The story in short
- Arabic name
- يونس
- English name
- Jonah
- Named in the Quran
- 4 times
- Sent to
- A people of a hundred thousand or more (Nineveh, in the books of history)
- In the list of 25
- 21 of 25
In short: Yunus, also called Dhun-Nun, "the man of the fish", left his people in anger. He boarded a laden ship, lots were cast, and he was thrown into the sea, where a great fish swallowed him. In the darkness he said: "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers" (21:87). Allah saved him, cast him onto the shore and grew a gourd plant over him. He went back to his people, a hundred thousand or more, and they all believed.
The story of Yunus
Leaving his people
"And the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree anything upon him" (21:87). Yunus left his people when they did not respond, before Allah had given him leave. "He ran away to the laden ship" (37:140). The ship was in danger, lots were drawn, and Yunus was among the losers and was thrown into the sea (37:141).
In the belly of the fish
"Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy" (37:142). In the darkness, of the night, the sea and the fish, he called out: "La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin" (21:87). "So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers" (21:88). Allah says that had he not been of those who glorify Him, he would have remained inside the fish until the Day of Resurrection (37:143-144). The Prophet ﷺ said: "The dua of Dhun-Nun when he called on Him in the belly of the fish: no Muslim ever calls with it for anything except that Allah answers him".1
On the shore, and his people
"But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill. And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine. And We sent him to a hundred thousand or more. And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment of life for a time" (37:145-148). His people are the only ones in the Quran who turned to faith after the warning and were spared: "Except the people of Yunus. When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life" (10:98).
The Prophet ﷺ said: "No servant should say that I am better than Yunus ibn Matta".2 His haste did not lower him: "His Lord chose him and made him of the righteous" (68:50).
Key verses
وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبًۭا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾ فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَنَجَّيْنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُۨجِى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾
Wa Zan Nooni iz zahaba mughaadiban fazaanna al lan naqdira 'alaihi fanaadaa fiz zulumaati al laaa ilaaha illaaa Anta Subhaanaka innee kuntu minaz zaalimeen Fastajabnaa lahoo wa najjainaahu minal ghamm; wa kazaalika nunjil mu'mineen
(87) 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." (88) So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.
Quran 21:87-88 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Anbiya
فَٱلْتَقَمَهُ ٱلْحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌۭ ﴿١٤٢﴾ فَلَوْلَآ أَنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُسَبِّحِينَ ﴿١٤٣﴾ لَلَبِثَ فِى بَطْنِهِۦٓ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿١٤٤﴾ ۞ فَنَبَذْنَٰهُ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌۭ ﴿١٤٥﴾ وَأَنۢبَتْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَجَرَةًۭ مِّن يَقْطِينٍۢ ﴿١٤٦﴾
Faltaqamahul hootu wa huwa muleem Falaw laaa annahoo kaana minal musabbiheen Lalabisa fee batniheee ilaa Yawmi yub'asoon Fanabaznaahu bil'araaa'i wa huwa saqeem Wa ambatnaa 'alaihi shajaratam mai yaqteen
(142) Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy. (143) And had he not been of those who exalt Allah, (144) He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected. (145) But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill. (146) And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine.
Quran 37:142-146 · Sahih International · Read in Surah As-Saffat
فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَٰنُهَآ إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُوا۟ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍۢ ﴿٩٨﴾
Falaw laa kaanat qaryatun aamanat fanafa'ahaaa eemaanuhaaa illaa qawma Yoonusa lammaaa aamanoo kashafnaa 'anhum 'azaabal khizyi fil hayaatid dunyaa wa matta'naahum ilaa heen
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.
Quran 10:98 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Yunus
Lessons from the story
- No darkness is too deep for dua. Yunus called from three darknesses and was heard.
- Admitting our own fault is part of the dua: "I have been of the wrongdoers."
- Dhikr in good times saves in hard times: he was saved because he was "of those who glorify".
- Do not give up on people. The people Yunus left all believed in the end.
- No prophet should be belittled, and we do not rank them to lower any of them.
Where it is in the Quran
The main passages about Yunus, with links to read and listen to each surah:
- Surah As-Saffat 37:139-148
- Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87-88
- Surah Al-Qalam 68:48-50
- Surah Yunus 10:98
What is authentic, and what is not
The Quran does not say how long Yunus stayed in the fish. Reports of a few hours, three days, seven days or forty days come from early scholars and Isra'iliyyat, and none is confirmed. The Quran calls it al-hut, a great fish. Calling it a whale is a common translation, but the Quran does not name the species. The name Nineveh for his people's town comes from history books.
We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.
Questions
What is the dua of Prophet Yunus?
"La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin": "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers" (21:87). The Prophet ﷺ said Allah answers whoever calls with it (Tirmidhi 3505).
How long was Yunus in the whale?
The Quran and sahih hadith do not say. Figures from three days to forty days are reports that cannot be confirmed.
Why is Yunus called Dhun-Nun?
Nun means fish, so Dhun-Nun means "the man of the fish" (21:87). He is also called Sahib al-Hut, "the companion of the fish" (68:48).
Which surah is named after Yunus?
Surah Yunus (10), which mentions his people in 10:98. His full story is in As-Saffat 37:139-148.
Sources
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 3505, graded sahih.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3395.
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Yunus, and his tafsir of 37:139-148.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.