seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 37:139. And Jonah was one of the messengers.
140. When he fled to the laden boat.
141. He gambled and lost.
142. Then the fish swallowed him, and he was to blame.
143. Had he not been one of those who praised.
144. He would have stayed in its belly until the Day they are raised.
145. Then We threw him into the wilderness, and he was sick.
146. And We made a gourd tree grow over him.
147. Then We sent him to a hundred thousand, or more.
148. And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment for a while.
149. Ask them, “Are the daughters for your Lord, while for them the sons?”
150. Or did We create the angels females, as they witnessed?”
151. No indeed! It is one of their lies when they say.
152. “God has begotten.” They are indeed lying.
153. So He preferred girls over boys?
154. What is the matter with you? How do you judge?
155. Will you not reflect?
156. Or do you have some clear proof?
157. Then bring your book, if you are telling the truth.
Well this seems to be bringing up an interesting conversation. I better read the commentary.It is meaningless to say that Jonah fled from God. He was a prophet and knew that no one could flee from God, for God’s kingdom is unlimited. Nor does the Qur’ån say that he fled from God. Even the commentators do not accept this. It would appear that he fled from his people or from the king.
Såhama means he drew lots or he shared with another in a thing. According to the Bible, Jonah went into a boat but was cast into the sea on account of a storm (Jonah 1:15).
According to Jonah 1:17, Jonah was devoured by a fish. The word used in the Qur’ån is iltaqama, which does not necessarily signify the act of devouring. Laqm means a morsel, and from the same root is iltaqama, which means he took into his mouth and also embraced; iltaqama f å-hå fi-l-taqbßl means he took her mouth within his lips in kissing. According to one explanation, his heel only was drawn by the fish into its mouth.
The meaning is that the fish would have eaten him, and he would have died. By the day when they are raised is not meant the actual day of Resurrection, because the fish was not an immortal fish that could live to the day of Resurrection. A person’s death is generally called the day of his resurrection in a certain sense. Man måta fa-qad qåmat qiyåmatu-h∂ — he who dies, his resurrection comes to pass — is the heading of a chapter in the Mishkåt (Msh. 26:7), a standard Ïadßth collection.
According to the Bible, the gourd gave shelter to Jonah, but the next day a worm smote the gourd so that it withered, and Jonah grieved for it. The lesson drawn from this incident is stated thus: “Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow.... And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand” (Jonah 4:10–11). These were the hundred thousand or more persons to which Jonah was sent, as stated in v. 147.
Ok... I admit the book of Jonah is one of those that is really out there.... I mean a guy swallowed by a fish..... and then spit out.... and then he after all that he got into another argument with God? It's just really out there.No where in the Bible story, however, does it say that Jonah was afraid of the mission. He was afraid of the people murdering him. Nineveh was a miserable town.... like Sodom. The women in Nineveh were anything but angels. The men in Nineveh had no use for good little virgins or cute little boys..... they wanted lust.... bold lust... not newbie crap.... they were that mean... and Jonah was afraid.
After Jonah was spit out onto the shore.... he figured nothing could or would stop the mission.... so he went along... rather than suffer a worse fate than being swallowed and spit up by a fish! And the people of Nineveh changed!!! Well throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing.... God accepted their change and didn't destroy the city....
Well Jonah was miffed to say the least. He tamed that town and for what????? They didn't even get a hail storm they changed so drastically.
Jonah was exhausted.... I mean it's terrifying to stand on the street corner and yell "Repent.... the end of the world is here". Physically exhaustion and mental exhaustion are both real... and I guess after all he had been through.... he suffered from both... so he passed out...and God caused a bush to suddenly pop up to shade him. When he woke... he wouldn't need the bush any more.... so God took it away... Jonah was free to go on about his life.... and that miffed Jonah so much he questioned God!
God said.... "who died and made you God?"
That's what happened in the Bible.
Jonah was a reluctant messenger.
