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Jonah (Yunus)
يونس (ذو النون)
c. 800–750 BCE
Sent to the people of Nineveh. Left his people in anger before God's permission. Swallowed by a great fish (whale). Called upon God in the darkness and was saved. His people ultimately repented and were spared — the only nation in the Quran whose collective repentance was accepted.
Timeline
800 BCE
Called to prophethood
الدعوة إلى النبوة
Called by God and sent as a prophet to the people of Nineveh (in modern Iraq)
790 BCE
Sent to Nineveh
الإرسال إلى نينوى
Commanded to warn the people of Nineveh against their wickedness
789 BCE
Abandons his mission
ترك القوم
Leaves his people in anger and frustration before receiving God's permission
Cast into the sea
إلقاؤه في البحر
Boards a ship; a storm arises and the crew draws lots — Yunus is thrown overboard
Swallowed by the whale
ابتلاع الحوت
A great fish (whale) swallows him; he calls out to God in the darkness
Delivered to shore
النجاة إلى الشاطئ
God answers his prayer; the whale casts him onto the shore, ill and bare
788 BCE
People of Nineveh repent
توبة أهل نينوى
The people of Nineveh believe and repent; God lifts the punishment from them
Scripture Comparison
Theme الموضوع | Quran القرآن الكريم | Torah / Old Testament التوراة | New Testament العهد الجديد | Talmud / Midrash التلمود / المدراش | Avesta الأفستا | Gnostic Texts النصوص الغنوصية |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flight from God الهروب | As-Saffat 37:139-144
وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴿١٣٩﴾ إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ ﴿١٤٠﴾ فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ ﴿١٤١﴾ فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ ﴿١٤٢﴾ فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ ﴿١٤٣﴾ لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطْنِهِ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٤٤﴾
And indeed, Jonah was among the messengers. (139) [Mention] when he ran away to the laden ship. (140) And he drew lots and was among the losers. (141) Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy. (142) And had he not been of those who exalt Allah, (143) He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected. (144)
Al-Qalam 68:48-50
فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ ﴿٤٨﴾ لَّوْلَا أَن تَدَارَكَهُ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ لَنُبِذَ بِالْعَرَاءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ ﴿٤٩﴾ فَاجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَجَعَلَهُ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿٥٠﴾
Then be patient for the decision of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the fish when he called out while he was distressed. (48) If not that a favor from his Lord overtook him, he would have been thrown onto the naked shore while he was censured. (49) And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous. (50)
| Jonah 1:1-4, 15-17
وَصَارَ قَوْلُ الرَّبِّ إِلَى يُونَانَ بْنِ أَمِتَّايَ قَائِلًا: «قُمِ اذْهَبْ إِلَى نِينَوَى الْمَدِينَةِ الْعَظِيمَةِ وَنَادِ عَلَيْهَا». فَقَامَ يُونَانُ لِيَهْرُبَ إِلَى تَرْشِيشَ مِنْ وَجْهِ الرَّبِّ. فَأَرْسَلَ الرَّبُّ رِيحًا شَدِيدَةً إِلَى الْبَحْرِ، فَحَدَثَ نَوْءٌ عَظِيمٌ فِي الْبَحْرِ. فَأَخَذُوا يُونَانَ وَطَرَحُوهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ، فَوَقَفَ الْبَحْرُ عَنْ هَيَجَانِهِ. فَأَعَدَّ الرَّبُّ حُوتًا عَظِيمًا لِيَبْتَلِعَ يُونَانَ. فَكَانَ يُونَانُ فِي جَوْفِ الْحُوتِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ وَثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it." But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
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The Whale الحوت | Al-Anbiya 21:87-88
وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾
And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (87) So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers. (88)
| Jonah 2:1-2, 10
فَصَلَّى يُونَانُ إِلَى الرَّبِّ إِلهِهِ مِنْ جَوْفِ الْحُوتِ، وَقَالَ: «دَعَوْتُ مِنْ ضِيقِي الرَّبَّ فَاسْتَجَابَنِي. صَرَخْتُ مِنْ جَوْفِ الْهَاوِيَةِ فَسَمِعْتَ صَوْتِي». فَأَمَرَ الرَّبُّ الْحُوتَ فَقَذَفَ يُونَانَ إِلَى الْبَرِّ.
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry." And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
| Matthew 12:39-41
فَأَجَابَ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «جِيلٌ شِرِّيرٌ وَفَاسِقٌ يَطْلُبُ آيَةً، وَلاَ تُعْطَى لَهُ آيَةٌ إِلاَّ آيَةَ يُونَانَ النَّبِيِّ. لأَنَّهُ كَمَا كَانَ يُونَانُ فِي بَطْنِ الْحُوتِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ وَثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ، هكَذَا يَكُونُ ابْنُ الإِنْسَانِ فِي قَلْبِ الأَرْضِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ وَثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ. رِجَالُ نِينَوَى سَيَقُومُونَ فِي الدِّينِ مَعَ هذَا الْجِيلِ وَيَدِينُونَهُ، لأَنَّهُمْ تَابُوا بِمُنَادَاةِ يُونَانَ، وَهُوَذَا أَعْظَمُ مِنْ يُونَانَ ههُنَا!»
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here."
| Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 10
ابتلع الحوت يونان وحمله إلى أعماق البحر. وأراه عيني يونان كل ما في البحر وأعماقه. وأراه نهر المياه العظيم الذي يجري تحت الأرض... فصلّى يونان وقال: أنقذني يا رب!
The great fish swallowed Jonah and carried him to the depths of the sea. It showed Jonah's eyes all that was in the sea and its depths. It showed him the great river of waters that flows beneath the earth… Jonah prayed and said: "Save me, O Lord!"
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Repentance of Nineveh توبة أهل نينوى | Yunus 10:98
فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ ﴿٩٨﴾
Then has there not been a [single] city that believed so its faith benefited it except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life and gave them enjoyment for a time. (98)
| Jonah 3:5-10
فَآمَنَ أَهْلُ نِينَوَى بِاللهِ وَنَادَوْا بِصَوْمٍ وَلَبِسُوا مُسُوحًا مِنْ كَبِيرِهِمْ إِلَى صَغِيرِهِمْ. وَبَلَغَ الأَمْرُ مَلِكَ نِينَوَى، فَقَامَ عَنْ كُرْسِيِّهِ وَخَلَعَ رِدَاءَهُ عَنْهُ وَتَغَطَّى بِمِسْحٍ وَجَلَسَ عَلَى الرَّمَادِ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى اللهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ رَجَعُوا عَنْ طَرِيقِهِمِ الرَّدِيئَةِ، نَدِمَ اللهُ عَلَى الشَّرِّ الَّذِي تَكَلَّمَ أَنْ يَصْنَعَهُ بِهِمْ، فَلَمْ يَصْنَعْهُ.
The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah's warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
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Sea Creature Narrative حكاية مخلوق البحر | — | — | — | — | Bundahishn 24:13-15
إنّ السمكة كار (كارا ماهي) العظيمة التي خلقها أهورا مزدا تحرس شجرة الحياة (هوم الأبيض) في بحر فراخكرد، وتدور حولها دائماً. وإنّ هذا المخلوق البحري العظيم يبتلع الشرّ الذي يقترب من الشجرة المقدّسة ويحفظها سالمةً.
The great fish Kar (Kara Mahig), created by Ahura Mazda, guards the tree of life (White Haoma) in the sea of Frakhkard, ever circling around it. This great sea creature swallows the evil that approaches the sacred tree and preserves it unharmed.
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Prophetic Biography سيرة نبوية | — | — | — | — | — | Lives of the Prophets, Jonah
يونان بن أمتّاي كان من قرية في بلاد آشور. وبعد أن ابتلعه الحوت وقذفه إلى الشاطئ، ذهب ولم يقم في أرضه بل أخذ أمّه وسكن في صور أرض الأمم. لأنه قال: هكذا أُزيل عاري لأنني تنبّأت كذباً بخراب مدينة نينوى العظيمة ولم تخرب.
Jonah, son of Amittai, was from the district near the Assyrian territory. After the whale cast him out, he went away and did not stay in his own land, but took his mother and sojourned in Tyre, a land of foreign nations. For he said: "So shall I remove my reproach, for I spoke falsely in prophesying against the great city of Nineveh, and it was not destroyed."
Lives of the Prophets, Jonah (death)
وبعد عودته من أرض الأمم، مات يونان ودُفن في مغارة كنعسيت. وقد أعطى آية بشأن أورشليم والأرض كلّها: عندما يُرى حجر يصرخ بصوت شجيّ، وعندما تحمل شجرة أثماراً من دم، فاعلموا أنّ النهاية قريبة.
After returning from the land of the nations, Jonah died and was buried in the cave of Kenaz. He gave a sign concerning Jerusalem and the whole land: When a stone cries out with a mournful voice, and when a tree bears fruit of blood, know that the end is near.
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