Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Al-Anbiyaa, Ayah 87
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Other Scholars on This Ayah
Tafsir
And mention Dhū’l-Nūn the one of the whale namely Jonah son of Amittai Yūnus bin Mattā when he went off enraged Dhā’l-Nūn is substituted by the clause idh dhahaba mughādiban by his people that is furious with them because of what he had suffered at their hands — even though he had not been granted permission by God to go off as he did — thinking that We had no power over him that is that We could not compel him to submit to Our decree in the way that We did by imprisoning him inside the stomach of the whale; or that We could not make circumstances difficult for him. Then he cried out in the darknesses through the darkness of the night the darkness of the sea and the darkness of the whale’s stomach that ‘There is no god except You! Glory be to You! I have indeed been one of the wrongdoers’ for leaving my people without Your permission.
Ibn Abbas Commentary
(And (mention) Dhu'l-Nun) and mention the person of the whale, i.e. Jonah the son of Mathew (Matta), (when he went off in anger) with the king (and deemed that We had no power over him) i.e. to punish him, (but he cried out in the darkness) the darkness of the sea and the darkness of the whele's entrails and the darkness of its belly, (saying: There is no God save Thee. Be Thou glorified!) I repent to You (I have been a wrong-doer) I wronged myself when I became angry with Your command.