City Spotlight
Masjid Nabi Yunus / Yunos (عليه السلام)
Mosque of Prophet Yunus / Yunos (عليه السلام) in Halhul, West Bank, Palestine. It is north of Hebron.
Prophet Yunus (عليه السلام) is also addressed by two other surnames “Dhun-Nun” (Lord of the Fish) and “Sahibil-Hot” (Companion of the Fish).
When Prophethood was conferred upon Yunus ibn Matta (عليه السلام), Allah commanded him to go to Nineveh (located in the region of Mosul, Iraq) to preach Tawhid (the absolute Oneness of God).
Nineveh was a sprawling, prosperous city situated across the river Tigris. Its inhabitants had lapsed heavily into paganism, idolatry, and sinful transgressions.
Scholars emphasize that Prophet Yunus did not abandon his duties out of a simple lack of desire to preach. He spent an extensive period patiently calling his people to the truth, but they continuously mocked his warnings and rejected his message.
Eventually, knowing that divine law dictates the downfall of persistent deniers, Yunus (عليه السلام) explicitly warned his people that Allah’s severe punishment would descend upon them within three days.
As a Prophet of God, he knew that the arrival of this divine wrath was an absolute certainty.
Sensing the immediate proximity of the impending torment, he quickly fled the city to avoid being caught in the destruction.
Scholars note his error was a matter of timing; he assumed he was free to leave because the threat of destruction was imminent, rather than waiting a moment longer for explicit, divine permission to evacuate.
Following his exit, he traveled to the ancient port town of Jaffa (Yafa) in Palestine, where he boarded a packed sailing vessel. The ship was bound for Tarshish.
While classical Arabic geographical accounts and historical literature occasionally identify ancient Tarshish with regions as far as Tunisia (or parts of the Western Mediterranean), its exact ancient location remains a subject of historical debate.
During this rough sea voyage, a violent storm arose. The crew cast lots to lighten the ship's load, and Yunus (عليه السلام) was chosen, thrown overboard, and subsequently swallowed by a massive fish (whale) by Allah's command.
While inside the triple darkness of the fish's belly, Yunus (عليه السلام) realized his haste and turned back to his Lord in profound repentance. He constantly recited the celebrated supplication found in Surah Al-Anbiya [21:87]
As recorded by Ibn Abi Hatim and cited in classical Tafsir literature (such as Tafsir Ibn Kathir), this sincere prayer resonated powerfully.
When the angels beneath the Throne heard it, they recognized the voice and said,
"O Lord! A faint, familiar voice from a strange, distant land."
Allah replied,
"Do you not recognize it?"
They said,
"No, O Lord, who is it?"
Allah responded,
"It is My servant, Yunus."
Because of his continuous remembrance of Allah during times of ease, Allah answered his plea during his time of distress, and commanded the fish to cast him safely back onto the shore.
The Quran says:
“And (mention) Dhun-Nun when he went off in anger and deemed that We had no power over him but he cried out in darkness, saying: There is no god save Thee.
There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong.”
[21:87]
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 [68:48]
It was built by the Ayyubids in 1226 CE around the Mount Nabi Yunus (Jabal Nabi Yunus), which is the highest peak in the West Bank.
https://myislam.org/prophet-yunus/
