           

           

So that We sent One clear

you all down

This was revealed in the year of grief, the aam of huzn. The time
of the Prophet sas when He sas suffered two great losses: the
death of his uncle Abu Talib. This was a loss bc he was a great
support for the Prophet sas. He sas was supported by Him when
He received Prohpethood. He dies as a mushrik. The other loss
was that of Khadija ra. She was his supporter, comforter, aide,
friend. To lose both his uncle and wife was a great loss.

It was said that soon after the boycott, Khadija and Abu Talib
passed. The mushrikeen di not harm the Prophet sas bc of these
two. They were both nobles. They did not persecute him sas as
much. However, after they died, the openly declared their
campaign of torture against Him sas. this is when he left Makkah
and went to Taif. He was not supported there either. The whole
atmosphere was depressing. He was facing a lot of persecution. At
this time, Allah swt revealed Surah Yusuf. Prophet Yusuf went
through many trials in his life from losing his father, to being
harmed by his own brothers. The Prophet sas was facing hatred
and persecution from those of his own tribe.

Therej are two reasons for the revelation of this surah.

The mushrikeen went to the people of the book and asked them
tell us something that is only known to you but it is not known to
the arabs. We will ask him about that and se if he is really a
prophet or not. If he is really a prophety, he will find out through
revealation. The people of the book said ask him about the story
of Yusuf and his brothers. The mushrikeen went and asked the
PRohpet sas and Allah swt revealed the story in its entirety. Other
storiesj are broken up in different surahs.

Secondly it is also said that the persecution increased for the

Prophet sas and it increased for the sahabah. The sahabah bc they
were facing so many difficulties, they went to the Prophet sas and
said please tell us a story of the past. Itsnt it amazing that was
true and something that would be relevant to them. Look at us;
we switch on the t.v. or a movie; things that are irrelevant to us.
The sahabah asked for a real life sotry so that they could benefit
and leanr.
Surah Yusuf is very unique in many different ways:
1- The story is mentioned in its entrety
2- This is the only time that the story of yusuf is mentioned
3- It is very eloquent in its words. We will learn many new words
in this surah.
The sahabah once asked the Prophet sas who is the most noble,
respected among the people. He replied, the one who is the most
god-fearing of them. The sahabah said, this is not what we meant.
We mean who is the most noble of people in another sense. He
sas replied that Yusuf as is. Bc he is a prophet, son of a prophet of
Allah [Yaqub]swt, son of a Prophet[Ishaaq], sas son of the friend
of Allah swt


 -singular feminine is used bc aayaat are plural. Ism ishaaraa

ba’eed. Used to show the great status of these ayaat.




 -(baa,yaa,nun) bayn, or bayaan gives several meanings.

1- distance- bayna, between, that which is between creates
distance
2-bu’d –when something is very far
3-that which is clear, evident
If one combines all of these meanings, something is clear when it
is separate from others, or there is a distance from the two.
Bayaan is clear, distinct, unique in itself
Bayan is used for very clear, detailed speech which is based on
evidence.

Mubeen is understood as tht which is clear in itself. It is easy to

understand. Secondly, it is that which clarifies the other. It helps
you to understand other things. the first meaning is that it is clear
in itself. Secondly, it help you to understand other things. thirdly,
mubeen is that which is based on some evidence
The quran is described as mubeen:
1- It is clear bc everything in the book is in detail,
understandable, distinct, free from confusion, evident [bc the
way Allah swt has arranged the quran]
2- It is clear bc it is the speech of Allah swt. It is not based on
human thought, or imagination. If it was from other than
Allah swt, people would have found many contradictions.
1-The halal is made clear from what is haram.
2-The quran clarifies; each and every person has his own opinions
and thoughts. Everyone differs from one another when they make
choices. If this matter was left to humans, they would not come to
an agreement. People nowadays say that everything is good.
Shouldn’t we know what is right and what is wrong? Shouldn’t
this be established? Only Allah swt can decide this.
3-the quran is based on evidence; there is no error in the quran.
Everything is based on facts and everything is authentic.

This is said at the beginning of the surah bc in general, when a

story is related ffrom the past, some details may be left out.
However, we know that what Allah swt is telling us, is free from
fault or error.

…these are the signs/verses of the clear book

The huruf muqata’a







 -(qaaf,raa,Hamza) or (qaaf,raa,nun) some say there is no

root. If we take the first root letters, qarun means to gather
together. In the quran, the words are and letters are collected
together. Secondly, it is called quran bc all of the messages and
themes from the previous scriptures are joined and collected
together in the quran. Thirdly it is called quran bc all of the major
sciences of this world, somewhere or another, you will find them
mentioned ni the quran. It is a culmination of health, biology,
business, leadership, law, astronomy, history, ..all of the various
fields of study have been gathered together. Lastly, everything
that is important for humans to know is found in the quran. One
of the predeccors from the past said that if you seek to gain
knowledge, study the quran.

Some say that quran is from qira’a, the quran is supposed to be

recited. The objective of sending the quran is so that we recite it
in the salat, outside of salat, in the morning, the day, the night.
Quran literally means recitation or recital (masdar). It is called by
the main noun to show its importance.

…indeed we have revealed it, as an Arabic quran
This quran is mubeen bc Allah swt has revealed it [and not a
human being]
The quran is mubeen bc it is in the Arabic quran.

Allah swt chose the Arabic language over all languages to reveal
the quran. Why?
Arabee comes from (‘ayn,raa,baa). Arabee literally means the one
who is faseeh, clear .
‘ajamee is a foreigner, a non-arab. ‘ajam literally means one who
is dumb

One can express themselves eloquently in the Arabic language.

The actual quran is in Arabic. We should thus learn the Arabic to
get the true essense and meaning of the quran.

          

         

We Bc of
inspired what

 -(‘ayn,qaaf,laam) literally means to tie, to connect. From

this, ‘aqal is used for intellect ,reason, comprehension, bc when
one understands something, he is making connections
…so that you can understand
The first people that the quran was given to was the arabs.
The Arabic language was chosen bc one can better express in
Arabic.




-(qaaf,sawd,sawd)- qassa/yaqussu means to follow something.

It is used for stories bc you follow a plot or a character. If one
doesn’t follow the story from the beginning, it is difficult to
understand. Qissa is used for stories. Alqaas is used for the one
who narrates a story correctly, accurately, w/out any additions.

…we relate upon you [oh prophet sas]



…the best of stories
Allah swt is telling us that this is the best of stories.
The story of Yusuf was also known to the Bani Israeel. However,
their account was not as good as this account. Even in the way the
story is narrated, it is much better.

In the Arabic language, many words are used for stories, like
hiqayah, hadith. Here qassa is used bc this story is not for
entertainment; it is so that we take a lesson and follow. We are
supposed to follow in the footsteps of the one who the story is
about.





…bc of what we have revealed to you
The baa gives the meaning of bc or through.
This part of the ayah is understood in two ways:
If you assume that it is connected to ahsanul qasas, then it means
bc we have revealed it to you [Allah swt]
Or
Ba gives the meaning of through, so we relate the best of stories
through the quran

          

          

Those who are You were And

unaware indeed




…this quran









-one who doesn’t pay attention to something bc he is

unaware, doesn’t know about it. Ghaflah is negligence,
heedlessness, bc of lack of knowledge. Ghaflah is also used for
ignorance.
…and you were from before of those who were negligent
The Prophet sas is being addressed here.
There are many different ways in the quran how people are made
to understand the truth. in some ayaat, we learn about the signs
in the universe. Elsewhere, Allah swt mentions good news,
warnings, so that if we don’t understand in one way, we will in
another way. He swt also teaches us through stories [in the
quran]. Stories are a very effective method of teaching a concept.
It makes it easier to relate and take a lesson.

What makes a story ahsan/best?

If it is based on the truth, no mistakes, detailed, interesting plot,
suspense, a good story line, different emotions are evoked. It
always begins with the author. Here, Allah swt is telling us the
story. Secondly, what makes a story good is its content. Is it
realistic or not? Stories are found in every society and culture.
Most stories, however, are based on lies. Children grow up
listening to them thinking that miraculous things will happen to
them. Similary, others aer interested in magic or sci-fi. These
kinds of stories are false, based on lies and don’t bring good to a
person.

The contents of this story are completely true. The objective of

this story is so that a lesson can be taken from it.

Also, what makes a story good are the characters. If the character
is good, then one will enjoy the story. On the other hand, if the
character is wicked, evil, then the story is not as enjoyable.

Also, the events thorugh whch the characters develop, or the plot
is an essential component of a good story. Animals, righteous
people, prophets, knowledable people, women, tawheed, fiqh,
happy times, bad tiems are mentioned. Politics and society is
mentioned.

The style of a story also make it good. Lastly, a story is good if it is

complete and has a good ending.





         

         

And the stars ten one I saw Indeed Oh my

moon I father


…when Yusuf said to his father
It is said that he was aound12 years of age.

Generally, when children are young, they are very
impressionable and look up to their parents with great
respect. As they get older, they think that their parents don’t
know anything. It is sad when we hear our youth address
their parents

…oh my father
He addresses his father respectfully. He shares his dream with
his father (his father is a prophet of Allah swt)
Nowadays, kids are so disrespectful of their parents..there
should be an etiquette when one addresses their parents


-(raa,Hamza,yaa)to see something. To see something in a

dream, physically, in ones mind..here it means in a dream




- a big and bright star

…11 big/bright stars



…and the sun and the moon
           

          

You narrate Oh my
dear
son





- (seen,jeem,daal) sajada is to prostrate (either physically

or figuratively)
…I saw them prostrating [to me]
This event took place about 1800 years before Isa as. At this time,
Yaqub and his family lived in kanaan (Palestine) Yusuf and Benyamin
were from the same mother . Yaqub had ten other sons with
another wife. All together there were 12 boys. The scholars have
said that the 11 stars represent Yusuf’s brothers, while the sun and
the moon represent his father and mother.

Stars are visible at the night. The moon is also visible at the night. If
the sun was there, the stars and the moon wouldn’t be visible. This
was a very unique dream. He knew that this dream had some kind of
meaning. He went and told his father.




…He [Yaqub] said
 -ism tasgheer. Tasgheer is the diminuitive of an ism, when a
word is made small. Bunay is the tasgheer of ibn;
This is done for expressing love (tasgheer habib)
Also it is done for the purpose of tahqeed (belittle)
..oh my [dear] son









…do not relay your dream to your brothers
           

          

One clear An A plot Then they

enemy will plot







…then they will plot against you a plot [out of envy]

The implication of the dream was obvious that Allah swt was going
to choose and favor Yusuf as.

Before Yaqub, Ishaaq was also a prophet. This dream showed that
Yusuf was the chosen one.









…indeed shaytaan is to enemy an open enemy
He will put waswasa in their hearts and give them ideas to plot
against you. Yaqub feared jealousy from the other brothers and htat
is why he didn’t want Yusuf to share his dream.

Lesson:
We should be careful around those who are envious. They may try
to harm us.

The Prophet sas said, seek help for fulfilling needs by being discreet.
Every owner of a blessing is envied [by others]
We should not announce our plans to everyone. For example, if a
woman gets a proposal from someone and she knows that someone
else in the family was waiting for the same proposal, she should not
go around and advertise.
Also, if you get good grades all he time.
Every person who has a blessing is envied. Some people show envy
while others do not.




        

        

His favor And he The narratives interpretation He will

will choose you
complete

-(jeem,baa,waw) he will choose you


…and likewise your Lord will choose you



 -(Hamza,waw,laam) awl is origin, first. Ta’weel is literally

when something returns to its origin. The meaning, the
interpretation

Interpretation to taught through ‘ilm, or knowledge or action.

Taweel is also used for the actualization of an event.
 - plural of hadeeth (haa,daal,thaa) literally hadeeth is
when something happens that did not exist before; something
that is new. For example, an event, or statement. It is a new
thing. Hadeeth is used for a speech, kalaam, a saying. It is used
for the sayings of the Prophet sas. it applies to every speech
that reaches a person whether it is through speaking or
revelation. Whether you see something
…and he taught you from the interpretation of ahadith
This is understood in a number of ways:
1-Hadith could refer to events or speech, the words of people,
the evnts that will occur. So Allah swt will teach you the true
understanding of events that occur and what people say.
You must look at the context to understand the meaning

Once Abu Huraira was extremely hungry and he went to Abu

Bakr and asked a question, he didn’t understand that he was
hungry. He then went to Umar ra and he didn’t understand
either. He then went to the Prophet as and he figured that Abu
Huraira was hungry

2-hadith also refers to dreams. So Allah swt will teach you the
interpretation of dreams

3-the speech of Allah swt. Allah swt will teach you the
understanding of his scriptures, His swt’s words, the
knowledge of His swt’s deen.
When Surah Nasr was revealed, some were very hapy. Abu
Bakr began to cry bc he understood that the mission of the
Prophet sas was complete and that he sas would soon pass
away.
One understands and is able to relate

Hadith is also used for news that one may be unaware of.





…and He swt will complete His favor upon you

Of guidance, of prophethood
             

            

He
completed
both






…and upon the family of Yaqub















…just as he completed the favor on those before, Ibrahim and

Ishaaq
By making you a prophet


          

          

Signs





…indeed your Lord is knowing, and always all wise

Yusuf as had 11 other brothers but He is the one who was

selected for Prophethood. This was based on the wisdom of
Allah swt.

Yusuf as’s father told him the interpretation of his dream. He

also said that Allah swt wil teach you the understanding of
the hadith, ie. The book of Allah swt. If one is given the
understanding of the book of Allah swt, then this is a huge
favor.

If we taking the meaning to taweel ahadith to mean the

interpretation of dreams, then…
First we must understand that there are three types of
dreams:
1- Hadeeth annafs- something that was seen or is on the
mind of a person, he may see it in a dream. this kind of
dream is an idle dream and does not have any meaning.
2- The dream which comes from shaytaan; these are
 nightmares. Something bad happens, fearful, scary dream.
shaytaan wants to harm us and he does this through
disturbing our sleep and making us afraid.
3- The good dream, or the real dream that has some meaning
to it. This is referred to as mubashiraat. This dream is that
which is vivid, clear, when you wake up and you
remember it.
Common people have all three types of dream. the messengers
only have the third type of dream that is real and has some
meaning to it. The Prophet sas said that the good dreams of a
believer are one of these.

Prophet Yusuf was not a Prophet yet but he received good

news through this dream.

When it comes to good dreams,

The Prophet sas said that the good dream is from Allah swt. if
anyone of you sees a dream that he likes, then he should not
tell it to anyone except the one whom he lives and if sees a
dream that he dislikes, he should seek refuge with Allah swt
from the evil of what he saw, he should spit three times on his
left and do not tell anyone about the dream.

The Prophet sas used to ask the companions after fajr who saw
a dream.
? said that when the Prophet sas finished the morning prayer,
he would ask who had a dream and then he would listen to it
and say masha’Allah.

The Prophet sas also said that the dream is tied to a birds leg
as long as it not interpreted. Once you interpret it, it becomes
fixed [ie. That is what is going to happen] that is why we
shouldn’t be hasty in interpreting dreams.
When you have a good or bad dream, don’t be hasty about
getting it interpreted. Ask Allah swt if there is any good, bless
me with it and if there is any evil, protect me from it.

A person should refrain from narrating a false dream. just to

impress people, sometimes people narrate false dreams [to
show their piety]. Dreams do not abrogate the quran and
sunnah. If there is a hukm that is clear in the qruan and sunnah
and you see a dream that you don’t need to pray, this doesn’t
mean that you don’t pray. Shaytaan could be trying to deceive
you.

Dreams do not give shariah rulings

If one finds an interpretation in the quran then this is valid,

authentic. Other interpretations are based on the opinions and
experience of the scholars. If one opens a book to see the
interpretation of one’s dreams, one should not believe the
interpretation wholeheartedly.

With regards to bad dreams, we must turn to Allah swt.

If you ever ask someone the interpretation of a dream, don’t
think that they know the unseen. They may give their insight,
opinion, but Allah swt only knows the true meaning. If the
interpretation gets done, then it is fixed so do not be hasty.












- refers to lessons, proofs of Allah swt’s qudrah, wisdom

[signs]
There is clear proof of the messenger Muhammad’s
prophethood.
There were lessons for the people – look at how his brothers
harmed him but look how Allah swt honored him .

Amongst the other lessons, after every problem, there is

relief. Yusuf as went through so many difficulties, but in the
end, he was relieved
There is wisdom behind every test.

…certainly in Yusuf and his brothers signs

He had eleven brothers
Reuben was the eldest of the brotehrs.

           

           

A strong More For those

group/ beloved who ask
A band


…of those who ask
This refers to the makkans, the sahaba





…when they [the brothers] said



…certainly Yusuf and his brother [benyamin]
 -(haa,baa,baa) ahabbu is ism tafdheel
…is more beloved



…to our father
Our father loves them more than he loves us

..from us


-(‘ayn,sawd,baa) ‘asaba literally means nerves, muscles,

joints bc they connect the body together. From this ‘usbah is
 used for a small, group of powerful men who are close friends
and supporters of one another. They are a means of strength for
one another. Some say it refers to a group of 10 to 40 people.
..and we are a clan
Yusuf and Benyamin were much younger than the other
brothers.
           

           

It will In a Throw him Clear/ error

be land obvious
empty







-(dhawd,laam,laam) dhalal is used for error or lack of

knowledge. Dhalaal is also used for losing something.

…indeed our father is in clear error

Here it means that he doesn’t know what he is doing/what he is

talking about. Their father was a prophet of Allah swt and look at
how these brothers are talking disrespectfully about their father.
Yusuf had addressed his father with utmost respect.

Why would Yaqub give preference to Yusuf and Benyamin?

Parents must be just between children. Some children however
are more beloved to their parents bc of their good
behavior/akhlaaq and secondly bc of their physical appearance.
For example, a little baby looks so much more cute than a
teenaged kid. Yusuf as had both of these characteristics. He was
very respectful and very handsome.






…kill yusuf!

-(taw,raa,haa) tarh is to discard something, throw
something far away thinking it to be useless. Also to throw
something while hiding from people.
…or cast/throw him

…to a land [far, distant]
- (khaw,laam,waw)

          

          

A Ones who A face

speaker are people
righteous


…it will become empty for you
If Yusuf is not around, you will get more attention of your father



…the face of your father








- saalih here means to become right and proper;

everything will be fixed [when Yusuf as is gone]. Secondly, saalih
means very righteous. Even though it is a sin to discard him, we
will repent and become righteous people

We will not get along with every single individual that we meet.
Instead of getting rid of them, we must come up with ways of
working,dealing with them.
The ones who try to get rid of the other are selfish and defeated.
They are losers.
…and you will become after him, a righteous people/nation





 - from qawl, one who speaks

…one of them spoke
The eldest {some say it was reuban, some say it was jewdah]
          

          

The some He will The well Darkness/ And you

caravan pick him depths cast him
up







…don’t kill Yusuf




-everything that hides something in it. If you put something

in it, it will become hidden. For example, a room that is dark or a
basement that doesn’t have light. Also a locker, a tunnel, a well.
The word also applies to a dense forest.
 - (jeem,baa,baa) used for a well. Birr is also used for a well.
One type of well is constructed, and bricks are layed around it so
that it doesn’t erode. This well is unbuilt. Aljubb is a well that is
not built. It is also used for a well that is not looked after. It has
been deserted.
…throw him in the bottom/depths of the well
-(laam,qaaf,taw) laqataw is to pick up something that has
fallen. Iltiqaw is to pick up something from the ground that is
dropped by someone else.

  - (seen,yaa,raa) sayaara is used for a caravan, an
automobile. It also applies to travelers who are travelling together
in a caravan.
…some travelers will pick him up

             

             

You not what Oh our

entrust father
us






…if you really are going to do something
So basically he advises the brothers not to kill Yusuf, but rather throw
him in the well.





…they all said oh our father
The father sensed jealousy from the others sons before their coming
to him.



…what is wrong with you


 -(Hamza,meem,nun) aman means peace, amanah is a trust.

Tamanna means that you entrust us



…that you don’t entrust us with Yusuf?




          

          

And he He Send Surely sincere

will play will him ones
eat
freely


..and indeed we are surely ones who are sincere advisors/well-
wishers.

The brothers were trying to make the father feel bad. They used
emotional pressure. Usually a person who wants to do something
wrong will speak like this




…send him with us

…tomorrow
 - (raa,yaa?,’ayn) to graze, eat freely


…he will eat freely and he will play




-(haa,faa,dha)
…and indeed we are surely ones who are guardians over him


           

          

The wolf It will eat And I fear With You all go Surely it
him him away grieves me


…He [Yaqub] said


 -(haa,zaa,nun) to grieve..usually for something that

happened in the past
…indeed I surely it grieves me





…that you take him away
 






…and I am afraid that the wolf will eat him
It is said that in that area, there were many wolves. A young
child is prone to being attacked by a wolf.


          

          

A strong Ones unaware

group



…while you are with him ones who are heedless
His response shows insight. He figures that they have some other
plan. Parents can sense some ulterior motive.



…they all said
They don’t take no as an answer









…if a wolf should eat him while we are a strong clan
 



           

          

The bottom They put And they Surely losers

well him unitedly
decided/
They
agreed


…indeed surely we would be among the losers
They are trying to make their father feel guilty. This is emotional
blackmail.






…then when they all went with him
-(jeem,meem,’ayn) from ijmaa’, to gather upon a decision, to
have a unanimous agreement
…and they all agreed









…that they would put him into the bottom of the well
If they didn’t agree, those who disagreed would go and tell their
father. We learn that the brothers abused Yusuf as verbally and
physically. They tied him to a rope and lowered him down ½ way
and then cut the rope so that he fell the rest of the way.

One can not imagine the fear and hurt that Yusuf as must have felt
          

         

They
perceive

- from wahy. Difference of opinion regarding what type

of wahy. Some say it was wahy, or revelation, while some say, it
was ilhaam, where Allah swt inspires a thought in a person.

…and we inspired to him





…surely you will definitely inform them of their matter
Some day you will tell them of what happened





…and they will not perceive
This is understood in a number of ways:
When you tell them, they will not realize that you are Yusuf as.
This is exactly what happened.
Secondly, it means that they don’t realize. They don’t realize
that you wont die and your future will not come to an end. You
are only going to be more successful. They have no idea what is
going to happen in the future.

In this is a great lesson for the people of Makkah. They were ill
treating the Prophet sas, even though he was one of them, from
the same city, from the same tribe, same language. This is a
lesson that today you are mistreating him and tomorrow he will
be a victor over you



          

         

And we left O our Late

father evening/
Early
night


…and they came to their father
-(‘ayn,sheen,yaa) used for the early part of the night
…at night

…they were crying
The father could not tell if they were faking or not since it was
dark




…they said our father





..indeed we went we were racing


           

           

At all one you And The wolf Our

to believe not posessions





…and we left Yusuf with our luggage




…then the wolf came and ate him








…and you will not believe in us



            

           

It rather Ones who

tempted are truthful


…even if you consider us truthful
They are using emotional blackmail.
They are blaming their father; not taking the blame themselves.
It is reported in other traditions that the father replied, what a
merciful wolf that he ate Yusuf and left his shirt.

The excuse is lame








…and they brought upon his shirt



…false blood
It was fake blood



…He [Yaqub] said


- sawl is when something becomes loose. Tasweel is when the

nafs presents something as very beautiful and the sould wants it/to
do it.


           

           
 You all The one beatiful Your souls
describe whose help is
sought




…rather your souls have enticed you to something






…so patience is beautiful

His stance is of patience


 -(‘ayn, waw, nun) one whose help is sought





…and Allah swt’s help is what is sought
They completely made up the story and Yaqub knew. The state
of the brothers was such that even if he scolded them, there
would have been no benefit. He did not yell at them. He
sought the help of Allah swt.

In this is a big blessing for parents.

When children are young, parents have control. As the
children grow, this control is lost. When you have lost it, there
is not benefit to lose patience. We must seek the help of Allah
swt and be patient.

They did this to get the love of their father.

