Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 68 Al-Qalam, Ayat 48-48

فَاصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُنۡ كَصَاحِبِ الۡحُوۡتِ​ۘ اِذۡ نَادٰى وَهُوَ مَكۡظُوۡمٌؕ‏ ﴿68:48﴾

(68:48) So bear with patience until the Judgement of your Lord31 comes, and do not belike the man in the fish (i.e., Jonah)32 who called out, choking with grief:33


Notes

31. That is, the time when Allah will issue His decree about your success and victory and your opponents’ defeat, is yet far off. Till then you should go on enduring with patience whatever hardships and afflictions you may have to face in the way of preaching the faith.

32. That is, do not behave impatiently as did the Prophet Jonah (peace be on him), who an account of his impatience was driven into the fish’s belly. Immediately after exhorting the Prophet (peace be upon him) to have patience until Allah issued forth His decree, to tell him not to behave like the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him) by itself gives the meaning that the latter had shown some kind of impatience before Allah gave His decision and thus had incurred His wrath. (For explanation, see( Surah Yunus, Ayat 98, and E.N, 99); (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 87-88 and E.Ns 82 to 85); (Surah As-Saaffat, Ayat 139-148 and E.Ns 78 to 85).

33. In Surah Al-Anbiya it has been explained thus: From inside the fish’s belly and the darkness of the sea, the Prophet Jonah (peace be upon him) invoked Allah, saying: La ilaha ills anta subhanaka inni kuntu min-az-zalimin: There is no god but You; glory be to You: I had indeed committed a wrong. Thereupon Allah heard his prayer and delivered him from this affliction. (verses 87-88).