Surah 12: The Prophet Joseph

Surah 12: The Prophet Joseph - Overview

Verses	Description
12:1-20	The beautiful story of Joseph (Yusuf): how envy and hate made his brothers sell him for a small price
12:21-42	He was bought by a dignitary of Pharaoh's Court: the wife of the dignitary burned with earthly passion and brought him into trouble; but he remained true and righteous
12:43-68	He eventually became ruler of Egypt, and fought a famine in the service of the people; his brothers came, not knowing him
12:69-93	Joseph asked his brethren to bring Benjamin with them next time; by a stratagem he made the brethren confess their past guilt; he forgave them, and sent for his father
12:94-111	Joseph's father Jacob comes to Egypt, and the whole family are reunited honorably; so God's Plan works for good

Introduction

For the chronological place of this Surah and the general argument of Surahs 10 to 15, see Introduction to Surah 10.

In subject matter this Surah is entirely taken up with the story (recapitulated rather than told) of Joseph, the youngest (but one) of the twelve sons of the patriarch Jacob. The story is called the most beautiful of stories (12:3) for many reasons:

it is the most detailed of any in the Qur'an
it is full of human vicissitudes, and has therefore deservedly appealed to men and women of all classes
it paints in vivid colors, with their spiritual implications, the most varied aspects of life -- the patriarch's old age and the confidence between him and his little best-beloved son;
the elder brothers' jealousy of this little son, their plot and their father's grief, the sale of the father's darling into slavery for a miserable little price;
carnal love constrained with purity and chastity, false charges, prison, the interpretation of dreams;
low life and high life, Innocence raised to honor, the sweet "revenge" of Forgiveness and Benevolence, high matters of state and administration, humility in exaltation, filial love, and the beauty of Piety and Truth.

The story is similar to but not identical with the Biblical story (Gen. 37-50); but the atmosphere is wholly different. The Biblical story is like a folktale in which morality has no place. Its tendency is to exalt the clever and financially-minded Jew against the Egyptian, and to explain certain ethnic and tribal peculiarities in later Jewish history. Joseph is shown as buying up all the cattle and the land of the poor Egyptians for the State under the stress of famine conditions, and making the Israelites "rulers" over Pharaoh's cattle.

The Qur'anic story, on the other hand, is less a narrative than a highly spiritual sermon or allegory explaining the seeming contradictions in life, the enduring nature of virtue in a world full of flux and change, and the marvelous working of God's eternal purpose in His Plan as unfolded to us on the wide canvas of history. This aspect of the matter has been a favorite with Muslim poets and Sufi exegeticists. (R)

Summary

1- Life is a dream and a vision, to be explained by stories and parables, as in the perspicuous Qur'anic Text. The truth, which Joseph the Prophet of God saw in his vision, was unpalatable to his ten half-brothers, who plotted against him and sold him into slavery to a merchant for a few pieces of silver. (12:1-20)

Life and Wisdom [12:1-20] Life and Wisdom are explained by Signs, Symbols, Parables, and moving Stories, in the Holy Qur'an. A beautiful story is that of Joseph, the best-beloved son of Jacob. His future greatness was prefigured in a vision, but his brothers were filled with envy and hate: they plotted to get rid of him and threw him down into a well. Some merchants found him, bound for Egypt. They sold him into slavery for a few silver coins -- him, the noblest man of his age, marked out by God for a destiny of greatness, righteousness and benevolence.

2- Joseph was taken by the merchants into Egypt, was bought by a great Egyptian court dignitary ('Aziz), who adopted him. The dignitary's wife sought, but in vain, to attract Joseph to the delights of earthly love. His resistance brought him disgrace and imprisonment, but he taught the truth even in prison and was known for his kindness. One of his fellow prisoners, to whom he had interpreted a dream, was released and received into favour as the King's cupbearer. (12: 21-42)

The Eternal Gospel of Unity [12:21-42] Joseph was bought by a man high at Court in Egypt, who asked his wife Zulaykha to treat him with honor, with a view to his adoption as a son. But she burnt with a passion of earthly love for him. When Joseph refused to yield to her solicitations, there was trouble and scandal, and Joseph had to go to prison. Here were shown his greatness, and kindness, and wisdom. The king's cupbearer came in disgrace to prison. Joseph instructed him and others in the eternal Gospel of Unity. When released and restored to favor, the cupbearer forgot Joseph -- for a time -- until it pleased God to put into Joseph's hands the keys of the prosperity of Egypt and the world.

3- The King had a vision, which Joseph (through the cupbearer) got an opportunity to explain. Joseph insisted that all the scandal that had been raised about him should be publicly cleared. He was received into favor, and was appointed wazir by the King. His half-brothers (driven by famine) came to Egypt and were treated kindly by Joseph without their knowing his identity. He asks them to bring his full brother, the youngest son, Benjamin. (12:43-68)

Truth Always Prevails [12:43-68] The king of Egypt saw a vision which none of his grandees could explain. The cupbearer referred to Joseph, who was sent for by the king. But Joseph insisted that the voice of scandal, which had pointed to him, should be declared in public to be false. After Zulaykha had paid a splendid ungrudging tribute to his truth and righteousness, he came, and was invested with supreme power by the king. In times of plenty he organized great reserves to meet the needs of famine. When wide-spread famine at last prevailed, his brothers came from Canaan in search of corn. He treated them kindly an got them to bring his younger brother Benjamin, but they knew not that he was Joseph.

4- Joseph detains Benjamin and by a stratagem convicts his half-brothers of their hatred and crime against himself, forgives them, and sends them to bring Jacob and the whole family from Canaan to Egypt. (12:69-93)

Bearing Afflictions with Patience [12:69-93] When the brothers went back without Benjamin, Jacob was overwhelmed with grief, but he bore his affliction with patience and faith in God. He refused to be comforted an sent his sons back to Egypt. At last Joseph revealed himself, forgave them, and sent his shirt by them to Jacob, to tell him the good news that Joseph lived an did great work in Egypt, and had sent for his whole family to come and rejoice and live in the land of Egypt, and be a blessing to all.

5- Israel (Jacob) comes, is comforted, and settles in Egypt. The name of God is glorified. The truth of God endures forever, and God's purpose is fully revealed in the Hereafter. (12:94-111)

Turning Evil To Good [12:94-111] Jacob was comforted with the news. The whole family moved to Egypt, where Joseph received them with honor. He forgave his brothers, thanked and praised God, and lived and died a righteous man. So the story shows how the Plan of God doth work without fail: it defeats the wiles of the wicked, turns evil to good, and ever leads those who are true to beatitudes undreamt of. So did it happen in Al-Mustafa's life. Will man not learn to rely on God as the only Reality, turning away from all that is fleeting or untrue?