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

Question Detail:

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

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
Mufti Ismail Desai,

Takhassus Fil Tafseer
Faculty of Speciality in Tafseer and Qur’anic Sciences
Durban, South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.