Yusuf (Arabic: يُوسُف, Yūsuf, "Joseph") is the 12th chapter of the Quran and has 111 Ayahs (verses).[1] It is preceded by sūrah Hud and followed by Ar-Ra’d (The thunder). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), it was revealed toward the end of the Makkan period,[2] which means it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, instead of later in Medina. It is said to have been revealed in a single sitting and is unique in this respect.[3] The text narrates the story of Yusuf (Joseph) who is considered a prophet in Islam, whose life and mission it recounts.
Unlike the accounts of other Islamic prophets,[4] different elements and aspects of which are related in different surahs, the life-history of Yusuf, is narrated in this surah only, in full and in chronological order.[2][5] This surah, which also tells of the truth, according to Muslims, contained in dreams, presents many principles of how to serve Islam by relating the life-history of a prophet, who became the most renowned and respected figure in the country to which he had been sold as a slave.[2]
The surah was first translated into Latin by Thomas van Erpe in 1617 and later in the 17th century published synoptically in Arabic and Latin as part of the Lutheran efforts at translating the Qur'an.[6]
The faith of the Prophets[edit]
The faiths of the Prophets before Muhammad were the same as his. Prophets Ibrahim, Ishaaq, Ya'qūb and Yūsuf invited the people to the same message as Muhammad.[16]
Throughout the story of Yūsuf, Allah taught the believers that a person who possesses true Islamic character can master the world with the strength of their character. The example of the Prophet Yūsuf shows that a person of high and pure character can overcome severe circumstances and be successful.
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