Introduction to the story of Joseph, peace be upon him
Selections from the Book The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq…
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (1)
The story of Joseph al-Siddiq (peace be upon him) is considered the longest Quranic story that was mentioned in one place, but not mentioned in other places. If you compare them with the stories of Kalimullah Moses and Khalilullah Abraham, peace be upon them, or other stories, you would find that these stories can be distributed and divided into multiple scenes, because each scene is considered an integrated unit, such as: (Moses and the righteous servant), (Abraham and his dialogue with the worshipers of the stars and stars) ...etc.
However, the unity of the events of the story of Joseph, peace be upon him, does not make it technically or objectively possible for them to be cut or distributed over multiple times of presentation, and in this one of the aspects of the Qur’anic miracle is evident, as is the accuracy and wisdom of this book, which is {in detail from [one who is] Wise and Acquainted} [Hud: 1].
Here, Professor Muhammad Al-Mubarak says, as we are dealing with the distinction and uniqueness of Surat Yusuf: Surat Yusuf has a special place in souls. Souls have always yearned to hear it again and again, and hearts and ears have always been open to its sweet tones. It has a sublime melody of its own, and you feel in it the hand of divine destiny drives events, and you see in them a human being who wants and decrees, and above him is an all-powerful divine providence that communicates from this human being what it wants, not what he wants, and brings things to their decreed and destined consequences and ends.
We see ourselves in it, but we nevertheless see the hand of destiny and feel its effect on us and in our actions. We see it crossing our path through events and reaching destined goals. It opens before us the horizon of destiny so that we can make our will part of Allah’s will, implementing His decree, in harmony with the goals of His destiny, which are pure goodness. Thus, we combine obedience, will, work, and optimism for the future. This is the reason why Surah Yusuf has a special passion in our souls, and it takes us with our minds and hearts towards Allah.
This is what Jacob, peace be upon him, saw from the beginning of the story, and the great truth was revealed to him, so he was patient, and he had faith, and waited for the kindness of fate and the acts of providence.
When you read this Surah or listen to someone who reads it, you will feel sweet, sublime melodies that accompany the images of human life that appear to you in it and the rulings of judgment and the influence of fate that you read behind it.
The surah opened with these three disjointed letters (Alif, Lam, Ra), which show you the apparent meaning of the words and hide from you the secret of their appearance in the Qur’an with Arabic words. As for the story of Joseph, which is the subject and structure of the surah, it took up all of it, and it is more than a hundred verses, except for about ten verses, the last of which contained its lesson and purpose.
Surat Yusuf is one of the Meccan surahs that dealt with the stories of the prophets, and it devoted its discussion to the story of the Prophet of Allah (Joseph son of Jacob) and the types of calamities, trials, and adversities that befell him, peace be upon him, from his brothers and from others in the house of the Aziz of Egypt, in prison, and in the conspiracy of women, until Allah saved him from that distress. It is intended to console the Prophet Muhamad, peace and blessings be upon him, and protect him from the harm he faced near and far.
The noble Surah features a unique and exquisite style in its expressions, articulation, and delivery, especially in its delightful and gentle stories. It flows within the soul like the circulation of blood in the veins, running smoothly and delicately in the heart like the flow of spirit in the body. Although it is a Meccan Surah, which generally carries a warning tone, it differs in this regard. It comes with a fresh, delightful style, smooth and tender, carrying an atmosphere of joy, mercy, compassion, and tenderness. Ata' said, "No one listens to Surah Yusuf while in distress except that they find solace in it."
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq, pp. 19-21.
- Surat Yusuf, an analytical study, Ahmed Nofal, Dar Al-Furqan, Amman - Jordan, p. 10.
- A literary study of texts from the Qur’an, Muhammad Al-Mubarak, Dar Al-Fikr, fourth edition, 1973 AD, pp. 79-82.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
