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The supplication of Yunus: “There is no god but You”

دعاء يونس: لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك

Surah Al-Anbya (21), verse 871 verse

The supplication of Yunus: “There is no god but You” is found in the Quran: Surah Al-Anbya (21), verse 87. Read the Arabic text with its translation and explanation, and listen to it verse by verse.

وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ۝٨٧

87. And [mention] the man of the fish [i.e., Jonah], when he went off in anger899 and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him.900 And he called out within the darknesses,901 "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."

Notes

[899] At the disbelief of his people.
[900] Or "would not restrict him" in the belly of the fish.
[901] That of the night, of the sea, and of the fish's interior.

Listen to verse 87 of Surah Al-Anbya

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Tafsir of verse 87

Al-Mukhtasar

O Messenger! Also mention the story of the Companion of the Whale: Jonah (peace be upon him), when he went away without the permission of his Lord, angry with his people for their insistence on sin. He thought I would not constrain him by punishing him for his hurrying away; and so he was afflicted with a severe form of constraint and imprisonment when the Whale swallowed him. He then called out in the darknesses of the belly of the Whale, the ocean and the night, acknowledging his error and repenting to Allah for it, saying, “There is no true deity except You, You are glorified of all faults and sanctified. Indeed, I was one of the wrongdoers.”

Tafsir of the whole Surah Al-Anbya

Other translations of verse 87

And [remember] the Man of the Whale [i.e., Jonah] when he departed in anger38, thinking that We would not take him to task. Then he cried out in the depths of darkness39, “None has the right to be worshiped except You. Glory be to You! I have certainly done wrong”.

Notes

[38] Due to the disbelief of his people.
[39] The darkness of the night, the sea, and the whale's belly.

And (remember) Dhun-Nûn (Jonah), when he went off in anger, and imagined that We shall not punish him (i.e. the calamities which had befallen him)! But he cried through the darkness (saying): Lâ ilâha illâ Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O, Allâh)], Glorified (and Exalted) be You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]! Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers."

And (mention) Dhu'n-Nun, when he went off in anger and deemed that We had no power over him, but he cried out in the darkness, saying: There is no Allah save Thee. Be Thou Glorified! Lo! I have been a wrong-doer.

And remember Zun-nun, when he departed in wrath: He imagined that We had no power over him! But he cried through the deptHs of darkness, "There is no god but thou: glory to thee: I was indeed wrong!"

And Yunus, when he went away in wrath, so he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out among afflictions: There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I am of those who make themselves to suffer loss.

And Thun-Nun, (Jonah) as he went away angered. So he surmised that We should never have mastery over him. Then he called out in the darkness (Literally: darkenesses) (saying), "There is no god except You. All Extolment be to You! Surely, I have been of the unjust."

Verse 87 word by word

  1. وَذَا wadhā And Dhun-Nun
  2. ٱلنُّونِ l-nūni And Dhun-Nun ن و ن
  3. إِذ idh when
  4. ذَّهَبَ dhahaba he went ذ ه ب
  5. مُغَٰضِبًا mughāḍiban (while) angry غ ض ب
  6. فَظَنَّ faẓanna and thought ظ ن ن
  7. أَن an that
  8. لَّن lan never
  9. نَّقْدِرَ naqdira We would decree ق د ر
  10. عَلَيْهِ ʿalayhi upon him
  11. فَنَادَىٰ fanādā Then he called ن د ي
  12. فِى fī in
  13. ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ l-ẓulumāti the darkness(es) ظ ل م
  14. أَن an that
  15. لَّآ lā (There is) no
  16. إِلَٰهَ ilāha god أ ل ه
  17. إِلَّآ illā except
  18. أَنتَ anta You
  19. سُبْحَٰنَكَ sub'ḥānaka Glory be to You س ب ح
  20. إِنِّى innī Indeed, [I]
  21. كُنتُ kuntu I am ك و ن
  22. مِنَ mina of
  23. ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ l-ẓālimīna the wrongdoers ظ ل م

Hadiths that cite this verse

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 3416

It is not proper for a servant of Allah to say: I am better than Yūnus ibn Matta

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be please with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is not proper for a servant of Allah to say: “I am better than Yūnus ibn Matta." And he linked him to his father.

لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِعَبْدٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ مَتَّى ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 4 other versions Explained

Other hadiths (1)

Verses related to verse 87

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Yunus 10:98

    فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ ءَامَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَآ إِيمَٰنُهَآ إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّآ ءَامَنُوا۟ كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ ٱلْخِزْىِ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

    Then has there not been a [single] city that believed so its faith benefited it except the people of Jonah? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life and gave them enjoyment [i.e., provision] for a time.

  • As-Saffat 37:141

    فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُدْحَضِينَ

    And he drew lots and was among the losers.

  • At-Talaq 65:7

    لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُۥ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَآ ءَاتَىٰهَا سَيَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا

    Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth, and he whose provision is restricted - let him spend from what Allāh has given him. Allāh does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allāh will bring about, after hardship, ease [i.e., relief].

  • Al-Qamar 54:12

    وَفَجَّرْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ عُيُونًا فَٱلْتَقَى ٱلْمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرٍ قَدْ قُدِرَ

    And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the waters met for a matter already predestined.

  • As-Saffat 37:145

    فَنَبَذْنَٰهُ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ سَقِيمٌ

    But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill.

The supplication of Yunus: “There is no god but You” transliteration Listen to the whole Surah Al-Anbya Read in Surah Al-Anbya Tafsir of Surah Al-Anbya

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