Surah 12. Yusuf

---

Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-35 [4], 36-42 [5], 43-49 [6], 50-57 [7], 58-68 [8], 69-79 [9], 80-93 [10], 94-104 [11], 105-111 [12]

---

Quran Text of Verse 105-111وَ كَاَیِّنْAnd how manyمِّنْofاٰیَةٍa Signفِیinالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِand the earthیَمُرُّوْنَthey passعَلَیْهَاover itوَ هُمْwhile theyعَنْهَا(are) from themمُعْرِضُوْنَ the ones who turn away وَ مَاAnd notیُؤْمِنُbelieveاَكْثَرُهُمْmost of themبِاللّٰهِin Allahاِلَّاexceptوَ هُمْwhile theyمُّشْرِكُوْنَ associate partners with Him اَفَاَمِنُوْۤاDo they then feel secureاَنْ(against) thatتَاْتِیَهُمْcomes to themغَاشِیَةٌan overwhelmingمِّنْ[of]عَذَابِpunishmentاللّٰهِ(of) Allahاَوْorتَاْتِیَهُمُcomes to themالسَّاعَةُthe Hourبَغْتَةًsuddenlyوَّ هُمْwhile theyلَا(do) notیَشْعُرُوْنَ perceive قُلْSayهٰذِهٖThisسَبِیْلِیْۤ(is) my wayاَدْعُوْۤاI inviteاِلَیtoاللّٰهِ ؔ۫AllahعَلٰیwithبَصِیْرَةٍinsightاَنَاIوَ مَنِand whoeverاتَّبَعَنِیْ ؕfollows meوَ سُبْحٰنَAnd Glory beاللّٰهِ(to) Allahوَ مَاۤand notاَنَاI amمِنَofالْمُشْرِكِیْنَ the polytheists وَ مَاۤAnd notاَرْسَلْنَاWe sentمِنْbefore youقَبْلِكَbefore youاِلَّاbutرِجَالًاmenنُّوْحِیْۤWe revealedاِلَیْهِمْto themمِّنْfrom (among)اَهْلِ(the) peopleالْقُرٰی ؕ(of) the townshipsاَفَلَمْSo have notیَسِیْرُوْاthey traveledفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthفَیَنْظُرُوْاand seenكَیْفَhowكَانَwasعَاقِبَةُ(the) endالَّذِیْنَ(of) those whoمِنْ(were) before themقَبْلِهِمْ ؕ(were) before themوَ لَدَارُAnd surely the homeالْاٰخِرَةِ(of) the Hereafterخَیْرٌ(is) bestلِّلَّذِیْنَfor those whoاتَّقَوْا ؕfear AllahاَفَلَاThen will notتَعْقِلُوْنَ you use reason حَتّٰۤیUntilاِذَاwhenاسْتَیْـَٔسَgave up hopeالرُّسُلُthe Messengersوَ ظَنُّوْۤاand thoughtاَنَّهُمْthat theyقَدْcertainlyكُذِبُوْاwere deniedجَآءَهُمْthen came to themنَصْرُنَاOur helpفَنُجِّیَand was savedمَنْwhomنَّشَآءُ ؕWe willedوَ لَاAnd notیُرَدُّ(can) be repelledبَاْسُنَاOur punishmentعَنِfromالْقَوْمِthe peopleالْمُجْرِمِیْنَ (who are) criminals لَقَدْVerilyكَانَ(there) isفِیْinقَصَصِهِمْtheir storiesعِبْرَةٌa lessonلِّاُولِیfor menالْاَلْبَابِ ؕ(of) understandingمَاNotكَانَ(it) isحَدِیْثًاa narrationیُّفْتَرٰیinventedوَ لٰكِنْbutتَصْدِیْقَa confirmationالَّذِیْ(of that) whichبَیْنَ(was) before itیَدَیْهِ(was) before itوَ تَفْصِیْلَand a detailed explanationكُلِّ(of) allشَیْءٍthingsوَّ هُدًیand a guidanceوَّ رَحْمَةًand mercyلِّقَوْمٍfor a peopleیُّؤْمِنُوْنَ۠who believe

---

Translation of Verse 105-111

(12:105) How many⁷⁴ are the signs in the heavens and the earth which people pass by without giving any heed!⁷⁵

(12:106) And most of them believe in Allah only when they associate others with Him in His Divinity.⁷⁶

(12:107) Do they, then, feel secure that an overwhelming chastisement shall not visit them, and the Hour shall not suddenly come upon them without their even perceiving it?⁷⁷

(12:108) Tell them plainly: "This is my way: I call you to Allah, on the basis of clear perception - both I and those who follow me. Allah - Glory be to Him - is free of every imperfection.⁷⁸ I have nothing to do with those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity."

(12:109) The Messengers whom We raised before you, (O Muhammad), and to whom We sent down revelations, were only human beings, and were from among those living in earthly habitations. Have these people not travelled in the earth that they may observe the end of their predecessors? Certainly the abode of the Hereafter is much better for those (who accepted the call of the Messengers and) acted in a God-fearing manner. Will you still not act with good sense?⁷⁹

(12:110) (It also happened with the earlier Messengers that for long they preached and people paid no heed) until the Messengers despaired of their people, and the people also fancied that they had been told lies (by the Messengers), then suddenly Our help came to the Messengers. And when such an occasion comes We rescue whom We will; as for the guilty, Our chastisement cannot be averted from them.

(12:111) Certainly in the stories of the bygone people there is a lesson for people of understanding. What is being narrated in the Qur'an is no fabrication; it is rather confirmation of the Books that preceded it, and a detailed⁸⁰ exposition of everything, and a guidance and mercy for people of faith.

---

Commentary

74. The story of Joseph which began with the opening verse of this surah concludes here. Had the purpose been merely to tell a tale, this should have marked the end of the surah. But the Qur’an narrates stories in order to instruct and educate. Hence, the opportunity to bring home the true message or lesson of a story is never missed. The story of Joseph was narrated to people at their own asking. This accounts for the attention with which they listened to the story. Hence, after the actual story ended, the basic message of the Qur’an was succinctly conveyed.

75. This verse aims at arousing people from their apathy to God’s signs spread throughout the universe. For everything in the heavens and the earth is not only an object of existence, but also a sign that points to the reality. All those who observe different things as though they were merely objects of existence, fail to observe them in a manner becoming of human beings. Their observation is rather one characteristic of brutes. Were one to observe a tree or a mountain and see nothing beyond them, one would be engaging in an activity common to both animals and human beings. Animals also know the uses to which they can put those natural objects. What distinguishes man from animals in this respect is that man has been endowed with senses as well as with a rational mind. It does not be hove man, therefore, to just observe things and exert himself to merely knowing how he could make use of them. Man is rather expected to go beyond observation and embark, by dint of his rational faculty, on a quest for reality. In his quest, he will be helped by the natural phenomena which in fact are signs of that reality.

Unfortunately, even if natural phenomena can successfully attract the attention of many people, these people still have no curiosity for the reality.

They suffer from a state of apathy which leads them to all kinds of erroneous ideas and doctrines. Such people virtually shut their minds to the message of the Prophets. Had they not done so, it would not have been difficult at all for them to appreciate that Message and benefit from the guidance provided by the Prophets.

76. That is the natural consequence of the apathy and heedlessness mentioned in the previous verse. As people become blind to the landmarks, they go off the right track and get lost. Despite this, only a few are totally misdirected, in the sense that they go so far as to deny God as their Creator and Provider. Most people affirm the existence of God but associate others with Him. Their misunderstanding consists in believing that there are others as well who have a share in God’s attributes, power, and authority, and also in God’s rightful claims against His creatures. Men could have escaped such false doctrines if they had just reflected over the numerous signs across the universe which unmistakably point to God’s unity.

77. This question is intended to shake people out of their complacency, to jolt them into abandoning their carefree attitude to life. Such an attitude is born of an inner feeling that a long life remains ahead of them, that they will continue to enjoy a secure life for a long time. Thanks to this action, people tend to put off concern for the ultimate end of life. This is obviously an erroneous attitude for no one knows exactly what the span of his life will be.

Death can suddenly seize anyone at any moment. Who is not aware that man has no prescience of what will happen at the next moment? Thus there is no justification for putting off matters. The basic problems of life must be faced without delay. Man should give serious thought as to the way he ought to go. And if a person decides to follow one way or another, he should carefully consider — and again without delay — if there are sufficient reasons to believe that the way he has chosen is the right one. He should also consider whether the natural phenomena also provide any evidence to support the rightness of the way he has chosen. Further, he should look at the historical record of man and examine the consequences that ensued from following the way of his choice in the past.

78. God is certainly free from any imperfections attributed to Him. Here reference has been made to the imperfections attributed to God by polytheists.

Such ascriptions to God are a natural corollary of polytheistic beliefs.

79. This Qur’anic exhortation sums up a number of points and issues. Let us attempt an elaboration of what the Qur’an here seeks to convey.

The unbelievers pay no attention to the Prophet’s message. This is because they find it quite unusual that one morning someone from among them, who grew up before their very eyes, should have been appointed God’s Messenger. The Qur’an points out, however, that this was not a unique event in human history. For even before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) God had raised many Prophets and they too were human beings. Nor did it ever happen that a stranger appeared among a people and claimed to be God’s Messenger. All those who were raised to bring about reform among the people of a given place belonged to that place, such as Jesus, Moses, Abraham and Noah (peace be on them).

Now it was for the unbelievers to consider the end of the people who did not accept the Prophet’s messages of reform and kept running after their baseless fancies and unbridled lusts. In the course of their trade journeys the Makkans used to pass by the ruined houses of ‘Ad, Thamud, Midian, and the people of Lot. Was there a lesson that they could learn? The ruins were not only reminders of the tragic end of those peoples in this world; they also betokened a far worse end in the Next Life. In contrast, those who mend their ways and become righteous will not only enjoy a felicitous life in this world, but will be even better off in the Next.

80. ‘A detailed exposition of everything’ refers to a detailed exposition of all that is necessary for man’s guidance. This does not encompass everything in a literal sense. Some people misunderstand the purpose of this verse and consider ‘everything’ to include even such matters as detailed knowledge of forestry, medicine, mathematics and all other branches of learning.