﴿ إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى ٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلْمَشْحُونِ ﴾

“when he fled like a runaway slave onto a laden ship.”

The word: أَبَقَ (abaqa) in the next verse (140):إِذْ أَبَقَ إِلَى الْفُلْكِ الْمَشْحُونِ (when he ran towards the boat already loaded) has been derived from: اِبَاق (ibaq) which means 'escaping of a slave from his master'. Allah Ta’ ala has used this word for Sayyidna Yunus (علیہ السلام) for the reason that he had started off without waiting for the revelation from his Lord. The noble prophets are the close ones among the servants of Allah. The slightest slip from them causes the swiftest grip. Hence comes this strong expression أَبَقَ ('abaqa': 'he ran' ).