SURAH (12) YOUSOUF (AYA 1 too 10)

Sura (12) YOUSOUF (Joseph) Aya 1 to 111 verses in 12 Sections

Revealed at Makka

THIS SURAH gives the narrative of the beauty of the physical body, the ideal character and the chaste conduct of high morals--- godly patience and fortitude--- the ultimate triumph of truth--- the self-condemnation of falsehood--- the frustration of man’s plotting against virtues and the irresistable fulfillment of ALLAH (SWT)’s plan. The divine gift of the prophetic interpretation of dreams. The contents of this Surah present a solace to the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) against the miseries and the trials he suffered and which were in store for him and his holy family, the ‘Ahlul Bayt.’ The story narrated in this Surah is the most detailed one of all the references in the Holy Qur’an to the historic of the ancient prophets. It has a common appeal to men and women with the reference to many important vicissitudes of human life on earth. The life-events of the various aspects of the conduct of human beings in the various positions and relations between them. The story refers to the suffereings of one of the apostles of ALLAH (SWT), (i.e., Joseph [Yousuf]) son of the Apostle Jacob [Ya’akub] --- son of Apostle Isaac [Ishak] --- son of Apostle Abraham [Ibrahim]. It presents the havoc which the fire of jealousy even among the brothers, plays. The plots of the brothers. The fortitude of a divine character against the unbearable unearned sufferings. The father’s grief--- The false charge on an innocent one, of being a run-away slave (verse 19) and his cheap sale for a paltry price (verse 19). The enchantment of a female beauty. The urge for the realisation of the carnal desires of the animal passion making a lady forget her position and status to the extent of allowing herself to face the public censure and condemnation. The crafty ways a woman, even of the highest status, could resort to, to turn the tables against one innocent to save herself even when she is caught red-handed. The heavenly arrangement for a witness to the truth from a baby in the cradle. The carnal urges conquered by the purity of character and model conduct of ideal piety. Poison preferred to sinfulness. The gift of interpreting dreams. Innocence and excellence of character ultimately triumphed, honoured and rewarded. Benevolence and forgiveness exercised in the place of a justifiable revenge--- The lowest and the highest levels of human life. A just and charitable administration--- Humility in exaltation. The various aspects of the excellence of piety and dependence upon ALLAH (SWT). The story serving the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) as a consoling factor against the multitude of the similar and the other greater sufferings of farther torturous nature in store for him and for his Holy Family with a prophetic assurance of the ultimate success both in the physical as well as the spiritual world and his highest and the unique positions with the Lord. The events of this story serve very effective and impressive factors of guidance for men and women in the various walks of life. The story about Joseph told in the Bible (Geenesis Chapter 47) has a similarity BUT it is not identical with the Qur’anic version for it is related with quite a different background. It is quite obvious that the biblical narrative is a Jewish folklore with a purposeful clour of placing the Israelites over and above the Egyptians. Joseph is depicted as a selfish monarch snatching away the wealth of the people of Egypt to place his father and his brothers to rule over the destiny of the people. It has nothing in common with the moral splendour, the spiritual excellence and the purity of character and the idealistic conduct found in abundance in the Qur’anic narrative. The Qur’anic version clearly indicates that it was a Divine Plan for some eternal purpose unfolded for the guidance of mankind, as a natural happening of history, dealing with the most subtle factors of sexual connection with the maximum decorum, decency and grace consistently sustaining the sanctity of the purpose behind the working of the Divine Plan with utmost grace and beauty an intelligent reading of the Holy Qur’an with reference to the most miserable experiences of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and the holy members of his family, will convince the reader of the fact that the whole history of the life of Joseph and Jacob was repeated in its fullness with tigorous intensity to its maximum limits in the case of each and everyone of the trying calamities the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) had to suffer. Particularly what the third Holy Imam Husain, the scond grandson of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), suffered in his martyrdom along the godly band of the Holy Seventy Two, has rendered every suffering of everyone since the start of human life on earth till now, as very small and insignificant.

A comparative study of the life of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in Makka, the unique excellence of the ideal truthfulness and the trustworthiness of his conduct and character earning the title of ‘Al-Ameen’ from the people as a whole. The Princely virtuous Lady Khadija voluntering herself in a wedlock to him, his miserable plight of suffering the tourturous persecution at the hands of his people for calling the them to belief in ALLAH (SWT) and the right way of life on earth, his helplessly migrating to Madina, the calamitous events pf the unprovoked aggression from the heathens, which he faced immediately following the migration, the ultimate triumph of the truth against falsehoodand the holding the absolute authority of not only an apostle of ALLAH (SWT) but also of a supreme temporal ruler of the state, his kindness to one and all, to friend and foe alike, his total triumph over his enemies and the conquest of the holy town wherein stood the First Mosque of ALLAH (SWT) on earth--his inimitable amnesty and merciful pardon even to the worst of hs enemies who thristed for his blood and heartlessly inflicted torturous persecution on him and his followers and who hunted him for his life, the divine justice with which he ruled over the people, his enchanting morals and entiquest turning his worst enemies into his obidient slave, all these and the others details of his life, private and public, present a vivid identity with the life of the Israelite apostle Joseph and Moses. Regarding the place of the revelation of this Chapter whether it is Makka or Madina the commentators are unanimous that with the exception of four (4) verses of it, the whole was revealed at Makka and that also at the eve of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) migration from it. The four verses about which some commentators say to be Madinate on the authority of ibne Abbas are---the first three and the seventh verse. Though this claim is questionable yet if true, it proves, that in the arrangement of the verses the date of the sequence of the revelation was not taken into consideration by the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). The revelation of this Chapter at the eve of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) migration from Makka which was caused by the conspiracy of his hostile relatives against him, was a sort of consolation to the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) that he and his hostile relatives will experience the similar procedure that Joseph and his brothers experienced and at the end, the brothers had no alternative but to submit to his supreme authority and he had to show the utmost clemency to them. Accordingly when the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) entered Makka as a victor, he addressed the defeated enemy--- ‘What treatment do ye expect from me towards you?’ They say: ‘Nothing but good.’ And he said: ‘I say nothing but what my brother Joseph told his brothers at the end.’ Comparing the Qur’anic version of the story of Joseph with the Biblical version of it, it is quite clear the Qur’an has given the spiritual, moral and the social and economical significance of great importance to it, whereas the Bible gives only a narration as to how the Christian of Israel migrated to Egypt.

SECTION 1

Joseph suffers

ALLAH informed Apostle Muhammad of the past history through revelation---Joseph dream

الر ۚ تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ {12:1}

[Q12:1] Alif-Laaam-Raa; tilka Aayaatul Kitaabil Mubeen. 
[Q12:1] Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the Book that makes (things) manifest.

[Q12:1] Alif, Laam, Raa'. Ini ialah ayat-ayat Kitab Al-Quran yang menyatakan kebenaran.

See commentary of al Baqarah 1:1 for Alif, Lam, Ra (huruf muqatta-at) and al Baqarah 2:2 and Ya Sin 36:12 for "the verses of manifest book" .

‘Kitabun Mubin’--- the Book Making the Truth Manifest. The chieftains of Arabia, just to test the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) asked the cause of the children of Jacob (Israel) migrating from Syria to Egypt. THIS SURAH WAS REVEALED.

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(12:1) Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the Book that makes its object perfectly clear.

إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ {12:2}

[Q12:2] Innaaa anzalnaahu quraanan 'Arabiyyal la'allakum ta'qiloon. 
[Q12:2] Surely We have revealed it -- an Arabic Qur’an-- that you may understand.

[Q12:2] Sesungguhnya Kami menurunkan kitab itu sebagai Quran yang dibaca dengan bahasa Arab, supaya kamu (menggunakan akal untuk) memahaminya.

No people in the world, perhaps, manifest such enthusiastic admiration for literary expression and are so moved by the word, spoken or written, as the Arabs. Hardly any language seems capable of exercising over the minds of its users such irresistible influence as Arabic. So the Qur’an was revealed in the Arabic language but it contains the law ALLAH (SWT) has made for the whole mankind in all ages.

Ø  Imam Jafar bin Muhammad as Sadiq said:

"Learn the Arabic, the language of the final word of ALLAH (SWT)."

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(12:2) We have sent it down as Qur'an *1 in Arabic so that you (Arabs) may understand it well. *2

*1 The Arabic word (Qur`an: "to read") is originally the infinitive form of the verb When the infinitive form of a verb in Arabic is used as a name, it implies that that thing (or person) possesses the characteristics in their perfection. This Book has been named "Qur'an" to indicate that it is meant to be read by all and sundry and is to be read often and over and over again.
*2 This does not mean that this Book has been sent down exclusively for the Arabs. What it means is only this: "Of all the people, O Arabs, you should understand the excellences of the Qur'an, which are a sure proof of its being Divine Revelation, for it is in your own language and you have no excuse to put forward that it is in a foreign language which you do not understand."
Some people wrongly infer from this verse that this Book had been sent down for the Arabs and not for the non-Arabs; therefore, they assert, it cannot be claimed that it is the Guidance for the whole mankind. But obviously this is a frivolous objection raised by hose who do not understand its real significance. It is obvious that a book, though meant for universal guidance, will necessarily have to be put in words in some language so that the people speaking that language should understand its teachings and then become the means of conveying its guidance to other peoples. This is the only natural way of spreading the message of a movement on a universal scale. 

نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ {12:3}

[Q12:3] Nahnu naqussu 'alaika ahsanal qasasi bimaaa awhainaaa ilaika haazal quraana wa in kunta min qablihee laminal ghaafileen. 
[Q12:3] We narrate to you the best of narratives, by Our revealing to you this Qur’an, though before this you were certainly one of those who did not know.

[Q12:3] Kami ceritakan kepadamu (wahai Muhammad) seindah-indah kisah dengan jalan Kami wahyukan kepadamu Al-Quran ini, padahal sebenarnya engkau sebelum datangnya wahyu itu, adalah dari orang-orang yang tidak pernah menyedari akan halnya. 

The story of Yusuf son of Yaqub son of Is-haq son of Ibrahim as given in the Qur’an is not identical with the Biblical story. The atmosphere is wholly different.

°          THE BIBLICAL STORY is a folk-tale in which morality has no place. It exalts the clever and financially-minded Jew against the Egyptian, and to explain certain ethnic and tribal peculiarities in later Jewish history, Yusuf is shown as buying up all the cattle and the land of the poor Egyptians for the state under the stress of famine conditions, and making the Jews "rulers" over the Firawn's cattle.

THE QUR’ANIC STORY, on the other hand, is less a narrative than a highly spiritual sermon or allegory explaining the seeming contradictions in life, the enduring nature of virtue in a world full of flux and change, and the marvellous working of ALLAH (SWT)'s eternal purpose in His plan as unfolded to us on the wide canvas of history.

§  Imam Ali said to Imam Hasan:

"O my son, although I have not lived with the people gone by but I have so closely studied their deeds, the events which took place, and the traditions and vestiges they have left behind, as if I have become one of them, as if I have lived with the first and the last of them". (Nahj al Balagha)

It is the most detailed of any story in the Qur’an and is full of description of vicissitudes of human life, AND THEREFORE deservedly appeals to men and women of all classes.

v  It paints in vivid colours, with their spiritual implications, the most varied aspects of life-Yaqub's old age and the confidence between him and his little beloved son,

v  The elder brothers' jealousy, their plot, Yaqub's grief, the sale of Yusuf into slavery for a petty price,

v  *Carnal love contrasted with purity and patience and fortitude, *chastity, *false charges, *prison, the *divine gift of interpretation of the dreams, *evil life and spiritual life, *innocence raised to honour, *forgiveness and benevolence, *matters of administration, *humility in glory, *filial love, and the *ultimate triumph of piety and truth.

When the tribal chiefs of the Quraysh asked the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) about the cause of the migration of the children of Yaqub to Egypt from Syria, THIS SURAH WAS REVEALED.

Except four verses (the first three and the seventh according to Ibn Abbas) this surah was revealed in Makka on the eve of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad)'s migration to Madina. IF TRUE, it proves that the date and the sequence of the revelations were not taken into consideration by the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad).

»    It must be noted that like Yusuf and the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) also had to leave his birth place on account of the conspiracy of his near relatives.

»    This surah gave confidence and hope to him that they would also encounter the same fate as the brothers of Yusuf met. Like Yusuf, the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) also declared clemency for his relatives and tribesmen. After the fall of Makka he said: "I say that which my brother Yusuf said to his brothers in the end."

Yusuf son of Yaqub was a very beautiful youth. The truth, which Yusuf, the prophet of ALLAH (SWT), saw in his vision, was unpalatable to his half-brothers, who plotted against him and sold him into slavery to a merchant for a few pieces of silver.

î   Yusuf was taken by the merchant into Egypt, was bought by a great Egyptian court dignitary, Aziz.

î   The beauty of Yusuf was so irresistible that the dignitary's wife fell in love with him on first sight and sought to entice Yusuf to the delights of earthly love, BUT Yusuf, a faithful servant of ALLAH (SWT) and His prophet, did not yield to the temptation.

î   His self-control and faith in ALLAH (SWT) could not be shaken just for the pleasure of a fleeting moment.

î   He preferred the misery of imprisonment to the disgrace he would have to face if he had succumbed to the lure of Shaytan.

Although some commentators have given many notes of mystic nature connected with the story of Yusuf, yet it is advisable to rely upon that which has been narrated in the Qur’an.

The knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) is based upon the revelations sent to him from ALLAH (SWT). These verses narrate the story of Yusuf. [Those who want to know other details, not mentioned in the Qur’an, may refer to the "Glimpses of the Prophets", an English translation of Hayat ul Qulub.]

1.        Yusuf, born of Yaqub's beloved wife Rachel, occupied the first place in his father's affections.

2.        Rachel gave birth to another child, Benjamin, Yusuf's real brother, after which she died.

3.        When Yusuf was about twelve years of age he dreamed a dream in which he saw a light had enveloped the whole environment. Every creature was singing the song of ALLAH (SWT)'s glory. Then the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to him.

4.        As soon as Yaqub, also a prophet of ALLAH (SWT), heard this dream, he knew its interpretation immediately.

(It is reported on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari that one day Bashan, a Jew of Madina, came to the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and asked him whether he knew the names of the stars which Yusuf saw in his dream. The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) gave him the following names:

*Hurban, *Turaq,*Zi-al, *Zulkitfani, *Qabisth, *Wathab,*Amud,*Faluq,*Masbah, *Saduh, and *Zul Qarh.)

5.        Yaqub advised Yusuf not to relate his dream to his brothers who hated and envied him because they saw that their father loved him more than all of them, and that Yusuf was a very beautiful boy, a gift of ALLAH (SWT) bestowed on him as a distinctive excellence.

6.        There was a tree in Yaqub's house. Whenever a son was born, a new branch used to grow on the tree. As soon as that son reached puberty, Yaqub would cut the branch and give it to the boy to be used as a staff.

7.        On the birth of Yusuf no such branch grew. Yaqub prayed to ALLAH (SWT). In reply ALLAH (SWT) sent a heavenly branch for Yusuf. The brothers envied him for this divine favour.

8.        Yusuf dreamed another dream that all the brothers planted their staves in the earth, BUT his staff grew higher and higher and reached the sky. Then a violent storm destroyed the staves of his brothers, leaving his staff intact.

9.        Yaqub told him that the dream showed his high position near ALLAH (SWT). His brothers became furious with jealousy and hatred-all negative and wicked characteristics are the promptings of Shaytan, an open enemy of man.

As a chosen prophet of ALLAH (SWT) Yusuf had to understand and interpret signs and events aright. The dreams of the righteous prefigure events correctly. Yusuf could look back to his father’s upto Ibrahim, the upright, who through all adversities kept his faith pure and won through.

In Yusuf's story there is good and evil contrasted in many different ways.

10.     The brothers of Yusuf proposed to kill him so that the favour of their father might be given to them alone, BUT one of them suggested to throw him in a well, in which case some travellers passing by would pick him up and remove him to a far country and they would be free from the charge of murder.

11.     The plot having been formed, they approached their father to let Yusuf go with them to play and enjoy. Yaqub had strong misgivings and apprehension. He told them that while they were attending to their own affairs a wolf might devour him. In the end they prevailed upon him and took Yusuf with them, and threw him into a well.

12.     ALLAH (SWT) was with Yusuf in his sufferings and sorrows and reassured him that one day they would stand before him, seeking his help, not knowing that he was their betrayed brother.

13.     They stained Yusuf's shirt with the blood of a goat and showed it to their father to convince him that while they were playing a wolf had devoured Yusuf who was guarding their things. Yaqub did not believe them. He saw that there had been some foul play.

IT IS ALSO REPORTED THAT ONCE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) WAS SEATED WITH HIS TWO GRANDSONS HASAN AND HUSAIN IN HIS LAP *WHEN THE MESSENGER ANGEL GABRIEL APPEARED AND ASKED AS TO HOW MUCH HE LOVED THE HOLY CHILDREN OF ALI AND FATEMA TO WHICH THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) TOLD THE ANGEL THAT HE LOVED THEM AS HIS OWN HEART AND SOUL. *THE ANGEL INFORMED THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) THAT HASAN WOULD BE MARTYRED THROUGH POISON AND HUSAIN BY SWORD. *ON BEING ASKED AS TO WHY AND WHO WOULD MARTYR HASAN AND HUSAIN, THE ANGEL SAID THAT IT WILL BE WITHOUT ANY FAULT ON THEIR PART AND IT WILL BE BY THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD PROFESS TO BE HIS OWN FOLLOWERS. *PERCEIVING THE FEELINGS OF SORROW ON THE FACE OF THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES, THE ANGEL REFERRED TO THIS SURAH AND SAID WHEN BROTHERS HAVE BEHAVED IN SUCH WAY WITH ANOTHER BROTHER OF THEIRS WHAT HAVOC COULD NOT BE PLAYED BY THOSE WITHOUT ANY SUCH RELATION.

Commentators have given many notes of mystic nature connected with the story of (Yusof) Joseph.

1.        When the brothers of Yusof took him into the forest and wanted to slay him, the knives gave a wailing voice saying--- “should Joseph be killed, the progeny of Jacob shall be cut off.”

2.        Yakub had a ram of Ibrahim’s time. When the brothers of Yusof brought the blood-stained shirt, the ram uttered saying that---“the blood on the shirt was that of a young sheep and not that of Yusof.”

3.        The house in which Yusof was brought up, since had been separated, used to give out wailing voices.

4.        Yusof had rear some pigeons. Those birds, remembering Yusof, used to strike their heads on the walls and raised wailing cries.

5.        The brothers of Yusof had reported that a wolf had devoured Yusof. The wolves of the forest reported themselves to Yakub and said that they had nothing to do with the body of Yusof.

6.        When Yusof was thrown into the well, a caravan of some traders was made to go to the well in search of water which effected the rescue of Yusof’s from the well.

7.        When the wife of the king of Egypt (Zulaika) fabricated the false charge against Yusof --- a suckling babe from the cradle bore witness to Yusof’s innocence. (Verse 12:26)

Considering the above mentioned few facts and the many others connected with this story --- the story of Yusof is undoubtedly the best and most beautiful one.

EVERY APOSTLE OF ALLAH (SWT) WAS GRANTED A DISTINCTIVE EXCELLENCE, AND THE DIVINE GIFT TO YUSOF WAS HIS WONDERFUL PERSONAL BEAUTY.

»    It is related that once at night Ayesha had lost her needle and could not find it. The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) placed a finger of his hands before the lamp and the room got so much lighted that the needle was easily found out. Those whom the Lord Himself had purified (verse 33:33) would naturally be of the embodiments of the Divine Light. The bankruptcy of faith in ALLAH (SWT) in a materialist mind might not believe in truth, BUT for the sake of the mental bankrupts void of higher interllect, truth does not cease to be what it is.

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(12:3) (O Muhammad), by revealing this Qur'an to you, We narrate to you events and truths in the best manner: though before this you were utterly unaware (of these things). *3

*3 This was to impress indirectly on the unbelievers of Makkah the fact that the Messenger did not know anything about the story of the settlement of the Israelites in Egypt, but was being informed of this by Revelation from Allah. This introduction was necessary because, as has been stated in the preface to this Surah, the disbelievers had put an abrupt question concerning this matter in order to "expose" the Holy Prophet by this test. The answer is to this effect: "Tell them, O Muhammad, that, though you did not know anything about the settlement of the Israelites in Egypt before this, you have now received a Revelation about this from Us" 

إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ {12:4}

[Q12:4] Iz qaala Yoosufu li abeehi yaaa abati innee ra aytu ahada 'ashara kawkabanw wash shamsa walqamara ra aytuhum lee saajideen. 
[Q12:4] When Yusuf said to his father: O my father! Surely I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon-- I saw them making obeisance to me.

[Q12:4] (Ingatlah peristiwa) ketika Nabi Yusuf berkata kepada bapanya: "Wahai ayahku! Sesungguhnya aku mimpi melihat sebelas bintang dan matahari serta bulan; aku melihat mereka tunduk memberi hormat kepadaku". 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:4) This is the narrative of that time, when Joseph said to his father, "O father, I have seen in a dream eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw that they were prostrating themselves before me."

قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَىٰ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا ۖ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ {12:5}

[Q12:5] Qaala yaa bunaiya laa taqsus ru'yaaka 'alaaa ikhwatika fayakeedoo laka kaidaa; innash Shaitaana lil insaani 'aduwwum mubeen. 
[Q12:5] He said: O my son! Do not relate your vision to your brothers, lest they devise a plan against you; surely the Shaitan is an open enemy to man.

[Q12:5] Bapanya berkata:" Wahai anakku! Janganlah engkau ceritakan mimpimu kepada saudara-saudaramu, kerana aku khuatir mereka akan menjalankan sesuatu rancangan jahat terhadapmu. Sesungguhnya syaitan adalah musuh yang nyata bagi manusia. 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:5) In response to this, his father said, "My little son, say nothing of this dream to your brothers, lest they should plot any evil scheme against you. *4 Be on your guard, for Satan is the avowed enemy of man.

*4 As the meanings of the dream were quite obvious, Prophet Jacob had a genuine fear that Joseph's ten step-brothers would become all the more envious of him when they would hear this: So he warned his righteous son not to mention his dream to his brothers, for he knew that those sons of his did not bear the moral character worthy of the sons of a Prophet, and, therefore, they were up to any evil design against him out of mere envy. As regards the dream, the "sun" in it was Prophet Jacob, the "moon" his wife, (Prophet Joseph's step-mother) and the "eleven stars" his eleven brothers. 

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 {12:6}

[Q12:6] Wa kazaalika yajtabeeka rabbuka wa yu'allimuka min taaweelil ahaadeesi wa yutimmu ni'matahoo 'alaika wa 'alaaa Aali Ya'qooba kamaaa atammahaa 'alaaa abawaika min qablu Ibraaheema wa Ishaaq; inna Rabbaka 'Aleemun hakeem. 
[Q12:6] And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of sayings and make His favor complete to you and to the children of Yaqoub, as He made it complete before to your fathers, Ibrahim and Ishaq; surely your Lord is Knowing, Wise.

[Q12:6] Dan demikianlah caranya Tuhanmu memilihmu, dan akan mengajarmu takbir mimpi, serta akan menyempurnakan nikmatNya kepadamu dan kepada keluarga Yaakub: sebagaimana Ia telah menyempurnakannya kepada datuk nenekmu dahulu: Ibrahim dan Ishak. Sesungguhnya Tuhanmu Maha Mengetahui, lagi Maha Bijaksana". 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:6) And it will happen so (as you have seen in your dream) that your Lord will choose you (for His work *5 ) and impart you the full understanding of problems *6 , and will perfect His blessing upon you and upon the children of Jacob as He perfected it on your forefathers- Abraham and Isaac; surely your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise *7 .

*5 That is, "Bless him with Prophethood." 
*6 The Arabic words of the Text do not mean merely "the interpretation of dreams", as has been generally understood. They are comprehensive and imply also this: "Allah will bless you with the full understanding of the problems of life and their solutions and will give you the insight to reach at the reality of every matter." 
*7 Here it should be noted that the response of Prophet Jacob to the dream of Prophet Joseph, according to the Bible and the Talmud, was quite different froth this: "And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" (Gen. 37: 10). Even a little thinking will help one to arrive at the conclusion that his reaction as narrated in the Qur'an is worthy of the high character of Prophet Jacob and not the one found in the Bible and the Talmud. For Prophet Joseph had not expressed any personal ambition of his but merely narrated Iris dream. If the dream was a true one, and it is obvious that Prophet Jacob interpreted it, believing it to be true, there was no reason why he should rebuke his own son, for it meant that it was the will of God and no his own ambition that he should one day rise to a high rank. Can then one expect from any reasonable person, not to mention a Prophet, that he would take it ill and rebuke the one who dreamed such a dream? And can there ever be such a noble "father" who would say bitter and stinging things to his own son for the "sin" of telling him a true dream, prophesying his future greatness?

SECTION 2

         Joseph suffers the treatment of his Brother

Brothersof Joseph Plot---Joseph thrown into a dry well---Joseph picked up by a caravan and sold as a slave for a paltry price.

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ {12:7}

[Q12:7] Laqad kaana fee Yoosufa wa ikhwatiheee Aayaatul lissaaa'ileen. 
[Q12:7] Certainly in Yusuf and his brothers there are signs for the inquirers.

[Q12:7] Demi sesungguhnya! (Kisah) Nabi Yusuf dengan saudara-saudaranya itu mengandungi beberapa pengajaran bagi orang-orang yang bertanya (tentang hal mereka untuk mengambil iktibar). 

The priests of the Jews had in a challenging way been questioning the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) about Jacob, his sons, particularly about Yusof and his life. The whole story with all its details was revealed so that every kind of enquiry about the various aspects of Yusof’s life-history and that of his parents could be answered.

°          Yakub had first married Lia --- and from her were born six sons: [1] Yahad [2] Roil [3] Sham’son [4] Lavi [5] Zialoon and [6] Yasjar.

°          Afterwards Yakub married Raheel the younger sister of Lia who give birth to a daughter, [1] Diana, and two sons named [2] Rahsel (Benjamin) and [3] Yusouf (Joseph).

°          Besides these two wives, Yakub had two harems --- [*] one was Zulfa, the slave-girl of his first wife Lia through whom he had two sons [1] Had [2] Ashar and the other harem was Maleha, the slave–girl of his second wife Raheel---and she gave birth to a daughter [1] Danya and two sons [2] Don and [3] Toftali.

It is clear that Yakub had more than one wife at a time and it is also obvious that having his wife he had harems also who must naturally have been young girls.

Without the proper knowledge of the unlimited and uncontrolled polygamy practised in olden times even by the other apostles of ALLAH (SWT) like Yakub, Daud, Sulaiman and the other Israelites apostles of ALLAH (SWT) and the other holy sagas of the Vedantic creeds in India, attack the strictly limited and the fully controlled polagamy sanctioned by Islam.

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(12:7) Indeed there are Signs in this story of Joseph and his brothers for these inquirers.

إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىٰ أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ {12:8}

[Q12:8] Iz qaaloo la Yoosufu wa akhoohu ahabbu ilaaa Abeenaa minnaa wa nahnu 'usbah; inna abaanaa lafee dalaalim mubeen. 
[Q12:8] When they said: Certainly Yusuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we, though we are a (stronger) company; most surely our father is in manifest error:

[Q12:8] (Kisah itu bermula) ketika saudara-saudara Yusuf berkata (sesama sendiri): "Sesungguhnya Yusuf dan adiknya, lebih disayangi oleh bapa kita daripada kita, padahal kita ini satu kumpulan (yang ramai dan berguna). Sesungguhnya bapa kita adalah dalam keadaan tidak adil yang nyata." 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:8) This is how the story begins: his brothers (held a consultation and) said to one another, "This Joseph and his brother *8 are dearer to our father than ourselves, even though we are a band. Truly our father seems to have lost his balance of mind. *9

*8 This brother was Benjamin. He was the real younger brother of Prophet Joseph, and was his junior by many years. Their mother had died at the birth of Benjamin. That is why Prophet Jacob paid special attention to these two motherless children. Besides, Joseph was the only son, in whom he had discerned signs of righteousness and capabilities. Accordingly, when Prophet Joseph narrated his dream to him, he was all the more convinced of his future greatness, and was perturbed at the idea lest his brothers conspired against him out of envy, if they came to know of his dream, which was self-explanatory. For Prophet Jacob knew that his other ten sons were not of the right type, and this was proved by the subsequent events. Therefore, naturally he was not happy with them. It is, however, strange that the Bible gives a different reason for the envy his brothers bore against Prophet Joseph. They were filled with envy against him because "Joseph gave unto his father their evil report." 
*9 In order to grasp the full significance of the "grievance" the ten sons had against their father for "neglecting" them, we should keep in view the conditions of the clannish life. As there was no established state, each clan led its own independent life side by side with other clans. It is abvious that the power of the head of the clan depended entirely on the number of sons and grand-sons, and brothers and nephews he had to defend the life, honour and property of the family. Therefore, the one leading the clannish life naturally paid more attention to one's own grown up sons, etc., than to children and women of the family. As Prophet Jacob was leading clannish life, these sons of his expected a preferential treatment from him, but the Prophet thought otherwise. So they remarked, "Truly our father seems to have lost his balance of mind; otherwise he could not have neglected us, and loved our two younger brothers more than us, for we are strong young men and can stand him in good stead at the time of need while these youngsters are useless as they themselves stand in need of protection. " 

اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ {12:9}

[Q12:9] Uqtuloo Yoosufa awitra hoohu ardany yakhlu lakum wajhu abeekum wa takoonoo mim ba'dihee qawman saaliheen. 
[Q12:9] Slay Yusuf or cast him (forth) into some land, so that your father's regard may be exclusively for you, and after that you may be a righteous people.

[Q12:9] (Ramai di antara mereka berkata):" Bunuhlah Yusuf atau buanglah dia ke suatu tempat yang jauh, supaya perhatian dan kasih sayang bapa kamu tertumpu kepada kamu semata-mata, dan supaya kamu sesudah itu menjadi orang-orang yang baik dan berguna". 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:9) Let us, therefore, kill Joseph or throw him somewhere so that your father's attention should be turned exclusively towards you. After this, you should again become righteous people." *10

*10 This sentence depicts the true psychology of those people who give themselves up to the lusts of their hearts, and, at the same time, do not want to break away completely from faith and religion. This is how a person of this type behaves. Whenever he is tempted to do a certain evil thing, he makes up his mind to do it first and puts off the demands of his faith for the time-being. And if his conscience pricks him, he tries to soothe it, saying, "Have a little patience. Let me first do this evil thing, which is an obstacle in my way. Then I will repent and become as good as Thou desirest to see me." As the brothers of Prophet Joseph belonged to this type, they soothed their pricking consciences, saying, "After doing away with Joseph, who is the chief obstacle in our way, we will again become righteous." 

قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ لَا تَقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ السَّيَّارَةِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ {12:10}

[Q12:10] Qaalaa qaaa'ilum minhum laa taqtuloo Yoosufa wa alqoohu fee ghayaabatil jubbi yaltaqithu badus sai yaarati in kuntum faa 'ileen. 
[Q12:10] A speaker from among them said: Do not slay Yusuf, and cast him down into the bottom of the pit if you must do (it), (so that) some of the travellers may pick him up.

[Q12:10] Salah seorang di antara mereka berkata: "Janganlah kamu membunuh Yusuf, tetapi buanglah dia ke dalam perigi, supaya ia dipungut oleh sebahagian dari orang-orang musafir (yang lalu di situ), kalaulah kamu tetap hendak menjalankan rancangan kamu itu".  

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:10) At this one of them said, "Don't kill Joseph; but if you are bent on doing something, cast him into some dark well. Maybe some caravan passing by will take him out of it."