Surah Yunus is one of the Mi’in given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Psalms, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’. It is also one of the surahs beginning with Alif-Lam-Ra, three of which the Prophet ﷺ advised a man to recite, and Umar ibn al-Khattab recited it with Hud in the dawn prayer. It establishes prophethood with proofs and calls the deniers to faith.
It is one of the Mi’in, the surahs of about a hundred verses or more, given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Psalms, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’; it has also been said that it is one of the seven long ones, as reported from Sa’id ibn Jubayr.
To a man who asked him to teach him to recite, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Recite three of the surahs beginning with Alif-Lam-Ra”: Yunus, Hud, Yusuf, Ibrahim and Al-Hijr.
Authentic (sahih)Ahmad (2/169), An-Nasa’i (As-Sunan al-Kubra, 8027) and Ibn Hibban (773)
Al-Ahnaf prayed the dawn prayer behind Umar ibn al-Khattab, who recited in it Surah Yunus, Surah Hud and others like them.
It bears the name of Yunus to honour him and his people, the only town whose faith benefited it and from whom Allah removed the humiliating punishment: “If only there had been a town that believed and whose faith benefited it, other than the people of Yunus!”
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
أعطيت مكان التوراة السبع الطوال، ومكان الزبور المئين، ومكان الإنجيل المثاني، وفضلت بالمفصل.
I was given the seven long ones in place of the Torah, the Mi’in in place of the Psalms and the Mathani in place of the Gospel, and I was favoured with the Mufassal.
أقرئني يا رسول الله! فقال: اقرأ ثلاثاً من ذوات (آلر)، فقال: كبرت سني، واشتد قلبي، وغلظ لساني، قال: فاقرأ ثلاثاً من ذوات (حاميم)، فقال: مثل مقالته، فقال: اقرأ ثلاثاً من (المسبحات) …
“Teach me to recite, O Messenger of Allah!” He said: “Recite three of the surahs beginning with Alif-Lam-Ra.” The man said: “I have grown old, my heart has hardened and my tongue has become heavy.” He said: “Then recite three of those beginning with Ha-Mim.” The man said the same. He said: “Recite three of the glorifying surahs (al-musabbihat) …”
صليت خلف عمر الغداة فقرأ بيونس وهود ونحوهما.
I prayed the dawn prayer behind Umar, and he recited Yunus, Hud and similar surahs.
Main purpose: To establish prophethood with proofs, call the deniers to faith and warn them of punishment.
Yunus is the tenth surah of the Qur’an; revealed after Al-Isra, it has one hundred and nine verses according to the majority. It is Meccan according to the meticulous scholars; some excepted verses 40, 94 and 95, without any authentic report to support it. It bears the name of Yunus, peace be upon him, to honour him and his people, who believed before the punishment struck them and whom Allah delivered from it; it has no other name.
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
