سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 3
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْقَصَصِ بِمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلْغَـٰفِلِينَ ﴿3﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
We relate unto you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) the best of stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur’ân. And before this (i.e. before the coming of Divine Revelation to you), you were among those who knew nothing about it (the Qur’ân).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
نَحْنُ
naḥnu
We
نَقُصُّ
naquṣṣu
relate
عَلَيْكَ
ʿalayka
to you
أَحْسَنَ
aḥsana
the best
ٱلْقَصَصِ
l-qaṣaṣi
of the narrations
بِمَآ
bimā
in what
أَوْحَيْنَآ
awḥaynā
We have revealed
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
(of) this
ٱلْقُرْءَانَ
l-qur'āna
the Quran
وَإِن
wa-in
although
كُنتَ
kunta
you were
مِن
min
before it
قَبْلِهِۦ
qablihi
before it
لَمِنَ
lamina
surely among
ٱلْغَـٰفِلِينَ
l-ghāfilīna
the unaware
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
3. 1. Qasas is a verbal noun meaning to follow something; the meaning is an interesting event. Qissa (story) is not merely a tale or a fictional narrative, but rather the narration of an event that has occurred in the past is called a qissa. Thus, it is a real and factual account of the past, and in this event, there are lessons about the consequences of envy and hostility, the miraculous support of Allah, the rebellions of the commanding self and the results of its transgressions, and other human conditions and incidents, all presented in a very interesting and instructive manner. That is why this Quran has described it as ahsan al-qasas (the best narration).
3. 2. It is also clear from these words of the Noble Quran that the Noble Prophet ﷺ was not ‘alim al-ghayb (knower of the unseen), otherwise Allah would not have declared him unaware. The second point is that it is known that you are the true Prophet of Allah because only through revelation was the true event narrated to you. You were not a student of anyone, that you would have learned from a teacher and then narrated it, nor did you have any such connection with anyone from whom you could have heard and then broadcasted this historical event with its important details. Certainly, it is Allah alone who revealed it to you through revelation, as has been explicitly stated at this place.
3. 2. It is also clear from these words of the Noble Quran that the Noble Prophet ﷺ was not ‘alim al-ghayb (knower of the unseen), otherwise Allah would not have declared him unaware. The second point is that it is known that you are the true Prophet of Allah because only through revelation was the true event narrated to you. You were not a student of anyone, that you would have learned from a teacher and then narrated it, nor did you have any such connection with anyone from whom you could have heard and then broadcasted this historical event with its important details. Certainly, it is Allah alone who revealed it to you through revelation, as has been explicitly stated at this place.
