Prophet Yunus (Jonah, peace be upon him)

Yunus (peace be upon him), also known by his title Dhul-Nun (the Companion of the Whale), is among the most uniquely tested prophets in Islamic history. He was sent to the people of Nineveh — a great city in what is now northern Iraq — and his story contains one of the most extraordinary lessons in patience, accountability, and the encompassing mercy of Allah. Yunus called his people to Allah for a long period, but they persistently rejected his message. Frustrated and without Allah's express permission to leave, Yunus departed from his people prematurely. He boarded a ship, and when the sea became rough the sailors cast lots to determine who should be thrown overboard to lighten the load — the lot fell on Yunus three times. He was cast into the sea and swallowed by a great whale. Inside the belly of the whale, in the darkness upon darkness upon darkness, Yunus called upon Allah in an extraordinary supplication that the Quran preserves (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:87): "And he called out within the darknesses: 'There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.'" This prayer — combining absolute tawhid, glorification of Allah, and admission of one's own error — is known in Islamic tradition as Ayat al-Karim, and scholars consider it among the most powerful supplications a Muslim can make in distress. Allah answered Yunus, commanding the whale to cast him onto the shore. Yunus emerged sick and weak, sheltered by a plant that Allah caused to grow over him. Then Allah sent him back to his people — one hundred thousand or more — who had already repented and believed after a sign of the coming punishment appeared. The Quran notes this as a unique event: a people who believed after seeing the signs of punishment and were spared (Surah Yunus 10:98). An entire surah (Surah Yunus, 10) bears the name of his people. Yunus is also called Sahibul Hut (Companion of the Fish). The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Do not prefer me above Yunus ibn Matta" — indicating the high rank of Yunus despite the nature of his trial.