The main aims (Maqsid) of Surah Yunus and how it fits in the Seerah

Summary

Given the date of the revelation (a short while after the Hijrah), the surah could be a final reminder of the polytheist Meccans to accept the before the Prophet (saw) leaves through migration or the punishment will arrive shortly after.

The Meccans can either accept the message (similar to the story of the people Yunus) and Allah will praise them and accept their attitude, or to keep rejecting the message and the defeat and punishment will arrive (similar to the people of Musa and Nooh).

But in both cases, Allah promises the believers of a very near establishment of the deen and victory over the enemies, providing the continuous strong adherence to the deen and patience against the suffer to accomplish it.

Introduction

Surah Yunus is one of the valuable surahs that help us understand the context and teachings immediately before the migration (Hijrah) to Medina. This answer will elaborate on the aims (maqasid) and the main themes of the surah contextualizing them with the historical context of the Prophet’s (saw) dawa.

Key Facts

Surah Yunus is a Meccan surah, as Ibn Abbas (ra) reported, was named after prophet Yunus whose people’s story is a key factor to understand the main aim (maqsid) of the surah, as I am going to present in Motifs section. (Ibn Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanweer, Vol. 11, pp. 77-78, Ibn Atiyah, al-Muharir al-Wajeez, Vol. 3, p. 102)

The Surah was revealed immediately before the migration to Medina, as it was revealed after surah al-Israa that was revealed after the journey of al-Israa (to Jerusalem) and Mi'raj (to heavens) less than years before the migration. (Shihatah, Ahdaf Kul Surah wa Maqasiduha, p. 119)

Themes

Given the date of the revelation (a short while after the Hijrah), the surah could be a final reminder of the polytheist Meccans to accept the message after concisely re-present the deen’s fundamentals. The Prophet (saw) is about to leave and the punishment is about to arrive, they have only two choices (deduced from the stories of the previous nations putting forward as examples); either to accept the message (similar to the story of the people Yunus) and Allah will praise them and accept their attitude, or to keep rejecting the message and the defeat and punishment will arrive (similar to the people of Musa and Nooh).

But in both cases, Allah promises the believers of a very near establishment of the deen and victory over the enemies, providing the continuous strong adherence to the deen and patience against the suffering to accomplish it. 

Analysis

The surah focused on presenting the signs of Allah’s glory and therefore he is the only One worthy to be worshipped (verses 3-26), his laws must be established and they must dissolute the forefathers’ legislations allegedly attributed to the divine source (verses 59-61). (Tabari, Jami al-Bayan, Vol. 15, pp. 111-112)

The seventh-century Andalusi mufasir ibn al-Zubayr commented on this section:

فَبَيّنَ اِنْفِرادَهِ تَعَالَى بِالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَالْخَلْقِ وَالْاِخْتِرَاعِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ، فَكَيْفَ تَعْتَرِض أَفْعَالَهُ ... وَإِذَا كَانَ الْكُلُّ مَلِكُهُ وَخلقُهُ فَيَفْعَلُ فِي مُلِكِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَحْكُمُ فِي خَلْقِهِ بِمَا يُرِيدُ

“He (Allah) elaborated his Oneness in Rububiyah (legislation and order), creation, invention and planning (management), so how you (anyone or the Meccans) object his actions? … if all (the existence in the Universe) is his kingdom and creation, he (is entitled) to do in his kingdom whatever he wills and judge between his creature with whatever his wants.” (Ibn al-Zubayr, al-Burhan Fi Tanasub Suwar al-Qur’an, p. 222)

Allah then reminds them of their idols’ and legislators’ weakness in providing them with worldly or eschatological help. (verses 27-36 and 66-70) Allah also reminds them of the challenge to allegedly falsify the Qur’an by bringing a similar book, but given the date of revelation (before leaving them), Allah finally de-escalated the challenge here to only produce one similar chapter as it was their last chance), but they will never do. (verses 37-43) Then Allah warns them of the punishment they deserve for their unjustified rejection and stubbornness and the reward waiting for those who believed and obey Allah and His Messenger (verses 44-65).

Given the Prophet (saw) was about to leave Mecca and the punishment (such as the starvation period, the battles and the final liberation) was about to be meted out. People of Mecca knew such a fact of migration and the promised punishment, they even sent a delegation begging the people of Medina not to host the Prophet (saw). (Al-Kala'i, al-Iktifaa, Vol. 1, p. 246, Samhudi, Wafaa al-Wafa, Vol. 1, p. 402, Ibn Hisham, Aseerah al-Nabawiyah, Vol. 1, pp. 300-301, Ibn Saad, al-Tabaqat, Vol. Vol. 1, p. 223)

Allah put forward examples for them to choose their own fate. They could keep rejecting the message and the defeat and punishment will arrive after the Messenger and the believers would leave – who will shortly return and inherit the land, similar to the story of the people of prophets Nooh and Musa (verses 71-97);  or learn the lesson of the people Yunus (as) who embraced the deen shortly before (others argue contemporary with) receiving the punishment and Allah will praise them and accepted their conversion (verses 98-100).

The surah was named after Prophet Yunus (as) because it is the key message from the surah because the Meccan’s conditions were very similar to the people of Yunus (as) before the migration of both prophets.

Allah narrates the reaction of the people of Yunus (as):

فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى حِينٍ

“Then has there not been a (single) city that believed so its faith benefited it, except the people of Yunus? When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in worldly life and gave them enjoyment for a time.” (Verse 98)

It was narrated the people of Yunus (as) rejected the message and Prophet Yunus (as) left them migrating to other nations. But before the punishment could arrive (others argue contemporary with), people repented and accepted the message collectively so Allah released and accepted their repentance. (Baghawi, Ma'alim al-Tanzeel, Vol. 2, p. 434)

Qatadah narrated:

لَمَّا فَقَدُوا نَبِيَّهُمْ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّ الْعَذَابَ قَدْ دَنَا مِنْهُمْ، قُذِفَ اللهُ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ التَّوْبَةَ ... كَشَفَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابُ بَعْدَ أَنْ تُدَلَّى عَلَيهُمْ .

“When they missed their prophet (after his migration), they knew punishment is very close to them. Allah threw repentance in their hearts … and released them from the punishment after it was above them (hanged but did not reach).” (Tabari, Vol. 15, pp. 206-207, Abu Hatim al-Razi, Tafseer al-Qur’an al-Adheem, Vol. 6, p. 1988, Ibn Ashur, Vol. 11, p. 79)

It was not a special case, as ibn Ashur noted, for people of Yunus (as), but it alludes to urge the Meccans to do a similar thing:

وَأَنْ لَيْسَتْ لِقَوْمِ يُونُسَ خُصُوصِيَّةً ... وَفِي الْآيَةِ إِيمَاءٌ إِلَى أَنَّ أَهْلَ مَكَّةَ يُعَامِلُهُمُ اللَّهُ مُعَامَلَةَ قَوْمِ يُونُسَ

“It was not special to the people of Yunus … the verse contains an allusion refereeing to Allah’s similar treatment of the people of Mecca and the people of Yunus.” (Ibn Ashur, Vol. 11, p. 289: but ibn Ashur applied that to the reaction to the liberation of Mecca)

Then the surah ended with promising the believers with the victory, providing keep the orders and the revelation of Allah unviolated and don’t follow their trajectory even if they tried to harm you (verses 102-108). 

Then the surah is ended with:

 وَاتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَى إِلَيْكَ وَاصْبِرْ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ

“And follow what is revealed to you, (O Muhammad), and be patient until Allah will judge. And He is the best of judges.” (Verse 109)

Wahidi, Baghawi, Zamakshari, ibn Ashur and others commented on the verse and argued, similar to the rest of the mufasirs, it refers to the near establishment of the deen and the victory over its enemies. As Baghawi phrased it:

بِنَصْرِكَ وَقَهْرِ عَدُوِّكَ وَإِظْهَارِ دِينِهِ 

“(Promise) with giving you the victory and the subjugation of your enemy, and establishing your deen.” (Baghawi, Ma’alim al-Tanzeel, Vol. 2, p. 238, Wahidi, al-Waseet, Vol. 2, p. 562, Zamakshari, al-Kashaf, Vol. 2, p. 375, Ibn Ashur, Vol. 11, p. 310)

Besides, this last verse is very similar to the beginning of the surah:

 أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَسَاحِرٌ مُبِينٌ

“Have the people been amazed that We revealed [revelation] to a man from among them, (saying), "Warn mankind and give good tidings to those who believe that they will have a [firm] precedence of honor with their Lord"? (But) the disbelievers say, "Indeed, this is an obvious magician."” (Verse 2)

So, the discussion at the beginning and the end elaborates the concept of giving glad tidings to believers of a coming victory providing to persist in adhering to the light of revelation.

Several helping factors to connect the above verses together were deduced from the Tafseer of Sayd Qutb ‘Fi Dhilal al-Qur’an, Vol. 11, pp. 1748-1753.

Marginal issue:

The discussions between the Prophet (saw) and the Meccans in several verses (such as 14-17) – seeking the Prophet (saw) to change the revelation and its ruling and principles - were mainly with the leaders and elites who possess the collective change of the society. (Tabari, Vol. 15, pp. 40-43, Matrudi, Ta’wilat Ahl al-Sunah, Vol. 6, p. 19, Samarqandi, Bahr al-Ulum, Vol. 107)

It was narrated the were: Al-Waleed ibn al-Mughirah, Abdullah ibn Umayah, al-Aas ibn Qa’il, Al-Aswad ibn al-Abd Mutalib, Al-Aswad ibn Yaghuth, Mikraz ibn Hafs, Amr ibn Qays and al-Harith ibn Handhalah. (Baghawi, Vol. 2, pp. 413-414, Razi, Mafatih al-Ghayb, Vol. 17, pp. 223-224, Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul, p. 270)

Which means the leaders and elites were willing to accept the deen after losing a large number of their public polity as well as the importance of their conversion.

Conclusion

Given the date of the revelation (a short while after the Hijrah), the surah could be a final reminder of the polytheist Meccans to accept the before the Prophet (saw) leaves through migration or the punishment will arrive shortly after.

They can either accept and they will be the winner or reject and they will be the defeated party or accept the message (similar to the story of the people Yunus) and Allah will praise them and accept their attitude, or to keep rejecting the message and the defeat and punishment will arrive (similar to the people of Musa and Nooh).

But in both cases, Allah promises the believers of a very near establishment of the deen and victory over the enemies, providing the continuous strong adherence to the deen and patience against the suffering to accomplish it. 

Allah knows best, “We assume only assumption, and we are not convinced.” (Qur’an 45:32)

References

Al-Kala'i, al-Iktifaa

Abu Hatim al-Razi, Tafseer al-Qur’an al-Adheem

Baghawi, Ma’alim al-Tanzeel

Ibn Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanweer

Ibn Atiyah, al-Muharir al-Wajeez

Ibn al-Zubayr, al-Burhan Fi Tanasub Suwar al-Qur’an

Ibn Hisham, Aseerah al-Nabawiyah

Ibn Saad, al-Tabaqat

Matrudi, Ta’wilat Ahl al-Sunah

Razi, Mafatih al-Ghayb

Samhudi, Wafaa al-Wafa

Samarqandi, Bahr al-Ulum

Shihatah, Ahdaf Kul Surah wa Maqasiduha

Sayd Qutb, Fi Dhilal al-Qur’an

Tabari, Jami al-Bayan

Wahidi, al-Waseet

Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul

Zamakshari, al-Kashaf