Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 195
? age 188 It is clearly evident from these references that the real sign that was to be given to the of the Messiah was that of the Prophet Jonas. In this behalf the Messiah himself says "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. " SIMILARITY IN FEATURES Here the Messiah (peace be on him) has explained what the sign of the Prophet Jonas stands for. He says as Jonas stayed three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so shall the son of man stay for three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth. Resemblance does not mean similarity in all the details. It means only a similarity in basic features. It is on the basis of this sort of similarity that the Messiah says that as Jonas stayed for three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall he stay in the tomb. The significance of this sign was that the Messiah should stay in the tomb three days and three nights like the Prophet Jonas under the protection of God. Certainly, the entry of someone in the belly of the fish does not constitute a miracle. Thousands go into the belly of the fish and nobody calls it miraculous. What was then the miracle of the Prophet Jonas? His miracle was that he remained in the belly of the fish, in the care of God, so that his person should be a sign of God to his