Aslam

Yunus was sent to a people of a hundred thousand or more. He called them to Allah, but they rejected him. Frustrated, he left before Allah had given him permission — boarding a ship that was soon caught in a violent storm. The crew cast lots to lighten the load, and the lot fell on Yunus. He was thrown into the sea, where a great whale swallowed him whole.

In the layers of darkness — the darkness of the night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of the whale's belly — Yunus called out: "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."

Allah heard his prayer. Had he not been of those who glorify Allah, he would have remained in the whale's belly until the Day of Resurrection. But Allah caused the whale to cast him onto the shore, ill and exposed. He caused a gourd plant to grow over him, giving him shade and nourishment as he recovered.

And his people? They believed. All of them. Allah removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life and gave them enjoyment for a time.