This portion of Al-Kitab takes its name from its main character, the Prophet Yunus, or Jonah. During the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel, the Lord God sent Prophet Yunus to preach to the people of Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, one of Bani-Israel’s greatest enemies. Prophet Yunus was sent to tell Nineveh that in 40 days it would be destroyed. However, the prophet did not want to go. He did not want the people of Nineveh to believe him and possibly cry out to God for mercy. He wanted only their destruction. So he chose to go in the opposite direction and boarded a ship for Spain. The Lord prepared a large fish to swallow Prophet Yunus and take him in the right direction, so he could go to Nineveh and do as he had been told.