12:111

لَقَدۡ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمۡ عِبۡرَةٞ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِۗ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثٗا يُفۡتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِن تَصۡدِيقَ ٱلَّذِي بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ وَتَفۡصِيلَ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ

Laqad kana fee qasasihim AAibratun liolee alalbabi ma kana hadeethan yuftara walakin tasdeeqa allathee bayna yadayhi watafseela kulli shayin wahudan warahmatan liqawmin yuminoona

There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding. Never was the Qur'an a narration invented, but a confirmation of what was before it and a detailed explanation of all things and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.

Word by word
  1. لَقَدۡVerily
  2. كَانَ(there) is
  3. فِيin
  4. قَصَصِهِمۡtheir stories
  5. عِبۡرَةٞa lesson
  6. لِّأُوْلِيfor men
  7. ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِۗ(of) understanding
  8. مَاNot
  9. كَانَ(it) is
  10. حَدِيثٗاa narration
  11. يُفۡتَرَىٰinvented
  12. وَلَٰكِنbut
  13. تَصۡدِيقَa confirmation
  14. ٱلَّذِي(of that) which
  15. بَيۡنَ(was) before it
  16. يَدَيۡهِ(was) before it
  17. وَتَفۡصِيلَand a detailed explanation
  18. كُلِّ(of) all
  19. شَيۡءٖthings
  20. وَهُدٗىand a guidance
  21. وَرَحۡمَةٗand mercy
  22. لِّقَوۡمٖfor a people
  23. يُؤۡمِنُونَwho believe
Yusuf · 12:111Makkah

In their stories is a lesson for people who think.

The close of Surah Yusuf


What these stories are
a lessonfor sound minds
not inventedconfirms what came before
guidance and mercyfor those who believe
How to read it
a story to enjoythen close the book
a lesson to carryinto my own life

The surah ends by saying the stories of the messengers are a lesson for people of understanding. Ibn Kathir says the Quran is not a forged tale but confirms the earlier books and explains what people need. It is guidance and mercy, turning hearts from misguidance to guidance.

Jealous brothers. A false accusation. Prison. A family torn apart and brought back together. Somewhere in Yusuf's story is your own family, your own wait, your own test. Find it.

Yusuf's story happened long ago to other people.

This story is a lesson and a mercy written for my own life.

Try this

Write down the one lesson from Surah Yusuf you most need right now, and keep it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur'an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of that which was before it and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a mercy for the people who believe (111)

A Lesson for Men Who have Understanding

Allah states here that the stories of the Messengers and their nations and how we saved the believers and destroyed the disbelievers are,

عِبْرَةٌ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ

(a lesson for men of understanding), who have sound minds,

مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًا يُفْتَرَىٰ

(It is not a forged statement.) Allah says here that this Qur'an could not have been forged; it truly came from Allah,

وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ

(but a confirmation of that which was before it) in reference to the previously revealed Divine Books, by which this Qur'an testifies to the true parts that remain in them and denies and refutes the forged parts that were added, changed and falsified by people. The Qur'an accepts or abrogates whatever Allah wills of these Books,

وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ 

(and a detailed explanation of everything) Meaning the allowed, the prohibited, the preferred and the disliked matters. The Qur'an deals with the acts of worship, the obligatory and recommended matters, forbids the unlawful and discourages from the disliked. The Qur'an contains major facts regarding the existence and about matters of the future in general terms or in detail. The Qur'an tells us about the Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored, and about His Names and Attributes and teaches us that Allah is glorified from being similar in any way to the creation. Hence, the Qur'an is,

هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(a guide and a mercy for the people who believe.) with which their hearts are directed from misguidance to guidance and from deviation to conformance, and with which they seek the mercy of the Lord of all creation in this life and on the Day of Return. We ask Allah the Most Great to make us among this group in the life of the present world and in the Hereafter, on the Day when those who are successful will have faces that radiate with light, while those whose faces are dark will end up with the losing deal.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Yusuf; and all the thanks and praises are due to Allah, and all our trust and reliance are on Him Alone.