لَقَد كانَ في قَصَصِهِم عِبرَةٌ لِأُولِي الأَلبابِ ۗ ما كانَ حَديثًا يُفتَرىٰ وَلٰكِن تَصديقَ الَّذي بَينَ يَدَيهِ وَتَفصيلَ كُلِّ شَيءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحمَةً لِقَومٍ يُؤمِنونَ
There is certainly a moral in their accounts for those who possess intellect. This [Quran] is not a fabricated discourse; rather, it is a confirmation of what was [revealed] before it, and an elaboration of all things, and a guidance and mercy for a people who have faith.
EXEGESIS
Qaṣaṣ (accounts) comes from the root verb 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]
ՙIbrah (moral) comes from the verb ʿabara, meaning to pass from one place to another. ʿIbrah means to draw a lesson from something, because one is passing from one concept to another.[4]
Ḥadīth (discourse) comes from the root ḥudūth. Ḥudūth means the occurrence of something with no prior existence. Every communication that reaches a person through hearing, inspiration, whether in wakefulness or in dreams, is called ḥadīth.[5] This is because those words are something that have been brought to be, even though they were not before.[6]
Bayna yadayhi (before it) literally means ‘in between its two hands’. The expression is used to intend something that is right in front of someone. Here it means what came before, because it is available as if it was present and in front of it.[7] It is hence very much comparable to the English expression ‘before it’, which also can be used in both senses.
EXPOSITION
The concluding verse of the surah reminds us again why God declared in the beginning of the surah, We will recount to you the best of narratives in what We have revealed to you of this Quran (verse 3); the stories of the Quran are the best stories because they impart lessons to the reader.
There is certainly a moral in their accounts: therein lies profound wisdom for those who reflect. Like the story of Prophet Joseph (a), every narrative recounted, retold, or alluded to in the Quran carries timeless moral instruction. They are not meant as idle tales, but as divine mirrors held up to human nature. These stories reveal their transformative lessons only to those who engage with them with contemplative hearts, recognising that the Quran’s stories are divine counsel (mawʿiẓah), not entertainment, a truth realised not through simple, passive hearing, but through active intellectual and spiritual engagement.
The pronoun their in their accounts may refer to Prophet Joseph (a) and his brothers, meaning that in the story of Prophet Joseph (a) and his brothers there are lessons to be learnt. We have discussed the various lessons that one may draw from the story of Prophet Joseph (a) throughout this commentary, such as the inevitability of the fulfilment of the divine plan, the dangers of jealousy, the help of God which comes to the believers, the virtue of patience, the value of hope and repentance and reliance, the importance of family, and many more.[8]
For those who possess intellect: Rāzī poses a penetrating question: if this story is declared a lesson for those who possess intellect, why did the intellectually capable Meccan contemporaries of the Prophet fail to derive guidance from it? He answers this by stating that mere cognitive ability is insufficient, as true understanding emerges only when intelligence is actively applied alongside sincere intention.[9] The capacity to discern divine wisdom requires both innate intellect and the will to engage it reflectively, a distinction the Quran consistently emphasises (see for example 22:46). This conclusion resonates perfectly with the surah’s overarching theme, where Prophet Joseph’s (a) story repeatedly demonstrates how divine signs yield their secrets only to those who apply rational contemplation.
This [Quran] is not a fabricated discourse: while the Quranic account of Prophet Joseph’s (a) story is roughly the same as the Biblical one, there are significant differences. Aware that Jewish and Christian audiences might dismiss these revelations as fabrication, the Quran pre-emptively affirms its account as both a verification (taṣdīq) and a corrective elaboration (tafṣīl) of details that they got wrong.
While a fictional story and parable may also benefit a reader and impart on him lessons and cause him to ponder, a true story is always more impactful. A fictional story can be dismissed and the actions of its characters can be said to be a result of the author’s own thoughts and fantasies, but a true story causes one to pause more and to think about it more deeply.[10]
Rather, it is a confirmation of what was [revealed] before it: referring to the Torah specifically with regards to the story of Prophet Joseph (a), but to all previous scriptures in general when speaking of the other prophets mentioned in the Quran.
And an elaboration of all things: this is either referring to the story of Prophet Joseph (a), which was an elaboration of the story as told in previous scriptures, or it is referring to the Quran as a whole, meaning all things required for guidance in matters of religion, such as distinguishing right from wrong, knowing what one’s duties are, moral exhortations and reminders, and so on.[11] These two understandings are not mutually exclusive.
And a guidance and mercy for a people who have faith: this revelation is both a guidance to the sacred path of success for all, and a special mercy reserved for believers whose hearts are open to this guidance. Unlike general blessings bestowed upon all creation, this unique mercy illuminates the soul, leading believers to the straight path. The specification for a people who have faith underscores the fact that divine guidance transforms into mercy only when received with faith in a receptive heart. Like rain nurturing fertile soil, these divine gifts yield their fruits only in hearts prepared to receive them. Herein lies the synergy between God’s lordship (rubūbiyyah) in providing the path, and His mercy (raḥmah) in making it accessible.
[1] Thalabi, 5/196; Razi, 18/417.
[2] Zamakhshari, 3/441.
[3] Nemuneh, 9/301.
[4] Sharawi, p. 10298.
[5] Raghib, p. 222, ḥ-d-th.
[6] See the discussion in Tahqiq, 2/207-208, ḥ-d-th.
[7] Tibyan, 6/209-210.
[8] For a good summary discussion on some of the lessons derived from the surah, see Munyah, 14/225-227.
[9] Razi, 18/522.
[10] Nemuneh, 10/101-102.
[11] See Tibyan, 6/210; Tabari, 13/60.