Name: The name of this surah is Yusuf (Joseph) and it has twelve chapters and one hundred and eleven verses. The name of the surah is taken from the narrative of Joseph which is the sole subject of this surah.
Summary: The subject matter of this surah is just one, that is the history of Joseph except that at the very beginning of the surah the real purpose of this narration is given and at the end of the chapter, the opponents of the Holy Prophet are clearly reminded of this. The first section mentions the vision of Joseph in which he is shown that he will be made into a great person, and there is an indication in this of the Holy Prophet’s physical and spiritual magnificence some of which was manifest at this time and some was hidden to be revealed in the future. The second section narrates the harsh treatment of Joseph at the hands of his half-brothers and their plans against him. The Holy Prophet had to face even harsher treatment and counter more dangerous plans. The third section mentions the steadfastness of Joseph in the face of many allurements and temptations and there is a reference in this to the Holy Prophet’s steadfastness because similar allurements were offered to the Holy Prophet as well. The fourth section narrates the imprisonment of Joseph and though Allah saved the Holy Prophet from such a fate but his besiegement in Shaib Abi Talib is a close parallel to Joseph’s imprisonment. The fifth section mentions how even in prison Joseph took every opportunity to sermonize and advise. The Holy Prophet during his confinement in Shaib Abi Talib continued with his preaching and advising to his fellow tribesmen of Banu Hashim who were besieged with him, and it was during this period that Islam found a place in the hearts of many of them. The sixth section mentions the dream of the King of Egypt in which there is an indication of a famine lasting seven years and in the explanation of this event, Bukhari mentions a famine of seven years that took place in Makkah as well. The seventh section manifests the exoneration of Joseph and his elevation to a position of great honor. The Holy Prophet was exonerated in a similar manner and all the tribes of Madinah accepted him as the arbitrator for all their disputes. The eighth and ninth section narrate the mutual dealings between Joseph and his brothers. In the seven-year famine that gripped Makkah, things got so bad that Abu Sufyan came to Madinah and asked the Holy Prophet to pray to Allah to remove the famine because, as he put it, the Holy Prophet’s brothers were dying. The Holy Prophet prayed and Allah caused the famine to end. In the tenth section, Joseph’s brothers accept their guilt and Joseph forgives them. The Holy Prophet used the same words that Joseph used: لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ (No reproof be against you this day) (12:92) to forgive his opponents when Makkah was conquered and, in this way, he showed that it is really his life that is mapped in the story of Joseph. The eleventh section shows that the brothers migrated to Egypt and joined Joseph in the governance of the kingdom, and in this there is an indication that the people of Arabia would inherit this magnificent kingdom which they will get as successors of the Holy Prophet. In the twelfth section, the subject is made general and the Holy Prophet’s opponents are asked to reflect.
Relationship with previous surahs: This is the third surah in the sequence of surahs beginning with الرٰ. The previous two surahs explained to the opponents of the Holy Prophet, first through rational arguments and then by narrating the fate of the opponents of previous prophets, that their opposition will ultimately be futile. In this surah the history of a prophet is narrated whose opponents’ fate was to mirror very closely the fate that was to befall the opponents of the Holy Prophet. At the end of the last chapter, it is stated that in recounting the life of previous prophets, there is a reference to the life of the Holy Prophet.
Period of revelation: The second last verse of this surah provides testimony that the revelation of this surah took place at a time when the opposition of the Quraish had reached a peak and people were paying no attention to the teachings and sermonizing of the Holy Prophet. After this, the assistance of Allah manifested itself in the creation of a strong party in Madinah to support the Holy Prophet.
Bayan-ul-Quran 