Prophet Yunusيونس

Come with me. Today, we're going on a journey... far, far away... and long, long ago.

Down... down... all the way to the bottom of the deep, dark sea. To the strangest place you have ever been.

Inside... the belly... of a giant whale.

It is dark there. And quiet. And warm. And a man is sitting all alone... in the dark... whispering to Allah.

But how did a man ever end up there, at the bottom of the sea... inside a whale?

Well... to know that, our story has to begin somewhere else completely. Far, far from any ocean at all... in a great and busy city.

Long, long ago... there lived a prophet named Yunus, alayhi salaam.

And Allah sent him to a great city. A busy city of tall gates and crowded streets... called Nineveh... in the land we now call Iraq.

But the people of that city had forgotten their Lord. They bowed down to statues they had carved with their own hands... and forgot the One who made them.

So Yunus called to them. Gently. Kindly. "Come back to Allah," he said. "He is the One who made you. He is the One who cares for you."

And he called to them again the next day. And the next. For years... and years. Softly. Patiently.

But the people only turned away. They covered their ears. They would not listen.

And slowly... Yunus grew tired. His heart grew heavy... heavy as a stone. And one day... he could carry it no longer. So he left. He walked away from the city... and away from his people...

before Allah had told him it was time to go.

Yunus walked... until he came to the sea. And there, at the edge of the water... a ship was setting sail.

So he stepped on board. And the ship slipped away from the shore... out onto the wide, dark water.

At first, it was calm. The soft waves lapped against the wood. Tap... tap... tap.

But then... the wind began to rise. The sky turned grey. Then darker. Then black.

And the sea began to heave. Up... and down. Up... and down. The little ship rocked. The waves grew tall... tall as walls... tall as mountains.

The ship was too heavy. It groaned. It could not carry everyone safely through such a storm. So the sailors drew lots... to choose who must go. And the lot... fell upon Yunus.

He looked out... at the dark and rolling sea. The cold spray on his face. And so... Yunus went down... into the water.

Down he went. Into the cold. Into the dark. The waves closed over his head... and the world above grew quiet.

And then... Allah sent a great fish. A whale... bigger than the whole ship. It rose up from the deep... and it opened its great mouth... and swallowed Yunus whole.

And that, little one... is how he came to be in the belly of the whale... right where our story began.

Deep beneath the sea. Inside the belly of a whale. It was dark. So very, very dark.

The dark of the whale... inside the dark of the deep, deep sea... inside the dark of the night. Darkness... upon darkness... upon darkness. No light. No people. No sound at all... but the slow, muffled beat of the ocean, far away.

And there... in the deepest dark there ever was... Yunus did not give up.

Even in his fear... even in his sadness... he turned, with his whole heart... back to Allah. And he spoke three small lines... into the quiet.

*Lā ilāha illā anta...*

There is no god... but You.

*Subḥānaka...*

Glory be to You.

*Innī kuntu mina-ẓ-ẓālimīn.*

I was wrong... and I am sorry.

He said it softly. And then again. And again. The words drifted out... into the dark water. There is no god but You...

And Allah heard him. Of course He heard him. Allah hears the smallest whisper... even from the belly of a whale... even from the bottom of the sea. Allah was never far from Yunus. Not for a single moment.

And Allah answered His prophet... and saved him from the dark.

Slowly... the great whale carried Yunus back. Up... and up... toward the light. And it laid him down, gently, on a wide, open shore.

The sand was soft. The air was warm. And Yunus was so very weak... soft and tired... like a little newborn bird.

But Allah was kind to him. He made a green plant grow... right there beside him. Wide, cool leaves... spreading out... like a soft green blanket of shade.

And little by little... day by day... Yunus grew strong again. And then he went home. Back to his city. Back to his people.

And this time... they were waiting for him. This time... they listened. Every single one of them... turned back to Allah. A whole city... saved. Because one heart, in the dark... turned back to its Lord.

And now... slowly... we rise up out of the deep... and the great sea grows calm and soft behind us... as we travel back... all the way home. To right here. Right now.

But you can carry Yunus's words with you... wherever you go. Because whenever you feel lost... or sad... or alone in the dark... you can turn to Allah, just like he did. Allah always hears you. He is never, ever far.

He sees you. He cares for you.

So carry these words with you... today, and always. They mean... there is no god but You... glory be to You... I was wrong, and I am sorry.

*Lā ilāha illā anta... subḥānaka... innī kuntu mina-ẓ-ẓālimīn.*

Come with me. Today, we're going on a journey... far, far away... and long, long ago.

We're going to a great and busy city... a city of tall stone gates and crowded streets... called Nineveh... in the land we now call Iraq.

And here we are.

Can you hear it? The whole busy city, all around you. Feet on the stone streets. Voices calling out. Carts rolling by. So many, many people... hurrying this way and that.

But something is wrong in this city. The people here... have forgotten their Lord. They bow down to statues they carved with their own hands... and they have forgotten the One who made them... and the sky... and the sun... and everything.

And to this city, Allah sent a kind and gentle prophet. His name was Yunus, alayhi salaam.

Every day... Yunus walked through the busy streets. And gently... kindly... he called out to the people.

"Come back to Allah," he said. "He is the One who made you. He is the One who loves you, and cares for you. Worship Him alone."

And do you know what the people did? They turned away. They covered their ears. Some of them laughed. They would not listen.

But Yunus did not stop. He came back the next day... and called them again. Softly. Patiently.

And the next day. And the next. For years... and years... and years.

Can you imagine how patient that is? To keep being kind... and gentle... to people who will not even listen?

Because that is what the prophets did, little one. They never gave up on people. They kept calling them, gently... back to the One who loves them.

And do you know what happened, in the end? Long after our story... those very same people... finally opened their hearts. Every single one of them turned back to Allah. And Allah forgave them... and loved them... and kept them safe.

A whole city... saved. Because one patient prophet... never stopped calling them, gently, to the good.

And wherever you are today... when you try to do something good... and it feels hard... and it takes a long, long time... remember Yunus. Keep going. Stay gentle. Stay kind. Allah sees every single try.

And now... slowly... we leave the busy city behind... and travel back home. To right here. Right now.

So carry this little dua with you. It means... my Lord... make it easy for me... and do not make it hard.

*Rabbi yassir... wa lā tuʿassir.*

Come with me. Today, we're going on a journey... far, far away... and long, long ago.

We're going out... onto the wide, dark sea... onto a little wooden ship... a long, long time ago.

And here we are.

Feel the ship rocking gently beneath you. Hear the water... lapping soft against the wood. Tap... tap... tap. And breathe in the cool, salty air.

On this ship is a prophet named Yunus, alayhi salaam. He is sailing away... far across the sea.

At first, everything is calm. The waves are soft. The sky is wide and grey.

But then... can you feel it? The wind begins to rise.

The sky grows darker. Then darker still. Then black.

And the sea begins to heave. Up... and down. Up... and down. The little ship climbs the waves... and drops... and climbs again.

The waves grow tall. Tall as walls. Tall as mountains. The cold spray flies across the deck. The wind howls.

Everyone on the ship is afraid. The ship is too heavy... it groans... it cannot carry them all safely through such a storm.

It is a frightening moment, little one. The dark. The wind. The great, rolling sea.

But here is the most important thing to remember. Even in the middle of the biggest storm... Allah is never far away. Allah made the sea. Allah made the wind. And nothing... nothing at all... happens without Him.

The storm may be big. But Allah is bigger. Always.

And whenever we are afraid... there is only One we ever need to turn to. The One who holds the whole wide sea... as easily as you hold a single drop of water in your hand.

So wherever you are... whenever something feels big, and scary, and stormy... you can say the words that calm a frightened heart. They mean... Allah is enough for us... and the very best One to take care of us.

And now... slowly... the wind grows quiet... the sea grows calm... and we sail gently back home. To right here. Right now.

*Ḥasbunallāhu... wa niʿma-l-wakīl.*

Come with me. Today, we're going on a journey... far, far away... and long, long ago.

We're going down... deep down... to the very bottom of the deep, dark sea.

And here we are.

Feel how cool the water is. And see the light from far above... growing softer... and dimmer... as we sink down... and down... into the quiet, quiet deep.

There had been a great storm... up on the top of the sea. And a prophet named Yunus, alayhi salaam... went down... beneath the waves. The water closed over his head. And the noisy world above... grew far away... and quiet.

Down here it is dark. And deep. And still.

Now... you might think... what a scary place to be. All alone... at the bottom of the sea.

But watch what Allah does. Because Allah had not forgotten Yunus. Not for a single moment.

Up out of the deep... Allah sent a great fish. A whale... bigger than the ship... bigger than a house.

It came gently through the dark water. And it opened its great, wide mouth... and it took Yunus safely inside.

Not to hurt him. Oh no. But to keep him. To hold him. To be a safe, warm shelter for him... in the middle of the deep, dark sea.

Can you imagine that, little one? A little hiding place... deep beneath the whole ocean... made just for one man... by the Lord of the whole wide world.

It was dark inside. So very, very dark. But Yunus was safe. Because when Allah wants to keep you safe... He can make a shelter... anywhere at all. Even inside a whale. Even at the bottom of the sea.

There is nowhere, little one... nowhere in the whole wide world... where Allah cannot reach you... and keep you safe.

And now... slowly... we rise back up... out of the deep... and travel home. To right here. Right now.

So carry these little words with you... for whenever you feel afraid. They mean... in the name of Allah... with whose name nothing can ever bring harm... on the earth... or in the sky.

*Bismillāhi alladhī lā yaḍurru maʿa-smihi shayʾun fi-l-arḍi wa lā fi-s-samāʾ.*

Come with me. Today, we're going on a journey... far, far away... and long, long ago.

Down to the deep, dark sea... and into the strangest place of all... inside the belly of a great whale.

And here we are.

It is dark. So very, very dark. Can you feel it? That slow, gentle sway... as the great whale moves... through the deep, quiet water.

The dark of the whale... inside the dark of the deep sea... inside the dark of the night. Darkness... upon darkness... upon darkness.

And here, in the deepest dark there ever was... sits a prophet named Yunus, alayhi salaam.

He had been sailing far out on a ship... when a great storm came... and he was cast into the sea. And Allah sent this whale to catch him... and to keep him safe... here in the dark.

Now Yunus was afraid. And sad. And all alone.

But do you know what he did? He did not give up. Not even here. Not even in the dark.

He turned... with his whole heart... back to Allah. And he whispered three small lines... into the quiet.

*Lā ilāha illā anta...*

There is no god... but You.

*Subḥānaka...*

Glory be to You.

*Innī kuntu mina-ẓ-ẓālimīn.*

I was wrong... and I am sorry.

He said it softly. And then again. And again. The little words drifted out... into the dark water.

And Allah heard him.

Of course He heard him. Because Allah hears the smallest whisper... even from the belly of a whale... even from the very bottom of the sea. Allah was never far from Yunus. Not for a single moment.

And Allah answered him. Gently, the great whale carried him up... and up... toward the light... and laid him down, safe, on a warm and sandy shore.

Because no dark is ever too dark... for Allah to reach you.

And wherever you are... whenever you feel afraid, or sad, or alone in the dark... you can do just what Yunus did. You can turn to Allah. And He will always, always hear you.

And now... slowly... we rise up out of the deep... and travel back home. To right here. Right now.

So carry these little words with you... for whenever you need them. They mean... there is no god but You... glory be to You... I was wrong, and I am sorry.

*Lā ilāha illā anta... subḥānaka... innī kuntu mina-ẓ-ẓālimīn.*

Come with me. Today, we're going on a journey... far, far away... and long, long ago.

We're going to a wide, open shore... beside a calm and shining sea... in the soft light of morning.

And here we are.

Feel the warm sand beneath you. Soft, and golden. Hear the little waves... washing gently in... and out... in... and out. And feel the morning sun... warm and kind... upon your face.

For a prophet named Yunus, alayhi salaam... had been deep, deep beneath this sea... in the dark... inside a great whale. And there, in the dark, he had turned back to Allah... with all of his heart.

And Allah heard him. And Allah forgave him. And gently... oh so gently... the great whale carried him up... toward the light... and laid him down... right here... on this soft, warm shore.

But Yunus was very, very weak. As weak as a tiny newborn bird. Too tired to walk. Too tired, almost, even to move.

So what did Allah do? Something so tender, little one.

Right there beside Yunus... Allah made a little plant grow. Up it came... out of the sand... with wide, cool, green leaves... spreading out over him... like a soft green blanket of shade.

To shade him from the hot sun. To cool him. To care for him... while he grew strong again... little by little... day by day.

Think of that. The same Allah who made the whole wide sea... and the great whale... also made one small plant... just to give one tired prophet... a little shade.

Because that is how Allah's care is. He looks after the biggest things... and the tiniest things. He looks after whole oceans... and He looks after you.

And when Yunus grew strong again... he went home... back to his city. And this time... his people were waiting for him. This time... they listened. And every heart in that city... turned back to Allah.

And wherever you are today... remember how gently Allah cared for Yunus. He cares for you just like that... every single day. In big ways... and in the smallest, softest ways of all.

And now... slowly... we leave the warm and shining shore... and travel back home. To right here. Right now.

So carry this little dua with you. It means... my Lord... help me to be thankful... for the good things You give me.

*Rabbi awziʿnī an ashkura niʿmatak.*