Yunus became disheartened and angry and decided to leave his people. He set off on a ship full of people. Once at sea, dark clouds appeared and the waves became turbulent. The ship was about to capsize, and the sailors were terrified. The crew decided to lighten the ship.
They decided to cast a lot to throw one of the passengers in the water. When they cast the lot, it showed the name of Yunus. Allah ordered a great whale to swallow Yunus whole without harming him. He stayed there praying to Allah. His prayer was heard by Allah and witnessed by the angels, even when he was covered by three layers of darkness: the night, ocean, and belly of the whale. He asked for Allah’s forgiveness for leaving his people. Allah said: (And ˹remember˺ when the Man of the Whale stormed off ˹from his city˺ in a rage, thinking We would not restrain him. Then in the ˹veils of˺ darkness2 he cried out, “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong.”) When Yunus repented and prayed to Allah, his prayers were answered. Allah said: (So We answered his prayer and rescued him from anguish. And so do We save the ˹true˺ believers.) By the order of Allah, the whale spewed him out at the coast. He was weak and naked, in need of food and shade. Allah granted him many blessings, He said: (But We cast him onto the open ˹shore˺, ˹totally˺ worn out, and caused a squash plant to grow over him.) By Allah's grace he was forgiven and spared the humiliation. (Had he not been shown grace by his Lord, he would have certainly been cast onto the open ˹shore˺, still blameworthy.)
