
Key events
- Left his people in anger when they did not believe (21:87).
- Boarded a laden ship; lots were cast and he was thrown into the sea (37:140-141).
- In the darkness of the fish he called: "There is no god but You; glory be to You; I was among the wrongdoers" (21:87).
- Cast onto the shore, where a gourd plant grew over him (37:145-146).
- His people believed, and Allah lifted the punishment from them (10:98).
Lesson
Never despair of Allah's mercy; turn back to Him in every hardship.
In the Quran
Lineage from Adam
About the lineage: Yunus son of Matta, from the Children of Israel according to historians.