Ó»B¨M ÉÀnI ÑiÌm jÎn°M ±mÌÍ ÂÝn»A Éμ§ :±»DN¿ fÎqj»A fJ§ ϼ§ COMMENTARY ON SURAH− YUSUF− Peace Be Upon Him Compiled by: 'Ali 'Abdur-Rasheed © 2009 'Ali 'Abdur-Rasheed [email protected] All rights reserved. No portions of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the author ÁÎYj»A ÅÀYj»A ɼ»A ÁnI ±mÌÍ ÑiÌm Surah− Yusuf− In Majma', 'Allamah− Tibrisi± writes: (Surah− Yusuf)− is a Makkan Surah− . al-Mu'addil said, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas:− "Except for four verses (which) descended in Medinah three from its beginning and the fourth: "Certainly in Yusuf− and his brothers there are signs for the inquirers." 1 (verse 7). The number of its verses are one hundred and eleven (111) based on a consensus." Nasir− ± Makarem,− in his Tafsir al-Amthal, says that the name Yusuf− is mentioned in the Quran− a total of twenty-seven times, twenty-five of which are found in this Surah.− Appropriately, then, this Surah− takes the name of this prophet whose narrative is given therein. å å å According to the linguist al-Farai,− the name Yusuf− is found with three variations: Yusuf− (±mÌÍ ); å ä å å å Yusaf− (±mÌÍ ) and Yusif− ( ±mÌÍê ), more commonly written as Yusef− . He also suggests that it can be æ å 2 found with Hamzah, as in: (±mÛÍ ). In Hebrew, the language of the Taurah,− it is pronounced Yosef, meaning to add or increase . The English equivalent is Joseph. :Bȼz¯ Regarding the virtue of this Surah,− Abu− Ibn Ka'b reported from the Messenger of Allah (S):± "Teach your servants Surah− Yusuf.− Surely whenever a Muslim recites it and teaches it to his family and that which his right hand possesses, Allah, the Exalted, will ease for him the throes of death and grant him strength that he will not harbor jealously toward another Muslim." Abu− Baseer± narrates on the authority of Imam− as-Sadiq± ± − (AS): "Whomever recites Surah− Yusuf− every day or every night, Allah will raise him on the day of judgement and grant him beauty like the beauty of Yusuf.− He will not be afflicted with terror on the day of judgement and he will be among the select of the righteous servants of Allah. In it indeed is that which was written in the Taurah."− 3 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib± − (AS) is reported to have said: "Do not teach your women Surah− Yusuf− nor let them recite it because there are temptations in it. Teach them Surah− Nur− because there are spiritual advices in it ." 4 :BÈ»Ëlà Quranic− scholars are generally in agreement regarding the circumstances of the revelation of this Surah.− Jewish scholars posed two questions to Prophet Muhammad± (S)± as a test of his claim of prophethood. A report representative of this event is taken from Kanz ad-Daqaiq− : "Their scholars said to the leaders of the Mushrikeen (idol-worshippers): Ask Muhammad:± When did the family of Ya'qub− move from Syria to Egypt and (ask him about) the narrative of Yusuf.− Then, (the Surah)− was revealed." 5 As these questions were posed by the Jewish scholars in an attempt to diminish the Prophet's authority and appeal, God Almighty revealed this Surah− as a definitive answer and proof for Jews. Likewise, the failure of the Jews to tarnish the Prophet's claim of prophethood only added to idol-worshipping Makkan's sense of frustration in isolating and minimizing Muhammad± (S).± In this Surah's− revelation, God Almighty validated the Prophet Muhammad± (S)± as the recipient of divine communication and divine grace. Furthermore, it validated the divine nature of the Quran− as it's verses were essentially the same in meaning as the verses the Rabbis found in their Taurah.− (Refer to the appendix for the Old Testament version). The Prophet Muhammad± (S)± is not known to have any specific education in the Jewish or Christian faiths. Nor did he exhibit any particular knowledge about these faiths except knowledge which had been given to him through divine revelation. This Surah− went beyond answering the two questions from the Jewish scholars, it gave a detailed account of the life of Yusuf− (AS) from childhood to the pinnacle of his life as an official of Egyptian royalty. It chronicles the sorrowful and agony-filled lives of two of God's righteous servants, Ya'qub− (AS) and Yu− suf (AS) in painfully human expressions and symbolism. Muhammad± (S),± suffering his own hardships at the hands of the idol-worshippers of Makkah, no doubt found solace and strength in this narrative as it chronicled that the forbearance and patience of the two prophets mentioned therein was rewarded despite the great betrayals, disappointments and sorrow they both endured. God Almighty saved Yusuf− (AS) from a well where his brothers had placed him in order to remove him from their father's affection. The Prophet Muhammad± would be soon saved by God Almighty from his bed where the leaders of the various clans of Makkah intended to slay him. He would go to another city and, like Yusuf,− be raised to a position of unimagined strength, power and leadership, by God's Grace. ÁÎYj»A ÅÀYj»A ɼ»A ÁnI å ä æ Ø {ÅÎJÀ»Aê ê å LBN¸»Aê ê PBÍE ¹¼Mê ±³j»A} "Alif Lam− Ra.− These are the verses of the Book that makes (things) manifest." [Yusuf− 12:1] Quranic− commentaries have put forth many divergent theories regarding these disjoined letters (j»A ) and others found in the beginning of some chapters of the Quran.− For the sake of brevity, however, we will mention one interesting point in Majma' wherein 'Alla− mah Tibrisi± lists a number of opinions regarding the disjoined letters in the beginning of Surah− al-Baqarah. In this list, he gives one opinion which has an interesting connection to this Surah.− It is narrated from Sa'eed Ibn Jubair: ä æä ì ä ä ä å æ ä ì å æ ä ä ç ä ä ä æ ä ä ä ì ä ì ,Á¤§ÞAä êɼ»A äÁmA æ AÌÀ¼¨»å BȰλDMê êpBÄ»A ÅnYCä Ì»æ Ò¨ñ´Ä¿ ÐÓ»B¨M êɼ»A åÕFÀmC æ BÈÃG$ê å ä å å #ÅÀYj»Aä Ð æ ì Æ̸ίå ä ,Æ Ëä ÁY Ëä j»A :¾Ì´Mä "They (the letters) are the names of God, the Exalted, disjoined. If the best of men were its å ä æä ì å æ compiler, surely they knew the Greatest name of God (Á¤§ÞA êɼ»A ÁmGê ), you say: Æ Ë ÁYË j»A. Then, it becomes (ÅÀYj»A ) ar-Rahman± − (the Beneficent)." The (j»A ) are the disjoined letters beginning Surah− Yusuf,− ( ÁY ) begins Surah− al-Fussalat± ± (41) and (Æ ) begins Surah− al-Qalam (68). ä æ Commentaries offer different perspectives on the meaning of the demonstrative noun (¹¼Mê ), meaning: these, and what this demonstrative noun signifies. Some say that it refers to the verses which follow as a method of raising expectations, or that it points to Surah− Yusuf− as verses that makes things manifest. Others say that it refers to that which has been mentioned in the Taurah− regarding Prophet Yusuf− (AS).6 Mujahid− and Qutadah− indicate that the meaning of Mubeen is that it makes the lawful and unlawful manifest.7 Meaning that these are verses of the Book which makes the lawful and unlawful manifest. In al-Mizan,− 'Allamah− Tabata± − ± bai− compares this verse to the first verse of Surah− Yunus− "Alif, Lam, Ra. These are the verses of wise Book." Noting the distinction that Surah− Yusuf− was revealed as a narrative of the family of Ya'qub− and explanation of that narrative. Thus, it describes the book as that which makes things manifest as opposed to being described as a wise Book as ä found in Surah− Yunus− (êÁθZ»A ê LBN¸»Aê ê ). K ä å æ ä å ì ä ä ç ä ç å å æ ä æ ä ì {Æ̼´¨Mê æÁ¸¼¨» BÎIj§é ê ä BÃEj³æ ÊBÄ»lÃC FÃG}ê "Surely We have revealed it-an 'Arabic Quran-that you may understand." [Yusuf− 12:2] az-Zajaj− interprets this verse as meaning that this particular Surah− about Yusuf− (AS) and his story was revealed in response to Jewish scholars and leaders of the idol-worshippers (i.e. the Quraish) who posed the question to Muhammad± (S):± "Ask Muhammad± when did the family of Ya'qub− migrate from Syria to Egypt and (ask him) about the story of Yusuf."− az-Zajaj− recited this verse and said that it was revealed upon the current of language of the 'Arab in dialog with the Jews. 8 In Mufateeh− al-Ghayb, Fakhruddeen Razi− mentions the following: "In it (this verse) are a number of issues: Issue one: It is narrated that the scholars of the Jews said to the leaders of the Mushrikeen: Ask Muhammad± when did the family of Ya'qub− move from Syria to Egypt and (ask) about the particulars of the narrative of Yusuf.− Then, Allah revealed this verse. It mentions in it that the Exalted expresses this narrative in the words of 'Arabic so that they may have mastery of its understanding and the capability of achieving God-consciousness by means of it. The estimation (of its meaning is): We have revealed this book wherein is the narrative of Yusuf− being an 'Arabic Quran.− A portion of the Quran− is (also) called Quran− because the name Quran− is a collective noun applied upon the whole or the part.