“139–148 Jonah was indeed one of the messengers,” through to the end of the account.
This is praise from Allah Most High for His servant and messenger Jonah son of Mattā, just as He praised his fellow messengers for their prophethood and messengership and their call to Allah. Allah Most High also mentions that He subjected him to a worldly punishment, from which He then delivered him because of his faith and righteous deeds. He says: “When he fled”—that is, from his Lord, angry with Him, thinking that He would not constrain him and confine him in the belly of the fish.
Allah did not mention the matter over which Jonah was angry with Him or the sin he committed, because mentioning it would be of no benefit to us. What does benefit us is what we have been told about him: that he sinned and Allah punished him, even though he was one of the noble messengers; that He later saved him, removed the blame from him, and provided him with what would set his condition aright.
When he fled, he sought refuge aboard “the fully laden ship,” which was filled with passengers and goods. Once he had boarded with the others, the already crowded ship became too heavy, so they needed to cast some of the passengers overboard. Apparently, they found no grounds for choosing one person over another, so they drew lots, agreeing that the loser chosen by lot would be cast into the sea, as a matter of fairness among those aboard. Whenever Allah wills a matter, He prepares its causes.
When [they cast lots], the lot fell to Jonah, “and he was one of the losers.” He was therefore cast into the sea, “and the fish swallowed him while he was blameworthy.” That is, when it swallowed him, he had done something for which he could be blamed: he had been angry with his Lord.
“Had he not been one of those who glorified Him”—having done so previously through his abundant worship of his Lord, his glorification of Him, and his praise of Him, and also in the belly of the fish, where he said, “There is no god except You. Glory be to You! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers”—“he would have remained in its belly until the Day they are resurrected.” That is, its belly would have become his grave. Yet because he glorified and worshipped Allah, Allah Most High delivered him. In the same way, Allah delivers the believers when adversity befalls them.
“So We cast him onto the open shore”: the fish expelled him from its belly onto bare, open land, deserted and devoid of people, and perhaps even devoid of trees and shade. “And he was sick”—that is, he had become ill because of his confinement in the belly of the fish, until he resembled a featherless chick newly hatched from its egg.
“And We caused a gourd plant to grow over him,” shading him with its ample shade. It grows quickly, provides cool shade, and flies do not settle upon it. This was part of Allah’s gentleness and gracious care toward him.
⦗708⦘
Then Allah showed him another kindness and bestowed an immense favor upon him: He sent him “to a hundred thousand people or more.” The meaning is that they may have exceeded that number, but they were certainly no fewer. He therefore called them to Allah Most High.
“They believed,” and thus they were counted in his scales of good deeds, for he was the one who called them.
“So We allowed them enjoyment for a time,” for Allah turned the punishment away from them after its causes had already arisen. Allah Most High says: “Was there any town that believed and benefited from its faith other than the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in the life of this world and allowed them enjoyment for a time.”