﴿87–88﴾ “And remember Dhul-Nūn, when he went away in anger, thinking that We would not constrain him. He then cried out amid the layers of darkness, ‘There is no god but You! Glory be to You! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers.’ So We answered him and delivered him from anguish. Thus do We deliver the believers.”
That is: Remember Our servant and messenger Dhul-Nūn—namely Jonah—in the finest terms and with worthy praise. Dhul-Nūn means the companion of the nūn, which is the whale. Allah Most High sent him to his people, and he called them to faith, but they did not believe. He therefore warned them that punishment would descend upon them at a time he specified.
[The punishment then came upon them], and they saw it with their own eyes. They cried out to Allah, clamored in supplication, and repented, so Allah lifted the punishment from them, as He Most High says:
“If only there had been a town whose people believed and benefited from their faith—except the people of Jonah! When they believed, We lifted from them the torment of disgrace in this worldly life and allowed them enjoyment for a time.”
He also says:
“We sent him to a hundred thousand people or more. They believed, so We allowed them enjoyment for a time.”
The fact that this vast community believed in Jonah’s call is among his greatest merits. However, he—may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him—went away in anger and fled from his Lord on account of a sin, one that Allah has not mentioned to us in His Book and that we have no need to identify. [This is indicated by His words, “When he fled to the ship,” and, “while he was blameworthy,” meaning that he had done something for which he could be blamed.] (1)
It appears that (2), in his haste and anger with his people, he left their midst before Allah commanded him to do so, thinking that Allah would not constrain him—that is, confine him in the belly of the whale—or thinking that he would escape Allah Most High. There is nothing to preclude such a thought from momentarily occurring to even the most perfect among creation, provided that it neither takes root nor persists.
He then boarded a ship with a group of people. Fearing that they would sink if they all remained aboard, they drew lots to decide which of them should be thrown into the sea. The lot fell to Jonah, and the whale swallowed him and carried him into the dark depths of the sea. Amid those layers of darkness, he cried out:
“There is no god but You! Glory be to You! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers.”
He thereby affirmed Allah Most High’s perfect divinity, declared Him free of every deficiency, defect, and imperfection, and acknowledged the wrong he had done to himself and his offense.
Allah Most High says:
“Had he not been among those who glorified Allah, he would certainly have remained in its belly until the Day they are resurrected.”
That is why He says here: ⦗530⦘ “So We answered him and delivered him from anguish”—that is, from the severe distress into which he had fallen.
“Thus do We deliver the believers.”
This is a promise and glad tidings for every believer who falls into hardship and anguish: Allah Most High will deliver him from it, remove it from him, and grant him relief because of his faith, just as He did for Jonah—peace be upon him.