Jonah and the Fish 1

(10:98)(4:163)(68:48)(6:87)(37:140-148)(21:87-88)

Jonah and the Fish

          Nearly all the prophets in the Quran have one common feature; they tell their nations that the results of their deeds are entering into the final stage.  If the people do not change their behavior, the consequences of their deeds are going to destroy them.   However, these warnings fail to produce any results, and the anticipated destruction comes.

          The story of Jonah is an exception to this rule.  Jonah’s time is approximately seven hundred B.C.  He was preaching a few miles north of Nazareth, in small towns and villages, when he was directed to preach in the business center of Nineveh.

 Jonah entered the great capital with only the experience of preaching in villages and small towns; he met with an organized opposition in this capital city.  The well-settled groups of various kinds, with vested interests in the economy, religion, and power-sharing, all combined their resources together to work vigorously against his mission.  They ridiculed, jeered, and made fun of his appearance, mission, and every possible thing that belonged to him.

          Jonah felt that he was helpless against this type of onslaught; he could not withstand an allied attack without forming an exaggerated opinion about the vices of the opposition.  He was a brilliant preacher who was propounding factual statements based on logic and reasoning.  The opposition was answering him with ridicule and twisting his arguments in a grotesque way.   His message was misrepresented everywhere.  The effect of sober thought and reason was lost in the atmosphere of jeering, taunting and misrepresentation. 

          One fine evening, Jonah had a bitter encounter with the opposition; distraught and furious, he was walking on the bank of a river.  Suddenly, he thought, “Why am I wasting my time with these stubborn people? I am so polite and reasonable with them, but they don’t care for the truth.  Why shouldn’t I go to another place and spend my time with reasonable people, who could appreciate the value of my time and mission.” This idea struck him like a bolt of thunderous lightning and overwhelmed him. On the bank of the river, he saw a boat full of passengers, ready to leave.  Without thinking, he jumped into the boat to leave the land.

          In the lives of many prophets, a time comes when they are directed by God to leave the native land: this is known as migration (hijrat).  This is not an escape from struggle or unfavorable circumstances; it is an effort to find the most suitable circumstances for preaching.  The time and place for migration is decided by God.