11.Surah Hud
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَكُـلاًّ
نَّقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ
مِنْ أَنبَاء
الرُّسُلِ مَا
نُثَبِّتُ بِهِ
فُؤَادَكَ...
11: 120. All that We relate to thee of the stories of the apostles -- with it We make firm thy heart:
...وَجَاءكَ فِي هَـذِهِ الْحَقُّ وَمَوْعِظَةٌ وَذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٢٠﴾
in them there cometh to thee the Truth, as well as an exhortation and a message of remembrance to those who believe.
C1624. The stories of the Prophets in the Quran are not mere narratives or histories: they involve three things:
- they teach the highest spiritual Truth;
- they give advice, direction, and warning, as to how we should govern our lives, and
- they awaken our conscience and recall to us the working of Allah's Law in human affairs.
The story of Joseph in the next Sura is an illustration in point.
11: 120
Pickthall And all that We relate unto thee of the story of the messengers is in order that thereby We may make firm thy heart. And herein hath come unto thee the Truth and an exhortation and a reminder for believers.
Transliteration Wa kullan naqussu 'alaika min amba_'ir rusuli ma_ nusabbitu bihi fu'a_daka wa ja_'aka fi ha_zihil haqqu wa mau'izatuw wa zikra lil mu'minin(a).
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12. Yusuf (Joseph)
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
نَحْنُ
نَقُصُّ
عَلَيْكَ
أَحْسَنَ
الْقَصَصِ
بِمَا
أَوْحَيْنَا
إِلَيْكَ
هَـذَا
الْقُرْآنَ...
12:3. We do relate unto thee the most beautiful of stories, in that We reveal to thee this (portion of the) Qur'án:
C1631. Most beautiful of stories: see Introduction to this Surah.
Eloquence consists in conveying by a word or hint many meanings for those who can understand and wish to learn wisdom.
Not only is Joseph's story "beautiful" in that sense, Joseph himself was renowned for manly beauty; the women of Egypt, called him a noble angel (12:31), and the beauty of his exterior form was a symbol of the beauty of his soul.
...وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ ﴿٣﴾
before this, thou too wast among those who knew it not.
إِذْ قَالَ
يُوسُفُ
لِأَبِيهِ
يَا
أَبتِ
إِنِّي...
12:4. Behold, Joseph said to his father: "O my father!
C1632. For the Parable all that is necessary to know about Joseph is that he was one of the Chosen Ones of Allah. For the story it is necessary to set down a few more details.
His father was Jacob, also called Israel the son of Isaac, the younger son of Abraham, (the elder son having been Isma'il, whose story is told in 2:124-129. Abraham may be called the Father of the line of Semitic prophecy.
Jacob had four wives. From three of them he had ten sons. In his old age he had from Rachel (Arabic Rahil) a very beautiful woman, two sons Joseph and Benjamin (the youngest).
The place where Jacob and his family and his flocks were located was in Canaan, and is shown by tradition near modern Nablus (ancient Shechem), some thirty miles north of Jerusalem. The traditional site of the well into which Joseph was thrown by his brothers is still shown in the neighbourhood.
...رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ ﴿٤﴾
I did see eleven stars and the sun and the moon:
I saw them prostrate themselves to me!"
C1633. Joseph was a mere lad. But he was true and frank and righteous; he was a type of manly beauty and rectitude. His father loved him dearly. His half-brothers were jealous of him and hated him.
His destiny was prefigured in the vision. He was to be exalted in rank above his eleven brothers (stars) and his father and mother (sun and moon), but as the subsequent story shows, he never lost his head, but always honoured his parents and repaid his brothers' craft and hatred with forgiveness and kindness.
Pickthall’s Version:
12: 3
Pickthall We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that We have inspired in thee this Quran, though aforetime thou wast of the heedless.
Yuksel We relate to you the best stories through what We have inspired to you in this Quran; and before it you were of those who were unaware.
Transliteration Nahnu naqussu 'alaika ahsanal qasasi bima_ auhaina_ ilaika ha_zal qur'a_n(a), wa in kunta min qablihi laminal ga_filin(a).
12: 4
Pickthall 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.
Transliteration Iz qa_la ya_sufu li abihi ya_ abati inni ra'aitu ahada'asyara kaukabaw wasy syamsa wal qamara ra'aituhum li sa_jidin(a).
[[ Ali’s notes - 631 Most beautiful of stories: see Introduction to this Sura. Eloquence consists in conveying by a word or hint many meanings for those who can understand and wish to learn wisdom. Not only is Joseph's story "beautiful" in that sense, Joseph himself was renowned for manly beauty; the women of Egypt, called him a noble angel (xii. 31), and the beauty of his exterior form was a symbol of the beauty of his soul. (12.3)]]