The Majestic Quran

10. Yunus The Prophet Jonah This is a late Makkan chapter, revealed possibly in the year 622 ce. This is the first of the six chapters named after a prophet; the others are: Hud, Joseph, Abraham, Muhammad and Noah. The chapter opens by asking why people are surprised that God sent the revelation to a human being. This is followed by verses in which God is introduced as the Creator of the universe: the sun and the moon, that establish daily cycles of night and day on Earth, all for a purpose. The central theme of the chapter is the truthfulness of the Majestic Quran. The Makkans demanded that the Quran be changed because it criticised their false beliefs and bogus religious practices, the reply was: “Who ... is a greater wrongdoer than the one who makes up lies about God or who denies His verses? Certainly, evildoers will not succeed” (17). When they accused the Messenger r of making it up, the Prophet r was told to ask them: “Produce a single chapter like it, then call on whomever you can besides God to act as a witness, if you are telling the truth” (38). The significance of the Quran lies in its life-changing teachings and its solution to human misery caused by lack of morality: “People, your Lord’s teachings have come to you; they’re a healing balm for the diseases of the heart, and guidance and goodwill for the believers” (57). When the Prophet r is accused of writing the Quran himself, the answer is they are being deaf, dumb and blind (42–43).