Dhul-Nun
Definition
Dhul-Nun — the companion of the whale — is one of the Quran's names for Prophet Yunus (Jonah), marking the defining event of his prophetic career. After leaving his people without divine permission, boarding a ship, being cast by lot into the sea when a storm threatened to sink the vessel, and being swallowed by a great fish, Yunus found himself in a darkness that had no precedent in prophetic experience. Ibn Kathir notes that the title 'companion of the whale' is not a title of shame but of honor — the whale was a means of both consequence and salvation, carrying Yunus through the consequences of his action and eventually returning him to dry land for the completion of his mission.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Dhul-Nun.
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""Love that was once divided; do you not pity the aggrieved, whereas the carefree laughs while he weeps?" Dhul-Nun stood and fell forward. Another man rose, and Dhul-Nun remarked, "The One who sees you as you stand. The man then sat, as Dhul-Nun had insight into his heart, revealing that the man was pretending and feigning devotion."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 18: The Book of Listening and Ecstasy
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"The man then sat, as Dhul-Nun had insight into his heart, revealing that the man was pretending and feigning devotion. Dhul-Nun pointed out that if the man's act wasn't for the sake of God, it was his adversary, and if he had been honest, he would not have sat down. Thus, the essence of spiritual experiences returns to unveilings and to states."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 18: The Book of Listening and Ecstasy
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""No trellis like the trellis of Moses," as recorded by al-Daraqutni in the 'Fragments' from the hadith of Abu Darda, who called it rare. This is similar to benefiting from a construction made with unlawful wealth. The refusal of Dhul-Nun to accept food from the jailer's hand was significant. Even though the jailer's hand wasn't directly unlawful, the strength he gained came from unlawful sustenance. This is why al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, chose to vomit the milk he had consumed out of concern that it might strengthen him unlawfully, even though he drank it unknowingly and wasn't obligated to expel it."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 14: The Lawful and the Unlawful
Appears in
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