Agra | Mohammad Iqbal, Imam of Masjid Neharwali, addressed about the supplication of Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) in the Friday Sermon. He mentioned that just as Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) left his people without Allah’s permission, Allah, as a consequence, placed him in the belly of a fish. In today’s time, Muslims have also made a significant error. They have, in a way, stopped the practice of delivering Allah’s message to His servants and this is the gravest of mistakes, without a doubt, which leads to Allah’s displeasure. Consequently, the entire Muslim Ummah has been swallowed by the belly of problems. The fish of problems has engulfed them. This situation is not confined to one nation but encompasses all Muslim countries across the world, entangled in the grip of difficulties. Every attempt to reduce the intensity of these problems is only adding to them. The only way to escape the belly of the ‘fish of problems’ is for Muslims to acknowledge their mistakes and, like Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him), seek forgiveness from Allah. In Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayah 87, it is mentioned: “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” Likewise, in Hadith number 3505 of Tirmidhi Sharif, it is mentioned that Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) prayed in the belly of the fish: “La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minazzalimeen” (There is no deity but You, exalted are You, indeed I have been among the wrongdoers). This is such a supplication that whenever any Muslim prays it, Allah will surely accept their prayer. Following this method, we should sincerely pray and turn towards Allah. We must abandon the mindset of considering other nations as adversaries and engage with them as those to whom we must deliver the message of Islam. We must fulfill the responsibilities of calling them towards Allah. This is the way to escape from the belly of the ‘fish of problems,’ just as Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) adopted, and Allah forgave him. Only by adopting this path can we earn Allah’s pleasure. May Allah grant us all the ability to do so. Aameen.
Make Allah pleased only by following the actions of Prophet Yunus Alayhissalam, the man in the belly of fish : Muhammad Iqbal
