Enlightened وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبٗا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ And remember the man with the whale, when he went off angrily, thinking We could not restrict him, but then he cried out in the deep darkness, ‘There is no God but You, glory be to You, I was wrong.’ (Al-Anbiya 21:87) Anger, an extreme state of mind, can easily make us lose our judgement. It blinded us from seeing the truth and from seeking deeply into matters. Anger and assumption can make someone run away from a problem rather than facing it bravely. Both states of mind continue to feed improper thoughts to us, clouding our judgements. Hence, sometimes when we are trapped, it is like a signal for us to stop doing whatever we are doing and instead to start thinking and reflecting. It is a test from Allah to Prophet Yunus when his people were stubborn and didn't accept what he preached to them in the beginning. As a result, he left in anger and did not expect that Allah would teach him through a peculiar event when he ended up in the belly of a whale. Those were his true state of darkness (dzulm) – his anger and assumption that Allah would not test him. Ironically, he was enlightened in the most unexpected place to end up with – in the three layers of darkness, i.e., the dark night, the depth of the ocean and the belly of the whale. This is when he realised that he was wrong, and he immediately prayed for forgiveness. Trapped in darkness and in the most uncomfortable space, with no way out, and perhaps waiting for death to come can easily make us lose hope and forget the most important thing to do—ask for forgiveness from Allah. It is a sincere prayer from someone who acknowledges his mistakes. Yes, light (nur) from Allah makes us see clearly what we do wrong. Interestingly, the dua began with a firm stand that there is no God but Allah. In a state of anger, we can let emotions and prejudices, and not faith in Allah, dictate our actions. Hence, by saying this, it is as if we are renewing our faith in Him. It is followed with tasbih, an act that purifies Allah from any impurities. By doing tasbih, we are accepting whatever befalls on us as a test from Him, which is an extension of His rahmah and mercy. These two components make us firm in our belief and also serve as an acceptance of our weakness. Lastly, acknowledging that we are wrong proves our sincerity. This dua teaches me that in whatever situation I may be, don't forget Allah. Ask for His forgiveness. That is my only lifeline. Regardless of the outcome of my situation, His forgiveness is the only thing that matters, and to Him I surrender all hope. وَٱكۡتُبۡ لَنَا فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةٗ وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ إِنَّا هُدۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَۚ قَالَ عَذَابِيٓ أُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَنۡ أَشَآءُۖ وَرَحۡمَتِي وَسِعَتۡ كُلَّ شَيۡءٖۚ فَسَأَكۡتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ Grant us good things in this world and in the life to come. We turn to You.’ God said, ‘I bring My punishment on whoever I will, but My mercy encompasses all things. ‘I shall ordain My mercy for those who are conscious of God and pay the prescribed alms; who believe in Our Revelations; (Al-A’raf, 7:156) Wallahu a’lam. Munirah binti Aminullah 22 Ramadan 1446 H/23rd March 2025 Seremban, Malaysia.
الهيئة العالمية لتدبر القرآن الكريم
9mo agoAl-Anbya (21:87)
* قد يضيق صدر الداعية بتصرفات الناس، ويقلّ احتماله لصدودهم، ولكنَّ الصبر والكظم أليَق به وبدعوته؛ لأن ذلك من آداب الدعوة، ووصول الأثر الحسن إلى قلوب المدعوين.
* الاعتدال مطلب من مطالب العبودية، ففي الغضب يجب ألا يخرج المؤمن عن حدود المشروع إلى الممنوع، حتى ولو كان الغضب من أجل الله تعالى وفي سبيله.
* اعتراف العبد بظلمه نفسَه يتضمن إيمانه بالشرع والثواب والعقاب، ويوجب انكساره ورجوعه إلى الله، والاعتراف بعبوديته له.
المصدر: هدايات القرآن الكريم
للمزيد حمل تطبيق تدبر:
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9 Comments
Jazakillah Khair for these lovely words! One of the most striking things for me regarding this passage is that the the next phrase Allah has in Ayah 88 begins with the prefix letter `fa` and this in Arabic typically implies speed and immediacy. What for us and for Yunus (AS) can feel like a very long time and unending darkness, can instantly change when Allah answers us. Your suggested action for us of Dhikr/Tasbeeh: if we say it with intention and if we wait out the seemingly long periods of pain, we will feel the immediacy in Allah's response. Allah does not shy away from answering, in fact He is shy from turning us away empty-handed, SubhanAllah.