The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Yūsuf – Verse 3

نَحنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيكَ أَحسَنَ القَصَصِ بِما أَوحَينا إِلَيكَ هٰذَا القُرآنَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبلِهِ لَمِنَ الغافِلينَ

We will recount to you the best of narratives in what We have revealed to you of this Quran, and indeed prior to it you were among those who are unaware [of it].

EXEGESIS

Naquṣṣu/qaṣaṣ (recount/narratives) comes from the root of qaṣṣa, which means to follow something, like in the verse, She said to his sister: ‘Follow him (quṣṣīhi)’ (28:11).[1] The word is used for stories, because the storyteller retraces the tale which he has memorised, bit by bit,[2] or because a story is told using words that follow one another.[3]

EXPOSITION

The Quranic stories are the best stories because they are not told for the sake of storytelling, but are divine revelation, full of truth, knowledge, and guidance.

It has been asked why the Quran gives the story of Prophet Joseph (a) as one uninterrupted whole (although still very succinctly), contrary to all the other stories in the Quran which simply examine short portions of events. One answer suggested is that the story would not make sense if it was told only partially, since to understand Prophet Joseph’s (a) vision and how it became manifested and the significance and meaning behind that, one needs to understand the various events that led to it.[4] Also, as the theme of the surah is dealing with the ‘divine plan’ and how that manifests itself, it is best appreciated by going through the story in a more complete manner.

It is also very likely that the Quran is answering a doubt in the minds of some, or an accusation they may have levelled, that the Quranic style does not lend itself to telling stories and therefore it cannot do what the Bible has done. The story of Prophet Joseph (a) proves that wrong by relating a story from start to finish – in an engaging and gripping fashion – whilst still maintaining that aspect which makes Quranic stories the best of narratives.[5] The fact that the Quran does not generally tell stories in this fashion is because the purpose of the Quran is not to be a story book, or to simply recount history and act as a record, but rather to guide mankind. While historical events are referenced, they are referenced for the sake of drawing lessons. It is not then a matter of inability, but the purpose of the stories is what is important, and they are told in the fashion that they are to emphasise that purposefulness and not for readers to get distracted by the narrative.

We will recount to you is an address to the Prophet.

The best of narratives: whilst some have considered this to be a reference to the story of Prophet Joseph (a) specifically[6] – meaning that it is the best of all stories – it is perhaps more appropriate to understand this to be a reference to Quranic stories in general.[7] This latter understanding is also supported by narrations which refer to the Quran as a whole as the best of narratives.[8]

The Quranic stories are the best of narratives because:

  1. They can produce meaningful positive change in the lives of its readers.
  2. Because they are beautiful and eloquent and enjoyable to read, whilst being full of meaning and insight.[9]
  3. Because of the lessons, wisdoms, and marvels that they entail, which no other stories have.[10]
  4. Because they are truthful and contain no lies.[11]

This list could be further expanded, but in brief, the Quranic stories are the best stories because they are not simply a distraction and escapism, but rather they are reminders of reality and what is truly important, and they serve as lessons for mankind.

In what We have revealed to you of this Quran: this statement clarifies that the story of Prophet Joseph (a) was something that the Prophet became aware of through Quranic revelation.[12] He did not learn it from the books of the Jews or Christians or by hearing about it from others. Indeed, the rest of the verse clarifies this further.

And indeed prior to it, i.e. prior to the revelation of this surah,[13] you were among those who are unaware: the story of Prophet Joseph (a) was unknown to the Prophet prior to its revelation in the Quran.[14] This does not necessarily mean that he had not heard certain things about it,[15] but such familiarity based on hearsay could not be considered knowledge. A similar statement is made regarding the story of Prophet Noah (a): These are accounts of the unseen which We reveal to you. Neither you nor your people used to know them before this (11:49). The emphasis on the Prophet being amongst those who are unaware highlights that revelation is knowledge passed down from God, and this links to the surah’s theme.

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

  1. From Imam Ali (a), regarding the Quran: ‘Recite it well, for it is the most beneficial of stories.’[16]
  2. From Muhammad ibn Muslim, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) said: ‘The book of God is the most veracious speech and the best of stories.’[17]
  3. From Muhammad ibn Nuʿmān, from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a), that Imam Ali (a) said: ‘The best of stories and the most compelling admonition and the most beneficial reminder is the book of God – mighty and glorious.’[18]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

There are other opinions that the exegetes have mentioned as to what specifically the Prophet was unaware of, such as:

  1. The legal rulings (aḥkām) that the Quran has expounded, such as, Thus have We revealed to you the spirit of Our dispensation. You did not know what the book is, nor what is faith (42:52).[19]
  2. The stories of previous nations.[20]

However, neither of these fit the context of the verse and surah.

TOPICAL ARTICLE

The Purpose of Quranic Stories

The purpose of Quranic stories is not to entertain readers with fantastic tales, nor is it to serve as a historical record – though they often indirectly correct commonly held misconceptions, as seen in the Quranic assertion about Jesus: This is indeed the true account, for sure (3:62). Similarly, these stories are not intended to provide genealogies or chronicles. Instead, their primary aim is to convey divine wisdom, moral lessons, and guidance for humanity. Names and places are often omitted, intentionally so, to not divert the attention of the reader from the actual purpose of those stories, which is to provide insight, guidance, practical examples of those who lived a life of faith and struggled for its sake, and a reminder of what is truly important in this life and what is man’s true purpose. The stories of prophets, and occasionally other people, are mentioned so that the believers may learn from them and model themselves after them. Similarly, the rebelliousness and eventual destruction of previous nations is related, as a lesson that needs to be taken heed of and as a warning, So recount these narratives, so that they may reflect (7:176).

It is not important to know the name of the pharaoh who opposed Prophet Moses (a), how many centuries ago he lived, or the minutiae of the socio-political situation of Ancient Egypt, or what kind of wood the staff of Prophet Moses (a) was made of, or how many children he had, or where exactly did he cross the sea, or what were the names of the stars/planets that Prophet Joseph (a) saw prostrating to him,[21] or the name of the man that drew him from the well. Inquiry into some of these questions is occasionally done by both scholars and fools, but doubtlessly such inquiries should not distract from the actual value of these stories.

It was often the role of storytellers to add details and embellish the true account in their attempt at making these more ‘entertaining’ for their audiences. Some of those then invariably made their way into scripture and hadith. This is the opposite of the ethos of Quranic stories, which are meant to set the record straight about certain important matters and to clarify misconceptions and disprove falsehoods, We relate to you their account in truth (18:13).

Without a doubt, many other benefits may also be derived from these stories, such as bearing witness to how all the prophets were united in their call to God, or to increase Prophet Muhammad (s) and the believers in determination, Whatever We relate to you of the accounts of the apostles are those by which We strengthen your heart (11:120).[22] The prophets of the past were exemplars from which we may draw inspiration and try to emulate their actions and lifestyle. The trials and tribulations they faced are reminders that give us hope, showing how God has always brought victory to the faithful, and a reminder that the problems we may face in our own lives are not necessarily as difficult as we may think they are.

[1] Thalabi, 5/196; Razi, 18/417.
[2] Zamakhshari, 3/441.
[3] Nemuneh, 9/301.
[4] Nemuneh, 9/295-296.
[5] See also the similar discussion in Sharawi, pp. 6833-6834. According to well-known reports, Naḍr ibn Ḥārith, who had learned some stories of the Persian epochs, was asked by the Quraysh to tell those stories to people so they would not pay attention to the Quran. In a way, this surah can be seen as a response to that by telling a compelling story that is full of wisdom and lessons (Munyah, 14/141).
[6] As held by Thalabi, 5/197; Mizan, 11/76. Those who hold this position mention their own various reasons as to why the story of Prophet Joseph (a) would be the best of stories, but we have refrained from mentioning those opinions here for the sake of brevity.
[7] Tabrisi, 5/317; Nemuneh, 9/301-302. Makārim Shīrāzī adds that there is no problem in understanding the Quran in general to be the best of narratives and the story of Prophet Joseph (a) specifically to be the best narrative.
[8] Nemuneh, 9/301-302. See the next section for examples of these reports.
[9] Tabrisi, 5/316; Razi, 18/417.
[10] Zamakhshari, 2/441.
[11] Tantawi, 7/316.
[12] Alusi, 6/367. Ālūsī clarifies that it was not through inspiration (ilhām) or unrecited revelation (al-waḥy ghayr al-matluw).
[13] Alusi, 6/369.
[14] Razi, 18/418. Related in Tibyan, 6/93.
[15] Although some, such as Subḥānī, have argued that the verse precisely means that Prophet Muhammad (s) had not heard anything at all about the story of Prophet Joseph (a). See Munyah, 14/146.
[16] Nahj, sermon 110.
[17] Kafi, 3/423. The hadith is long and quoted partially here.
[18] Kafi, 8/175.
[19] Tibyan, 6/93; Tabrisi, 5/317. Related in Razi, 18/418.
[20] Baghawi, 2/474.
[21] This latter detail is for example attributed to Jābir ibn ʿAbd-Allāh al-Anṣārī, reporting that a Jewish man came to ask the Prophet the names of these stars and then supposedly the angel Gabriel came and revealed those names to him, which he then informed the Jewish man, who confirmed it to be so and promptly became a Muslim. See Qummi, 1/339; Ayyashi, 2/170-171; Tabari, 12/90-91; Thalabi, 5/197-198; Khisal, pp. 454-455; Mustadrak.S, 4/396; Haythami, 7/39; Abū al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzī, al-Mawḍūʿāt (Medina: al-Maktabah al-Salafiyyah, 1966), 1/146. Other obvious criticisms of the hadith aside – such as what has been mentioned about its chain – the names of most of the stars mentioned in the report seem to be unknown to even medieval scholars such as Rāzī, who says he has not found those names in any of the astrological works (see Razi, 18/419).
[22] See Munyah, 14/142-143.