Question Summary:
How many days did Hazrath Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam) stay in the fish?

Question Detail:

How many days did Hazrath Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam) stay in the fish?

Answer :

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
The Mufassiroon (exegetes) have differed on the time duration of Hadhrat Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam)’s stay in the belly of the fish.
According to Hadhrat Imam Qatadah (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), Hadhrat Imam Muqatil Bin Hibban(Rahmatullahi Alayhi) and others, Hadhrat Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam) stayed in the belly of the fish for three days.[1]
According to Hadhrat Imam Ja’far al- Sadiq (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), Hadhrat Imam Atha (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), Hadhrat Sa’eed Bin Jubair (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) and others, Hadhrat Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam) stayed in the belly of the fish for seven days.[2]
According to Hadhrat Abu Malik (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), Hadhrat Imam Muqatil Bin Sulayman (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) and many senior Mufassireen and Muhadditheen, Hadhrat Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam) stayed in the belly of the fish for forty days.[3]
According to Hadhrat Imam Mujahid and Sha’bi (Rahmatullahi Alayhim), Hadhrat Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam) was swallowed by the fish in the morning and released in the evening of the same day he was swallowed by the fish.[4]
According to Hadhrat Imam Dhahhak (Rahmatullahi Alayhi), Hadhrat Yunus (Alayhi al- Salam) stayed in the belly of the fish for twenty days.[5]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ismail Desai,
Student Darul Iftaa
Takhassus Fil Tafseer
Faculty of Speciality in Tafseer and Qur’anic Sciences
Durban, South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.