Prophet Yūsuf: Part 3 — Forgiveness, with Ayyūb and Yūnus
Section 28 of 28 · Lives of the Prophets
Be Patient, Not Like the Companion of the Fish
In Sūrat al-Qalam, Allah (swt) tells the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about this story. It was revealed in the Makkan period, when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was receiving the same response as Yūnus: rejection. So, to keep the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) from doing what Yūnus did, Allah (swt) told Muhammad (peace be upon him) the story of Yūnus — and the first word used before the story is told is fa-ṣbir: have patience.
فَٱصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ ٱلْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ لَّوْلَآ أَن تَدَٰرَكَهُۥ نِعْمَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ لَنُبِذَ بِٱلْعَرَآءِ وَهُوَ مَذْمُومٌ فَٱجْتَبَـٰهُ رَبُّهُۥ فَجَعَلَهُۥ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
“So, remain patient with your Lord’s judgment, and be not like the Man of the Fish, he cried out while he was in anguish. Had not a favour from His Lord come to his help, he would have been cast in the wilderness in a reproachable state. Then his Lord chose him, and made him one of the righteous.” (68:48–50)
Allah (swt) says: so wait with patience for the decision of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the fish, when he cried out to Us while he was in deep sorrow. Had not a grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore while he was to be blamed. But his Lord chose him and made him of the righteous. So Allah (swt) chose him, and made him one of the righteous.