وَذَا ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَٰضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
37:140-141; 68:49.
37:144.
Important Words:
ظالمین (wrongdoers) is the plural of ظالم which is derived from ظلم which means, he put a thing in the wrong place or in a place not its own; he made one suffer loss; he committed a wrong; it became dark. ظلمه means, he imposed upon him a thing which was beyond his power or ability. ظلمات is plural of ظلمة which means, darkness; error or ignorance; affliction, hardship, distress or danger. ظلم which means transgression or wrong is said to be of three kinds i.e. between God and man; between man and man, and between man and his own self. Every one of these three kinds of ظلم constitutes a wrong done to oneself (Lane, Aqrab, Raghib & Taj). See also 2:18. The word ظلم and its derivatives, as used in five daily Prayers, commonly fall under the third category. Thus when a supplicant uses the word with regard to himself in Prayer, he only means that he has done something which has brought trouble or distress upon him or which has exposed him to danger; it does not necessarily mean that he has committed a sin. It is in this sense that this word has been used in the verse under comment and it is in this sense that Moses used the expression انی ظلمت نفسی i.e. I have wronged my soul (28:17).
Commentary:
ذوالنون (Dhun-Nun) literally meaning "the man of the fish" is the name of the Prophet Jonah or as he is called Yunus in the Quran (10:99). He has also been called صاحب الحوت (Companion of the Fish) in the Quran (68:49).
The verse does not specify the cause of Jonah’s anger. It must be the obstinate refusal of his people to accept his message because for a prophet to become angry with God is inconceivable. The Elect of God do not even speak nor do they act until God commands them to do so (21:28). Most of the English translators of the Quran have translated the words لن نقدر علیه as "We had no power over him. "Of this rendering the author of the Lisan says: "none will interpret it in this way except one who is ignorant of the Arabic language and the meanings of its words. "According to this lexicon the expression means: 'We will not straiten him' or 'We will not decree against him any distress.' Lane also agrees with Lisan in this respect. The word قدر has also been used in this sense elsewhere in the Quran. See 17:31; 28:83; & 65:8. For a fuller account of the Prophet Jonah see 10:99.
37:140, 141; 68:49.
37:144.
The verse does not specify the cause of Jonah’s anger. Apparently he did not and could not have become angry with God. It must have been the obstinate refusal of his people to accept his message which enraged him, because for a Prophet to become angry with God is inconceivable. The Elect of God do not even speak, nor do they act until God commands them to do so (21:28). The words, Lan Naqdira ‘Alaihi, mean, 'We will not straiten him' or 'We will not decree against him any distress' (Lisan & Aqrab).