Ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The fish swallowed him and descended with him to the lowest point of the seventh earth. He remained in its belly for forty nights, where he heard the pebbles glorifying Allah. So he called out in the darknesses: ‘There is no god worthy of worship but You. Glory be to You! Indeed, I was among the wrongdoers.’ Allah answered him and commanded the fish, which cast him onto the seashore like a plucked chick. Allah then caused a gourd plant to grow over him—namely, a pumpkin vine—and he would shelter beneath it. Allah appointed a doe for him, from whose milk he would drink ⦗172/b⦘. Then the plant withered, and he wept over it. Allah revealed to him: ‘You weep for a plant that has withered, yet you do not weep for a hundred thousand people or more, whom you wished Me to destroy.’

“Jonah then went out and came upon a shepherd boy. He asked, ‘Who are you, boy?’ The boy replied, ‘I am from the people of Jonah.’ Jonah said, ‘When you return to them, tell them that you met Jonah.’ The boy said, ‘You know that if I have no proof, I will be killed.’ Jonah, peace be upon him, said, ‘This spot and this tree will testify for you.’ The boy said to him, ‘Then command them to do so.’ Jonah said, ‘When this boy comes to you, testify for him.’ They replied, ‘Yes.’

“The boy returned and said to the king, ‘I have met Jonah.’ The king ordered that he be killed, but the boy said, ‘I have proof; send men with me.’ He came to the spot and the tree and said, ‘I adjure you both by Allah: did Jonah call you as witnesses for me?’ They replied, ‘Yes.’ The people returned in alarm and said to the king, ‘The tree and the earth have testified for him.’ The king then took the boy by the hand, seated him in his own place, and said, ‘You are more entitled to this position than I am.’ That boy governed their affairs for forty years.”

“Had your Lord willed, all who are on earth would have believed—all of them entirely. So can you compel people to become believers? No soul can believe except by Allah’s permission, and He places defilement upon those who do not use reason. Say, ‘Look at what is in the heavens and the earth.’ Yet signs and warners are of no avail to a people who do not believe.” (99–101)

His saying, exalted is He: “Had your Lord willed,” O Muhammad, “all who are on earth would have believed—all of them entirely. So can you compel people to become believers?” This is a consolation for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, for he was eager that all people should believe. Allah, mighty and majestic, informed him that none believes except one for whom felicity has already been decreed by Allah, and none goes astray except one for whom wretchedness has already been decreed.

“And no soul can believe”: that is, it is not possible or proper for any soul to believe “except by Allah’s permission.” Ibn Abbas said: “By Allah’s command.” Ata said: “By Allah’s will.” It was also said: “By Allah’s knowledge.”

“And He places defilement”: Abu Bakr recited it, “And We place,” with the plural pronoun, while the rest recited it with the singular pronoun, meaning: Allah places defilement—that is, punishment, al-rijz—“upon those who do not use reason,” regarding Allah’s commands and prohibitions.

“Say, ‘Look,’” meaning: Say to the idolaters who ask you for signs, “Look at what is in the heavens and the earth,” of signs, proofs, and lessons. In the heavens are the sun, the moon, the stars, and other things; and on earth