Once upon a time, in a small town, there lived a man named Yunus. Yunus was special because Allah had chosen him to be a prophet. He had an important job: to help the people of his town be kind and follow Allah’s guidance.
Yunus and His People
Yunus tried very hard to teach his people. He told them about Allah and how to be good, honest, and caring. But even though Yunus worked so hard, the people did not listen. They ignored him and continued doing bad things. This made Yunus very sad and upset.
One day, feeling tired and frustrated, Yunus decided to leave the town. He thought, “Maybe I can find a place where people will listen to me.” So he walked to the seashore and got onto a boat, hoping to travel far away.
The Stormy Sea
As the boat sailed across the ocean, the sky suddenly grew dark. Big, angry clouds covered the sun. The wind howled like a wailing wolf, and the sea began to toss the boat back and forth. The people on the boat were very scared, and the waves splashed high like giant hands trying to grab the boat.
The captain of the boat said, “We must figure out why this storm is here!” They decided to draw lots to see who might be causing the trouble, and the lot pointed to Yunus.
Yunus understood that he had run away from his mission. He felt sorry and knew he had to fix his mistake. He told the sailors, “Throw me into the sea, and the storm will stop.” Although the sailors were afraid, they finally did as Yunus said.
Inside the Belly of the Whale
As soon as Yunus was in the water, the sea became calm. Just then, a giant whale swam by and gulped him down! Yunus found himself inside the dark belly of the whale. It was damp and smelly, and he was all alone.
Yunus realized that he needed Allah’s help. In the belly of the whale, he prayed sincerely: “Oh Allah, I have made a mistake. Forgive me and help me!”
A New Beginning
Allah listened to Yunus’s prayers. After three days, the whale swam close to the shore and gently let Yunus out. Yunus was grateful and filled with new hope. He felt the warm sand beneath him and knew he had been given a second chance.
Yunus returned to his town with a loving heart. This time, he was patient and kind, and the people began to listen to him. They learned about being good and following Allah’s path.
Questions to ponder
- Why was Yunus sad and decided to leave his town?
- What did Yunus do when he was inside the whale?
- How did Allah help Yunus?
The message of the story
Allah is always there for us, even when we make mistakes. If we are truly sorry and ask for forgiveness, Allah can guide us back to the right path. His love and mercy are always with us.
Verses from the Quran
Surah As-Saffat (37:139-148)
“And Jonah was indeed one of the messengers.˹Remember˺ when he fled to the overloaded ship. Then ˹to save it from sinking,˺ he drew straws ˹with other passengers˺. He lost ˹and was thrown overboard˺. Then the whale engulfed him while he was blameworthy. Had he not ˹constantly˺ glorified ˹Allah˺, The would have certainly remained in its belly until the Day of Resurrection. But We cast him onto the open ˹shore˺, ˹totally˺ worn out, and caused a squash plant to grow over him. We ˹later˺ sent him ˹back˺ to ˹his city of˺ at least one hundred thousand people, who then believed ˹in him˺, so We allowed them enjoyment for a while.”
Surah Al-Anbiya (21:87-88)
“And ˹remember˺ when the Man of the Whale stormed off ˹from his city˺ in a rage, thinking We would not restrain him. Then in the ˹veils of˺ darkness he cried out, “There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong.” So We answered his prayer and rescued him from anguish. And so do We save the ˹true˺ believers.”
Surah Al-Qalam (68:48-50)
“So be patient with your Lord’s decree, and do not be like ˹Jonah,˺ the Man of the Whale, who cried out ˹to Allah˺, in total distress. Had he not been shown grace by his Lord, he would have certainly been cast onto the open ˹shore˺, still blameworthy. And his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous.”
