Surah Yusuf (Peace Be Upon Him)

12

The entirety of this Surah is Meccan, according to the reliable position. It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas and Qatadah that they said: "Except for three verses from its beginning." Others have excepted a fourth, which is His saying (Glorified is He): "Indeed, there were signs for those who ask in Yusuf and his brothers." All of this is extremely weak and not to be given consideration. What we have relied upon, like others, is what is established from the [great] scholar [Ibn Abbas], which Al-Nahhas, Abu al-Shaykh, and Ibn Mardawayh have extracted from him. The latter also extracted it from Ibn al-Zubayr. This is also what is necessitated by what Al-Hakim extracted and authenticated from Rifa'ah ibn Rafi' in a long Hadith, in which he narrates the arrival of Rafi' in Makkah, his embracing Islam, and the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) teaching him this Surah and "Recite in the name of your Lord."

Its verses are one hundred and eleven by consensus, as reported from al-Dani and others.

Regarding the reason for its revelation: It is narrated from Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas that the Quran was revealed to the Messenger (upon him be prayer and peace), and he recited it to his companions for a time. They said: "O Messenger of Allah, if only you would narrate stories to us," so this was revealed.

It is also said: It is a consolation for the Messenger (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regarding what his people were doing to him, by comparing it to what the brothers of Yusuf (peace be upon him) did to him.

It is also said: The Jews asked him (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to tell them about the affair of Ya'qub (Jacob) and his children, and the matter of Yusuf and how it ended, so it was revealed.

It is also said: The disbelievers of Makkah were instructed by the Jews to ask the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the reason that brought the Children of Israel to Egypt, so they asked him, and it was revealed. The latter two statements are improbable, as is the claim regarding what Al-Bayhaqi extracted in al-Dala'il via the path of al-Kalbi, from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, that a rabbi of the Jews entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and found him reading Surah Yusuf. He said: "O Muhammad, who taught you this?" He said: "Allah taught it to me." The rabbi was amazed at what he heard from him, so he returned to the Jews and said to them: "By Allah, Muhammad reads the Quran just as it was revealed in the Torah." He then set out with a group of them until they entered upon him, recognized him by his description, and looked at the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulder blades; they then began listening to the recitation of Surah Yusuf, were astonished, and embraced Islam. There is, however, something in the heart regarding the authenticity of this report.

The aspect of its connection to the preceding Surah [Hud] is that it contains an explanation of what some Prophets (peace be upon them) endured from their own relatives, whereas in the first [Hud], there is a mention of what they encountered from strangers. Furthermore, in the previous one, it occurred: "And We gave her good tidings of Ishaq (Isaac) and after Ishaq, Ya'qub (Jacob)," and His saying (Glorified is He): "The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O people of the house." And here occurred the state of Ya'qub with his children and the final outcome of their affair, which is one of the strongest testimonies to that mercy.

It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas and Jabir ibn Zayd that [Surah] Yunus was revealed, then Hud, then Yusuf. This is considered another aspect of the connection.

Alif-Lām-Rā.

The discussion regarding this and its counterparts is well-known, and what is sufficient for you has already preceded it.

The indication in His, the Glorified’s, saying: "Those are the verses of the Book," refers, according to one opinion, to the Book itself, and according to another, to the verses of this surah. That it is indicated even though it has not yet been mentioned is due to its being regarded as descended, occupying the position of that which has preceded it, or because its presence in the mind is treated as external existence. It is indicated by that which is used to indicate something distant. As for the second [case—that it refers to this surah], it is because when that which is indicated is not perceptible, it is treated as distant due to its remoteness from the realm of pointing, or due to its greatness and the distance of its rank, or, as others say, because once it has arrived from the Sender to the recipient, it becomes like something that has traveled a distance.

Some have claimed that the indication is to what is in the Preserved Tablet, which is distant; and more distant than that is the claim that the indication is to the Torah and the Gospel, or to the verses mentioned in Surah Hūd.

"The Book" refers either to this surah or the Qur'an. What has preceded for you in [the commentary on] Surah Yūnus will provide you with comfort—remember it here, and you will recall [the meaning of] "the manifest" (al-mubīn).

It is derived from abāna, which means bāna—that is, it appeared. Thus, it is intransitive, meaning: that which is manifest in its affair, [being known] by Allah, the Exalted, and in its inimitability; or [it means] that its meanings are clear to the Arabs, such that its truths are not ambiguous to them, nor are its subtleties confused for them. As if, according to both meanings, the genitive (the possessor) was omitted and the genitive case (the possessed) was put in its place, thus becoming nominative; [the agent] is hidden, and this is not considered the forbidden omission of the agent, so there is no need to say that the predication is figurative to escape [that issue].

Or it is in the sense of bayyana (transitive), meaning: that which makes manifest. The object is implied—that is, that which manifests what is in it of guidance and right conduct, or what the Jews asked about, or that which you were commanded to ask about: the reason that brought the Children of Israel to Egypt, or the rulings and laws, the hidden aspects of the Dominion and the Kingdom, and the secrets of the two realms of creation, and other wisdoms, knowledges, and stories.

It is related from Ibn Abbas and Mujahid that it is limited to the lawful and the prohibited, and what is needed in matters of religion. Ibn Jarir extracted from Khalid ibn Ma'dan, from Mu'adh—may Allah, the Exalted, be pleased with him—that he said regarding this: Allah, the Exalted, has manifested in it the letters that are absent from the tongues of the non-Arabs (al-a'ājim), which are six letters: ṭā’, ẓā’, ṣād, ḍād, and the two unpointed letters, ‘ayn and ḥā’. It is mentioned in Farhang and other books written in the Persian language that the absent letters are eight. Some have organized this in verse, saying: "There are eight letters that do not occur in Persian; if you seek to learn them, strive [to find them]. Hear now in this regard [the explanation], and learn what they are: thā’, ḥā’, ṣād, ḍād, ṭā’, ẓā’, ‘ayn, and qāf."

Despite this, the matter is based on the common and prevalent [usage]. Otherwise, some of these letters are present in some of their words, as is not hidden from the researcher. Perhaps the description [of the Qur'an as "manifest"] according to the first opinions is more praiseworthy than according to the last opinion. The manifest meaning is that it is a description of it in consideration of its intrinsic nobility.