Do Muslims believe in Jonah and the whale?
Yes. Muslims believe Jonah (Yunus in Arabic) was a prophet who was swallowed by a great fish and saved by God after he repented. The Quran tells his story in several places, names a whole chapter after him (Surah Yunus) and calls him "the man of the fish." His prayer from inside the fish is one of the best-known duas in Islam.
The story in the Quran
Jonah was sent to a city whose people rejected his message. He left them in frustration before God had given him permission to go. He boarded a ship, was cast into the sea, and "the fish swallowed him, while he was blameworthy" (Quran 37:142). The Quran says that if he had not been one who glorified God, "he would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected" (Quran 37:143-144).
The Quran uses the word for "fish" (hut), not specifically "whale," so Muslims usually say "a great fish." Whether it was a whale or another huge sea creature isn't something the Quran specifies.
The prayer in the darkness
Inside the fish, in layers of darkness, Jonah turned back to God with a short, honest prayer:
God answered: "So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers" (Quran 21:88). That last line tells Muslims the promise isn't only for Jonah.
The Prophet ﷺ said about this prayer that "no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him" (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3505, graded sahih). See What dua can I say when I feel anxious?
A city that changed its mind
Jonah's story has a hopeful twist. His people eventually believed, and God lifted the punishment from them. The Quran points out that they were the only such city whose last-minute faith benefited them (Quran 10:98). Muslims take this as a reminder that it's never too late to turn back to God. See Are all my sins forgiven when I become Muslim?
Respect for Jonah
Because Jonah made a mistake, some people might look down on him. The Prophet ﷺ warned against this: "None should say that I am better than Yunus bin Matta" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3416). Muslims see Jonah as an honored prophet whose story shows God's mercy, not as a failure.
The account is close to the Book of Jonah in the Bible, which also includes the fish, his prayer and the repentance of Nineveh. It's a story Jews, Christians and Muslims can read together.
- Jonah (Yunus) is a prophet in Islam, called "the man of the fish."
- The Quran says a great fish swallowed him and God saved him.
- His dua, "La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin," is widely used.
- The Prophet ﷺ forbade belittling Jonah.
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