The Quran is the Greatest Miracle that the world has known. And in these pages the ‘most beautiful of stories’ is told in Chapter 12 (Sura – Yusuf):
A.L.R. These are the symbols (or Verses) of the Perspicuous {clearly expressed} Book.
WE have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an, in order that you may learn wisdom.
WE do relate unto you the most beautiful of stories, in that WE reveal to you this (portion of the) Qur’an: before this, you too were among those who knew it not. Quran (12:1-3).
Imagine the Name of ALLAH being the DETERMINER (Al-Muqtadir – The Determiner, The Dominant) and setting the stage for the ‘story of Yusuf’ before the world was to be. Basically, for most, it is a subject that hurts the head if one wants to think too deeply about it.
There is no need to venture where one would fall or to go too deep into something that one is not skilled at or prepared to go into. The symbolism presented in this story is highly multilayered so much so that books, and rather large ones at that, could be written about it.
Even the total number of verses in this chapter has a meaning but what value would that give to people who are not aware of these things or the significance of these things? Besides, the further one goes, the harder it would become to prove and that would benefit very few.
Still, in knowing something about this soul, we can be assured and feel very comfortable in assessing the total humanness of Yusef (pbh) and not be befuddled by philosophical bantering or even those who want to join partners to the LIVING GOD. That is why the development of this soul and who it represents is enough for any real believer!
So we can approach this story in general terms knowing what we know about the veracity of the al-Amin or Prophet Muhammad (pbh – the trusted one). We must also take note that according to Sahih Muslim that Prophet Muhammad (pbh) was given 6 distinctions above the other prophets and one of those distinctions was to be ‘Concise in Speech’!
Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said; “I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies): spoils have been made lawful to me: the earth has been made for me clean and a place of worship; I have been sent to all mankind and the line of prophets is closed with me.” (Muslim)
Being concise in speech can imply (due to the material he had to handle) being very succinct in use of his terminology that would cover a veritable swath of expressions without showing any contradictions whatsoever. That is a very special gift when one considers what it means. Basically, it states that under all applications, what the Prophet (pbh) said was true or holds true to form!
That is a miracle in itself!
Try it out. Water is a liquid is a statement that is mostly true but water is also ice and vapor under certain conditions as, for example ‘what is ice’? Ice is frozen liquid water but it has different properties of size and shape. To be concise and truthful at one and the same time all across the board is really a great miracle in itself.
Now in looking at the Sura named Yusef (Chapter 12 in the Quran), the main protagonist dealing with various conditions and people will be Yusuf (pbh) and he is going be dubbed as a personage who is going to be the NOBELEST of souls from the lineage of Adam (not just a noble soul) and this is going to ‘hold water’ in the face of all sorts of conditions.
In all sorts of conditions, if what is given to Prophet Muhammad (pbh) about conciseness is correct. In other words, there is no declaration that the Prophet (pbh) will be mostly correct but sometimes wrong in religious matters!
Being the noblest of souls includes the condition of the human race in the conditions faced on planet Earth or more specifically concerning the sons of Adam in some kind of a trial or presentation because that is the set or sub-set that we are dealing with.
Abu Huraira narrated that the people asked, “O ALLAH’s Apostle! Who is the most honorable {noblest} amongst the people (in ALLAH’s Sight)?” He said, “The most righteous amongst them.” They said, “We do not ask you, about this.” He said, “Then Joseph {Yusef}, ALLAH’s Prophet, the son of ALLAH’s Prophet, The son of ALLAH’s Prophet the son of ALLAH’s Khalil (i.e. Abraham).” They said, “We do not want to ask about this,” He said’ “Then you want to ask about the descent of the Arabs. Those who were the best in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance will be the best in Islam provided they comprehend the religious knowledge.” (Bukhari)
Yusuf’s lineage is indeed a Nobel one on that truthful level! Genetically speaking, these characteristics can be attributed to a purely physical passing on of the genes type of display. However, we also know that at times this passing on of the genes can result in retardation or physical deformities.
So, strictly speaking, one cannot just go on a genetic definition for the above hadith but must broaden out the definition to include the ‘type’ of being who Yusuf was and who he became! For Nobleness implies more than just a physical type of presence but also one of mind and soul under the ‘GUIDANCE of ONE WHO GUIEDES/meaning his CREATOR LORD the AL-Rasheed!
One cannot separate the story of Yusuf from his CREATOR! Nor can one ignore that there is a PLAN that has been cooked up such that we are not living in a godless, helter-skelter world but ONE THAT IS DESIGNED TO ORDER BY PERFECT PLANNING! We, as humans, don’t need to be able to see it in order to sense it! It just is there as a pure and simple FACT!
And by taking our CREATOR’s WORD as TOTAL FACT in word, deed and planning, we can be assured that indeed! This story of Yusuf will be ‘the Most Beautiful of Stories’ not just in a book but actually in the BOOK of LIFE itself! It also becomes a SIGN to mankind of one who takes his LORD as SAVIOR, LORD and COMPLETE DETERMINER WHO IS IN TOTAL CONTROL OF ALL THINGS.
So, this human being (Yusuf) shows us by example or likened unto a sign to mankind what he is and what he is made of and what his LORD raises him up to be as to a niche of a kingdom he inherits! And look at his actions and WHO he appeals to in time of need and in time of success!
He started out as a ‘favorite’ (like adam) but he got a little frisky (like adam) and appealed to his CREATOR to bail him out of trouble (like adam) and later overcame his deficiencies to become a highly respected leader of his family, kind of like an overlord or symbol or sign to those who desire to ‘straighten up and fly right’ (like adam) when he had that argument with Moses (pbh) about Divine Destiny (found in hadith literature in various places with various renditions)!
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (pbh) said, “Adam and Moses argued with each other. Moses said to Adam. ‘O Adam! You are our father who disappointed us and turned us out of Paradise.’ Then Adam said to him, ‘O Moses! ALLAH favored you with HIS talk (talked to you directly) and HE wrote (the Torah) for you with HIS Own Hand. Do you blame me for {an} action which ALLAH had written in my fate forty years* before my creation?’ So Adam confuted {invalidated the argument provided by} Moses, Adam confuted Moses, Adam confuted Moses” the Prophet (pbh) added, repeating the Statement three times. (Bukhari)
{*And thus one would come (THAT PROPHET AT AGE 40), following after that pattern when things were complete in the job he was given to do, that would take up the mantel laid down by that beautiful soul and proclaim the truth in religious matters such that it would be the anointed belief system (Islam) for the Believers to follow in that Glorious Age that will be!}
Of course a big lesson from this Quranic chapter, by putting Yusuf as a ‘sign’ to mankind, is the ability of man putting his trust in his CREATOR LORD and being elevated in stages for the trust he does put in his LORD. A trust that is not demanding or else one is in danger of rejecting things if answers are not right away forth coming.
Rather it is one of positive trust in acceptance in his LORD’S POWER AND DOMINANCE and WILL as well as appealing to HIM first and foremost!
And there are other countless and practical lessons to be learned from this great chapter in the Quran which I’m sure that other writers have come forward with which makes this story ‘the most beautiful of stories’ found in the most beautiful of books – the Quran!
One can safely say that it is but a SIGN unto mankind just how GREAT ALLAH is and why it is only natural to appeal to HIM as HE is always near!
HE knows what is in the heavens and on earth; and HE knows what you conceal and what you reveal: yea, ALLAH knows well the (secrets) of (all) hearts. Quran (64:4)
“And indeed WE have created man, and WE know whatever thoughts his inner self develops, and WE are closer to him than (his own) jugular vein.” (Quran 50:16).
A Sign within a Sign within a Sign, within a Sign etc. What a beautiful and complete story with sign upon sign told with an easy to understand developmental sort of way! A perfect story on all fronts showing a very needy human being (Yusuf) raised up to a lofty position as a very trustworthy and humble servant of ALLAH.
There is no need for splash and dash in this story with miracles of raising someone from the dead or a walking on water. Just simple lessons from beginning to end by such Subtle SIGNS showing once agains that ALLAH is truly AL-Lateef (THE MOST SUBTLE, KIND ONE). And life continues!
