Faltaqamahu alhootu wahuwa muleem (surah Assaaffat: 142)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(37:142) Then a fish swallowed him, and he was blameworthy. *79

Faltaqamahul hootu wa huwa muleem

*79) This is what one understands from a study of these sentences: (1) The vessel which the Prophet Jonah boarded was already overloaded. (2) Lots were drawn in the vessel probably at a time when during the voyage it was felt that the lives of the passengers had been endangered due to the overloading; therefore, lots were cast to pick oat a person to be thrown overboard. (3) The lot fell on the Prophet Jonah, and so he was thrown into the sea. and a fish swallowed him. (4) The Prophet Jonah was so afflicted because he had fled and abandoned the place of his mission without the permission of his Master (Allah Almighty). This meaning is confirmed by the word abaqa as has been explained in E.N. 78 above, and also by the word mulim. Mulim IS a blameworthy person, who becomes worthy of blame by himself because of his sin and error, whether somebody else blames himfor it or not. (Ibn Jarir).