نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْقَصَصِ بِمَآ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلْغَـٰفِلِينَ 3
Translations
We relate to you, [O Muḥammad], the best of stories in what We have revealed to you of this Qur’ān although you were, before it, among the unaware.
Transliteration
Nahnu naqussu alayka ahsana al-qasasi bima awhayna ilayka hadha al-Qur'anu wa-in kunta min qablihi lamina al-ghafiliyn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah addresses the Prophet Muhammad, stating that He is narrating to him the best of stories—the story of Yusuf—through the revelation of the Qur'an. This ayah emphasizes that before receiving this revelation, the Prophet was unaware of these narratives, highlighting the miraculous nature of Qur'anic knowledge and the divine source of the message. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari note this as evidence of the Qur'an's supernatural origin, as the Prophet could not have known such detailed accounts from his own knowledge.
Revelation Context
Surah Yusuf was revealed in Mecca during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet. This ayah opens the surah by establishing the divine authority and source of the story being narrated, which serves as comfort and encouragement to the believers facing persecution. The story of Yusuf contains profound lessons about patience, trust in Allah, and divine justice that were relevant to the Muslim community's trials.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari (4738): The Prophet Muhammad said, 'The best of stories is this story of Yusuf,' emphasizing the unique status of this narrative. Additionally, multiple hadiths in Sahih Muslim discuss how the Qur'an conveys knowledge that the Prophet did not possess before revelation, supporting the meaning of 'ghafiliyn' (unaware).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that the Qur'an is a direct revelation from Allah containing knowledge beyond human capacity, and that trusting in divine guidance provides the best and most meaningful narratives for moral and spiritual development. For modern readers, it encourages reliance on Qur'anic teachings as superior to worldly philosophies and narratives.