Joseph in Islam

Yūsuf
يُوسُف
Joseph
PredecessorYaqub
SuccessorAyyub
FatherYa'qub
Colorful miniature painting
Yusuf and Zulaikha (Joseph chased by Potiphar's wife), 1488 Persian miniature by Behzād

Yusuf (Arabic: يوسف ٱبن يعقوب ٱبن إسحاق ٱبن إبراهيم, romanizedYūsuf ibn Yaʿqūb ibn ʾIsḥāq ibn ʾIbrāhīm, lit.'Joseph, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham') is a prophet and messenger of God mentioned in the Qur'an[1] and corresponds to Joseph, a person from the Hebrew and Christian Bible who was said to have lived in Egypt before the New Kingdom.[2] Amongst Jacob's children, Yusuf reportedly had the gift of prophecy through dreams. Although the narratives of other prophets are presented in a number of suwer, Joseph's complete narrative appears in only one: Yusuf. Said to be the most detailed narrative in the Quran, it mentions details that do not appear in its biblical counterpart.[3]

Yusuf is believed to have been the eleventh son of Ya'qub (Arabic: يعقوب) and, according to a number of scholars, his favorite. Ibn Kathir wrote, "Jacob had twelve sons who were the eponymous ancestors of the tribes of the Israelites. The noblest, the most exalted, the greatest of them was Joseph."[4] The narrative begins with Joseph revealing a dream to his father, which Jacob recognizes.[5] In addition to the role of God in his life, the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha (Potiphar's wife in the Old Testament) became a popular subject of Persian literature and was elaborated over centuries.[6]

  1. ^ Keeler, Annabel (15 June 2009). "Joseph ii. In Qur'anic Exegesis". Encyclopedia Iranica. XV: 34.
  2. ^ Coogan, Michael (2009). The Old Testament: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. pp. 70–72. ISBN 978-0-19-530505-0.
  3. ^ Keeler, Annabel (15 June 2009). "Joseph ii. In Qurʾānic Exegesis". XV: 35. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ Wheeler, Brannon (2002). Prophets in the Qur'an. Continuum. p. 127.
  5. ^ Wheeler, Brannon (2002). Prophets in the Qur'an. Continuum. p. 128.
  6. ^ Bruijn (2013). "Yūsuf and Zulayk̲h̲ā". Encyclopedia of Islam; Second Edition: 1.