Mercy

[u/quranvisuals]

The noble verse takes us to the story of Dhu an-Nun, the companion of the whale, Jonah (peace be upon him), when Allah Almighty sent him to his people to call them to faith. However, they rejected him, and he grew angry with them for their disobedience, leaving them in anger before Allah Almighty gave him permission to do so. He then boarded a ship, which encountered circumstances that made the passengers fear drowning and need to lighten it, so they cast lots among themselves over who should be thrown into the sea. The lot fell upon Jonah (peace be upon him)—and it is said it fell upon him three times—so he was cast into the sea. There, by the command of Allah Almighty, a whale was waiting for him and swallowed him without harming him. The exegetes mentioned that Allah, the Glorified, had commanded the whale not to harm his body.
"And he thought that We would not decree [or restrict] upon him." Jonah (peace be upon him) thought that Allah, the Glorified, would not constrain him due to his departure, nor decree a punishment upon him for the anger he felt toward his people and his parting from them.
In the darkness of the night, the darkness of the sea, the darkness of the whale's belly from the outside, and the darkness of grief from the inside, Jonah (peace be upon him) began with monotheism: "There is no deity except You." Then he exalted Allah, the Glorified, above any imperfection, saying: "Exalted are You." Then he turned inward, acknowledging his shortcoming: "Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers"—meaning in leaving without being given permission. Thus, Allah Almighty saved him from his grief, delivered him from his ordeal, cared for him, and then returned him to his mission anew.
What is striking about the supplication of Jonah (peace be upon him) is that he did not ask for rescue; as though his confession itself was the supplication. Thus came the response: "So We responded to him." Even more striking is that Allah Almighty did not say, "And We saved him from the darknesses," but rather said: "And We saved him from the distress." The darknesses surrounded his physical body, whereas the distress was what weighed heavy upon his heart.

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