12. Yusuf

And from his own narration on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas that he said in the explanation of the saying of Allah, Exalted is He, (Alif. Lam. Ra.): '(Alif. Lam. Ra.) Allah says: I am Allah, I see what you do and what you say. That which Muhammad (pbuh) recites unto you is My speech; it is also said that (Alif. Lam. Ra.) is an oath that Allah swore by. (These are verses of the Scripture that maketh plain) this surah, or verses of the Qur'an, expounds the lawful and unlawful, the commands and prohibitions.

(Lo! We have revealed it, a Lecture in Arabic) He says: We have sent down Gabriel with the Qur'an to Muhammad in accordance with the usage of the Arabic language, (that ye may understand) that which you were commanded to do and that in which you were prohibited from engaging.

(We narrate unto thee (Muhammad)) We clarify to you (the best of narratives) the best story of the news of Joseph and his brothers (in that We have inspired in you) with which We inspired through Gabriel (this Qur'an) in this Qur'an, (though aforetime) before Gabriel brought down the Qur'an to you (thou wast of the heedless) in relation to the event of Joseph and his brothers.

(When Joseph said unto his father: O my father! Lo! I saw in a dream) that I dreamt during the day (eleven planets) they came down from their orbits and prostrated themselves before me, a prostration of greeting-these are his brothers who were eleven in number-(and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves unto me) he says: and I saw the sun and the moon coming down from their orbits and prostrated themselves before me, a prostration of greeting-these are his parents: Rachel and Jacob.

(Thus thy Lord will prefer thee) select you to be a prophet (and will teach thee the interpretation of events) the interpretation of dreams, (and will perfect his grace upon thee) by means of prophethood and Islam and will make you die as a prophet and one completely surrendered to Allah (and upon the family of Jacob) through you, i.e. He will perfect His grace on the children of Jacob through you (as he perfected it) as He perfected His grace by means of prophethood and Islam (upon thy forefathers) before you, (Abraham and Isaac. Lo! thy Lord is Knower) of His grace, (Wise) in that He perfects it; it is also said that this means: your Lord is Knower of your dream vision, Wise regarding that which will befall you.

(Verily in Joseph) in the narrative of Joseph (and his brethren are signs (of Allah's Sovereignty)) lessons (for the inquiring) about his story. This verse was revealed about a Jewish rabbi.

(When they said) i.e. when the brothers of Joseph said to one another: (Verily Joseph and his brother) Benjamin (are dearer to our father) are more preferred by our father (than we are, many though we be) though we are ten in number. (Lo! our father is in plain aberration) our father is in manifest error regarding the love of Joseph and his preference over us.

Then they said to one another: (Kill Joseph or cast him to some (other) land) in a pit, (so that your father's favour may be all for you) so that your father may turn entirely to you, (and (that) ye may afterward) after killing him (be righteous folk) repentant for killing him; it is also said that this means: your relationship with your father will improve.

(One among them) one of the brothers who is Yehuda (said: Kill not Joseph but, if ye must be doing) something to him, (fling him into the depth of the pit) in the bottom of the pit or in the darkness of the pit; (some caravan) travellers passing by (will find him) will get him out.