Yunus (يُونُس)

Surah Yunus is the 10th surah or chapter of the blessed Quran. The surah is named after Prophet Yunus عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ. The surah is positioned in the 11th Juz or Parah in Hizb numbers 21 and 22. It has a total of 109 verses and is a Makki/Meccan Surah as it was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ) whmen he was in Makkah. It is one of the six surahs in the Quran, which start with the tri-letters – alif, lam, and ra.'

Although the tie of the revelation is unknown, the subject matter of the surah provides insight into what must have been experienced during the Prophet's last stages of residency in Makkah. The theme of the surah suggests that matters had come to the point where the disbelievers and their antagonism had reached their peak. They could not tolerate Muslims among themselves, and the Muslims had started to lose hope for them ever to start believing in the Prophet's (ﷺ) message of Islam and peace. Therefore, the final warning given in the surah indicates that it was revealed during the final stage of the Prophet's (ﷺ) residence in Makkah.

١٠ - يُونُس

10 - Yunus

الۗرٰ۝۰ۣ تِلْكَ اٰيٰتُ الْكِتٰبِ الْحَكِيْمِ۝۱
Aliflamra tilka ayatu alkitabi alhakeemi

English

Ahmed Ali

ALIF LAM RA. These are the verses of the authoritative Book.

1

المنزل الثالث

اَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَــبًا اَنْ اَوْحَيْنَاۗ اِلٰى رَجُلٍ مِّنْھُمْ اَنْ اَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْۗا اَنَّ لَھُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ رَبِّہِمْ۝۰ۭؔ قَالَ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ اِنَّ ھٰذَا لَسٰحِرٌ مُّبِيْنٌ۝۲
Akana lilnnasi AAajaban an awhayna ila rajulin minhum an anthiri alnnasa wabashshiri allatheena amanoo anna lahum qadama sidqin AAinda rabbihim qala alkafiroona inna hatha lasahirun mubeenun

English

Ahmed Ali

Are the people astonished that a man who is one of them was commanded by Us to warn them and to bring glad tidings to those who believe that they have a true precedence with their Lord? (Yet) the unbelievers say: "He is a clear sorcerer."

2

اِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللہُ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضَ فِيْ سِتَّۃِ اَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوٰى عَلَي الْعَرْشِ يُدَبِّرُ الْاَمْرَ۝۰ۭ مَا مِنْ شَفِيْعٍ اِلَّا مِنْۢ بَعْدِ اِذْنِہٖ۝۰ۭ ذٰلِكُمُ اللہُ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوْہُ۝۰ۭ اَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُوْنَ۝۳
Inna rabbakumu Allahu allathee khalaqa alssamawati waalarda fee sittati ayyamin thumma istawa AAala alAAarshi yudabbiru alamra ma min shafeeAAin illa min baAAdi ithnihi thalikumu Allahu rabbukum faoAAbudoohu afala tathakkaroona

English

Ahmed Ali

Your Lord is God who created the heavens and the earth in six spans, then assumed His power, dispensing all affairs. None can intercede with Him except by His leave. He is God, your Lord, so worship Him. Will you not be warned?

3

اِلَيْہِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيْعًا۝۰ۭ وَعْدَ اللہِ حَقًّا۝۰ۭ اِنَّہٗ يَبْدَؤُا الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيْدُہٗ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ بِالْقِسْطِ۝۰ۭ وَالَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَھُمْ شَرَابٌ مِّنْ حَمِيْمٍ وَّعَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوْا يَكْفُرُوْنَ۝۴
Ilayhi marjiAAukum jameeAAan waAAda Allahi haqqan innahu yabdao alkhalqa thumma yuAAeeduhu liyajziya allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati bialqisti waallatheena kafaroo lahum sharabun min hameemin waAAathabun aleemun bima kanoo yakfuroona

English

Ahmed Ali

To Him will you all return: God's promise is true. It is He who originates creation, then will revert it, so that He may reward those who believe and do good things in all justice. But those who deny the truth will receive boiling water to drink and grievous punishment, for they disbelieved.

4

ھُوَالَّذِيْ جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاۗءً وَّالْقَمَرَ نُوْرًا وَّقَدَّرَہٗ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوْا عَدَدَ السِّـنِيْنَ وَالْحِسَابَ۝۰ۭ مَا خَلَقَ اللہُ ذٰلِكَ اِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ۝۰ۚ يُفَصِّلُ الْاٰيٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَّعْلَمُوْنَ۝۵
Huwa allathee jaAAala alshshamsa diyaan waalqamara nooran waqaddarahu manazila litaAAlamoo AAadada alssineena waalhisaba ma khalaqa Allahu thalika illa bialhaqqi yufassilu alayati liqawmin yaAAlamoona

English

Ahmed Ali

It is He who gave the sun its radiance, the moon its lustre, and appointed its stations so that you may compute years and numbers. God did not create them but with deliberation. He distinctly explains His signs for those who can understand.

5

اِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّہَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللہُ فِي السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَّتَّقُوْنَ۝۶
Inna fee ikhtilafi allayli waalnnahari wama khalaqa Allahu fee alssamawati waalardi laayatin liqawmin yattaqoona

English

Ahmed Ali

In the alternation of night and day, and all that He has created in the heavens and the earth, are certainly signs for people who fear God.

6

اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ لَا يَرْجُوْنَ لِقَاۗءَنَا وَرَضُوْا بِالْحَيٰوۃِ الدُّنْيَا وَاطْمَاَنُّوْا بِہَا وَالَّذِيْنَ ھُمْ عَنْ اٰيٰتِنَا غٰفِلُوْنَ۝۷ۙ
Inna allatheena la yarjoona liqaana waradoo bialhayati alddunya waitmaannoo biha waallatheena hum AAan ayatina ghafiloona

English

Ahmed Ali

As for those who do not hope to meet Us (after death), and are content with the life of this world, who are oblivious of Our signs,

7

اُولٰۗىِٕكَ مَاْوٰىھُمُ النَّارُ بِمَا كَانُوْا يَكْسِبُوْنَ۝۸
Olaika mawahumu alnnaru bima kanoo yaksiboona

English

Ahmed Ali

Will have Hell as their abode for what they have earned.

8

اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ يَہْدِيْہِمْ رَبُّھُمْ بِـاِيْمَانِہِمْ۝۰ۚ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِہِمُ الْاَنْہٰرُ فِيْ جَنّٰتِ النَّعِيْمِ۝۹
Inna allatheena amanoo waAAamiloo alssalihati yahdeehim rabbuhum bieemanihim tajree min tahtihimu alanharu fee jannati alnnaAAeemi

English

Ahmed Ali

But those who believe and act for a beneficial end will be guided by their Lord for their good faith. At their feet shall flow streams of running water in gardens of delight.

9

دَعْوٰىھُمْ فِيْہَا سُبْحٰنَكَ اللّٰہُمَّ وَتَحِيَّتُھُمْ فِيْہَا سَلٰمٌ۝۰ۚ وَاٰخِرُ دَعْوٰىھُمْ اَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلہِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ۝۱۰ۧ
DaAAwahum feeha subhanaka allahumma watahiyyatuhum feeha salamun waakhiru daAAwahum ani alhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameena

English

Ahmed Ali

Their invocation will be: "All glory to you, O God," and "Peace" will be their salutation, and the end of their prayer (will be): "All praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds."

10

Theme and Subject Matter of Surah Yunus (يُونُس)

Beginning with ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿāt and establishing the divinity of the blessed Quran and Prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ), surah Yunus discusses how Allah deals with His creation by sending Messengers to them when they go astray and stray away from the path of righteousness to the path of evil. Similarly, as a seal to the Prophets, he sent Muhammad (ﷺ) – the last messenger of Allah, which is why no one should doubt or be surprised by his Prophethood and instead should listen to his message of Islam.

The surah also emphasizes the concept of Tawhid – the oneness of Allah. The accountability on the day of judgment, a fate no one can avoid, and the resurrection on the final day are also discussed to warn the disbelievers and advise them to mend their ways. Stories of the nations before them are also discussed to warn the disbelievers.

Through Surah Yunus, Allah has described this world as a temporary moment of glamour that acts as a trial and test for the believers, whereas the hereafter has been described as peaceful highlighting it to be the final destination. Therefore, those provided with an opportunity to turn to the right path should listen to the message of the Prophet (ﷺ). It is through this surah Allah refutes all doubts of the disbelievers towards the Prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ) and the miracles of the blessed Quran. The disbelievers are challenged to bring forward anything that is like the Quran, even if it is one single verse.

The surah then also briefly discusses the stories of the previous Prophets. The story of Prophet Noah عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, Prophet Moses عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and Pharoah are mentioned to teach the people a lesson about the importance of turning to the right path timely. Moreover, towards the end, the story of Prophet Yunus عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ and his nation has also been discussed to discuss how if the disbelievers repent and turn to Islam, their sins will be forgiven similar to that of the previous people who were drowning in sins but were granted forgiveness by Allah once they accepted the message of Islam and repented.

Benefits & Virtues of Surah Yunus (يُونُس)

Reciting the Quran is rewarded by good deeds. For every word a Muslim reads, 10 good deeds are added to their naam-e-Aamal. Specifically, reciting Surah Yunus ensures that one will be close to Allah on the day of judgment. Abu Abdullah Ja'far ibn Muhammad said: "Whoever recites surah Yunus once every two or three months, he will rest assured that he will not be among the ignorant and unaware, and on the Day of Judgment, he will be among those who are near to Allah." - Majma'al-Bayān, vol. 3, the beginning of the commentary on surah Yunus.

Surah Yunus also greatly emphasizes the concept of Tawhid (oneness of Allah). It explicitly states that Allah is one, and there are no partners that can or should be associated with Him. This is the foundation of the Islamic belief. Moreover, the stories that have been mentioned from the Prophethoods of the previous Prophets encourage believers to learn from the historical accounts of the past. For instance, the story of Prophet Noah عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ teaches us a lesson about patience, the story of Prophet Moses عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ highlights how faith always takes precedence over tyranny whereas the story of Jonah teaches them about the significance of repentance and faith in Allah.