Sūrat Yūsuf is a Meccan surah[1] and is believed to have been revealed after Sūrat Hūd.[2] While some reports, attributed to Ibn Abbas, suggest that the first three verses and the seventh verse are Medinan,[3] the reasoning behind this claim remains unclear. In any case, these reports have been dismissed as unreliable.[4]

In some reports it is claimed that this surah was revealed after some of the companions asked the Prophet to tell them a story.[5] Another claim is that some Jews asked him what he has to say about Jacob (a) and his sons and about Joseph (a).[6] Similar to this, it is claimed that the Jews asked the people of Mecca to ask the Prophet if he knew why the Children of Israel arrived in Egypt.[7]

Another report attributed to Ibn Abbas says that a rabbi came upon the Prophet as he was reciting the surah and was amazed. He returned to his people and informed them that Muhammad (s) is reciting the story of Joseph (a) in the Quran as it is in the Torah. They returned and they saw him to be as had been foretold to them and saw the seal of prophethood between his shoulder blades and became Muslims.[8] It is obvious from this report though that it does not deal with the reason of revelation.

Sūrat Yūsuf is unique amongst the Quranic surahs in that it is mostly one long, uninterrupted narrative. It is said that because the story is mentioned in full in this surah, aside from a brief reference in 40:34, there is no mention of Prophet Joseph’s (a) story anywhere else in the Quran.[9] As such it is appropriate to provide a short summary here.

The story of Prophet Joseph (a) can be divided into three acts. The first act is his childhood and the plot of his brothers to get rid of him (verses 7-21). The second act portrays Prophet Joseph (a) when he was a young man, and tells of the plot of the governor’s wife to seduce him, and how he was imprisoned (verses 22-57). The third act is Prophet Joseph (a) as a governor of Egypt, and tells how he was freed from prison and how he rose to power, and how he was finally reunited with his family (verses 58-101).

The story begins with a prelude, the vision of Prophet Joseph (a), witnessing eleven stars and the sun and the moon prostrating to him. His father warns him not to reveal his dream to his brothers, who would bring him harm. Because of Prophet Joseph’s (a) exceptional qualities, he attracted the envy of his older brothers. Fuelled by jealousy, the brothers plot to get rid of Prophet Joseph (a), eventually deciding to throw him into a well. However, instead of facing harm, Prophet Joseph (a) is found by a passing caravan who takes him to Egypt. In Egypt, Prophet Joseph (a) is sold to the household of the ʿAzīz, a powerful governor/minister, who takes note of him and Prophet Joseph (a) grows into a man of great character and wisdom.

As Prophet Joseph (a) matures, he faces a significant trial when the governor’s wife attempts to seduce him. Prophet Joseph (a), however, remains steadfast in his faith and rejects her advances, choosing to uphold his moral integrity. Frustrated by his rejection, the governor’s wife falsely accuses Prophet Joseph (a) of wrongdoing, and while he is initially cleared of blame, she later plots against him once more, leading to his imprisonment. While in prison, Prophet Joseph’s (a) ability to interpret dreams is noticed by his cellmates, one of whom is freed. The freed man ends up in the service of the king of Egypt, who then years later has a momentous dream, and the freed man asks Prophet Joseph (a) to interpret it. He accurately interprets the king’s dreams, explaining that they foretell years of abundance followed by years of famine, and proposes a clear solution to address this. After the king finds out about Prophet Joseph’s (a) integrity, honesty, and prudence, he is released from prison and appointed as a high-ranking official in Egypt in charge of the grain stores.

The narrative reaches its climax when Prophet Joseph’s (a) brothers, unaware of his identity, come to Egypt seeking food rations during the famine. Recognising them, Prophet Joseph (a) devises a plan to reunite himself with his full brother Benjamin, and his father Prophet Jacob (a). Eventually, Prophet Joseph (a) reveals his true identity, forgives his brothers, and orchestrates a reunion with his long-lost family. The story concludes with his siblings prostrating to him, which Prophet Joseph (a) declares to be the manifestation of the vision he had in his youth.

The narrative means to demonstrate that all the events that happen throughout the story are in accordance with a larger plan of God. Each event ultimately unfolds in a way that exposes falsehood and reveals the truth.

Naturally, the story of Prophet Joseph (a) is also mentioned in the Bible, in Genesis chapters 37-50. Although the two stories are similar overall, there are many differences between the two – some major, some minor – and we will be referring to these throughout the commentary.

The main theme of the surah is the ‘dominance of the divine plan’. If we wish to sum up this main theme in a word, it word would be the Arabic term taʾwīl, which refers to the final manifestation of things. The knowledge of how all things will culminate rests solely with God, and all things unfold according to His plan. God’s plans may seem long term to us – spanning years, centuries, or even millennia – yet they are, as explained in the previous surah, inevitable. As such, all other plans hatched by others, or any measures taken by them, effectively work in favour of the divine plan, even if their intentions are to rebel against it and even if they are ignorant and unwitting of it. On the other hand, a person who has been given some knowledge of the taʾwīl of events understands the reality of God and His decree and is not fazed by happenings that are seemingly contrary to the plan of God, rather it all instils in them the spirit of reliance in God.

The story of Prophet Joseph (a) is the longest sustained narrative in the Quran and obviously many different subthemes are contained in it, but the main overarching theme of taʾwīl is present throughout the surah.

The Quran emphasises that God endowed Prophet Joseph (a) with a distinct form of taʾwīl – the ability to discern the true meaning of dreams – as declared in the divine promise: That is how your Lord will choose you, and teach you the interpretation (taʾwīl) of dreams (aḥādīth)[10] (verse 6). This gift of taʾwīl not only defines Prophet Joseph’s (a) prophetic role, but also structures the surah’s narrative, recurring at key moments (such as verses 21, 37, and 44-45) until its culmination in his reunion with his family (verses 100-101).

The surah begins Prophet Joseph’s (a) story with the dream he was gifted: When Joseph said to his father: ‘Father! I saw eleven planets, and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrating themselves before me’ (verse 4). This dream is finally manifested at the end of the surah when his family prostrates before him: This is the fulfilment (taʾwīl) of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true. He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you over from the desert (verse 100). God reminds how the difficulties befalling Prophet Joseph (a) and his painful separation from his family at a young age were all part of His plan: Thus We established Joseph in the land and that We might teach him the interpretation (taʾwīl) of dreams (aḥādīth) (verse 21), as was his imprisonment and timely release: That is how We established Joseph in the land that he may settle in it wherever he wished. We confer Our mercy on whomever We wish, and We do not waste the reward of the virtuous (verse 56); and all the other events that befell him were all part of the divine plan.

The surah closes with the reminder that Prophet Muhammad’s (s) message and the words of the Quran are based on that same divine knowledge: Say: ‘This is my way. I summon to Allah with insight’ (verse 108), and that only those who apply reason will take heed of it: There is certainly a moral in their accounts for those who possess intellect (verse 111).

The overarching divine plan, which is the ultimate taʾwīl (true meaning) behind all events, stands in sharp contrast throughout the surah to the schemes (kayd) and plots (makr)[11] of human beings throughout the surah. The narrative systematically juxtaposes these two levels of causality, illustrating how human efforts are inevitably subsumed by God’s wisdom. The events in the narrative show that that those who plan in accordance with God’s plan and in submission to His will, their plans succeed, whilst those who try to oppose God’s plan, see their plans foiled. In fact, as those events illustrate, their plans in effect are part of the divine plan and lead to its manifestation (verses 56 and 100). Key examples of such human planning include:

1. The plan of Prophet Joseph’s (a) brothers to kill him (verses 8-10), and the plan of the travellers to sell Prophet Joseph (a) (verses 19-20) – which was of course part of God’s plan for him: Thus We established Joseph in the land (verse 21).
2. The plan of the noblewoman to try and seduce Prophet Joseph (a) the first time (verse 23), and the final time (verses 31-33). These actions are described as kayd again in verses 50 and 52. Significantly, Prophet Joseph (a) recognises and understands that by relying on God He can avert that from himself: ‘If You do not turn away their schemes (kayd) from me, then I will incline towards them and become one of the senseless.’ So his Lord answered him and turned away their schemes (kayd) from him (verses 33-34).
3. The plan of Prophet Joseph (a) to have his brother (verses 58-62) and then later his father (verse 70), returned to him. God declares that this was actually part of His plan: Thus did We devise (kidnā) for Joseph’s sake (verse 76).
4. The plan of Prophet Jacob (a) to avert harm from his sons when entering the city (verse 67), which is described as not being based on divinely inspired knowledge, even though Prophet Jacob (a) had been gifted that: When they entered whence their father had bidden them, it did not avail them anything against Allah, but only fulfilled a wish in Jacob’s heart (nafs). Indeed, he had the knowledge of what We had taught him, but most people do not know (verse 68).

The surah presents two phenomena as being the main forces of corruption that cause people to try and oppose God’s plan: Satan, and the nafs (soul) that is inclined to evil.[12] Throughout the surah these are highlighted (see verses 5, 18, 24, 42, 53, and 100).

The soul becomes inclined to evil when a person submits it to one’s base desires. Hence we see Prophet Joseph (a) in the story beset by such people; either his brothers overcome by jealousy, the caravan overcome by greed, the governor’s wife overcome by lust, or the prison cellmate overcome by worldly distractions. Yet all of these were simply stages in the plan which God had in store for Prophet Joseph (a).

The purpose of the surah and its theme is to remind the reader that God has a plan for all things and the believer should be patient and not lose hope in that plan, as God does not waste the reward of the virtuous (verses 56 and 90). While a believer might not know the exact details of a plan, he should understand that God has [full] command of His affairs (verse 21) and Indeed, my Lord is all-attentive in bringing about what He wishes. Indeed, He is the all-knowing, the all-wise (verse 100). This instils a spirit of reliance in the believer that is beautifully captured in the statement of Prophet Jacob (a): I know from Allah what you do not know. Go, my sons, and look for Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, no one despairs of Allah’s mercy except the faithless lot (verses 86-87).[13]

The previous surah focused on the theme of the inevitability of divine recompense – which can only be avoided by repentance – and emphasised in the end that God is aware of all things, To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and to Him all matters are returned. So worship Him and trust in Him. Your Lord is not oblivious of what you do (11:123). The believer should trust that God will carry out His plan and give good reward to those who deserve it, And be patient; indeed Allah does not waste the reward of the virtuous (11:115). This surah picks up from that and continues explaining how the wise plan of God is unfolded. It tells a practical example of how God’s reward is given to those who deserve it, sooner or later, That is how We established Joseph in the land that he may settle in it wherever he wished. We confer Our mercy on whomever We wish, and We do not waste the reward of the virtuous (verse 56).

[1] Tabrisi, 5/315; Thalabi, 5/196; Zamakhshari, 2/440; Baghawi, 2/473. Related in Tibyan, 6/91.
[2] Razi, 18/416; Alusi, 6/362.
[3] Related in Tabrisi, 5/315; Zamakhshari, 2/440.
[4] Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī, al-Itqān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān (Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1996), 1/50; Alusi, 6/362; Nemuneh, 9/292; Munyah, 14/140.
[5] Related in Tabari, 12/90; Muhit, 6/234; Suyuti, 4/3; Alusi, 6/362.
[6] Related in Zamakhshari, 2/440; Muhit, 6/234; Alusi, 6/362.
[7] Related in Tibyan, 6/93; Muhit, 6/234; Alusi, 6/362. Ālūsī discounts the latter two claims.
[8] Related in Alusi, 6/362. Ālūsī considers the authenticity of this report to be doubtful.
[9] Muhit, 6/234.
[10] Aḥādīth can refer to more than just dreams; it can mean events in general. See the commentary on that verse.
[11] See verse 102.
[12] See the commentary on verse 5 for more explanation on this concept.
[13] See also verse 96.