QURAN SUMMARY: YUSUF

Surah Yusuf Background And Summary of Main Topics.

Surah Yusuf Statistics: Total Number of Verses, Revelation Period, Main Characters, Theme And Key Verses.

NAME: يوسف, Yusuf.    

Name applied to whole Surah as in it the story of Prophet Yusuf is discussed.

٤  إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ

4  [Of these stories mention] when Joseph said to his father, “O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me.”

ENGLISH NAME: Joseph.

CHAPTER NUMBER: 12

SURAH YUSUF TOTAL VERSES: 111

SURAH YUSUF TOTAL WORDS: 1,795

TOTAL UNIQUE WORDS WITHOUT REPETITION: 925

TOTAL LETTERS: 7,307

REVELATION PERIOD:

Meccan, Approx. 620 – 622 AD. 

MAIN CHARACTERS:

God, Joseph/Yusuf, Jacob His Father and Eleven Brothers, Egyptian officer Aziz, His Wife, Women of Egypt, Two Prisoners, King of Egypt.

SURAH YUSUF MAIN TOPICS:

Detailed Joseph/Yusuf story, Dream Of 11 Stars Sun and Moon Prostrating To him, Jealously of Joseph’s brothers and Plan to Kill him, Joseph as slave in Egypt, Trial of Joseph thru Women of Egypt, In Prison, Kings Dream and Joseph Interpretation, Joseph Positioned As Minister, Famine in Egypt and Nearby, Joseph Brothers came to buy Grain, Joseph Parents And Brothers Bowed To Him In Prostration. Dream Came True.

SURAH YUSUF KEY VERSES:

٤  إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ

4  [Of these stories mention] when Joseph said to his father, “O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me.”

٦  وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰ أَبَوَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

6  And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of narratives and complete His favor upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He completed it upon your fathers before, Abraham and Isaac. Indeed, your Lord is Knowing and Wise.”

٢٤  وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَا أَنْ رَأَىٰ بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ ۚ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ

24  And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants.

٣١  فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ

31  So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], “Come out before them.” And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, “Perfect is Allah! This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel.”

٥٥  قَالَ اجْعَلْنِي عَلَىٰ خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ

55  [Joseph] said, “Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian.”

١١٠  حَتَّىٰ إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُذِبُوا جَاءَهُمْ نَصْرُنَا فَنُجِّيَ مَنْ نَشَاءُ ۖ وَلَا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُنَا عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

110  [They continued] until, when the messengers despaired and were certain that they had been denied, there came to them Our victory, and whoever We willed was saved. And Our punishment cannot be repelled from the people who are criminals.

١١١  لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ۗ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِنْ تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

111  There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding. Never was the Qur’an a narration invented, but a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of all things and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.

SUMMARY OF TOPICS

1-3( Quran Is in Arabic, We Tell You a Story), 4( Joseph Told his Father Dream of 11 Stars Sun and Moon Prostrating to Him), 6(We(God) Taught Joseph Interpretation Of Events& Reality Of Matter), 7(There Are Signs for Muhammad’s Folks (Quraish) in This Story), 8-15(Jealously of Joseph’s Brothers Towards Him, Brothers of Joseph Asked Their Father To Send Him With Them and Threw Him in a Dark Well, Wahi/Revelation to Joseph), 17-18(Josep Brothers Told Their Father Jacob That a Wolf Ate Joseph, as a Proof They Gave his Shirt With False Blood), 21-22(a Caravan Took Joseph, Then an Egyptian Officer Bought Him, and Thus, God Established Joseph in the Land That He Might Teach Him The Interpretation Of Events, Gave Him Wisdom as Reward), 23(and She, in Whose House He Was, Sought To Seduce Him. She Closed the Doors), 24(Joseph Would Have Inclined to Her but Saved, Indeed, He Was of our Chosen Servants), 25-28(a Witness From her Family Testified if his Shirt Is Torn From the Back, Then She Has Lied, and He Is Of The Truthful, When her Husband Saw his Shirt Torn From the Back, He Said, “Indeed, It Is of the Women’s Plan), 30-32( When the Same Woman Heard the Women in the City Saying, “the Wife of Al-‘Azeez Is Seeking To Seduce her Slave Boy”, She Prepared a Banquet For Women Of The City, Joseph Was Presented to These Women, They Cut Their Hands Verse 31), 33-34(Joseph Fear Of Temptation; my Lord, Prison Is More to my Liking Than That to Which They Invite Me. & God Solved his Concern), 36-41(Joseph in the Prison, Two Dreams Of Two Prisoners; One Pressing Wine & the Other Carrying Bread Basket Over Head From Which Birds Eating Verse36, Interpretation Ist One Will Be Rescued and 2Nd Person Would Be Crucified Verse41), 42(Joseph Requested the One Get Freed to Mention Him Before the King, but Satan Caused That Man To Forget), 43(Kings Dream 7 Lean Cows Eating Fat Ones, 7 Green & Dry Corns), 47-54 (Interpretation of Dream: 7 Good and 7 Difficult Years of Harvest & Rescue), 55(Joseph Proposed to King Appoint Me Over the Storehouses of the Land for I Am Able Knowing & Guardian. Joseph Positioned as Head), 58-67(Famine Started: Joseph Brothers Comes to Egypt To Buy Grains, Joseph Demanded Next Time Bring Their Younger Brother (Benjamin), He Returned Them All Their Money, Brothers Returned to Jacob and Presented This Demand of Egyptian Officer(Joseph), Jacob Got Promise That They Should Enter From Different Gates of the City), 70-76(Joseph Met his Younger Brother, Revealed his Identity to Him, Benjamin Was Accused of Stealing So That He Could Be Retained, God Said; Thus Did We Plan for Joseph. He Could Not Have Taken his Brother Within the Religion of the King Except That God Willed. We Raise in Degrees Whom We Will. Verse76), 83-96(Brothers Returned Back Without Benjamin, Jacob Eyes Became White in Grief Verse84, Brothers Again Came Back to Joseph, Joseph Gave his Shirt To Put on his Fathers Face and Eyes, Healthy Again Verse96), 100( Joseph Parents and Brothers Bowed to Him in Prostration. Dream Came True), 109(All the Messengers Sent Before Were Human Beings and Men)

SURAH YUSUF BRIEF COMMENTARY & BACK GROUND

This Surah has 111 verses divided into 12 Rukus/Sections. This Surah was revealed in Mecca in a later stage of Muhammad’s prophethood when severe persecution started and Meccans were making plans to kill or Exile Muhammad.

The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Teach your relatives the recitation of Surah Yusuf, for, any Muslim who recites it or teaches it to his family and slaves, Allah shall ease for him the agony of death, and give him the strength that will prevent him from envying a fellow Muslim’

It is narrated in traditions that this Surah was revealed as a reply to a question which Meccans asked Prophet  Muhammad on the advice of a Jew regarding Prophet Yusuf and the reasons of Israelites coming in Egypt as a test to make him embarrassed. As till then Prophet never narrated any Surah of Quran mentioning Josephs/Yusuf’s name or story and the point is to expose him as Arabs were also not aware of the story of Prophet Yusuf/Joseph before that.

That’s why Surah Yusuf started with that, and in verse 7 it is stated that there are signs in this story for those asking. This verse is a miraculous verse of the Quran not only in its Prophecies but also in its number 7. I tell you how. There are seven 7 Prophecies in this verse 7 of Surah Yusuf. As also indicated by the word “ آيَاتٌ” used here as a plural i.e “signs.” And history proved that all signs have fulfilled. I am narrowing down these miraculous signs as: 1-First sign for Meccans is that there behavior with Muhammad their own folk their brother is same as the behavior of Yusuf’s brothers with him 2- Second: Just like Yusuf brothers planned to kill Yusuf same like that  just after a few months of this Surah Meccans planned to kill Muhammad. 3- Third: Just as Yusuf’s brother failed to kill him and God saved Yusuf, Meccans failed in their plans, and God saved Muhammad. 4-Fourth: just Like Yusuf went to another region/Egypt same Muhammad went to another city. 5- Fifth: As Yusuf gained power there in Egypt and God raised him as a ruler/governor, Muhammad who was under persecution in Mecca and very weak and helpless, Just in a few months after migration to Madina becomes a spiritual and political leader. 6- Sixth: Just like Yusuf came victorious and dominant over his brothers Prophet Muhammad only in 10 years Conquered Mecca and dominated over them. 7-Seventh: Last but not the least Just like in Verse 91-92 Yusuf brothers asked forgiveness, and Yusuf forgave them, at the time of the conquest of Mecca Prophet asked the Meccans “What treatment do you expect from me now?” They replied, “You are a generous brother and the son of a generous brother.” Prophet replied “I will give the same answer to your request that Joseph gave to his brothers that, no reproach upon you today. May Allah forgive you; and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.