In the Haftorah (הפטרה) of Yom Kippur we read the legend of the Prophet Jonah. A beautiful story. There is not need to go through the whole narrative which is well known, perhaps, by everyone. Therefore, the conclusion would state its message:
אֲנִי֙ לֹ֣א אָח֔וּס עַל־נִינְוֵ֖ה הָעִ֣יר הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־בָּ֡הּ הַרְבֵּה֩ מִֽשְׁתֵּים־עֶשְׂרֵ֨ה רִבּ֜וֹ אָדָ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יָדַע֙ בֵּין־יְמִינ֣וֹ לִשְׂמֹאל֔וֹ וּבְהֵמָ֖ה רַבָּֽה׃
Should not I have mercy about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and many animals as well!
In this story the Holy One of Israel extends mercy and cares for an enemy of Israel, the people of Assyria, and sent an enemy of Assyria as a prophet. The Almighty shows compassion especially for those who are not able to make difference between good and wrong, and even for the animals; often the main victims of war.
In contemporary Christianity, too often, the words attributed to Jesus of Nazareth are misused: "The last days will be like the days of Jonah." If that is the case, then be full of mercy, like the Almighty in days of Jonah. In Islam today, there are some individuals who believe that punishment is the proper response against sinners (among some Jewish groups too). However, through the Qur'an, as well as in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian writings, we read stories of mercy and about a compassionate Creator. Every Sura in the Qur'an, for example, starts with a beautiful statement of faith:
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