"(So was there not) a city that believed, so its faith benefited it?" Regarding the interpretation of Qatadah: He says: This has not occurred among the nations; no city that disbelieved then believed upon witnessing the punishment of Allah, the Exalted, has benefited from its faith, "except for the people of Yunus (Jonah). When they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace." Qatadah said: It has been mentioned to us that the people of Yunus were in a place in the land of "Mosul." When they lost their Prophet, Allah, the Exalted, cast repentance into their hearts. They put on sackcloth, separated every beast from its young, and cried out to Allah for forty nights. When Allah, the Exalted, recognized the sincerity in their hearts, their repentance, and their remorse for what had passed, He removed the punishment from them.
﴿فلولا﴾ فَهَلا ﴿كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إيمَانهَا﴾ تَفْسِيرُ قَتَادَةَ: يَقُولُونَ: لمْ يَكُنْ هَذَا فِي الأُمَمِ؛ لمْ يَنْفَعْ قَرْيَةٌ كَفَرَتْ ثُمَّ آمَنَتْ حِينَ عَايَنَتْ عَذَابَ اللَّهِ ﷿ ﴿إِلا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كشفنا عَنْهُم عَذَاب الخزي﴾ قَالَ قَتَادَةُ: وَذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّ قَوْمَ يُونُسَ كَانُوا بِمَوْضِعٍ مِنْ أَرْضِ " الْمَوْصِلِ " فَلَمَّا فَقَدُوا نَبِيَّهُمْ، قَذَفَ اللَّهُ ﷿ فِي قُلُوبِهِمِ التَّوْبَةَ، فَلَبِسُوا الْمُسُوحَ، وَفَرَّقُوا بَيْنَ كُلِّ بَهِيمَةٍ وَوَلَدِهَا، فَعَجُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً، فَلَمَّا عَرَفَ اللَّهُ ﷿ الصَّدْقَ من قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَالتَّوْبَةَ وَالنَّدَامَةَ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى مَا مَضَى كَشَفَ عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَابَ
