CHAPTER XII. ENTITLED SURAT AL YUSUF (JOSEPH). Revealed at Makkah. INTRODUCTION. THIS chapter purports to give an inspired account of the life of the patriarch Joseph. It differs from every other chapter of the Qurán, in that it deals with only one subject. Baidhawi, says Sale, tells us that it was occasioned in the following manner : "The Quraish, thinking to puzzle Muhammad, at the instigation and by the direction of certain Jewish Rabbins, demanded of him how Jacob's family happened to go down into Egypt, and that he would relate to them the history of Joseph, with all its circumstances;" whereupon he pretended to have received this chapter from heaven. Jalaluddín-us-Syutí, in his Itqán, says this chapter was given by Muhammad to those Madinese converted at Makkah before the Hijra. Weil conjectures that it was especially prepared with reference to the Hijra. This conjecture has, however, but little in its favour. Certain it is that the chapter belongs to Makkah. Much intercourse with the Jews at Madina would have improved the general historical character of the record. The story related here bears every mark of having been received at second hand from persons themselves ignorant of the history of Joseph, except as recounted from hearsay among ignorant people. Muhammad's informants had probably learned the story from popular Jewish tradition, which seems to have been garbled and improved upon by the Prophet himself. Certainly no part of the Qurán more clearly reveals the hand of the forger. The whole chapter is a miserable travesty of the Mosaic account of Joseph. In almost every instance the facts of the original story are misrepresented, misplaced, and garbled, while the additions are often wanting the poor authority of the Rabbins. Nevertheless, this story is not only related as coming from God, but also as attesting the Divine character of the Quran. It is significant that this chapter was rejected by the Ajáredites and Maimúnians as apocryphal and spurious. Probable Date of the Revelations. There are those (as Jalaluddin-us-Sayuti) who would assign vers. 1-3 to Madína, but the generally received opinion, as stated above, is that the whole chapter belongs to Makkah. The spirit shown in vers. 105, 110, towards the unbelieving Quraish, along with the general character of the chapter, based as it is upon information drawn from Jewish sources, point to the years immediately preceding the Hijra as the period to which it belongs. Muir, in his Chronological List of Suras, places it just before chap. xi. See Life of Mahomet, vol. ii. Appendix. Principal Subjects. The Prophet acquainted by inspiration with the history of Joseph tells his father of his vision of the stars VERSES 1-3 4 Jacob warns Joseph against the jealousy of his brethren 5 One of them advises their putting him into a well They beg their father to send Joseph with them 11, 12 Jacob hesitates through fear that Joseph may be devoured by a wolf 13 Joseph's brethren, receiving their father's consent, take him with them and put him in a well 14, 15 God sends a revelation to Joseph in the well 15 The brethren bring to Jacob the report that Joseph had been devoured by a wolf 16, 17 Jacob does not believe the story of his sons 18 Certain travellers finding Joseph carry him into bondage VERSES The rent in his garment testifies Joseph's innocence 26, 27 28, 29 The sin of Potipher's wife becomes known in the city 30 The wives of other noblemen, seeing Joseph's beauty, call God hears his prayer and turns aside their snares. 34 Joseph imprisoned notwithstanding his innocence 35 He undertakes to interpret the dreams of two of the king's servants who were also imprisoned with him 36, 37 Joseph preaches the Divine unity to his fellow-prisoners 38, 40 41 Joseph asks to be remembered to the king, but is forgotten. The women of the palace acknowledge their sin in endeavour His brethren come to him, but do not recognise him 58 Benjamin 59-61 Their money returned in their sacks to induce their return 62 Jacob reluctantly permits Benjamin to go to Egypt with his Joseph, receiving Benjamin, makes himself known to him 69 He, by guile, brings his brethren under charge of theft Jacob refuses to credit their story, yet puts his trust in God 83 Jacob grieves for Joseph, and yet tells of his hope 84-86 Jacob sends his sons to inquire after Joseph. 87 Joseph makes himself known to his brethren 88-90 He pardons his brethren and sends his inner garment to his father to restore his sight 91-93 Jacob foretells the finding of Joseph, and receives his sight. 94-97 Jacob and his sons and wife all do obeisance to Joseph ΙΟΙ Joseph praises God for his mercies and professes the Muslim faith 102 The infidels will not believe the signs of the Qurán 103-107 The Qurán no forgery, but a confirmation of the writings of former prophets 109, 110 III IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD. || (1) A. L. R. (2) These are the signs of the perspicuous R book, which we have sent down in the Arabic tongue, that, peradventure, ye might understand. (3) We relate unto thee a most excellent history, by revealing unto thee this Qurán, whereas thou wast before one of the negligent. (1) A. L. R. See Prelim. Disc., pp. 100-102. (2) Arabic tongue. The Tafsir-i-Raufi informs us that the reason why the Quran was revealed in Arabic was because the Arabs would not have understood its meaning had it been revealed in any other. • This is certainly a very natural reason. One would think that for a similar reason a translation of the Quran might be used by nations not understanding Arabic, and that Muslims would not object to the translations of the former Scriptures. (3) A most excellent history. "One of the best methods of convincing a Moslem of the inferiority of the Koran to the Bible would be to read the story of Joseph to him out of each book. In the Koran a beautiful and touching tale is mangled and spoiled."— Brinckman's “Notes on Islam," р. 112. This Quran. "Or this particular chapter; for the word Qurán, as has been elsewhere observed (Prelim. Disc., p. 96), probably signifying no more than a 'reading' or 'lecture,' is often used to denote, not only the whole volume, but any distinct chapter or section of it."-Sale. It is better to understand the word here to be applied to the whole sum of revelation enunciated by Muhammad. The idea seems to be that Muhammad would not have known this "excellent history" but for the Qurán, which contained it. ... Thou wast before negligent, i.e., "so far from being acquainted with the story, that it never so much as entered into thy thoughts: (4) When Joseph said unto his father, O my father, verily I saw in my dream eleven stars, and the sun and the moon; I saw them make obeisance unto me: (5) Jacob said, O my child, tell not thy vision to thy brethren, lest they devise some plot against thee; for the devil is a professed enemy unto man; (6) and thus, according to thy dream, shall thy LORD choose thee, and teach thee the interpretation of dark sayings, and he shall accomplish his favour upon thee and upon the family of Jacob, as he hath formerly accomplished it upon thy fathers Abraham and Isaac; for thy LORD is knowing and wise. (7) Surely in the history of Joseph and his brethren there are signs of God's providence to the inquisitive; (8) when they said to a certain argument, says al Baidhawi, that it must have been revealed to him from heaven." - Sale. Arnold says, "The 'Sura of Joseph,' composed by Mohammed in Mecca before his flight, is given as a direct and immediate revelation from heaven, and appealed to as a proof of his divine mission, though it contains incontrovertible proof of having been partially borrowed from the Bible, and still more largely from Rabbinical tradition. Here was no delusion, no Satanic inspiration, which could have been mistaken for Divine revelation, but a wilfu but a wilful fraud and a palpable deception." - Islám and Christianity, p. 75. (4) His father, "who was Jacob, the son of Isaac, and the son of Abraham." Sale, Baidháwi. Eleven stars. "The commentators give us the names of these stars (which I think it needless to trouble the reader with), as Muhammad repeated them, at the request of a Jew, who thought to entrap him by the question." -Sale, Baidhawi, Jalaluddin, &c. (5) Tell not thy vision. A contradiction of the Bible. Comp. Gen. xxxvii. 5, 10. Some plot. "For they say, Jacob, judging that Joseph's dream portended his advancement above the rest of the family, justly apprehended his brethren's envy might tempt them to do him some mischief."-Sale. This also contradicts the Bible story, which nowhere intimates that Jacob suspected any evil design against Joseph. (6) Interpretation of dark sayings. "That is, of dreams; or, as others suppose, of the profound passages of Scripture, and all difficulties respecting either religion or justice." - Sale, Tafsir-i-Raufi. This is also contrary to the Bible account. (7) The inquisitive. Rodwell translates this "Inquirers," which corresponds with the Urdu translations. The persons referred to were certain Quraish, who, at the suggestion of the Jews, had asked |