1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,759 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:32,140 A Gentle Commentary 3 00:00:32,140 --> 00:00:35,219 on the Book: Identification Cards 4 00:00:35,219 --> 00:00:37,619 for the Surahs of the Noble Mus-haf, 5 00:00:37,619 --> 00:00:42,179 by Dr. Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn 'Umar Nassif, 6 00:00:42,179 --> 00:00:44,530 may Allah preserve him. 7 00:00:44,530 --> 00:00:46,250 Surah Yusuf. 8 00:00:46,250 --> 00:00:47,929 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 9 00:00:47,929 --> 00:00:49,929 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, 10 00:00:49,929 --> 00:00:53,210 and peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers. 11 00:00:53,210 --> 00:00:56,170 We continue with the gentle commentary on the identification cards, 12 00:00:56,170 --> 00:00:59,570 and we have arrived at Surah Yusuf, peace be upon him. 13 00:00:59,570 --> 00:01:01,820 I have three reflections to share regarding it. 14 00:01:01,820 --> 00:01:04,980 The first reflection concerns the placement of the surah, 15 00:01:04,980 --> 00:01:06,980 which is an aspect I have not paused over 16 00:01:06,980 --> 00:01:08,980 with any preceding surah 17 00:01:08,980 --> 00:01:12,030 in this series. 18 00:01:12,030 --> 00:01:13,549 The placement of the surah 19 00:01:13,549 --> 00:01:15,900 refers to 20 00:01:15,900 --> 00:01:19,379 its correlation with what precedes it in the Mus-haf; 21 00:01:19,379 --> 00:01:22,379 that is, examining the arrangement of the surah within the Mus-haf 22 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:27,000 by explaining the thematic correlation of each surah to the one before it. 23 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:28,040 And indeed, 24 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,239 we clarified in the introduction 25 00:01:30,239 --> 00:01:33,760 that the primary work relied upon for this 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,439 is the book by Imam al-Suyuti, *Tanaasur al-Durar 27 00:01:36,439 --> 00:01:38,469 fi Tanaasub al-Suwar*. 28 00:01:38,469 --> 00:01:41,109 In fact, I deviated slightly from it 29 00:01:41,109 --> 00:01:42,349 in certain places, 30 00:01:42,349 --> 00:01:44,670 should you find in my discourse anything 31 00:01:44,670 --> 00:01:46,069 ambiguous. 32 00:01:46,069 --> 00:01:47,150 It is a work— 33 00:01:47,150 --> 00:01:48,950 I mean the book *Tanaasuq al-Durar*— 34 00:01:48,989 --> 00:01:53,230 that is truly precious and well-deserving of dedicated scholarly study, 35 00:01:53,230 --> 00:01:55,629 because it establishes general principles. 36 00:01:55,629 --> 00:01:57,030 It is fitting here 37 00:01:57,030 --> 00:01:58,390 to mention one of those principles, 38 00:01:58,390 --> 00:02:04,519 which is his view that every surah provides detail for what came in the surah before it. 39 00:02:04,519 --> 00:02:08,590 This is plainly evident in the correlation mentioned here: 40 00:02:08,590 --> 00:02:11,789 he noted that among its correlations—that is, Surah Yusuf— 41 00:02:11,789 --> 00:02:15,310 is its elaboration of what was mentioned in summary within Surah Hud 42 00:02:15,310 --> 00:02:18,990 regarding Allah's blessings upon the family of Ibrahim. 43 00:02:19,030 --> 00:02:20,789 Over there in Hud, He stated: 44 00:02:20,789 --> 00:02:25,580 "The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, people of the house." 45 00:02:25,580 --> 00:02:27,219 And among the family of Ibrahim, 46 00:02:27,219 --> 00:02:31,490 from his lineage, was Yusuf, peace be upon him. 47 00:02:31,490 --> 00:02:34,050 This leads us to another point: 48 00:02:34,050 --> 00:02:38,069 among the Companions were those who yearned 49 00:02:38,069 --> 00:02:40,300 to complete a surah, 50 00:02:40,300 --> 00:02:42,419 as when one was struck by an arrow, then a second, and a third, 51 00:02:42,419 --> 00:02:44,099 while he was reciting the Qur'an, 52 00:02:44,099 --> 00:02:46,780 yet he disliked cutting short a surah he had begun. 53 00:02:46,819 --> 00:02:50,150 This reflects a kind of yearning to bring the surah to completion. 54 00:02:50,150 --> 00:02:53,110 Furthermore, among the Companions was 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, 55 00:02:53,110 --> 00:02:56,509 who recited the entire Qur'an in a single rak'ah, 56 00:02:56,509 --> 00:02:58,180 as is authentically established from him. 57 00:02:58,180 --> 00:03:01,259 It is as though each surah creates longing for the one following it, 58 00:03:01,259 --> 00:03:03,289 and Allah Almighty knows best. 59 00:03:03,289 --> 00:03:04,930 As for Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, 60 00:03:04,930 --> 00:03:06,770 we will see when we reach Surah Ghafir— 61 00:03:06,770 --> 00:03:08,770 as you will find at the beginning of that surah— 62 00:03:08,770 --> 00:03:11,969 that he used to liken the reciter of the Qur'an 63 00:03:11,969 --> 00:03:16,250 to someone strolling about, seeking the traces of lush vegetation and rain, 64 00:03:16,250 --> 00:03:18,889 until he reaches the family of Ha-Mim surahs; 65 00:03:18,889 --> 00:03:24,930 so it is as if he transitions from beauty to beauty, and then to what is most beautiful. 66 00:03:24,930 --> 00:03:29,250 Thus, understanding these interrelated ties 67 00:03:29,250 --> 00:03:30,250 between the surahs 68 00:03:30,250 --> 00:03:33,849 can foster this very feeling— 69 00:03:33,849 --> 00:03:36,169 a person's inner yearning 70 00:03:36,169 --> 00:03:37,689 to recite the next surah 71 00:03:37,689 --> 00:03:40,289 immediately upon completing the one before it. 72 00:03:40,289 --> 00:03:43,449 I ask Allah for His favor for me and for you. 73 00:03:43,449 --> 00:03:45,500 Then, the second reflection 74 00:03:45,539 --> 00:03:50,259 concerns the abundance of moral lessons within the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him. 75 00:03:50,259 --> 00:03:53,889 For this reason, numerous dedicated works have been composed exclusively on this surah. 76 00:03:53,889 --> 00:03:57,330 Many surahs have had dedicated treatises written about them, 77 00:03:57,330 --> 00:04:00,330 distinct from full-scale Tafsir works covering the entire Mus-haf. 78 00:04:00,330 --> 00:04:02,370 There are particular surahs granted independent treatises 79 00:04:02,370 --> 00:04:04,330 in Tafsir and other disciplines, 80 00:04:04,330 --> 00:04:05,930 and among these standalone works is Surah Yusuf; 81 00:04:05,930 --> 00:04:07,849 indeed, it has been treated individually very frequently. 82 00:04:07,849 --> 00:04:10,409 Here I would like to draw attention 83 00:04:10,409 --> 00:04:15,150 to a book that has virtually no peer, 84 00:04:15,189 --> 00:04:18,029 namely the book *Mu'tamar Surah Yusuf* (The Conference of Surah Yusuf) 85 00:04:18,029 --> 00:04:23,180 by Shaykh 'Abdullah al-'Alami. 86 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:25,980 In this book, the author imagined 87 00:04:25,980 --> 00:04:27,259 that a conference was convened, 88 00:04:27,259 --> 00:04:31,300 gathering a number of Muslim scholars 89 00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:32,939 from various regions; 90 00:04:32,939 --> 00:04:34,740 they assembled in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) 91 00:04:34,740 --> 00:04:37,259 and began studying Surah Yusuf together 92 00:04:37,259 --> 00:04:39,259 in a delightful manner, 93 00:04:39,259 --> 00:04:42,620 rich in elaboration and deep reflections 94 00:04:42,620 --> 00:04:45,139 that you might not find in traditional Tafsir works. 95 00:04:45,860 --> 00:04:47,819 What I stated at the outset is that it is a rare book, 96 00:04:47,819 --> 00:04:50,579 meaning that you will not find another book like it— 97 00:04:50,579 --> 00:04:52,459 or at least within the scope of my reading, I have not encountered 98 00:04:52,459 --> 00:04:53,779 another book 99 00:04:53,779 --> 00:04:56,379 presenting a surah of the Qur'an in this manner. 100 00:04:56,379 --> 00:04:58,459 Instead of interpreting it verse by verse, 101 00:04:58,459 --> 00:05:01,100 it follows the order of the surah 102 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:05,860 while framing it as a dialogue within a fictional conference. 103 00:05:05,860 --> 00:05:08,980 It is truly a delightful and unique book of its kind. 104 00:05:08,980 --> 00:05:11,339 Likewise, among such works is the book *Ithaf al-Ilf* 105 00:05:11,339 --> 00:05:13,339 *bi al-Fawa'id al-Alf wa Nayyif* 106 00:05:13,339 --> 00:05:17,300 on Surah Yusuf by Salim al-Hilali, 107 00:05:17,300 --> 00:05:19,870 alongside a co-author 108 00:05:19,870 --> 00:05:22,670 whose name eludes me at the moment. 109 00:05:22,670 --> 00:05:25,910 The point is that the lessons in the story of Yusuf are exceedingly numerous, 110 00:05:25,910 --> 00:05:29,910 which is why everyone finds what they seek within it; 111 00:05:29,910 --> 00:05:32,870 one cannot claim there is merely a single lesson 112 00:05:32,870 --> 00:05:34,990 to be drawn from the story, 113 00:05:34,990 --> 00:05:36,589 or just one single theme. 114 00:05:36,589 --> 00:05:38,870 Rather, the story contains many facets 115 00:05:38,870 --> 00:05:42,589 and very numerous subtleties. 116 00:05:42,589 --> 00:05:44,529 The third reflection 117 00:05:44,569 --> 00:05:49,089 relates to the preceding reflection regarding 118 00:05:49,089 --> 00:05:50,910 the central theme of the surah. 119 00:05:50,910 --> 00:05:52,910 If we look at the theme of the surah in the notes, 120 00:05:52,910 --> 00:05:56,829 we find it is establishing that the Qur'an is the word of Allah, 121 00:05:56,829 --> 00:06:01,949 as evidenced by the detailed recounting of the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him. 122 00:06:01,949 --> 00:06:05,139 He said: "along with what the story contains"—or it is better 123 00:06:05,139 --> 00:06:08,420 to phrase it: "alongside the fact that the story contains 124 00:06:08,420 --> 00:06:10,660 an immense number of lessons." 125 00:06:10,660 --> 00:06:12,980 For the narrative indeed holds immense lessons, 126 00:06:12,980 --> 00:06:16,980 yet it was primarily brought forth to fulfill an objective: proving 127 00:06:16,980 --> 00:06:19,420 that the Qur'an is the word of Allah. 128 00:06:19,420 --> 00:06:21,500 This is because the opening of the surah states: 129 00:06:21,500 --> 00:06:23,379 "Alif-Lam-Ra. 130 00:06:23,379 --> 00:06:25,579 These are the verses of the clear Book. 131 00:06:25,579 --> 00:06:29,180 Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an so that you may understand." 132 00:06:29,180 --> 00:06:31,769 “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) 133 00:06:31,769 --> 00:06:33,250 And at the end of the surah: 134 00:06:33,250 --> 00:06:37,089 “This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou wast not present with them when they fixed their plan and they were scheming.” (12:102) 135 00:06:37,089 --> 00:06:38,930 "while they were plotting." 136 00:06:38,930 --> 00:06:40,769 This serves as a reminder 137 00:06:40,810 --> 00:06:42,009 that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 138 00:06:42,009 --> 00:06:43,370 brought this narrative to them 139 00:06:43,370 --> 00:06:44,810 without having been present when it occurred; 140 00:06:44,810 --> 00:06:47,449 thus it is proof of his prophethood 141 00:06:47,449 --> 00:06:51,170 and that divine revelation was coming to him from the heavens. 142 00:06:51,170 --> 00:06:54,129 This, as far as it appears to me, is 143 00:06:54,129 --> 00:06:55,449 the core theme of the narrative. 144 00:06:55,449 --> 00:06:56,850 Nonetheless, I followed it with the statement: 145 00:06:56,850 --> 00:06:59,449 "alongside the immense number of lessons the story contains," 146 00:06:59,449 --> 00:07:02,089 so that a person does not miss out on those lessons 147 00:07:02,089 --> 00:07:03,250 by focusing solely on this primary objective. 148 00:07:03,250 --> 00:07:05,290 This objective is plainly evident throughout the story, 149 00:07:05,290 --> 00:07:07,209 and across the surah as a whole, 150 00:07:07,209 --> 00:07:10,050 unlike what was asserted on the preceding page 151 00:07:10,089 --> 00:07:11,810 stating that the theme of the surah is merely "the story of Yusuf"— 152 00:07:11,810 --> 00:07:12,850 just like that. 153 00:07:12,850 --> 00:07:15,810 Such an assertion is an oversimplification and lacks precision; 154 00:07:15,810 --> 00:07:18,730 rather, the story of Yusuf came to achieve a purpose, 155 00:07:18,730 --> 00:07:23,290 which is proving that the Qur'an is from Allah, 156 00:07:23,290 --> 00:07:25,959 Glorified and Exalted be He. 157 00:07:25,959 --> 00:07:26,959 I will suffice with this much. 158 00:07:26,959 --> 00:07:28,160 May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, 159 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:29,240 and upon his family and all his Companions, 160 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:31,120 and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.