Then there has not been a country that believed and their belief benefited them when they saw the punishment except the people of Yoonus; when they believed, We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in this world and gave them livelihood for a while.
When there was not a single person left to believe among the people of concerned Messenger, Lord inspired the Messenger to pray for taking decisions between the believers and transgressing disbelievers. Such are the ways and practices of the Impartial Lord in every era except in the case of Messenger Younus’s (Jonah’s) people.
As per verses 21: 87 and 37: 140-142, Messenger Yoonus got disappointed regarding his people who were not ready to believe in the Message—Adhikr. So, without Lord’s Permission, he left his people in anger by warning them about the punishment. He boarded a laden ship. When the ship was in a dangerous situation because of overload, the passengers decided to unload one among them through casting lot. As a result, Yoonus was chosen. So, they threw him into the sea. Then Lord made a whale swallow him as he was among guilty. Then he regretted his deed and sought forgiveness from the darkness (whale’s belly) by his soul: “There is no deity except You. Glory be to You! Indeed, I was among the wrongdoers”. Thus, the Lord accepted his repentance and saved him from the distress as told in verses 21: 87-88. It is told in verse 37: 143: If Yoonus was not among those who glorify the Lord, he would have remained there in the belly of the whale until the Resurrection Day. By saving Messenger Yoonus from the belly of the whale, Lord says: Just like that We save the believers as explained in verse 7: 72.
When the people of Yoonus saw the punishment coming, they searched for Yoonus. While they didn’t see him, everyone including aged persons and kids gathered in open land and cried out to Lord. As a result, Lord removed the punishment and later Messenger Yoonus was reappointed to them. Thus, they believed in the Message and Lord granted them livelihood for a while as told in verses 37: 147-148. It is the duty of the Lord to help and save the Messengers and believers as explained in verse 4: 158.
Today, Adhikr—the Safeguard—is formed as a Book. Verse 22: 78 ends as: "So you holdfast the Lord, He is your Master, What a Best Master and what a Best Helper". One can hold fast Lord by firmly holding Adhikr. But the hypocrites and their blind followers by making their food ‘rejecting Adhikr’, they will face heinous punishment in this world as well as in the Hereafter. See the explanations 3: 26-27, 37; 10: 4 and 65.