As-Saffat 37:143
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 451
فَلَوۡلَآ أَنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسَبِّحِينَ ١٤٣
And had he not been of those who exalt Allāh,
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 37:143–144
In verse 143, it was said: فَلَوْلَا أَنَّهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْمُسَبِّحِينَ (Had he not been of those who proclaim Allah's purity,....). From this verse, it is wrong to assume that had Sayyidna Yunus (علیہ السلام) not been making tasbih, that fish would have been living right through the last day of Qiyamah. Instead, the sense is that the very belly of this fish would have been made the grave of Sayyidna Yunus (علیہ السلام) .
Distress is removed by tasbih (remembrance) and istighfar (repentance)
From this verse we also learn that tasbih لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ : the act of proclaiming the purity of Allah) and istighfar (...: the act of seeking forgiveness from Him) have a proven efficacy of their own. It has already appeared in Sarah Al-Anbiya' [ 21] that Sayyidna Yunus 'Sell while in the belly of the fish, used to recite the following sentence of tasbih:
لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
There is no god but You - Pure are You - Indeed I was among the wrongdoers - Al-Anbiya', 21:87.
By the Barakah of this very Tasbih, Allah Ta’ ala had him delivered from this trial, and he came out safe and sound from the belly of the fish. Therefore, it has been continuously reported from pious elders that they recite this tasbih one hundred and twenty-five thousand times at the time they faced any individual or collective distress and, by virtue of its barakah, Allah Ta’ ala would have this distress removed from them.
According to a narration from Sayyidna Sa'd Ibn AbI Waqqas ؓ appearing in Abu Dawad, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: "Any Muslim who recites the prayer Sayyidna Yunus (علیہ السلام) had made while in the belly of the fish, that is: لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ (la ilaha anta - subhanaka - inni kuntu minaz-zalimin: There is no god but You - Pure are You - Indeed I was among the wrongdoers - 21:87) for any (permissible) objective, his du'a or prayer will be answered." (Tafsir Qurtubi)
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37:127
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَمُحۡضَرُونَ ١٢٧
And they denied him, so indeed, they will be brought [for punishment],
37:128
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ١٢٨
Except the chosen servants of Allāh.
37:129
وَتَرَكۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ١٢٩
And We left for him [favorable mention] among later generations:
37:130
سَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِلۡ يَاسِينَ ١٣٠
"Peace upon Elias."1
1 translator’s note
- Ilyāseen is said by some commentators to be a plural form, meaning "Elias and those who followed him." ↩
37:131
إِنَّا كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ١٣١
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.
37:132
إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٣٢
Indeed, he was of Our believing servants.
37:133
وَإِنَّ لُوطٗا لَّمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٣٣
And indeed, Lot was among the messengers.
37:134
إِذۡ نَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَأَهۡلَهُۥٓ أَجۡمَعِينَ ١٣٤
[So mention] when We saved him and his family, all,
37:135
إِلَّا عَجُوزٗا فِي ٱلۡغَٰبِرِينَ ١٣٥
Except an old woman [i.e., his wife] among those who remained [with the evildoers].
37:136
ثُمَّ دَمَّرۡنَا ٱلۡأٓخَرِينَ ١٣٦
Then We destroyed the others.
37:137
وَإِنَّكُمۡ لَتَمُرُّونَ عَلَيۡهِم مُّصۡبِحِينَ ١٣٧
And indeed, you pass by them in the morning
37:138
وَبِٱلَّيۡلِۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ١٣٨
And at night. Then will you not use reason?
37:139
وَإِنَّ يُونُسَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٣٩
And indeed, Jonah was among the messengers.
37:140
إِذۡ أَبَقَ إِلَى ٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلۡمَشۡحُونِ ١٤٠
[Mention] when he ran away to the laden ship.
37:141
فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُدۡحَضِينَ ١٤١
And he drew lots1 and was among the losers.
1 translator’s note
- To determine who would be cast overboard in order to save the other passengers. Having been overloaded, the ship was on the verge of sinking. ↩
37:142
فَٱلۡتَقَمَهُ ٱلۡحُوتُ وَهُوَ مُلِيمٞ ١٤٢
Then the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy.1
1 translator’s note
- For having given up hope on his people prematurely and having left them without permission from Allāh. ↩
37:143
فَلَوۡلَآ أَنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُسَبِّحِينَ ١٤٣
And had he not been of those who exalt Allāh,
37:144
لَلَبِثَ فِي بَطۡنِهِۦٓ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ يُبۡعَثُونَ ١٤٤
He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected.1
1 translator’s note
- Meaning that the belly of the fish would have become his grave. ↩
37:145
۞ فَنَبَذۡنَٰهُ بِٱلۡعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٞ ١٤٥
But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill.
37:146
وَأَنۢبَتۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ شَجَرَةٗ مِّن يَقۡطِينٖ ١٤٦
And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine.1
1 translator’s note
- Which is known to give cooling shade and to be a repellent of flies. ↩
37:147
وَأَرۡسَلۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰ مِاْئَةِ أَلۡفٍ أَوۡ يَزِيدُونَ ١٤٧
And We sent him1 to [his people of] a hundred thousand or more.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., returned him thereafter. ↩
37:148
فَـَٔامَنُواْ فَمَتَّعۡنَٰهُمۡ إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ١٤٨
And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment [of life] for a time.
37:149
فَٱسۡتَفۡتِهِمۡ أَلِرَبِّكَ ٱلۡبَنَاتُ وَلَهُمُ ٱلۡبَنُونَ ١٤٩
So inquire of them, [O Muḥammad], "Does your Lord have daughters while they have sons?1
1 translator’s note
- The people of Makkah claimed that the angels were daughters of Allāh, yet they preferred sons for themselves. ↩
37:150
أَمۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ إِنَٰثٗا وَهُمۡ شَٰهِدُونَ ١٥٠
Or did We create the angels as females while they were witnesses?"
37:151
أَلَآ إِنَّهُم مِّنۡ إِفۡكِهِمۡ لَيَقُولُونَ ١٥١
Unquestionably, it is out of their [invented] falsehood that they say,
37:152
وَلَدَ ٱللَّهُ وَإِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ ١٥٢
"Allāh has begotten," and indeed, they are liars.
37:153
أَصۡطَفَى ٱلۡبَنَاتِ عَلَى ٱلۡبَنِينَ ١٥٣
Has He chosen daughters over sons?