The Beautiful Tale of Prophet Joseph

Prophet Yusuf Ibn Yaqub is an Islamic prophet found in the Quran, the scripture of Islam, and corresponds to Joseph (son of Jacob), a character from the Jewish religious scripture, the Tanakh, and the Christian Bible. It is one of the common names in the Middle East and among Muslim nations. Of all of Jacob's children, Joseph was the one given the gift of prophecy. Although the narratives of other prophets are mentioned in various suras, the complete narrative of Joseph is given only in one sura, Yusuf, making it unique. It is said to be the most detailed narrative in the Qur'an and bears more details than the Biblical counterpart. Prophet Joseph or Yusuf is believed to have been the eleventh son of Prophet Jacob (Yaqub), and, according to many scholars, was his favorite. According to Ibn Kathir, "Jacob had twelve sons who were the eponymous ancestors of the tribes of the Israelites. The most noble, the most exalted, the greatest of them was Joseph." The story begins with Joseph revealing a dream to his father, which Jacob recognizes as a vision. In addition to the role of God in his life, the story of Yusuf and Lady Zulaikha (Potiphar's wife of the Old Testament) became a popular subject in Persian literature, where it became considerably elaborated over the centuries. The story of Joseph in the Quran, a continuous narrative, is considered one of the most beautifully written suras. There are less than one hundred verses but they encompass many years and "present an amazing variety of sciences and characters in a tightly-knit plot, and offer a dramatic illustration of some of the fundamental themes of the Quran. "The Qur an itself relates to us the importance of the story in the third verse: "and We narrate unto you the best (or most beautiful) of stories (a san al-qesas)." Most scholars believe this is referring to Prophet Joseph's story, while others, including abari, argue it is a reference to the Quran as a whole. It documents the execution of God's rulings des