Enveloped in triple darkness—the darkness within the belly of a massive sea creature, the darkness of the turbulent ocean depths, and the darkness of a storm-choked sky—buffeted by fierce winds that whipped the waves into towering mountains and tossed ships precariously, a pure and sincere plea pierced these layers of darkness and ascended swiftly to the heavens. The gates of heaven opened to receive it, and in response came swift divine rescue, delivering the supplicant from these perils and bringing relief.

“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” [Quran 21:87] These three phrases encapsulated and alleviated much of the suffering of a Prophet of Allah. Allah had decreed that his trial would take place within a prison, but what a prison it was! This was no ordinary confinement with doors to be locked or unlocked, nor guards to be commanded to release the captive. Instead, the prison and the jailer were one—a sea creature incapable of understanding human speech. It was the whale that swallowed Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him), also known by his epithet “Dhu-n-Nun,” derived from this very encounter.

The story is well-known, so the purpose here is not to retell it or delve into its details. Rather, the focus is on the prophetic supplication that this noble prophet continuously repeated within the whale’s belly. This supplication raises several questions: What is the meaning of this plea? Why was it so effective in relieving distress? What is the significance of admitting wrongdoing and acknowledging sin in this context? Most importantly, how can this prophetic supplication be understood theologically, revealing its greatness, significance, and connection to a broader doctrinal framework?

To answer these questions, we begin by analyzing these words with Allah’s guidance:

The First Phrase: La ilaha illa Anta (There is no deity except You)

The phrase of Tawheed (monotheism) encompasses both negation and affirmation. It is similar to Allah’s statement: “It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” [Quran 1:5], meaning: we worship none but You, and we seek help from none but You.  Similarly, Allah, the Almighty, says: “And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth...” [Quran 98:5] And He says: “That is because Allah is the Truth, and that what they call upon other than Him is falsehood...” [Quran 22:62] Therefore, every deity worshipped besides Allah is false, regardless of the virtue, status, or rank attributed to that being—whether prophets, righteous people, angels, or others. Every object of worship besides Allah is false, its worship is invalid, and its worshipper is misguided. Scholars explain that the term “falsehood” here refers to the fact that the worship neither benefits the worshipper nor the object being worshipped. For this reason, the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) praised the words of the poet Labid, considering them the truest words he ever spoke:

“Indeed, everything except Allah is false.”

It is noteworthy that many prophetic supplications and adhkar (remembrances) begin with the declaration of Tawheed. One example is the supplication known as the Master of Istighfar (Sayyid Al-Istighfar), as narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari, “The master of Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) is for the servant to say, ‘O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no deity except You. You created me, and I am Your servant, and I am fulfilling my covenant and promise to You as much as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favor upon me, and I confess my sin, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.”

In the supplication “La ilaha illa Anta (There is no deity except You),” there is a profound meaning that few fully grasp. Beginning this supplication with the testimony of Tawheed serves to affirm and pledge steadfastness in servitude to Allah, regardless of the severity of trials and tribulations. Allah, the Almighty, says: “And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to disbelief]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss.” [Quran 22:11] This steadfastness in Tawheed is built upon a foundation of piety and seeking Allah’s pleasure, which is the source of a believer’s resilience during trials: “So is one who laid his foundation upon fear of Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid his foundation on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell?” [Quran 9:109] This illustrates the wisdom of beginning the supplication with these words, as they inherently encompass seeking Allah’s favor through righteous deeds—the greatest of which is Tawheed. It is as if the afflicted person is saying, “My Lord, whatever You decree and whatever trial You send my way, I will worship none but You.”

The Second Phrase: Subhanaka (Exalted are You)

In Arabic, tasbeeh means glorification, and saying Subhan Allah signifies declaring Allah free of any deficiencies or imperfections. It is an acknowledgment of Allah’s absolute perfection and majesty.

This negation of imperfection is not merely a denial of flaws, as scholars of Islamic creed explain. It is not a simple negation but one that affirms Allah’s praiseworthy attributes and absolute perfection. Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah remarked, “Negation is not a form of praise unless it implies affirmation; otherwise, pure negation contains no praise. Denying flaws and imperfections concerning Allah necessitates affirming His praiseworthy attributes and perfection.”

While this phrase generally negates all deficiencies, its most significant implication in this context is the negation of injustice from Allah. This trial and affliction were not decreed unjustly or as punishment without cause. Injustice is among the most despicable traits, and Allah is far removed from it due to His perfect justice and benevolence: “Indeed, Allah does not do injustice, [even] as much as an atom’s weight; while if there is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.” [Quran 4:40] “And Allah does not intend injustice to the worlds.” [Quran 3:108]

“And Allah does not intend injustice to [His] servants.” [Quran 40:31] “And whoever does righteous deeds while he is a believer—he will neither fear injustice nor deprivation.” [Quran 20:112] This is further confirmed by what is mentioned in the Sunnah (prophetic traditions), such as Allah’s words in the Hadith Qudsi (sacred hadith), “O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another ... O My servants, it is but your deeds that I enumerate for you, then I will recompense you for them. So whoever finds good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself.” [Muslim]

Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah remarked, “In his saying: ‘subhanaka’ (Exalted are You), there is an affirmation of Allah’s innocence from any injustice and an affirmation of His greatness, which necessitates His being free from injustice. For the unjust individual commits injustice either due to need or ignorance, but Allah is free from any need and is All-Knowing of everything. He is self-sufficient, and all that exists apart from Him is dependent on Him. This is the perfection of greatness.”

Regarding the benefit and outcome of this glorification (tasbeeh), it is mentioned in Allah’s statement: “And had he not been of those who exalt Allah, He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected.” [Quran 37:143-144]

This consistent glorification of Allah, declaring Him free from all deficiencies and faults, was the reason for the swift arrival of relief and the end of the trial.

The Third Phrase: Inni kuntu mina Az-zalimeen (Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers)

After Prophet Yunus (peace be upon him) denied any injustice on Allah’s part, he followed this by confessing his own sin and shortcoming, which was undoubtedly the true cause of his trial. Many verses affirm that people’s wrongdoing is the cause of their suffering. Among them are: “And We did not wrong them, but they were [the ones] who wronged themselves.” [Quran 16:118] “And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves.” [Quran 11:101] “And We did not wrong them, but it was they who were the wrongdoers.” [Quran 43:76] Similarly, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) said: “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves...” [Quran 7:23]

This represents a profound dual approach stemming from prophetic guidance: The servant combines two crucial aspects of seeking Allah’s favor—seeking through righteous deeds and seeking through acknowledging one’s weakness. This makes the supplication worthy of being answered.  For this reason, the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) taught his Companions to say in every prayer, during the opening supplication, “O Allah, You are the King; there is no deity except You. You are my Lord, and I am Your servant. I have wronged myself and admitted my sin, so forgive all my sins, for no one forgives sins except You.” [Muslim]

This acknowledgment, confession, and describing oneself as among the wrongdoers—since wrongdoing is an inherent aspect of humanity, whether directed at oneself or others—was a means of salvation. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, “He was not saved except by confessing his wrongdoing.”  Moreover, this confession included a request for forgiveness from Allah, which became a reason for his deliverance.

The Fourth Phrase: Allah Will Surely Respond

When these words encompassed the acknowledgment of Tawheed (the oneness of Allah), seeking Allah’s favor through righteous deeds, glorifying Allah and declaring Him free from any injustice, and admitting one’s own sin, they collectively represented the perfect expression of helplessness, humility, and submission before the Lord of all creation. Allah, the Exalted, is characterized by modesty and generosity, as mentioned in the authentic hadith, “Indeed, your Lord is modest and generous; He is shy to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him.” [Narrated by the compilers of the Sunan Books except An-Nasa’i] How much more so, then, for the one who perfects their supplication and humbly implores Allah? For this reason, Allah’s response is a guaranteed promise. Sa‘d Ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “The supplication of Dhu-n-Nun (Prophet Yunus), when he supplicated to Allah while in the belly of the whale, ‘There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers,’ no Muslim ever supplicates with these words for anything but that Allah responds to him.” [At-Tirmidhi]