QURAN SUMMARY: YUNUS

NAME:  يونس, Yunus.

Name taken from Verse 98 where there is a mention of “Prophet Yunus”.

٩٨  فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

98  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 for a time.

But It does not mean that this name is the actual topic discussed in the whole Surah. It is just a reference and mark/symbol to distinguish this Surah from others as is with most other Surahs of Quran. While there are diversified topics discussed in these Surahs.

ENGLISH NAME: Jonah.

CHAPTER NUMBER: 10

SURAH YUNUS TOTAL VERSES: 109

SURAH YUNUS TOTAL WORDS: 1,839

TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 888

TOTAL LETTERS: 7,589

REVELATION PERIOD:

Meccan, Approx. 613 – 618 AD. 

MAIN CHARACTERS:

God, Prophet Muhammad, Mankind, False Deities, Disbelievers, Nuh and his people, Moses, Aaron, Pharaoh, Magicians, Yunus/Jonah.

SURAH YUNUS MAIN TOPICS:

Creation, Signs in Creation, Mankind was not but One Community, God vs false deities, Challenge Of Surah; Bring Forth A Surah Like It, Story of Moses, Pharaoh Body As A Sign, Belief after seeing the scourge did not benefit any community except of Yunus/Jonah.

SURAH YUNUS KEY VERSES:

١٩  وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

19  And mankind was not but one community [united in religion], but [then] they differed. And if not for a word that preceded from your Lord, it would have been judged between them [immediately] concerning that over which they differ.

٣٨  أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ ۖ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

38  Or do they say [about the Prophet], “He invented it?” Say, “Then bring forth a surah like it and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah, if you should be truthful.”

٤٧  وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ رَسُولُهُمْ قُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

47  And for every nation is a messenger. So when their messenger comes, it will be judged between them in justice, and they will not be wronged

٩٨  فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

98  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 for a time.

٩٩  وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَآمَنَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنْتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ

99  And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed – all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?

SUMMARY OF TOPICS

1(Quran Is a Book of Wisdom), 3-5(Creation in 6 Six Days, God Begins the Creation and Then Repeats It, Sun Is Like Lamp Moon Is Like Derived Light), 6-10(Signs in the Creation of Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, Day and Night), 11(and if Allah Was To Hasten For The People Their Term Would Have Been Ended for Them), 12( and When Affliction Touches Man, He Calls Upon God but When We Remove From Him his Affliction, He Continues [in Disobedience]), 15-16(Prophet Said I Lived So Long Among You and Never Said You Things Like This Before), 18(and They Worship Other Than Allah as Intercessors), 19(Mankind Was Not but One Community Then They Differed), 21-23(People Call Upon God When Suffering but Plot Against Him When Comfortable), 24(Example of Worldly Life by Rain and Harvest), 27 (Those Who Have Done Evil The Last Day Darkness on Their Faces), 28-30( Separation Between Them and Their Associates, Deities Whom People Worship Are Not Even Aware of Their Worship.), 31(Say, “Who Provides for You From the Heaven and the Earth? Or Who Controls Hearing and Sight; They Will Say Allah), 32-36(God vs False Deities), 37-38(Challenge Of Surah; Bring Forth A Surah Like It ), 39( They Have Denied That Which They Encompass Not in Knowledge and Whose Interpretation Has Not Yet Come to Them), 41-43(Disbelievers of Quran Will Be the Losers), 44(Allah Wrongeth Not but It Is the People Who Are Wronging Themselves), 45(the Last Day all Will Recognize Each Other. And Think That Stayed in World Only for an Hour), 48-49(People Ask About Last Hour Say I Have no Power for Myself and Donot Know the Unseen), 61(You Are Not in any Situation Except That God Is a Witness Over You When You Are Involved in It. And Not Absent From Your Lord An Atom’s Weight Within the Earth or Within the Heaven), 66-70(Disbelievers Follow Nothing but Conjecture, Preach Nothing but Falsehood.), 71-73(Nuh/Noah and his People), 75-83 (Story of Moses and Aaron, Magicians, Only Few Youth Believed in Moses), 87(God Inspired Moses To Settle and Build Houses in Misr/Egypt/ City), 90-92(Pharaoh and his Soldiers Drowned in Sea, Pharaoh Said “I Believe That There Is no Deity Except That in Whom the Children of Israel Believe”, God Said, Not Accepted, We Will Save Your Body as a Sign Verse92), 98(Belief After Seeing the Scourge Did Not Benefit any Community Except of Yunus/Jonah.), 107(and if Allah Should Touch You With Adversity, There Is no Remover of It Except Him; and if He Intends for You Good, Then There Is no Repeller of his Bounty) 108(Guidance Has Come- Follow or Disobey Is Your Choice)

SURAH YUNUS BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND

This Surah has 109 verses divided into 11 Rukus/Sections. This Surah was revealed in Mecca. It takes its name from the reference to Prophet Yunus/Jonah in verse 98. Like other Surahs revealed in Mecca, we find the emphasis on monotheism or the Oneness of God.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: One who recites Surah Yunus, is given ten rewards for each person who testified for Yunus.

The Surah discusses the various angles of the major pillars of the Islamic belief: Oneness of God, Prophethood and Life-after-death and shows their practical application to human life. This Surah shows the proof of Oneness of God and life after death and answers the objections of disbelievers they raised against prophethood of Muhammad. It also depicts the scenes on Judgement day and hereafter and tells us that the life of this world is just a test a trial.

The story of prophet Nuh and Moses told for a lesson that don’t behave like their people and do not think the messenger of God as helpless. Prophet Muhammad is urged to be patient and to be aware that he is unable to compel the people to believe.