Dua to Solve Hardship by Prophet Yunus
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
laaa ilaaha illaaa Anta Subhaanaka innee kuntu minaz zaalimeen
Translation
“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”
Surah al-Anbiya Ayat 87
Another profound prophetic supplication: “And my success is not but through Allah. Upon him I have relied, and to Him I return.” — Surah Hud Ayat 88
Key Takeaways
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In his darkest hour, Yunus (as) turned to Allah (swt), affirming His Oneness and exalting Him. Even in vulnerability and despair, he drew closer to Allah, who answered his call and freed him. As Allah states in the Quran: “Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember.” (27:62)
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A clear recurring narrative in the Qur’an is that societies tend to fall into disarray over time—a natural progression of increasing entropy or disorder. As the philosopher Will Durant noted: “A nation is born stoic, and dies epicurean” (Epicureanism prioritizes pleasure as the highest goal of the “good life”).
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Prophet Yunus’s (as) story addresses a critical question: What should an individual do when born into a corrupt society? Inaction or compliance will perpetuate corruption; the answer lies in opposing it. Allah (swt) had sent Yunus (as) to guide the wayward community of Nineveh (modern-day Northern Iraq).
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Yunus (as) strove to show the community the folly of idolatry and their destructive path, but they ignored him. He then decided they were beyond redemption and left to guide other communities—abandoning his duty without Allah’s consent. Allah (swt) sent a storm as a reminder that he could not escape his destiny; reconciliation and repentance were necessary. Thrown overboard, Yunus (as) was swallowed by a whale and plunged into three layers of darkness: night, the sea, and the whale’s belly. It was here that he recited his supplication for forgiveness.
Story Behind the Prophetic Dua of Yunus
In the Qur’an, Prophet Yunus (as) is referred to as Dhul Nun, meaning “the companion of the fish” or “the man of the fish”—a title rooted in his denial of Allah’s command and subsequent punishment: being swallowed by a whale.
Allah had appointed Yunus (as) to guide the people of Nineveh back to Allah and Islam. Like many prophets before him, he faced rejection. Frustrated, he rationalized that other communities were more deserving of his guidance and fled, as noted in Surah Saffat: “…ran away to the laden ship.” (37:140)
The ship was fully loaded, so when a fierce storm arose, it began to sink. The crew threw all luggage overboard to lighten the load, but the ship still struggled. Realizing the only way to save the vessel was to cast a man overboard, they decided to draw lots—an impartial method where everyone had an equal chance of being chosen.
Yunus (as) was the first to be drawn, as stated in the Qur’an: “And he drew lots and was among the losers.” (37:141) The crew, who admired Yunus (as) for his kindness, piety, and morale-boosting presence, drew lots twice more—but each time, Yunus (as) was selected. Recognizing this as Allah’s sign, he accepted his fate and was cast into the treacherous waters. Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala then commanded a whale to surface and swallow him whole.
The Qur’an describes his state as being in “darknesses”—three layers of darkness: the night, the depths of the ocean, and the suffocating interior of the whale. It was in this profound darkness that he cried out to Allah: “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” (21:87)
Yunus (as) had always remembered and worshiped Allah faithfully, building up immense spiritual goodwill. When he needed Allah’s help most, his supplication was answered: “So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.” (21:88)
Hadith on Prophet Yunus’s Dua
Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Sa`d narrated from his father, from Sa`d, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he supplicated, while in the belly of the whale was: ‘There is none worthy of worship except You, Glory to You, Indeed, I have been of the transgressors. (La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin)’ So indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him.”
This hadith is classified as Sahih (Authentic), recorded in Jami at-Tirmidhi.
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