The story of Joseph, son of Jacob, is known from the Bible. In the Qur’an it is told in a single surah, from beginning to end. That is true of no other prophet: the stories of Moses, Abraham and Noah are told in parts, in many places. Yusuf’s is told in one piece, and it is built like a carefully made work of art.
The best of stories
The Qur’an introduces it itself: the best of stories.
نَحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡقَصَصِ بِمَآ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ
We relate to you, [O Muhammad], the best of stories in what We have revealed to you of this Qur'an although you were, before it, among the unaware
The dream and its fulfilment
The first scene is a dream. The last is the dream coming true.
A young boy tells his father he has seen eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowing down to him. Many years and many trials later, after the well, slavery and prison, Yusuf sits on a throne in Egypt. His parents and eleven brothers come to him:
The beginning
إِذۡ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيۡتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوۡكَبٗا وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ رَأَيۡتُهُمۡ لِي سَٰجِدِينَ
[Of these stories mention] when Joseph said to his father, "O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream] eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me
Yūsuf 12:4
The end
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيۡهِ عَلَى ٱلۡعَرۡشِ وَخَرُّواْ لَهُۥ سُجَّدٗاۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ هَٰذَا تَأۡوِيلُ رُءۡيَٰيَ مِن قَبۡلُ قَدۡ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقّٗاۖ وَقَدۡ أَحۡسَنَ بِيٓ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَنِي مِنَ ٱلسِّجۡنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡبَدۡوِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ بَيۡنِي وَبَيۡنَ إِخۡوَتِيٓۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٞ لِّمَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ
And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration. And he said, "O my father, this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality. And He was certainly good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you [here] from bedouin life after Satan had induced [estrangement] between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise
Yūsuf 12:100
Eleven stars: the eleven brothers. The sun and the moon: his parents. What the boy saw at the start of the story happens at its end, and he says so himself: this is the explanation of my vision.
A promise and a thanksgiving
The father foretells it at the start. The son gives thanks at the end, in the same words.
When Jacob hears the dream, he tells his son what Allah will do for him. At the end of the story Yusuf prays to Allah, and the words are the same:
Jacob, at the start
وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجۡتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأۡوِيلِ ٱلۡأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعۡمَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ ءَالِ يَعۡقُوبَ كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَبَوَيۡكَ مِن قَبۡلُ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسۡحَٰقَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ
And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of narratives and complete His favor upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He completed it upon your fathers before, Abraham and Isaac. Indeed, your Lord is Knowing and Wise
Yūsuf 12:6
Yusuf, at the end
رَبِّ قَدۡ ءَاتَيۡتَنِي مِنَ ٱلۡمُلۡكِ وَعَلَّمۡتَنِي مِن تَأۡوِيلِ ٱلۡأَحَادِيثِۚ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّۦ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ تَوَفَّنِي مُسۡلِمٗا وَأَلۡحِقۡنِي بِٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
My Lord, You have given me [something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous
Yūsuf 12:101
Yuʿallimuka min taʾwīli l-aḥādīth, He will teach you. ʿAllamtanī min taʾwīli l-aḥādīth, You have taught me. The Arabic is the same phrase both times, though the translation varies. The prophecy at the start becomes a prayer at the end. And Jacob’s words at the start close with two names of Allah, ʿalīm, ḥakīm, the Knowing, the Wise. The same two names close his words in grief (12:83) and Yusuf’s words when the family is reunited (12:100).
Three shirts
One shirt lies. One tells the truth. One heals.
At three points in the story, everything turns on Yusuf’s shirt:
The lie
وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمٖ كَذِبٖۚ قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرٗاۖ فَصَبۡرٞ جَمِيلٞۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُسۡتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ
And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe
Yūsuf 12:18
The truth
فَلَمَّا رَءَا قَمِيصَهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٖ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ مِن كَيۡدِكُنَّۖ إِنَّ كَيۡدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٞ
So when her husband saw his shirt torn from the back, he said, "Indeed, it is of the women's plan. Indeed, your plan is great
Yūsuf 12:28
The healing
ٱذۡهَبُواْ بِقَمِيصِي هَٰذَا فَأَلۡقُوهُ عَلَىٰ وَجۡهِ أَبِي يَأۡتِ بَصِيرٗا وَأۡتُونِي بِأَهۡلِكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ
Take this, my shirt, and cast it over the face of my father; he will become seeing. And bring me your family, all together
Yūsuf 12:93
The brothers use the first shirt to lie to their father. The second, torn from the back, proves Yusuf’s innocence when the minister’s wife accuses him: he was fleeing, not attacking. And the third, sent home from Egypt, gives his father back his sight.
Patience is most fitting
Jacob says the same sentence twice. And it proves true.
When the brothers come home without Yusuf, and again years later when they come home without the youngest brother, Jacob answers with the same words: fa-ṣabrun jamīl, patience is most fitting.
A second son lost
قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرٗاۖ فَصَبۡرٞ جَمِيلٌۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأۡتِيَنِي بِهِمۡ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ
[Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together. Indeed it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise
Yūsuf 12:83
Sight returns
فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلۡبَشِيرُ أَلۡقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجۡهِهِۦ فَٱرۡتَدَّ بَصِيرٗاۖ قَالَ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ
And when the bearer of good tidings arrived, he cast it over his face, and he returned [once again] seeing. He said, "Did I not tell you that I know from Allah that which you do not know
Yūsuf 12:96
He wept until his sight failed, but he never let go of hope: Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together. And Allah brought them all.
The story that closes
The end answers the beginning. Nothing in the story was wasted.
The dream and its fulfilment. The father’s promise and the son’s thanksgiving. Three shirts. The same patience, twice. Yusuf’s story is full of suffering, betrayal and years that seem lost, but when it ends, every scene turns out to have had its place. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Perhaps that is why it is called the best of stories.