Surah 11, Hud (Hud), Verses 7-123 & Surah 12, Yusuf (Joseph), Verses 1-52
We started with just the first section of Surah Hud yesterday, in Chapter 12 it continues.
Section 2: Patience and good deeds earn pardon from God, verses 9-23
"And if we cause man to taste some mercy from Us and afterward withdraw it from him, lo! he is despairing, thankless. And if We cause him to taste grace after some misfortune that had befallen him, he saith: The ills have gone from me. Lo! he is exultant, boastful; Save those who persevere and do good works. Theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward." (Verses 9-11)
"A likely thing, that thou wouldst forsake aught of that which hath been revealed unto thee, and that thy breast should be straitened for it, because they say: Why hath not a treasure been sent down for him, or an angel come with him? Thou art but a warner, and Allah is in charge of all things." (Verse 12)
"Can it happen that he who takes his stand on a clear evidence from his Lord, subsequently followed by a witness from Him (in his support), and prior to that the Book of Moses was revealed as a guide and a mercy, (would even he deny the truth in the manner of those who adore the life of this world)? Rather, such men are bound to believe in it. The Fire shall be the promised resort of the groups that disbelieve. So be in no doubt about it for this indeed is the truth from your Lord although most people do not believe." (Verse 17)
"Who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie concerning Allah? Such will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say: These are they who lied concerning their Lord. Now the curse of Allah is upon wrong-doers, Who debar (men) from the way of Allah and would have it crooked, and who are disbelievers in the Hereafter." (Verse 18-19)
The angel Jibrail came down to convey the message of Allah about the appointment of Imam Ali (as) as the Prophet's successor. The Holy Prophet expressed concern about the harsh and severe persecution that would result from the announcement and verse 12 was thus revealed.
Similarly in verse 17, "he who takes his stand on a clear evidence," refers to the Holy Prophet and "subsequently followed by a witness from Him (in his support)," refers to Imam Ali (as).
The witnesses mentioned in verse 18 refer to the Holy Prophet, the Ahlul-Bayt, the angels who record every deed and the organs of the body of every individual. The last sentence of the verse makes it clear that to curse the unjust is a godly act.
Sections 3 & 4: The Ministry of Noah & The fate of those who disbelieved Noah, verses 25-49
"And We sent Noah unto his folk (and he said): Lo! I am a plain warner unto you. That ye serve none, save Allah. Lo! I fear for you the retribution of a painful Day." (Verses 25-26)
"The chieftains of his folk, who disbelieved, said: We see thee but a mortal like us, and we see not that any follow thee save the most abject among us, without reflection. We behold in you no merit above us - nay, we deem you liars." (Verse 27)
"They said: O Noah! Thou hast disputed with us and multiplied disputation with us; now bring upon us that wherewith thou threatenest us, if thou art of the truthful. He said: Only Allah will bring it upon you if He will, and ye can by no means escape." (Verse 32-33)
"And it was inspired in Noah, (saying): No-one of thy folk will believe save him who hath believed already. Be not distressed because of what they do. Build the ship under Our eyes and by Our inspiration, and speak not unto Me on behalf of those who do wrong. Lo! they will be drowned." (Verses 35-36)
"(Thus it was) till, when Our commandment came to pass and the oven gushed forth water, We said: Load therein two of every kind, a pair (the male and female), and thy household, save him against whom the word hath gone forth already, and those who believe. And but a few were they who believed with him." (Verse 40)
"And he said: Embark therein! In the name of Allah be its course and its mooring. Lo! my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful. And it sailed with them amid waves like mountains, and Noah cried unto his son - and he was standing aloof - O my son! Come ride with us, and be not with the disbelievers. He said: I shall betake me to some mountain that will save me from the water. (Noah) said: This day there is none that saveth from the commandment of Allah save him on whom He hath had mercy. And the wave came in between them, so he was among the drowned." (Verses 41-43)
"And Noah cried unto his Lord and said: My Lord! Lo! my son is of my household! Surely Thy promise is the truth and Thou are the Most Just of Judges. He said: O Noah! Lo! he is not of thy household; lo! he is of evil conduct, so ask not of Me that whereof thou hast no knowledge. I admonish thee lest thou be among the ignorant." (Verses 45-46)
"This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou thyself knewest it not, nor did thy folk (know it) before this. Then have patience. Lo! the sequel is for those who ward off (evil)." (Verses 49)
In these 2 sections the story of Prophet Nuh is discussed and explored. As all Prophets he was sent as a warner and messenger to believe in Allah alone. He was defied and rejected. Allah commanded him to construct an ark (verse 35) and invite the believers inside for guaranteed safety along with pairs of every animal (verse 40). Those in the ark were saved during the great flood. Even Prophet Nuh's son was not spared as he was an unbeliever (verse 46) and he drowned in the flood.
In verse 49 at the conclusion of these sections, it is clear that whatever knowledge the Holy Prophet had, was received from Allah through revelations and not gained by any other source.
Section 5: The Ministry of Hud, verses 50-60
"And, O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn unto Him repentant; He will cause the sky to rain abundance on you and will add unto you strength to your strength. Turn not away, guilty! They said: O Hud! Thou hast brought us no clear proof and we are not going to forsake our gods on thy (mere) saying, and we are not believers in thee." (Verses 52-53)
"And if ye turn away, still I have conveyed unto you that wherewith I was sent unto you, and my Lord will set in place of you a folk other than you. Ye cannot injure Him at all. Lo! my Lord is Guardian over all things." (Verse 57)
"And when Our commandment came to pass We saved Hud and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us; We saved them from a harsh doom." (Verse 58)
Once again the story of Prophet Hud is discussed. This has been already mentioned in Surah 7, Verses 65-72 and has been covered in Chapter 8.
Section 6: The Ministry of Saleh, verses 61-68
These verses refer to the story of Prophet Saleh once more as discussed in Surah 7, Verses 73-79 covered in Chapter 8.
Section 7: The Ministry of Lot, verses 69-83
"And Our messengers cam unto Abraham with good news. They said: Peace! He answered: Peace! and delayed not to bring a roasted calf. And when he saw their hands reached not to it, he mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them. They said: Fear not! Lo! we are sent unto the folk of Lot. And his wife, standing by laughed when We gave her good tidings (of the birth) of Isaac, and, after Isaac, of Jacob. She said: Oh woe is me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman, and this my husband is an old man? Lo! this is a strange thing! They said: Wonderest thou at the commandment of Allah? The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O people of the house! Lo! He is Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory!" (Verses 69-73)
"And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was distressed and knew not how to protect them. He said: This is a distressful day. And his people came unto him, running towards him - and before then they used to commit abominations - He said: O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for you. Beware of Allah, and degrade me not in (the person of) my guests. Is there not among you any upright man? They said: Well thou knowest that we have no right to thy daughters, and well thou knowest what we want." (Verses 77-79)
"(The messengers) said: O Lot! Lo! we are messengers of thy Lord; they shall not reach thee. So travel with thy people in a part of the night, and let not one of you turn round - (all) save thy wife. Lo! that which smiteth them will smite her (also). Lo! their tryst is (for) the morning. Is not the morning nigh? So when Our commandment came to pass We overthrew (that township) and rained upon it stones of clay, one after another, Marked with fire in the providence of thy Lord (for the destruction of the wicked). And they are never far from the wrong-doers." (Verses 81-83)
Verse 69-76 mention when the angels were sent down to Prophet Ibrahim to inform him about the fate of the people of Prophet Lot. He pleaded for the people of Lot but after receiving Allah's command he acknowledged the need for divine action. These same angels also informed him and his wife of "good tidings (of the birth) of Isaac, and, after Isaac, of Jacob," which they initially disbelieved on account of their old age.
Verses 77-83 discuss the story of Lot once more, which was covered previously in Surah 7, Verses 80-84 and discussed in Chapter 8.
Section 8: The Ministry of Shuaib, verses 84-95
"That which Allah leaveth with you is better for you if ye are believers; and I am not a keeper over you." (Verse 86)
This section is about the story of Prophet Shuaib which has been discussed in Surah 7, Verses 85-93 in Chapter 8. However, the 6th Holy Imam, Imam Jaffer Sadiq (as), has narrated that "When the last of us will come, there will be only 313 faithfuls with him. Leaning on the wall of Ka-bah he will recite verse 86 of Hud. All people will address him as "Baqiyyatullah.""
Section 9: The Ministry of Moses, verses 96-109
"And verily We sent Moses with Our revelations and a clear warrant Unto Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they did follow the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was no right guide. He will go before his people on the Day of Resurrection and will lead them to the Fire for watering-place. Ah, hapless is the watering-place (whither they are) led." (Verses 96-98)
"Lo! herein verily there is a portent for those who fear the doom of the Hereafter. That is a day unto which mankind will be gathered, and that is a day that will be witnessed.And We defer it only to a term already reckoned. On the day when it cometh no soul will speak except by His permission; some among them will be wretched, (others) glad." (Verses 103-105)
Verses 96-102 refer to the story of Prophet Musa once again as discussed in Surah 7, Verses 93-104 in Chapter 9. Verses 103-109 refer to the Day of Resurrection when no soul shall speak without Allah's permission (verse 105). The whole mankind will be divided and kept in two camps on the basis of what they had done in the life of the world. Those who earned disgrace and doom by their evil deeds will be in hell; and those who have earned blessings and pleasure of Allah by their good deeds will be in paradise.
Section 10: Exhortation to shun evil, verses 110-123
"And incline not toward those who do wrong lest the Fire touch you, and ye have no protecting friends against Allah, and afterward ye would not be helped." (Verse 113)
"Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Lo! good deeds annul ill-deeds. This is reminder for the mindful. And have patience, (O Muhammad), for lo! Allah loseth not the wages of the good." (Verses 114-115)
"And Allah's is the Invisible of the heavens and the earth, and unto Him the whole matter will be returned. So worship Him and put thy trust in Him. Lo! thy Lord is not unaware of what ye (mortals) do." (Verse 123)
Verse 114 ordains daily obligatory prayers but does not specify the number of rakaats for each prayer. That information was provided by the Holy Prophet and is further proof that the Holy Quran cannot be understood on it's own, it needs the aid of the Holy Prophet and the Ahlul-Bayt.
That concludes the 11th Surah of the Holy Quran and we move on to the 12th, Surah Yusuf. One of my favourite Surahs, revealed at Mecca. Consists of 111 verses in 12 sections telling the story of Prophet Yusuf in it's entirety. Chapter 12 wraps up with the first 7 sections of the Surah.
Surah Yusuf is probably the most detailed story about a Holy Prophet and doesn't really need much further commentary besides the glorious verses about him in the sections to follow.
It is the most detailed of any story in the Quran and is full of description of vicissitudes of human life, and therefore deservedly appeals to men and women of all classes. It paints in vivid colours, with their spiritual implications, the most varied aspects of life-Yaqub's old age and the confidence between him and his little beloved son, the elder brothers' jealousy, their plot, Yaqub's grief, the sale of Yusuf into slavery for a petty price, carnal love contrasted with purity and patience and fortitude, chastity, false charges, prison, the divine gift of interpretation of the dreams, evil life and spiritual life, innocence raised to honour, forgiveness and benevolence, matters of administration, humility in glory, filial love, and the ultimate triumph of piety and truth.
Section 1: Suffering of Joseph, verses 1-6
"When Joseph said unto his father: O my father! Lo! I saw in a dream eleven planets and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves unto me. He said: O my dear son! Tell not thy brethren of thy vision, lest they plot a plot against thee. Lo! Satan is for man an open foe." (Verses 4-5)
"Thus thy Lord will prefer thee and will teach thee the interpretation of events, and will perfect His grace upon thee and upon the family of Jacob as He perfected it upon thy forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. Lo! thy Lord is Knower, Wise." (Verse 6)
Section 2: Joseph suffers at the hand of his brothers, verses 7-20
"When they said: Verily Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, many though we be. Lo! our father is in plain aberration. (One said): Kill Joseph or cast him to some (other) land, so that your father's favour may be all for you, and (that) ye may afterward be righteous folk. One among them said: Kill not Joseph but, if ye must be doing, fling him into the depth of the pit; some caravan will find him." (Verses 8-10)
"They said: O our father! Why wilt thou not trust us with Joseph, when lo! we are good friends to him?Send him with us to-morrow that he may enjoy himself and play. And lo! we shall take good care of him. He said: Lo! in truth it saddens me that ye should take him with you, and I fear less the wolf devour him while ye are heedless of him." (Verses 11-13)
"Then, when they led him off, and were of one mind that they should place him in the depth of the pit, We inspired in him: Thou wilt tell them of this deed of theirs when they know (thee) not." (Verse 15)
"And they came weeping to their father in the evening. Saying: O our father! We went racing one with another, and left Joseph by our things, and the wolf devoured him, and thou believest not our saying even when we speak the truth. And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely patience. And Allah it is Whose help is to be sought in that (predicament) which ye describe." (Verses 16-18)
"And there came a caravan, and they sent their waterdrawer. He let down his pail (into the pit). He said: Good luck! Here is a youth. And they hid him as a treasure, and Allah was Aware of what they did. And they sold him for a low price, a number of silver coins; and they attached no value to him." (Verses 19-20)
Section 3: Joseph's firmness in piety against great temptation, verses 21-29
"And he of Egypt who purchased him said unto his wife: Receive him honourably. Perchance he may prove useful to us or we may adopt him as a son. Thus we established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah was predominant in His career, but most of mankind know not." (Verse 21)
"And she, in whose house he was, asked of him an evil act. She bolted the doors and said: Come! He said: I seek refuge in Allah! Lo! he is my lord, who hath treated me honourably. Lo! wrong-doers never prosper. She verily desired him, and he would have desired her if it had not been that he saw the argument of his Lord. Thus it was, that We might ward off from him evil and lewdness. Lo! he was of Our chosen slaves." (Verses 23-24)
"And they raced with one another to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind, and they met her lord and master at the door. She said: What shall be his reward, who wisheth evil to thy folk, save prison or a painful doom? (Joseph) said: She it was who asked of me an evil act. And a witness of her own folk testified: If his shirt is torn from before, then she speaketh truth and he is of the liars. And if his shirt is torn from behind, then she hath lied and he is of the truthful." (Verses 25-27)
"So when he saw his shirt torn from behind, he said: Lo! this is of the guile of you women. Lo! the guile of you is very great. O Joseph! Turn away from this, and thou, (O woman), ask forgiveness for thy sin. Lo! thou art of the faulty." (Verses 28-29)
Section 4: Joseph prefers prison against the sinful enjoyment of life, verses 30-35
"And when she heard of their sly talk, she sent to them and prepared for them a cushioned couch (to lie on at the feast) and gave to every one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): Come out unto them! And when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, exclaiming: Allah is Blameless! This is not a human being. This is not other than some gracious angel." (Verse 31)
"She said: This is he on whose account ye blamed me. I asked of him an evil act, but he proved continent, but if he do not my behest he verily shall be imprisoned, and verily shall be of those brought low. He said: O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that unto which they urge me, and if Thou fend not off their wiles from me I shall incline unto them and become of the foolish." (Verses 32-33)
"And it seemed good to them (the men-folk) after they had seen the signs (of his innocence) to imprison him for a time." (Verse 35)
Section 5: Joseph preaches unity of God in prison, verses 36-42
"And two young men went to prison with him. One of them said: I dreamed that I was pressing wine. The other said: I dreamed that I was carrying upon my head bread whereof the birds were eating. Announce unto us the interpretation, for we see thee of those good (at interpretation)." (Verse 36)
"He said: The food which ye are given (daily) shall not come unto you but I shall tell you the interpretation ere it cometh unto you. This is of that which my Lord hath taught me. Lo! I have forsaken the religion of folk who believe not in Allah and are disbelievers in the Hereafter. And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. It never was for us to attribute aught as partner to Allah. This is of the bounty of Allah unto us (the seed of Abraham) and unto mankind; but most men give not thanks. O my fellow-prisoners! Are divers lords better, or Allah the One, Almighty?" (Verses 37-39)
"O my two fellow-prisoners! As for one of you, he will pour out wine for his lord to drink; and as for the other, he will be crucified so that the birds will eat from his head. Thus is the case judged concerning which ye did inquire. And he said unto him of the twain who he knew would be released: Mention me in the presence of thy lord. But Satan caused him to forget to mention it to his lord, so he (Joseph) stayed in prison for some years." (Verses 41-42)
Before interpreting his fellow prisoners dreams he first fulfilled his duty as a Prophet of God by preaching the unity of God and belief in the hereafter.
Section 6: The King's dream - Joseph's interpretation, verses 43-49
"And the king said: Lo! I saw in a dream seven fat kine which seven lean were eating, and seven green ears of corn and other (seven) dry. O notables! Expound for me my vision, if ye can interpret dreams." (Verse 43)
"And he of the two who was released, and (now) at length remembered, said: I am going to announce unto you the interpretation, therefore send me forth. (And when he came to Joseph in the prison, he exclaimed): Joseph! O thou truthful one! Expound for us the seven fat kine which seven lean were eating and the seven green ears of corn and other (seven) dry, that I may return unto the people, so that they may know." (Verses 45-46)
"He said: Ye shall sow seven years as usual, but that which ye reap, leave it in the ear, all save a little which ye eat. Then after that will come seven hard years which will devour all that ye have prepared for them, save a little of that which ye have stored. Then, after that, will come a year when the people will have plenteous crops and when they will press (wine and oil)." (Verses 47-49)
Section 7: Joseph cleared of the false charge, verses 50-57
"And the king said: Bring him unto me. And when the messenger came unto him, he (Joseph) said: Return unto thy lord and ask him what was the case of the women who cut their hands. Lo! my Lord knoweth their guile. He (the king) (then sent for those women and) said: What happened when ye asked an evil act of Joseph? They answered: Allah Blameless! We know no evil of him. Said the wife of the ruler: Now the truth is out. I asked of him an evil act, and he is surely of the truthful." (Verses 50-51)
"(Then Joseph said: I asked for) this, that he (my lord) may know that I betrayed him not in secret, and that surely Allah guideth not the snare of the betrayers." (Verse 52)
"And the king said: Bring him unto me that I may attach him to my person. And when he had talked with him he said: Lo! thou art to-day in our presence established and trusted." (Verse 54)
"He said: Set me over the storehouses of the land. Lo! I am a skilled custodian. Thus gave We power to Joseph in the land. He was the owner of it where he pleased. We reach with Our mercy whom We will. We lose not the reward of the good." (Verses 55-56)
The rest of the story of Yusuf is concluded in Chapter 13 tomorrow inshallah.
Thanks for reading.
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