Surah Yunus: Challenges for Deniers
Some verses of Surah Yunus invite such individuals, especially those who deny the Quran as the Book of Good, to a difficult challenge.
Several chapters of the Quran are named after prophets. Surah Yunus, is the 10th chapter of the Quran with 109 verses. Yunus is named after Prophet Yunus (Jonah).
It is a Makki Surah (revealed in Mecca) and is in the 11th Juz (part) of the Quran.
The Surah narrates the story of Prophet Yunus (AS) and his people who were saved from God’s punishment. It says that Prophet Yunus (AS) went to a people to guide them. He told them to worship God and to forsake their evil ways, but they refused to listen and had to leave them. He was then swallowed by a huge fish in whose stomach he remained for several days. Then he was saved by God and sent to those people again. This time they accepted his mission.
As well as the story of Prophet Yunus (AS), this Surah has verses which narrate the stories of a number of other prophets, including Prophet Nuh (AS), building of a ship, and the people who denied his mission and then God sent down a storm to punish them. There is also the story of Prophet Moses (AS), inviting the pharaoh to God, his confrontation with sorcerers, and his parting the sea so that he and his people could cross the sea while the pharaoh and his people were drowned.
The Surah also refers to the hardships that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) went through in dealing with the Mushrikeen (polytheists). The Mushrikeen questioned the divinity of the Quran. Thus the Quran challenges them to show a miracle like what the Holy Prophet (PBUH) did.
The objective of this Surah is to lay emphasis on Tawheed (monotheism). Some Quran interprets say that this Surah was revealed after some of the Mushrikeen denied the issue of Vahy (revelation) and called the Quran magic.
Other topics such as signs of God, reasons proving the existence of God, Vahy, and prophetic missions are also mentioned in this Surah.
Some verses of the Surah highlights the stubbornness and obstinacy of idolaters and pagans and invites them to their true nature. It refers to them as those who remember God when they face problems.
