In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
12-1 I, Allah, am the Seer. These are the verses of the Book that makes manifest.
الٓر ۚ تِلْكَ ءَايَـٰتُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ ٱلْمُبِينِ (۱)
12-2 Surely We have revealed it — an Arabic Qur’an — that you may understand.a
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ (۲)
12-2a: عَرَبِيًّۭا – The progeny of Ishmael are called عَرَب and the meaning of عَرَبیّ is مُفۡصِح that is a language which explains its meanings with eloquence and perspicuity. The meaning of اعۡراب is exposition, and a statement in hadith in the context of a widow deciding about a marriage proposal is: الثَیِبُ تُعۡرِبُ عَنۡ نَفۡسِہا (the widow states the matter very clearly herself). عَرَبِّی is a perspicuous and eloquent speech, as in: بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِىٍّۢ مُّبِينٍ (In plain Arabic language) (26:125); حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّۭا ۚ(a true judgment, in Arabic) (13:37) where the term is explained as an eloquent exposition that shows truth to be truth and evil as evil. Some have taken its meaning to be noble and honorable, as in كِتَـٰبٌۭ كَرِيمٌ (honorable letter) (27:29). Another meaning of عَرَبِّی can be attributed to the Arabian prophet (R). The opposite of عَرَب is عَجَم and اَعۡجَم is a person whose tongue has عُجۡمَة, that is his speech is confused, ambiguous and lacks clarity, and the term is used regardless of whether the person is an Arab or non-Arab, as in وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَانًا أَعْجَمِيًّۭا (And if We had made it a Quran in a foreign tongue) (41:44) (R).
According to Ibn Abbas, the Holy Prophet said that Adam’s language in Paradise was Arabic (RM). On this basis, Arabic is the mother of all other languages and accordingly some believe that Arabic is the original language while other languages came into being after it (RM). According to one hadith, the language of the people of Paradise will be Arabic. So, if by Arabic Quran is meant the Quran revealed in the Arabic language, then the indication in لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ is that the last message of Allah is revealed in the language that is the mother of all languages. It is a matter of great amazement that in the last thirteen or fourteen hundred years the literary Arabic used for educational purposes has not undergone any change, and today, fourteen hundred years later, the literary Arabic is the same as the one that existed in the time of the Holy Prophet. Other languages, on the other hand, have not retained their purity even in half this time. This provides testimony that the Arabic language has remained the same from the beginning. For a full discussion of Arabic as the mother of all languages, the reader is referred to the book Umm al Alsinata by Khawaja Kamaluddin. In the present time, attention is drawn to this fact by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian.
The most plausible explanation is that by قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّۭا here is meant the Book that explains its text with acute perspicacity and eloquence so that people can understand it fully. Anyone who wishes can compare the Quran with other scriptures, and such a comparison reveals that the detailed, comprehensive, and eloquent way in which the Quran has explained the issues is far superior to anything in the other scriptures.
12-3 We narrate to thee the best of narratives, in that We have revealed to thee this Qur’an, though before this thou wast of those unaware.
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْقَصَصِ بِمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلْغَـٰفِلِينَ (۳)
12-3a: قَصَصِ – For the meaning of قَصَصِ see 3-62a. قَصَصَ means a narration, or the news that is related. The plural of قِصة is قِصَص and the meaning of أَحْسَنَ ٱلْقَصَصِ is احسن البیان (the best of narratives) (LA).
ٱلْغَـٰفِلِينَ – غَفّلَة means to forget either because of lapse of memory or carelessness (R) or not being aware of something about which one should be aware or forgetfulness of a thing (LA).
The narration that is in this surah is referred to as the best of narratives because although it is an account of some events in the life of one person, it is full of great moral teachings from the beginning to the end. In addition, it is the picture of the relationship between the Holy Prophet and his nation, and this is indicated in the statement: إِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلْغَـٰفِلِينَ (though before this thou wast of those unaware). These words are literally true because the Holy Prophet had not heard this narrative from any source, nor had he read the books in which this is mentioned. It is only from revelation that he learned about it. However, the Quran delves both into what is manifest and what is hidden and along with the literal meaning, there is an indication that the Holy Prophet is unaware of the treatment that his nation will mete out to him, that he will perforce have to leave his home, and go to another place where he will be elevated to an honored status before which his nation will have to bow before him, just as the brothers of Joseph had to bow before him. The similarity of the events in the life of Joseph with that in the life of the Holy Prophet and that this surah maps his life is manifested by the use of words with which the Holy Prophet forgave his nation when they humbly presented themselves before him in a defeated state. The Holy Prophet forgave them using the same words with which Joseph forgave his brothers: لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ (No reproof be against you this day) (12:92). The words in this verse that appear to be superfluous: بِمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ (in that We have revealed to thee this Quran) really convey that this is not a mere story because the Quran is not a Book of stories, but the purpose of the narration is to teach what constitutes high morals and virtues. If the narration of Joseph’s story in the Quran is compared with its narration in the Bible, it becomes apparent that from the beginning to the end the Quran is focused on teaching morals and virtues with this narration whereas this aspect is lacking in the Bible. This is the reason why the two narrations also diverge in some areas. Thus, it is made apparent that if this incident had not been related through revelation, it would have been sterile of moral teachings like the incident of the Bible.
12-4 When Joseph said to his father: O my father, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon — I saw them making obeisance to me.a
إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِى سَـٰجِدِينَ (۴)
12-4a: ابت – In reality this is ابی (my Father) and یا has been changed by تاۓ to make it into a feminine gender.
رَأَيْتُ – The meaning of رَأَيْتُ here is to see in a dream. In the past tense, when the meaning is to see in a dream the verbal noun is رُؤیا while in the ordinary sense of seeing the verbal noun is رُؤۡیة .
كَوْكَب – It means نَجۡم (star) and because of its likening to light, it is also called کَوۡکَبۡ . The chief of a tribe is also called كَوْكَب .
Joseph’s narrative begins with his dream. It is stated in the Hadith that the Holy Prophet also had true dreams before his elevation to prophethood and his dreams were crystal clear.
The prostration of the eleven stars and sun is an analogy: The literal meaning of prostration requires the forehead to be put on the ground. These heavenly bodies in their actual form therefore cannot perform this act in a person’s dream. So, either these bodies took on the form of a human to prostrate before Joseph or this prostration was in some form a manifestation of obeisance whose elucidation is not given here. The interpretation of this dream is given in the next verse and towards the end of this surah. The names of the eleven stars are given in a hadith but Ibn Jawzi has called the hadith manufactured.
12-5 He said: O my son, relate not thy dream to thy brethren, lest they devise a plan against thee. The devil indeed is an open enemy to man.
قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُءْيَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا۟ لَكَ كَيْدًا ۖ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوٌّۭ مُّبِينٌۭ (۵)
12-6 And thus will thy Lord choose thee and teach thee the interpretation of sayings, and make His favour complete to thee and to the Children of Jacob, as He made it complete before to thy fathers, Abraham and Isaac. Surely thy Lord is Knowing, Wise.a
وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ (۶)
12-6a: أَحَادِيث – حدیث is from حدث and the meaning of حُدُوث is for a thing to be, after it was not. حدیث is any saying that reaches a person through hearsay or revelation whether in wakefulness or in a dream. Accordingly, even the Quran is called hadith, as in: أَفَمِنْ هَـٰذَا ٱلْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ (Wonder you then at this announcement?) (53:59); وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثًۭا (And who is more true in word than Allah) (4:87).
Difference between Quran and Bible: In the Bible narrative, when Joseph relates this dream to his father Jacob, “his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” (Genesis 38:10). This speech is not befitting of a prophet because Jacob considers this dream to be meaningless and untrue. In contrast, according to the Quran Jacob accepts the dream to be true and interprets it as meaning that Joseph will become a great man, and this interpretation is also in accordance with the events present in the Book of Genesis.
What is the meaning of the sun and the moon and eleven stars prostrating to Joseph: According to Ruh al-Maani the interpretation of sun is king, or gold, or a beautiful wife, and the interpretation of moon is rich, and that of stars is nobles. So according to this, the prostration by the sun, moon and stars would mean the king’s allegiance to Joseph and also of the rich and noble persons of the land. Joseph did indeed achieve a status in Egypt where the King of Egypt and his nobles all bowed to Joseph, and he achieved a measure of superiority over them. The number eleven for the stars may be because perhaps the number of nobles in Egypt was eleven or it is a convenient whole number. Most commentators, however, consider that eleven stars mean the eleven brothers and by sun and moon means Joseph’s father and mother respectively. However, mere pre-eminence over the parents and brothers of a person does not convey the kind of high status that having eminence over the king and his courtiers does. The interpretation that Jacob made is that Joseph will reach a high status both spiritually and temporally as narrated further on.
Jacob’s interpretation: Jacob read three things in the dream. The first is اجتباء. See 3:179b for its meaning. Some commentators opine that this means selected for prophethood, some say selected for prostration and some give other explanations (RM). If the literal meaning of اجتباء, is taken, it would mean gathering together the best attributes in Yousaf. Allah puts together the best attributes in prophets, the truthful ones and faithful ones. Second, is the ability to interpret sayings, and some have taken it to mean the interpretation of dreams, some the interpretation of consequential matters, and some the interpretation of the sayings of prophets and previous scriptures. However, just as the word أَحَادِيث is wide in its meanings and includes dreams and revelation, the meaning here also requires a wide interpretation, and will include the ability to get to the root of every matter and having great wisdom. The interpretation of dreams is included and is a part of this high quality of knowledge and wisdom. The third thing is the completion of blessings, and this means receiving both the blessings of this world and the next world, such as prophethood with kingship, or freedom from subservience of others, or both spiritual and physical blessings. This is the completion of blessings. Jacob apparently has understood this from the dream and it is possible that Allah may have in addition given him information through revelation that Joseph was about to reach an elevated status.
Another interpretation is that the sun is the primary source of light and so by its prostration is meant spiritual perfection because a person’s real blessings are spiritual. The moon borrows the light from the sun and so this implies perfection in earthly matters, and this is granted to Joseph through the instrumentality of his spiritual perfection, his righteousness, and his knowledge which propelled him to a position of governance. Finally, because knowledge is obtained from stars, as indicated in وَبِٱلنَّجْمِ هُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ (And by the stars they find the right way) (16:16), the prostration by stars means obtaining knowledge.
Bayan-ul-Quran 