12.2 — Surah Yusuf

Pre-tilawat

So, in the next section, we’re going to cover ayas 21–42. After we listen to the ayas I’m going to discuss something interesting about these ayas — how these ayas play into the story of Yusuf, but more importantly, how they actually relate to the concept of who Allah is, who God is.

As you read the translation in parallel with listening, see if you can detect a theme that keeps coming up in this surah. Actually, there is one line — like, literally just a few words — that will come up tonight that sums up the entire theme, the entire gist, of this surah. See if you can find that phrase in tonight’s reading.

Tilawat: 21–42

Post-tilawat

Okay. I said before the recitation that there was one aya that actually captured the entire theme — or at least, the primary theme — of the entire story of Yusuf. Anyone would like to take a guess? Anyone think you know which aya mentions the theme of this surah?

It’s actually very easy to miss because it was at the beginning of tonight’s recitation —it was in aya 21. See if you can find it in the translation. [pause] Actually, the phrase that captures the gist of the entire surah is at the end of the aya — aya 21, where Allah says:

[just read the underlined stuff]

And the translation is, “Allah always prevails in His purpose, though most people don’t realize it.” That seems like a simple enough idea.

There’s actually something very interesting about how Allah describes Himself as being the One in control — being ghalib. There’s only one place in the entire Quran where it says that Allah is the ghalib — and it’s here in Surat Yusuf, in aya 21. That’s the only place where the word ghalib is mentioned like that.

If we are to say that this one phrase —that Allah is ‘ghalib’, that He is in complete control of everything even if people don’t realize that— if we are to say this concept is the theme of the entire surah, then it must mean that all aspects of the story of Yusuf revolve around this phrase, ‘Allah is the ghalib’. And this is exactly what plays out through the story.

You might’ve noticed this theme coming up last night, when we read how, first, Yusuf’s dad tells Yusuf not to share the dream with his brothers in case they might plot against him, but then what happens? Even though Yusuf listens to his dad and keeps the dream to himself, the thing that his dad feared — his brothers plotting against him — that’s exactly what happens. His brothers, without them even knowing about his dream, make a plot to throw him down a well.

And this all ties back to the central theme of this surah — things can seem to go in one direction, but if Allah wants something else, only Allah’s plan actually goes through. And from a literary perspective what this creates is irony — like when you expect something but the opposite happens. This surah has a ton of irony.

In tonight’s section, notice how Yusuf gets in trouble with these ladies who are trying to seduce him. This is a classic case where the theme dramatically plays out and you get a ton of irony.

The first time the idea of Yusuf going to prison comes up, it’s actually back in aya 25 when it seems super-likely that Yusuf will end up serving jail time. The minister’s wife — the lady at who’s house Yusuf is a slave at — she makes the allegation that this slave boy is harassing her. At that point, if you were to freeze the entire story — [pause] — it would make sense that the minister believes his wife’s accusations and throws Yusuf into jail.

But, by some random miracle, some bystander suggests that they look into how Yusuf’s shirt was ripped and torn. It’s by one — a single! — technicality that Yusuf — at the point where the allegation actually seems entirely believable from the minister’s point of view — it’s at that the point Yusuf gets to walk off scot-free.

But then, when he feels he’s been cleared of all charges and accusations, in aya 35, Yusuf is suddenly thrown into prison. Like, when he’s thrown into prison, at that time, there is actually zero charges. Even all the ladies admit he’s perfectly innocent — him going to jail comes as a complete shock. It goes, again, back to the central point — ultimately, the way Allah intends for things to happen, that’s the only thing the counts. And often the way Allah lets thing unravel can seem counter-intuitive.

And you can also see the irony when Yusuf’s thrown into prison. Here’s Yusuf — someone who’s incredibly wise, he’s interpreting dreams for the other inmates, he’s even able to quote-unquote, predict the future — but… just look at his own situation.

He can’t help himself, and he just stays stuck in prison. Yusuf even creates a plan to get himself outta jail: in the last aya we read tonight — aya 42 — he asks the dude who’s walking out to mention Yusuf to the king, but here again, the plan fails. Yusuf, this man who is — as we’ll see tomorrow, saves the entire country of Egypt from a national and economic disaster —but, when it comes to himself, is utterly helpless. This paradox ties back to the theme: at the end of the day, the one who’s actually in control, is Allah. Only Allah is the ghalib. He’s the only one running the show.

Next time, we’re going to touch on some other interesting lessons you can get from this surah. For tonight, that’s it from Surah Yusuf.