THE SIGN OF JONAS

For a person to know the sign of Jonas, he doesn’t have to be a scholar of the Bible, he doesn’t even have to be a Doctor of divinity because it is taught in the Sunday schools all around the Continents. Irrespective whether you are a Christian or a Muslim, one way or the other you must have come across the story of Jonas, it is taught even in comics or in moral lessons – Jonas and the Whale.

Nevertheless, if you actually want to know the sign of Jonas according to the Biblical narratives – the Book of Jonas is less than two pages and contains only four chapters. Everyone knows the outline of the Story as related in Book of Jonas Ch. 1 v 1-17 and continues in Ch. 2.

The Story of Jonas in brief - Almighty God asked Prophet Jonas (peace be upon him) to deliver His Message to the people of Nineveh; he thought – “These Ninevetes are sinful, what will they listen to in the Message?” He thinks they would make fun of him; it would be a waste of time; so, he goes to Jopper sailing towards Tarshish. While he was at sea, there was a huge storm and it was the superstition of the marines of that time that if there is a storm at sea, its because someone has disobeyed his Master and they had their own ways in finding the person responsible – That’s the system of casting of lots.

When they cast lots, it comes to Jonas, and Jonas, being a Messenger of God, he agrees and says: “See, I am the person responsible – I was told by my Lord/Master to go to Nineveh but I sailed towards Tarshish; I’m at fault, you should take me and throw me overboard”. They questioned, “This person – such a pious person – why should he be killed?” They tried to stall the ship but the storm is still yet there.

So, he says that “Why don’t you throw me overboard?” and finally, they agreed and threw him overboard. When they threw him overboard, the storm subsides; maybe it was a coincidence – Allah knows best, indeed.

Later on, a big fish comes and swallows Jonas. Jonas prays to Almighty God from the belly of the Whale. The Whale takes Jonas [pbuh] for three days and three nights around the ocean and then vomits him out on the sea shore.

Question: What is the “Sign of Jonas” that Jesus refers to?

The Bibilical narrative claims that Jesus Christ said: “No sign shall be given to thee but the sign of Jonas; for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the Whale, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”.

Question: When Jonas was thrown overboard, was he dead or alive?

Before you start pondering, I would like to make the questioneasier to answer – according to the biblical narrative, Jonas volunteers, acknowledging that he was the one responsible and requested to be thrown overboard. If Jonas had disagreed, maybe they might have to break his legs, they might have to break his neck, they may even have to twist his arms; but he (Jonas) volunteers, so they threw him overboard without being injured.

Question: When Jonas was thrown overboard, was he dead or alive?

- Not a single individual would disagree to the fact that truly, he was ALIVE

Question: The fish comes and swallows him: Was he dead or alive after being swallowed by the Whale?

- He was ALIVE

Question: He prays to Almighty God from the belly of the Whale – Do dead men pray? – Was he dead or alive?

- He has to be ALIVE to supplicate to Almighty God

Question: The Whale took Jonas for three days and three nights in the ocean – dead or alive?

- ALIVE ! For a surety, he was alive

Question: The Whale vomits him out on the sea shore: Was he dead or alive?

- ALIVE ! Throughout the event, he was ALIVE !

------- Alive ! --- Alive !! --- Alive !!! -------

When a person is thrown overboard into a raging sea, he should die; if he dies – No miracle; but, if he is alive – It’s a Miracle. The whale comes and swallows Jonas, he ought to die but he didn’t die – then, it’s a Miracle. For three days and three nights of suffocation and heat in the belly of the whale; he ought to die but he didn’t die – that’s another Miracle.

Infact, the event was a Miracle of a Miracle of a Miracle

Remember the Prophecy: “No sign shall be given to thee but the sign of Jonas; for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the Whale, so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”.

– So, Jonas [pbuh] was ALIVE and Jesus [pbuh] ought to be ALIVE to fulfil this prophecy. But, when we pose this question to our Christian brothers that “How was Jesus Christ when he was placed in the tomb/sepulchre?”

All of the Christians say that “he was dead” – I am asking a question; “Since Jonah [pbuh] was ALIVE and Jesus [pbuh] is said to be dead, was Jesus ‘alike’ or ‘unlike’ Jonah?”

Absolutely UNLIKE, So Jesus [pbuh] did not fulfil the prophecy when he puts all his eggs in one basket and says “No sign shall be given to thee but the sign of Jonas…” and here, the prophecy is not fulfilled.

For the prophecy to be fulfilled, Jesus Christ should be ALIVE; as pointed our earlier by scriptural narratives of the crucifixion events in the Bible that he was ALIVE. Otherwise, Jesus Christ would be a liar; (I seek refuge in Allah from such assertion; it is a fallacy that a Messenger of Allah could be a liar).

We, Muslims respect him and for him to fulfil the prophecy, he should be ALIVE and Jesus [pbuh] was ALIVE as it was proven in the sequence of events described earlier in this artefact.

If you could recall, I have earlier emphatically deduced from definition that “For a person to be Crucified, he should be put to death on the cross, if he does not die on the cross; that means – he is not Crucified”.

There are some people who may argue saying - “See, the main part of the prophecy in Matthew Ch. 12 v 39-40 is not about being DEAD or ALIVE”, it is the time factor – you know, three days and three nights – three (3) is mentioned four (4) times”. So, they say that the main emphasis is three (3) and it is not about being DEAD or ALIVE.

So, I inquire, What is so unique about ‘three’? – What is the miracle about ‘three’? – It is not a Miracle. But they stressed:

“No! The prophecy is emphasizing on the time factor”.

Let us examine and analyse if Jesus Christ fulfilled the time factor which some Christians boast a as the main theme of the Miraculous Sign.

Question: When was Jesus Christ allegedly crucified?

- According to the Bible, the Christians would say “It was on a Good Friday”. So, we (Muslims) ask: “What is so good about this Friday?” They (Christians) reply: “Jesus Christ died for our sins; therefore, it’s a Good Friday”.

If you read; that Jesus’ trial was in hurry, they were hurried to put him up on the cross, they were hurried to get him down because according to the Jewish tradition, No one can stay in the night hanging on the cross on the Sabbath day according to Deuteronomy Ch. 21 v 23:

His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God); that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

KJV Bible, Deuteronomy 21:23

The land would get cursed, so they were hurried to get him down and they gave the burial birth and by the time - late in the evening, he was put in the sepulchre – late in the evening.

According to the Gospel of John Ch. 20 v 1:

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

KJV Bible, John 20:1

The first day of the week – Sunday morning; that was when the tomb was found empty by Mary Magdalene. So Jesus Christ was ‘supposedly’ in the tomb on Friday night.

Question: Why did I stressed the event as ‘supposedly’?

- Because the Bible does not mention when Jesus Christ left the tomb; he could have left on Friday late night or Saturday morning. So, let’s agree that the latest time he could have left the tomb/sepulchre was on the Sunday morning when Mary Magdalene confirmed his absence.

The maximum time length for which Jesus Christ could have allegedly been in the tomb/sepulchre are as follows:

On Sunday morning, the tomb was found empty by Mary Magdalene; so, the maximum time length that Jesus Christ could have allegedly been in the tomb/sepulchre based on the biblical narrative is Two (2) nights and One (1) day.

But the prophecy/sign states“…three days and three nights…” but the maximum period for which Jesus Christ could have allegedly been in the tomb/sepulchre based on the biblical narrative is One (1) day and Two (2) nights.

Question: Does ‘3 days and 3 nights’ equal ‘1 day and 2 nights’?

- Absolutely NOT! So, even the time factor which some Christians boast is not fulfilled. The absolute truth is that JESUS Christ was ALIVE.

Comparing events of the prophecy with the Church assertions:

For this Prophecies to be valid, Jesus Christ have to be alive; otherwise, the prophecy mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew Ch. 12 v 39-40 would be a scriptural fallacy, concoction, interpolation and fabrication.