S. Yusuf Coherence Session 1: The First and Last Passages

 

1. Structure and organization is the backbone of communicating. The most effective people in our lives are the ones who speak in an organized manner. 

2. There is a divine organization of the Qur'an. This organization doesn't meet the standard that exists in the human mind. 

3. Science was discovered because we reflected upon the structure and organization of Allah's creation. Mathematics boils down to structure.

4. One of the criticisms against the Qur'an is that there is no structure in the Qur'an, that it is all in chaos. The study of the organization of the Qur'an shatters this illusion.

5. The subjects and the themes in the Qur'an are connected to each other. Something that has been barely mentioned at one place gets explained in another place.

6. The introduction(opening) of Surah Yusuf is the Ayahs 1-3 and the Ayahs 102-110 is the concluding(closing) passage.

الٓر ۚ تِلْكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ ٱلْمُبِينِ
  إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

Alif-Lãm-Ra.These are the verses of the clear Book. 

Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran, so you may understand. Surah Yusuf, Ayah 1-2.

7. The first passage is made of 3 Ayahs, but first, we will look at the first 2 Ayats.

8. The word "TILKA" is for far distance. It refers to the heavenly origin of the Qur'an.

9. The word "MUBEEN" is both transitive and intransitive. So, the Qur'an is clear and clarifying.

10. Allah says that it is clear meaning that it is clear in what it is saying. 

11. By clarifying, it means that it sheds light on other things like how to regulate your emotions, how to behave in certain situations, etc. It also clarifies that it is the revelation of Allah.

12. In the next Ayah, Allah says that He sent the Qur'an as a recital which means that it is an oral experience. And that the purpose of this all is so that you can understand.

13. At a very basic level, the word "A'QAL" means "to think". Allah wants us to think about the Qur'an and because He wanted that, He sent the Qur'an in an easy language.

مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
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 Yusuf, Ayah 111(last part).

14. The phrase "This talk is not a fabrication" connects to the "TILKA" in the first Ayah. The "TILKA" refers to its heavenly origin and this phrase is another way to say it.

15. In the beginning, Allah says it's a recital(oral experience) and in the end, the word "HADEES" means a talk.

16. Then, in the beginning, Allah says the Qur'an is clear and clarifying. In the end, He says that it is a conformation which means that it clarifies all the old scriptures and clears all of the impurities they have. For the people who knew the old books and then read this book, it becomes clear to them that it is the same God.

17. The word "MUBEEN" comes from "BANA" which means "to separate" and the word "TAFSEEL" comes from "FASAL" which means "to separate and then join." So, these two words are also related to each other.

18. In the beginning, Allah says "so that you may think" which is required because then Allah says that the Qur'an is guidance. So, the goal of thinking about the Qur'an is to get guidance and mercy.

19. And by getting guidance and mercy, Allah says that you will strengthen your faith.

نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْقَصَصِ
We relate to you the best of stories. Surah Yusuf, Ayah 3(first part).

20. This means the best parts of the story, the best version of the story, and the best stories. So, these stories are the best from different points of view. 

 ۗلَقَدْ كَانَ فِى قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ

In their stories, there is truly a lesson for people of reason. Surah Yusuf, Ayah 111(first part). 

21. The word "QASAS" is mentioned in the beginning and in the end. In the beginning, Allah says that the story is beautiful but didn't say what made it beautiful. In the end, Allah shows that it was the lessons that made it beautiful.

بِمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلْغَٰفِلِينَ

through Our revelation of this Quran, though before this you were totally unaware. Surah Yusuf, Ayah 3(last part).

22. Allah is telling the Prophet(SAW) that Allah inspired him(SAW) and if Allah had not done that, the Prophet(SAW) would have never known.

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ

That is from the stories of the unseen which We reveal to you. You were not present when they made up their minds, and when they plotted. Surah Yusuf, Ayah 102.

23. In the beginning, Allah says "أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ" and in the end, Allah uses the present tense and says " نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ" still showing that Allah revealed the Qur'an.

24. Then, the last part of Ayah 3 says that the Prophet(SAW) would have been completely unaware. The last part of Ayah 102 says that the Prophet(SAW) was not there when they schemed thus reinforcing the idea that he(SAW) never knew until Allah told him(SAW).

25. The symmetry of Allah is so perfect that even "when" is not spared. In the starting of Ayah 4, Allah says "When Yusuf said to his father". In the previous Ayah, Allah said "you were totally unaware." this can be read as "you were totally unaware when Yusuf said to his father". 

26. In Ayah 102, Allah says "You were not present when they made up their minds, and when they plotted." The word "when" is there both at the beginning and at the end. The symmetry is completely fascinating.

27. The Qur'an is described by Allah as a recital. It is an audible experience. Yet, in just an Ayah before, the same Qur'an is called "a book".

28. This is important because our mind processes a speech and a written book differently. The way it impacts us, the lessons we take from it, changes.

29. The Qur'an is necessarily an audible experience, we know that because we recite it every day while praying. And yet the Qur'an is from where all the books on Islam come from.

30. The difference between speech and writing is that when writing you can edit but once you speak, there is no second chance. In just pure speech, Allah created this amazing symmetry. There was no editorial process for the Qur'an.

31. This symmetry enriches our understanding of the Qur'an. Now you know that while thinking that the Qur'an is clear, you think about it in the context of the last Ayah.

32. In the beginning, the Prophet(SAW) is told that he(SAW) couldn't have known the conversation between Yusuf(AS) and his(AS)'s father. In the end, the Prophet(SAW) is told that he(SAW) couldn't have known the conversation the brothers had when they schemed. Both are secret conversations.

33. In other words, the Prophet(SAW)[and by extension we] is told that he(SAW) doesn't know the good that is happening and he(SAW) doesn't know the bad that is happening in the world.

34. So, we learn that we should leave it to Allah. Whether it is good or bad, He knows exactly what happens and we don't need to know.