Muhammad said: The meaning is: he was made to draw lots and was among those upon whom the lot fell, which is what Yahya intended. The root of the word is from their saying: 'Allah caused his argument to be refuted, so it was refuted (dahadat)', meaning: He removed it, so it vanished.

Yahya said: He went to the bow of the ship to cast himself into the sea, but there was a whale with its mouth open. He went to the stern of the ship, and there was the whale with its mouth open. Then he came to the side of the ship, and there was the whale with its mouth open. Then he came to the other side, and there was the whale with its mouth open. When he saw that, he cast himself in, and the whale swallowed him. This is the statement of Allah: "Then the whale swallowed him, and he was blameworthy (mulim)" [meaning: that Allah was blaming him because he had fled].

Muhammad said: It is said: 'A man has committed an act worthy of blame (alama ilamatan), so he is blameworthy (mulim),' when he does what deserves blame.

Yahya said: Allah inspired the whale not to eat him nor crush him, and said: "I have not made him a provision for you, but I have made your belly a prison for him." He remained in the belly of the whale for forty nights. "And he called out within the darknesses," as Allah said: "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." The darknesses were: the darkness of the night, the darkness of the sea, and the darkness of the belly of the whale. Allah said: "So We responded to him"—the verse—and said: "And had he not been of those who exalt Allah"—the verse—[meaning: in the belly of the whale]. Al-Hasan said: By Allah...