INTRODUCTION TO SURA YUSUF Class 8 – Lesson 1

Starter Activity Sura Yusuf mentions 3 dreams and their interpretation can you find them and write them down in your own words

Learning Objectives: To provide an introduction to Sura Yusuf

It’s Objectives A story with many valuable lessons of: faith, virtue, trust in God, and ups and downs of human life. Almighty Allah talks to us about: a father’s grief and bitter tears of P Yaqub (A) when he loses his son P Yusuf (A), the ignorance and jealousy of his brothers, The love and passion of the young queen of Egypt, Zulaykha for a handsome young man who had piety and virtue. The purpose of mentioning these stories is so that we learn the most valuable lessons: Allah can overpower the plots of others. His plan will always succeed. And the miraculous success, that only comes from Allah who is the Ultimate Planner.

When it was revealed The Jews denied the Holy Prophet (S)'s declaration of Prophet-hood and in order to undermine his authority, they asked him: When did the family of Ya'qub move from Syria to Egypt and what happened to Prophet Yusuf (A). This sura was revealed as proof and to give them a definitive answer. Furthermore, it proved the divine nature of the Qur’an as the Rabbis realised that this was also found in their Tawrah. Apart from answering the two questions of the Jewish scholars, this Sura gave a precise account of the life of Prophet Yusuf (A) from childhood to the pinnacle of his life when he became the Governor of Egypt. Did the Jews then believe in the Prophet-hood of the Holy Prophet and why?

The virtues of Sura Yusuf: There are many virtues for reciting this Surah: Eg. Imam Sadiq (A): “Whoever recites this Surah every day or every night, Allah will enable him to be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection having a beauty equal to that of the beauty of Yusuf, he will have no difficulties on that Day and he will be among the righteous subjects of Allah.”

Introduction to Sura Yusuf Is a Makki Sura ie. was revealed in Makkah Has 111 verses Most of the Surah is about the story of Prophet Yusuf (A) except a few verses at the end – unusal Prophet Yusuf (A)’s name has been mentioned 65 times in this surah and only twice in other surahs. Discusses the different phases and incidents of Prophet Yusus (A)’s life with interesting details.