Allah describes the misguidance of those who worshipped the calf that As-Samiri made for them from the ornaments they borrowed from the Copts. He made the shape of a calf with these ornaments and threw in it a handful of dust from the trace of the horse that the Angel Jibril was riding, and the calf seemed to moo.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:-
“And the people of Musa made in his absence, out of their ornaments, the image of a calf (for worship). It had a sound. They took it (for worship) and they were wrongdoers”
This occurred after Musa Alaihissalaam went for the appointed term with his Lord, where Allah told him about what happened when he was on Mount Tur.
(149. And when they regretted and saw that they had gone astray, they said: “If our Lord have not mercy upon us and forgive us, we shall certainly be of the losers”)
(150. And when Musa returned to his people, angry and grieved, he said: “What an evil thing is that which you have done during my absence. Did you hasten in matter of your Lord” And he threw down the Tablets and seized his brother by (the hair of) his head and dragged him towards him for Musa feared that Harun might have not tried hard enough to forbid them from their evil action.
He (Harun) said: “O son of my mother! Indeed the people judged me weak and were about to kill me, so make not the enemies rejoice over me, nor put me among the people who are wrongdoers.”
When Musa Alaihissalaam was satisfied that his brother was innocent, he made this supplication.
(151. He (Musa) said: “O my Lord! Forgive me and my brother, and admit us into Your mercy, for You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”)
(And Harun indeed had said to them beforehand: “O my people! You are being tried in this, and verily, your Lord is (Allah) the Most Gracious, so follow me and obey my order.”) 20:90
(87. And (remember) Dhun-Nun, when he went off in anger, and imagined that We shall not punish him! But he cried through the darknesses (Zulumat) (saying): “There is no God but You, Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the Zalimin wrongdoers.”) (88. So We answered his call, and delivered him from the distress. And thus We do deliver the believers.)
This story is mentioned here, and in Surat As-Saffat and Surah Nun.
Yunus bin Matta, upon him be peace, was sent by Allah to the people of Nineveh, which was a town in the area of Mawsil in northern Iraq. He called them to Allah, but they rejected him and persisted in their disbelief. So he left them in anger, threatening them with punishment after three days. When they realized that he was telling the truth and that a Prophet never lies, they went out to the desert with their children and cattle and flocks. They separated the mothers from their children, then they beseeched Allah and pleaded to Him, with the camels and their young groaning, the cows and their calves mooing, and the sheep and their lambs bleating, so Allah spared them from the punishment.
Allah says:
(Was there any town that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its faith saved it Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while) 10:98
Yunus Alaihissalaam , meanwhile, went and traveled with some people on a ship, which was tossed about on the sea. The people were afraid that they would drown, so they cast lots to choose a man whom they would throw overboard. The lot fell to Yunus Alaihissalaam, but they refused to throw him overboard. This happened a second and a third time.
Allah says:
(Then he (agreed to) cast lots, and he was among the losers.) meaning, the draw went against him, so Yunus Alaihissalaam stood up, removed his garment and cast himself into the sea. Then Allah sent from the Green Sea — according to what Ibn Mas`ud said — a large fish which cleaved the oceans until it came and swallowed Yunus Alaihissalaam when he threw himself into the sea. Allah inspired that large fish not to devour his flesh or break his bones, (as if He said) Yunus is not food for you, rather your belly is a prison for him.
(And (remember) Dhun-Nun,) Here Nun refers to the fish; it is correct for it to be attributed to him here.
(when he went off in anger,) Ad-Dahhak said: “Anger towards his people.”
(and imagined that We shall not punish him!) meaning, constrict him in the belly of the fish.
(But he cried through the depths of darkness (saying): “There is no God but You, Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers.”) Ibn Mas`ud said regarding the `depths of darkness’: “The darkness of the belly of the fish, the darkness of the sea and the darkness of the night.”
This was also narrated from Ibn `Abbas, `Amr bin Maymun, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan and Qatadah. Salim bin Abu Al-Ja`d said: “The darkness of the fish in the belly of another fish in the darkness of the sea.”Ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas and others said: “This was because the fish took him through the sea, cleaving it until it reached the bottom of the sea.
Yunus Alaihissalaam heard the rocks at the bottom of the sea uttering glorification of Allah, at which point he said:
(There is no God but You, Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers)”
`Awf Al-A`rabi said: “When Yunus Alaihissalaam found himself in the belly of the fish, he thought that he had died. Then he moved his legs. When he moved his legs, he prostrated where he was, then he called out: `O Lord, I have taken a place of worship to You in a place which no other person has reached.”‘
(So `We answered his call, and delivered him from the distress.) means, `We brought him forth from the belly of the fish and from that darkness.’
(And thus We do deliver the believers.) means, when they are in difficulty and they call upon Us and repent to Us, especially if they call upon Us with these words at the time of distress.
The leader of the Prophets encouraged us to call upon Allah with these words. Imam Ahmad recorded that Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “I passed by `Uthman bin `Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, in the Masjid, and greeted him. He stared at me but did not return my Salam. I went to `Umar bin Al-Khattab and said: `O Commander of the faithful, has something happened in Islam’ I said that twice. He said, `No, why do you ask’ I said, `I passed by `Uthman a short while ago in the Masjid and greeted him, and he stared at me but he did not return my Salam.’ `Umar sent for `Uthman and asked him, `Why did you not return your brother’s Salam’ He said, `That is not true.’ Sa`d said, `Yes it is.’ It reached the point where they both swore oaths. Then `Uthman remembered and said, `Yes, you are right, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and I repent to Him. You passed by me a short while ago but I was preoccupied with thoughts of something I had heard from the Messenger of Allah , which I never think of but a veil comes down over my eyes and my heart.’ Sa`d said: `And I will tell you what it was. The Messenger of Allah told us the first part of the supplication then a bedouin came and kept him busy, then the Messenger of Allah got up and I followed him. When I felt worried that he would enter his house, I stamped my feet. I turned to the Messenger of Allah , who said,
(Who is this, Abu Ishaq) I said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said,
(What is the matter) I said, “Nothing, by Allah, except that you told us the first part of the supplication, then this bedouin came and kept you busy.” He said,
(Yes, the supplication of Dhun-Nun when he was in the belly of the fish:
(There is no God but You, Glorified be You! Truly, I have been of the wrongdoers.)
No Muslim ever prays to his Lord with these words for anything, but He will answer his prayer.)” It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and by An-Nasa’i in Al-Yawm wal-Laylah. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Sa`d said that the Messenger of Allah said:
(Whoever offers supplication in the words of the supplication of Yunus, will be answered.)
“O Allah! I beg You for that which incites Your Mercy and the means of Your forgiveness, safety from every sin, the benefit from every good deed, success in attaining Jannah and deliverance from Fire“
“اللهم إني أسألك موجبات رحمتك، وعزائم مغفرتك، والسلامة من كل إثم، والغنيمة من كل بر، والفوز بالجنة، والنجاة من النار”
Ibn Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
One of the supplications of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was: “Allahumma inni as’aluka mujibati rahmatika, wa ‘aza’ima maghfiratika, was-salamata min kulli ithmin, wal-ghanimata min kulli birrin, wal-fawza bil- jannati, wannajata minan-nar”
Allah Subhaanahu wataa’la says in the Holy Quran:-
(69. And recite to them the story of Ibrahim.)
Here Allah Subhaanahu wataa’la tells us about His servant, Messenger and Close Friend, Ibrahim, upon him be peace, the leader of the pure monotheists.
Allah commanded His Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to recite this story to his Ummah so that they could follow this example of sincerity towards Allah, putting one’s trust in Him, worshiping Him Alone with no partner or associate, and renouncing Shirk and its people.
Allah granted guidance to Ibrahim Alaihissalaam before, i.e., from a very early age he had denounced his people’s practice of worshiping idols with Allah, may He be exalted.
(70. When he said to his father and his people: “What do you worship”) (71. They said: “We worship idols, and to them we are ever devoted.”) (72. He said: “Do they hear you when you call”) (73. “Or do they benefit you or do they cause harm”) (74. They said: “(Nay) but we found our fathers doing so.”) (75. He said: “Do you observe that which you have been worshiping –”) (76. “You and your ancient fathers”) (77. “Verily, they are enemies to me, save the Lord of Al-`Alamin,”)
(78. Who has created me, and it is He Who guides me.) (79. And it is He Who feeds me and gives me to drink.) (80. And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me.) (81. And Who will cause me to die, and then will bring me to life. ) (82. And Who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the Day of Recompense.)
Here Ibrahim Alaihissalaam mentions Allah Subhaanahu wataa’la‘s Kindness towards Him
Ibrahim Alaihissalaam said,
(And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me.) meaning, `when I fall sick, no one is able to heal me but Him, Who heals me with the means that may lead to recovery’. Here he attributed sickness to himself, even though it is Allah Who decrees it, out of respect towards Allah Subhaanahu wataa’la.
O Allah, I seek refuge with Your Pleasure from Your anger. I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot count Your praises, You are as You have praised Yourself.
