The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 790
CH. 37 R. 5. AȘ-ṢĀFFĀT 140. "And surely Jonah also was one of the Messengers, 3353 141. When he fled to the laden ship; 3354 142. And he cast lots with the crew of the ship and was of the losers. 3355 143. And the fish swallowed him while he was blaming himself. 144. And had he not been of those who glorify God, PT. 23 وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِيْنَ فَالْتَقَمَهُ الْحُوْتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيْمُ فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِ "21:88; 68:49. 3353. Commentary: Jonah, the Prophet, has been mentioned at six places in the Quran. In 4:164 and 6:87-88 he has been reckoned among the Prophets of God. In the present verse he has been spoken of as a Divine Messenger and in 21:88 and 68:49, he has been given the descriptive epithets of (Master of the Fish) and a (Fellow of the Fish). He was an Israelite Prophet and lived in the 9th century in the reign of Jeroboam II or Jehoahaz. See also 6:88. 3354. Commentary: According to the Bible, Jonah was commissioned by God to go to Nineveh and "cry against" it, but, instead, he fled to Tarshish "from the presence of the Lord" (Jonah 1:3). The Quran contradicts this Biblical statement as it impugns a Divine Prophet, and, according to the Quran, Divine Prophets are sinless and conceived God's the incapable of disobeying command. It is, therefore, not possible that Jonah should have even of fleeing from presence of the Omnipresent God. In fact, Jonah, being angry with his people, because they had rejected the Divine Message, fled from them, and not from God. See also 21:88. The whole account of Jonah as given in the Quran may be a description of his spiritual ascension and may be taken in a figurative sense and interpreted accordingly. 2704 3355. Important Words: as (cast lots) is derived from of. They say da i. e. he overcame him in the game of shooting arrows. means, he shot arrows with him in competition; he cast or drew lots with him. diafin disolu means, I competed with him in casting lots or in shooting arrows and overcame him therein (Aqrab & Lane).