Jonah / Yūnus

יוֹנָה (Hebrew) · يونس (Arabic)

Prophet swallowed by a great fish; sent to Nineveh

Overview

Jonah is the prophet who fled from God’s call, was swallowed by a great fish, and ultimately preached repentance to the city of Nineveh. The Quran’s Yūnus is honored as a prophet who, while in the belly of the fish (dhū al-nūn - the one of the whale), cried out “There is no god but You, glory be to You; I was among the wrongdoers” (Surah 21:87). Both traditions emphasize God’s mercy in response to genuine repentance.

In the Torah

Key passages:

• 1 - Jonah flees to Tarshish
• 17 - swallowed by great fish
• 1 - Nineveh repents

In the Quran

Yūnus in Quran

Key passages:

• 1 - Surah named after him
• 87 - prayer from the whale
• 139 - the story retold

Shared Themes

• prophet
• repentance
• whale
• mercy

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