وَأَنبَتْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَجَرَةً مِّن يَقْطِينٍ (146)
(37:146) and caused a gourd tree *83 to grow over him,
*83) The Arabic word yaqtin applies to a tree which does not stand on a stem but grows and spreads like a creeper, e.g. a pumpkin, cucumber, water-melon, etc. In any case, a creeper was produced miraculously, so that its leaves should provide shade to the Prophet Jonah and its fruit should serve him both as food and as shade.