If you are interested in tafseer by nouman ali khan or nouman ali khan lectures notes, you are at the right place, because here we present to you the notes and important takeaways from the lectures of nouman ali khan. In this post you will see and learn the tafseer and in-depth of the first and the second ayat of surah yusuf. These notes are made from the following video by nouman ali khan on Bayyinah Institute.
Fun Parts: 8:00, 36:30, 42:30, 50:00, 52:30
Alif-Laam-Ra: Very special as only present in 5 surah (special group: 10. Surah Yunus, 11. Surah Hud, 12. Surah Yusuf, 14. Surah Ibrahim, 15. Surah Hijr) opens with these letters, indicating that these surahs are connected. These surahs open with alif-laam-ra and say something about the book itself.
Purpose of Book: Is to learn from it. To learn from the book, we need to understand it. But how come Allah (s.w.t) chose not to make us understand these letters?
Orientation: Important of a teacher to set limits (because some things are beyond our knowledge). And Allah (s.w.t) teaches us guidance and one of his orientations over and over again in different surahs is there are things that you are not meant to know.
This reminder is necessary before we embark (especially in certain surahs): A lot of details are mentioned and Allah (s.w.t) is withholding a lot of information because there are certain things you need to know for the purpose of guidance and there are other things that you become curious about, but they don’t serve the purpose of guidance.
Example: if Allah (s.w.t) wanted you to know the geographical location of the cave in surah kahf, he would’ve told you.
Sometimes, people become curious about things that are not meant to know and they say they are not clear on some of the facts etc. Allah (s.w.t) through the first ayah is teaching us that whatever has to be made clear is made clear and what he didn’t make clear is for your own benefit.
Allah (s.w.t) is telling us two things by the use of the word ‘book’: 1) Perhaps the origin of the Quran is part of the much larger book that contain all of the scriptures of Allah (s.w.t) and these are ayat of that original book. 2) Though it is a book in heaven, these words that are recited right now, are not words they are a book (will become a book: destiny).
“Those” can also refer to Alif-La-Ra itself. A surah can also be called a kitaab or Quraan (which means recital). A single surah is a single recital. In this sense, each surah is a quran. Meaning another portion of the quran that begins with Alif-lam-ra,
First: we have to humble ourselves to the way Allah (s.w.t) teaches. A teacher knows what needs to be said first and what to begin with. Sequences of the Ayat are divine curriculum, and first he wants the attention of the first ayat (not related to surah-yusuf).
Big difference between what you speak (casual, repeats, wrong words, grammatical mistakes) and what you write (editorial, sounds more formal): Some expressions in speech are not used in writing. In Quran, no edits possible, whatever rasool (s.a.w) is teaching is the original and final word (Kitaab).
Quran (recital) is being called Kitaab, indicating that there is no room for the spoken expressions in the kitaab. No edits possible.
Story of Yusuf (a.s) is known to the Jews and the Christians for over a thousand years. It was revealed to them (in Hebrew) by Allah (s.w.t) from the original book in the heaven that contains all scriptures. In Quran, Allah (s.w.t) will not repeat but retell the story. He will talk about the same events in a new way, different from previous scriptures.
(MUBEEN) Difference between clear and clarifying: The Quran is clear in itself (not from a human being, it separates itself from the word of human beings, it’s also the fact that an Arab prophet is going to tell them (Arabs: no access to info., isolated, no Hebrew), which in itself will make it clear to the Jews and Christians). Message in itself is clear and direct (self-explanatory, evident). The book of Allah (s.w.t) is clear in what it wants from me (demanding a change in the way they think, control themselves, feel).
The book is meant to clarify the way we should live, the difference between right and wrong, what really happened in history (separating lies from the truth), and the original purpose of everything. It can only clarify if it is clear first.
Also, the Quran in itself is clear, but Allah (s.w.t) made it the responsibility of the Ummah to clarify. Allah says “those who repented, corrected themselves, and then went on to clarify”. It is we who have to clarify things for people in darkness, so they see things as they are. When believers clarify, they will help others see what they didn’t see before.
This is our book and we don’t even know it (you should feel a need for it to become clear to you). Every believer should become a living testimonial for what the word of Allah (s.w.t) has done to them. So they share that and clarify.
Ayah 2: There is no doubt about it that we in fact, sent it down as an Arabic recital so (hopefully, you might) all of you can think and understand.
First Ayah, Allah (s.w.t) called it Kitaab and in the second Ayah Allah is calling it the Quraan, indicating that it is in the written form in the heavens and was turned into something to be recited in Arabic. It's the story of the Hebrews (the sons of Israel), found originally in Hebrew and yet now it's coming down as an Arabic recital. He reclaims the story of Yusuf (a.s) as an Arabic recital.
“So that they understand” israelites that were in Madinah, secretly feeding questions, may understand that when rasool (s.a.w) is telling the story in Arabic, it is clear to them that this is from Allah (s.w.t) as there are no Hebrew interactions and more clear than the previous sources.
The Quran is meant to be recited. It is its legacy that should not be read but spoken. Following the sunnah of rasoolullah (s.a.w), we have to speak the Quran to people. Don’t reduce the Quran to beautiful sounds. Though these are critical and are part of the Quraan, its message should also be heard (primary purpose- not for enjoyment).
If the Quran is for all people, then why only in Arabic language? Allah (s.w.t) prepared the Arabic language for the final revelation. Allah (s.w.t) chose Kaaba and Arabs in a place where they are isolated from the world. No value to great empires. Language gets shaped and refined, and there are no external influences. No resources in Arabia to base their poetry on, so they became imaginative people. Language became full of imagery and richness (very expressive). One meaning of Arabic itself is that of expressing yourself and your feelings in the most elaborate way. One word is like a river with lots of meanings gushing forth. Therefore, Allah (s.w.t) chose a language that was extremely rich.
Umar (r.a) said “Learn Arabic because it enhances your ability to think”. Arabic language is not limited to Arabs, it is a language of the Quran. Throughout history, wherever islam went Arabic went with it.
In the history of religions, knowledge was restricted to the saints or religious leadership and they had the duty to transmit it. Public doesn’t know anything about the religion (uninformed consumers), so they go to the religious leader. Public has limited access to knowledge. (In most religions, if you question these knowledgeable people, it’s like you are questioning god himself. So religions started belonging to the clergy, and the general public were held hostage by these): ONE EXTREME. OTHER EXTREME, thousand people reading the bible and coming up with thousand different opinions (more denominations). Feelings and personal thoughts become mufassir, then everyone gets their own version. Then how should the Quraan be protected from this? Allah (s.w.t) said he sent it down as an Arabic. First, no problem in translation as you are looking at one word from the same place (arabic). No confusion about what a word means. “So all of you can think and understand (not only the religious leadership)”. We all have to think and understand but there will be various degrees of understanding based on the effort and study (scholars), so now they are informed consumers.Transparency and unitedness will go away had Allah (s.w.t) revealed the Quran in all languages. Belief that Quran is an Arab thing, died a long time ago folks.
Allah (s.w.t) gave us the Quran in Arabic, so as an ummah we have a minimum level of understanding and on top of that our knowledge and wisdom can be built. No Quraan, no study of the Arabic language.
We have developed this mentality that the Arabic sounds are the Quraan; No the Arabic language is the Quraan. Sounds are only a part of the language, but that message was supposed to be there. What will be the effect on the ummah when the millions of kids who recite the Quran understand it (through the study of Arabic language)? Difference between memorizing the Quran and carrying it. (The purpose is to think and understand).
A revolution will take place if we re-emphasize the learning of the language of the Quraan, so we as a people have direct access to our scripture.
TA'QILUN (Think+understanding, control over one's emotions) Everybody thinks (thoughts can go in any direction). Right thoughts lead to understanding, wrong thoughts lead to misunderstanding. We gave you an Arabic Quran because the Arabic of this Quran is going to empower you, and it's going to be so moving, that it will direct your thoughts in the right direction. So you come to proper understanding and it will give you the ability to stand against your own urges (anger, selfishness, lust, greed). So you learn and break them. It is for the hearts and the mind.
The Quran is not emphasizing knowledge, we have to become thinkers (it is emphasizing thinking and understanding). Example: Yusuf (a.s) has little knowledge (acquired in childhood from father), but his thinking and understanding is clear and his control over emotions is clear due to his understanding.
Also See:
(Previous) Tafseer of Surah Yusuf Introduction Part 5 (final) - Confrontation & Resolution by Nouman Ali Khan
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