In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The story of Yusuf, peace be upon him, and the wife of al-'Aziz.
Introduction.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
And may peace and blessings be upon the most noble of prophets and messengers,
Our Prophet Muhammad,
And upon all his family and companions.
To proceed:
The story of Yusuf
Is among the best of stories that Allah has related to us in the Noble Qur'an,
Concerning which He said at its beginning:
“We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in thee this Qur'an, though aforetime thou wast of the heedless.” (12:3)
Al-Tahir Ibn 'Ashur, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"He made this narrative the best of stories,"
Because no story is devoid of a certain beauty that brings comfort to the soul,
Yet the stories of the Qur'an are better than any others,
In terms of the beauty of their composition and the inimitability of their style,
And in the lessons and wisdom they contain.
Thus, every story in the Qur'an
Is the best of stories in its category,
And every story in the Qur'an
Is better than anything a storyteller could relate outside the Qur'an.
It is not intended that it is the best of the Qur'an's stories,
Such that the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him,
Would be better than the rest of the Qur'anic stories,
As indicated by His saying:
“We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in thee this Qur'an, though aforetime thou wast of the heedless.” (12:3)
And the 'ba' in "by what We have revealed to you"
Is for causality, relating to the narrative.
For the narrative contained in the Qur'an is the best,
Because it comes from the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
He reveals what He knows to be most beneficial for the listeners,
In the most sublime wording and structure,
Providing nourishment for the intellect and the soul,
And delight for the spirit and the refined taste,
In a way that human intellects could never replicate.
The story of Yusuf covers several scenes:
Some relating to Yusuf and his father,
Some relating to Yusuf and his brothers,
And some relating to Yusuf and the wife of al-'Aziz.
In this series,
I will address, by the permission of Allah, the scenes relating to Yusuf and the wife of al-'Aziz,
Which the Qur'an covers in three scenes:
First, the seduction of Yusuf by the wife of al-'Aziz;
Second, the plotting of the wife of al-'Aziz against the women of the city;
Third, the confession of the wife of al-'Aziz regarding her error.
The goal of reviewing the story of Yusuf with the wife of al-'Aziz
Is to derive lessons from its events
And to apply them to our contemporary lives,
As He, the Exalted, said at the end of the Surah:
“In their history verily there is a lesson for men of understanding. It is no invented story but a confirmation of the existing (Scripture) and a detailed explanation of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for folk who believe.” (12:111)
“In their history verily there is a lesson for men of understanding. It is no invented story but a confirmation of the existing (Scripture) and a detailed explanation of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for folk who believe.” (12:111)
And a detailed explanation of all things, and guidance and mercy,
And guidance and mercy for a people who believe.
Muhammad Rashid Rida, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"The Qur'an is neither a history book nor a collection of tales;
Rather, it is guidance and admonition.
It does not mention a story to detail the history of its occurrence,
Nor for the sake of entertainment or to provide exhaustive details,
But it mentions what it mentions for the sake of the lesson,"
As the Almighty said: "There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding."
And to explain the laws of social development,
As He said: "Similar situations have passed on before you,
So proceed throughout the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers."
“But their faith could not avail them when they saw Our doom. This is Allah's law which hath ever taken course for His bondmen. And then the disbelievers will be ruined.” (40:85)
And other such verses.
Deriving lessons from the story
Keeps us from becoming preoccupied with details that Allah did not mention to us,
Because if there were a lesson for us in them, Allah would have informed us of them.
Muhammad Rashid Rida, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"Regarding the aforementioned events, some are well-known,
And Allah, the Exalted, mentions from this and that what He wills to mention,
For the sake of the lesson and the admonition.
He suffices in the story with the point of the lesson and the place of benefit,
And does not present it in detail with trivialities that add nothing to the lesson,
But which might, in fact, distract from it."
The way writers compose stories today
Differs from the Qur'anic style of relating stories.
Writers may be keen to mention very minute details in a story
For the sake of attracting the reader,
But the Qur'an mentions the points of the lesson from the story
In a magnificent style that no writer or storyteller can approach.
Abu Zahra, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"The purpose of the stories of the Qur'an is the lesson and the reflection,
Not the narration of events and the entertainment of people through their details."
A lesson for those of understanding.
Therefore, the Generous Lord intends the place of the lesson and illuminates it,
And the place of insight, and clarifies it.
And that is the most upright of paths.
Education through history and enlightenment through the conditions of those who came before.
The wise person takes heed of this lesson
In knowing the consequences of his actions or the actions of others,
So that he may correct the path of his life,
And advise others among his loved ones and companions.
Al-Sa'di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“In their history verily there is a lesson for men of understanding. It is no invented story but a confirmation of the existing (Scripture) and a detailed explanation of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for folk who believe.” (12:111)
Meaning the stories of the prophets and messengers with their people
Are a lesson for those of understanding,
That the people of good and the people of evil may take heed from them,
And that whoever does as they did
Will receive what they received of honor or humiliation.
They also take heed from them
Regarding what Allah possesses of attributes of perfection and great wisdom,
And that He is Allah,
To whom worship is not appropriate except for Him alone, with no partner.
And Muhammad Rashid Rida, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"Attempting to make the stories of the Qur'an like history books,
By inserting what they see therein as if it were an explanation of them,
Is a violation of His Sunnah,
A turning of hearts away from His admonition,
And a waste of His purpose and wisdom."
The duty is to understand what is in it,
To exert our minds in extracting the lessons from it,
To distance our souls from what He has condemned and deemed ugly,
And to urge them to adorn themselves with what He has deemed good and praised.
So, what are the lessons to be derived from the story of Yusuf with the wife of al-'Aziz?
This is what we will address, if Allah wills, in the coming articles.
The story of Yusuf with the wife of al-'Aziz.