Tafseer of Those drawn up in Ranks · As-Saaffaat · 37:141
And he drew lots and was among the losers.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ ("Then he cast lots and was among the losers"); he said: the ship came to a standstill, and the people understood that it had only come to a standstill because of a transgression they had committed. So they cast lots among themselves, and the lot fell upon Yūnus, whereupon he cast himself into the sea, and the great fish swallowed him.
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His statement فَسَاهَمَ ("Then he cast lots"); he said: he cast the lot.
His statement فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ ("and was among the losers") means: he was among those upon whom the lot fell and who lost. From this it is said: "adḥaḍa Allāhu ḥujjata fulān fa-daḥaḍat" — that is: He nullified his proof, whereupon it came to nothing. And "al-daḥḍ" — its origin is slipping in water and mud. From them it is related: "daḥaḍa Allāhu ḥujjatahu," but that is rare.
And approximately the same as what we have said concerning this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) have said.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ ("and was among the losers"); he says: among those upon whom the lot fell.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His statement مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ ("among the losers"); he said: among those upon whom the lot fell.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, concerning His statement فَكَانَ مِنَ الْمُدْحَضِينَ ("and was among the losers"); he said: among those upon whom the lot fell.
