ONLY ONE GROUP BELIEVED IN TIME! (VERSE NO. 98)

      The verse implies that no group of ancient people, who were warned by their prophets showed positive reaction to warning in time and before it was too late, except the people of JONAH. They repented collectively and believed all together and at once, and their sincere faith entitled them to God's Mercy and forgiveness:ِ

      ``Why was there not a city that believed so that their faith should have profited them, except the people of Jonah.''

      When Jonah who was sent to the people of Nineveh, was rejected by the people there; he abandoned to despair, and cursed his people by the advice of a fanatic monk. Contrary to that, there was another learned Monk in Nineveh who advised Jonah to be patient and strive with constancy and perseverance. He said:ِ``O, Jonah! Through your prayer ask our Lord to forgive these people and have Mercy on them perhaps they might be guided.''

      However JONAH cursed his people and left them. He ran away and sailed by a ship fully laden, and met with furious waves. The superstitious sailors wanted to know who was responsible for their

illِluck. So, to know that, they cast lots, and the Lot fell on Jonah, and he was thrown into the sea, and soon after he was swallowed by a whale or a huge fish. There in that awful darknesses he repented and glorified Allah. If not so he would certainly have remaind inside the fish till the Day of Resurrection. But Allah forgave him and cast him out in the seaِshore sick and exhausted. After him, his people were admonished by the said learned monk. He encouraged them to fear God and repent. Meanwhile the signs and symptoms of God's punishment was appearing to them more or less. So they repented and went out to pray for God's forgiveness. Their prayer was answered and God forgave them:ِ

      ``When they believed We removed from them the debasing torment in this world's life and let them enjoy themselves for the time being.''

      Soon after their repentance, their prophet too, joined them and all of them escaped an inevitable punishment through repentance and turning in time to their Gracious God.

      The incident shows that, how effective an aware and compassionate leader can be among his people. Here two monks or priests are put on the carpet. One of them is a unidirectional fanatic man who is crusty and governed by too great enthusiasm on religious subjects. He urges the Apostle Jonah to curse his people and insist not upon their guidance. The second one is a learned compassionate priest with good insight and deep understanding, who encourages the Apostle Jonah to be patient and strive with constancy and perseverance. Comparing these two sorts of religious leader, one can judge which kind of a leader should he follow.

      The story of JONAH is told in S 37:139ِ148 in more detail. There is also a book named JONAH in the old Testament. So we shall give further comments about this wonderful apostle of God when we reach chapter 37 of Quränِa more appropriate place for this purpose. 

NINEVEH

      The people to whom apostle JONAH was sent were the inhabitants of Nineveh. It was an ancient Assyrian city on the east bank of the TIGRIS, opposite to the modern City of Mosul in Iraq.

      NINEVEH began as a NEOLITHIC settlement more than 5000 years ago. Its earliest settlers with primitive stone tools and crude pottery were culturally related to the contemporary people of northern Mosopotamia whose racial identity is uncertain. It was king Sennacherib (705ِ681 B.C.) who expanded the city and made it the capital, and it is from his records that we have our best picture of the city. King Sennachrib doubled the size of the city and beautified it. He built some 8 miles of walls around the town, 45ft. thick and 75 feet high, made chiefly of limestone and protected with many towers. A water moat extended more than 100 ft in front of the wall. An outer double wall with the moat in between offered further protections. Fifteen gates, each with its own name led into the city. An elaborate canal and aqueduct brought fresh water from the hills.

      A large part of the city was occupied by official building, temples, and great governmental armour. Another feature of the city was a park with strange flora and fauna, gathered from distant parts of the world by the ruler. ASHURBANIPAL, the last great ruler of Assyria (668ِ630 B.C.) built himself a palace in NINEVEH. The fall of Nineveh and of the Assyria Empire occured in the summer of 612 B.C. through the united efforts of the Medes and Babylonians under the leadership of their respective kings; CYAXARES and NABOPOLASSAR.

      Modern archeological investigation of the site consisting of two mounds, called KUYUNJIC and NABI UNUS began in the middle of 19th century with Layard's and Rassam's work. In 1854, Rassam uncovered the remains of an immense library, estimated at 22000 uniform tablets. The varied contents of these tablets from the library of ASHURBANIPAL, now in British Museum, give a brilliant introduction to the complex culture and history of ancient Babylonia and Assyria.

BY:ِ ENCYCLOPEDIA INTERNATIONAL

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)