S. Yusuf, 111: In Their Story...

 

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِى قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ۗ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

 

 

In their stories, there is truly a lesson for people of reason. This message cannot be a fabrication, rather a confirmation of previous revelation, a detailed explanation of all things, a guide, and a mercy for people of faith. Surah 12, Ayah 111.

 

1. The word “QASASIHIM” means “their story”. There is a wide range of possibilities as to whom this “their” refers to.

2. It could refer to Yusuf(AS), Yaqub(AS), and that story. It could also refer to the stories of the messengers, the Ayahs before this suggest it. The third is that “their story” is the story of the disbelievers and what happened to them.

3. Allah used the singular form for “story” - “QASSAS”. This suggests that Allah put all the stories under one umbrella and called them one single story.

4. All of the stories come to the same conclusion, all of them send the same message.

5. This shapes our thinking about the stories, we should think that all stories are not separate rather they are episodes of the same story.

 

6. The other religions have a hard time explaining how good people who came before Moses(AS) or Christ(AS) went to heaven if they didn’t go through these Prophets. So, they have to add things to their stories.

7. The Qur’an comes along and validates that the people who truly followed other Prophets before the Prophet(SAW) went to Jannah. And at the same time validating that the people who follow the Prophet(SAW) will also go to Jannah as if it is the same story.

8. By telling the stories of the Prophets, Allah is actually showing the believers that they will be going to Madina in near future.

9. Some English translations for “QASSAS” is “stories”. This is because there is a “MASDAR” and that implies all of it, but still, this is only an implication, not a translation.

10. The word “ ‘IBRATUN” is “lesson”. Again, this could be a “MASDAR” and could include all of it. And still, it is an implication, not a translation.

11. In Surah Luqman, Luqman says “Certainly, “SHIRK” is a great injustice.” It is as if he has taken all types of injustice and said that it sprouted from the seed of one of the other forms of “SHIRK”.

12. And, the opposite, all types of good sprout from the seed of having faith in the one and only Allah.

13. Perhaps, the implication being that all the lessons in the story come from one seed - your connection with Allah.

14. Allah says that stories have profound lessons. Just because you haven’t spent enough time to see the lessons, doesn’t mean that they are not there.

 

15. There are two types of denying. First, is the confused people, for them, you put a degree of emphasis. Second is the dismissive people, and it is to them that you put a lot of emphases. Allah putting so much emphasis shows that He is arguing with the dismissive people. Allah is arguing with them on your behalf.

16. The word “QASSAS” is a “MASDAR” which is an idea. Ideas go back to the verb and the verb here is “to tell a story”.

17. This shows that we can tell a story but the purpose will be lost because of the way we tell it. Allah tells you the story the way it should be told to gain the lessons(purpose) from it.

18.  The word “ ‘IRATUN” is from the word “ ‘ABARA” which means “to cross over”. From the same root letters, we get the word “ ‘ABARA” which means “a drop of tear”.

19. There is an interesting parallel between crossing a river/bridge and a drop of tear. From this, some scholars say that “ ‘IBRAH” is a kind of lesson that makes you cry.

20. Crying can happen when we are in a state of extreme sadness or in a state of extreme happiness.

21. Allah is saying that He tells the story in a way that will make you cry. You will feel the characters in Allah’s story deeply. You will see yourself in the place of those characters.

22. From the verb meaning, it means “the crossing over”. The connection here is that “ ‘IBRAH” is a process in which your mind uses what you can observe, to conclude what you cannot observe. For example, seeing the smoke and concluding that there is fire even if you cannot see the fire.

23. The word "IBRAH” comes in the story of Surah Yusuf when the king asks the ministers to interpret the dream - “TA’BUROON”. So, it was used in the context of people trying to find superstitious answers from mysterious sources.

24. Then, this same word is used in the story of the messengers -  “IBRAH”. It is a subtle but interesting contrast.

25. Religions from around the world have diverse variations. The real teachings of the religion stay in the consciousness of a few and the majority follow the different diverse variations.

26. This majority then turns to different diverse variations and tries to bend reality to those superstitions. And then, they live by superstitions, fully believing in them. If that is not enough, they also start searching for superstitions in their lives. According to them, every problem has to have a mysterious answer.

27. Allah comes and says that we don’t need to do any of this. We don’t need a dream to tell us what to do. We don’t need to depend on people who claim that they can solve our problems through questionable sources. We don’t have to live our life governed by superstitions.

28. All we need is to think deeply about the stories and the way these stories are told in the Qur’an. That will help us get through all situations of life.

29. The word “QASSA” literally means “to take precise steps” and “to follow footsteps.” The word “IBRAH” means “to cross over.” It is as though “By following the footsteps, you will cross over.” So, it is kind of completing the image. Then, there is a final completion to the image in the words “ULUL ALBAAB”.