S. Yusuf: The Incredible Symmetry of the Story

 

1. This lecture and presentation are based on the amazing paper on the structure of Surat Yusuf written by Jawad Anwar Qureshi entitled "Ring Composition in Surat Yusuf (Q12)".

2. First let us look at the overall structure.

Ayahs 1-3 is the introduction.

Ayahs 102-111 are the conclusion.

This has been talked about in a very detailed manner in the previous lectures.

3. Ayahs 4-6 are about the dream and it is a conversation between the father and son.

Ayahs 99-101 are about the dream being fulfilled and it is a conversation between father and son.

4. Ayahs 7-18 are about jealousy, scheming about him(AS) putting in a well which leads to separation.
In Ayahs 58-98, the brothers come back again and there is family tension but this time it leads to reunification.

5. Ayahs 19-57 are in the middle. It is about Yusuf(AS)'s life in Egypt. It is all the events from him(AS) being a slave to him(AS) becoming the minister of finance.

6. Now, we are zooming in on the middle part(Ayahs 19-57).

7. The Middle: Life of Yusuf(AS) in Egypt,

Ayahs 19-21 is about him(AS) being enslaved and sold in the Minister's house.
Ayahs 54-57 is about him(AS) becoming the treasurer of Egypt. So, the lowest position to the highest position.

8. In Ayahs 22-35, he(AS) is tempted and imprisoned.
In Ayahs 50-51, he(AS) is proved innocent and is freed.

9. In the middle of the middle, there are the Ayahs 36-49 which is about him(AS) interpreting the dreams.

So, even the middle of the Surah has been organized symmetrically.

10. Time to go even deeper inside Egypt.

11. Life in Egypt: A Closer Look,

Ayahs 19-21 is about him(AS) being enslaved.
Ayahs 54-57 is about him(AS) becoming the treasurer of Egypt.

12. In Ayahs 22-24, he(AS) resists temptation.

In Ayahs 52-53, he(AS) says "I didn't cheat him". So, Yusuf(AS) goes back to that unseen scene.

13. In Ayah 25-29, the wife of the minister assaulted him(AS) and ripped the shirt.
In Ayah 51, she admits her mistake and comes back to her senses.

14. In Ayah 30-32, he(AS) was humiliated in front of the women and they cut their hands.
In Ayah 51, they all are being humiliated and they have to admit that he(AS) was innocent.

15. In Ayah 33-35, he(AS) was imprisoned.
In Ayah 50, he(AS) was freed.

16. In Ayah 36-41, Yusuf(AS) interprets the dream of the inmates of the prison.
In Ayah 46-49, Yusuf(AS) interprets the dream of the king.

17. In Ayah 42, The freed inmate forgets the request("mention me to your Master") of Yusuf(AS).
In Ayah 45, The freed inmate remembers the request("mention me to your Master") of Yusuf(AS).

18. Then in the middle of Life in Egypt: Close Look, there is Ayahs 43-44 which is about the king seeing a dream.

19. Now zoom out and look at The Whole Story,

A. Introduction.

B. Dream.

C. Family Separation.

D1. Slave.

D2. Resisting Temptation.

D3. The Assualt.

D4. Display to the Women, Cut Hands.

D5. Imprisoned In Prison.

D6. Inmates Dream Interpretation.

D7. Freed Inmate Forgets.

D8. King sees a Dream.

D7. Freed Inmate Remembers.

D6. King's Dream Interpretation.

D5. Freed From Prison.

D4. Proven Innocent by the women.

D3. Proven Innocent by his wife.

D2. Proven Innocent before the Aziz.

D1. Became Treasurer.

C. Family Reunited.

B. Dream Fulfilled.

A. Conclusion.

20. Every part of the story has a partner from the end side. Such symmetry in such a beautiful Surah.

21. Even in the contrasting themes, the symmetry of the story is seen:

Introduction -------------------------------- Conclusion

Separation -------------------------------- Reunion

Low Status(slavery) -------------- High Status(finance minister)

Temptation -------------------------------- Innocence

Assault(shirt) ----------------------------------- Apology(in the court)

Displayed(in front of women) ---------- Cleared(by the women)

Prison -------------------------------------- Freedom

Forgetting -------------------------------------- Remembering

22. Now just to appreciate this symmetry more, let us look at the Prison scene:

Ayah 35, The minister knew that he(AS) didn't do the wrong but still says that let Yusuf(AS) be imprisoned "for a time".
Ayah 42, Yusuf(AS) remains imprisoned "for some years".

23. Ayah 36, Inmates tell their dreams.

Ayah 41, Yusuf(AS) interprets their dreams.

24. In Ayah 36-40, Yusuf(AS) describes his(AS)'s faith. 

This happens to be the middle of the prison scene. So, it is like the passage which has the most light is in the darkest place. This is interesting thematically and also spiritually.

25. Now let us look at the two elements - Separation in the opening and Reunion at the end:

Ayah 7-10, the brothers schemed against Yusuf(AS).

Ayah 58-62, Yusuf(AS) plans for his(AS)'s brother Benjamin.

Both schemes were done for a brother. One scheme was to harm a brother and the other was to save a brother. 

26. Ayah 11-14, the brothers plead with the father to take Yusuf(AS).
Ayah 63-68, the brothers plead with Yusuf(AS) to take Benjamin.

In the first one, the brothers succeeded but in the second one, they failed. 

27. Ayah 15, the brothers abandon Yusuf(AS).
Ayah 69-79, the brothers lose Benjamin.

28. Ayah 16-17, the brothers return to Yaqub(AS) fakely crying about how the wolf ate Yusuf(AS).
Ayah 80-82, they return to Yaqub(AS) truthfully telling that the Egyptian king kept Benjamin.

29. Till now, everything corresponded but the last two events don't, they were corresponding oppositely.

30. Ayah 18, the brothers bring Yusuf(AS)'s shirt with the false blood.

But instead of it being Ayah 83-86, it is actually Ayah 87-98 that shows the brothers bringing Yusuf(AS)'s genuine shirt.

31. Ayah 18 also shows Yaqub(AS) resorting to patience.
And it is actually Ayah 83-86 that show Yaqub(AS) resorting to patience.

32. The reason there is a sudden shift in the pattern is that Allah is teaching us something incredible.

33. In the opening, Yaqub(AS) hears the brothers out, then he(AS) resorts to patience. Allah teaches us that when you are facing bad news, then you should resort to patience. 

34. Then, in the end, Yaqub(AS) resorts to patience and then the brothers bring the good news. Here, Allah teaches us that when you resort to patience, Allah will give you good things.