This document provides an analysis of short stories and how Surah Yusuf from the Quran can be viewed as a short story. It discusses short stories from both linguistic and literary perspectives and identifies key elements such as plot, characters, themes, and structure. The analysis then examines how Surah Yusuf exemplifies these elements through its compelling plot, well-developed characters like Yusuf and Yaqub, central theme of God's dominance, and artistic use of language. Overall, the document argues that though the Quran's purpose is spiritual guidance, Surah Yusuf functions as a beautifully crafted short story and literary miracle.

2. [Yusuf:3]

3. The best story

5. Short story is a branch
of literature;
And can be analyzed in two
different context;

6. Short Story Analysis
linguistic literary
 effectiveuse of  arresting opening
language  interesting plot
 well developed and
 use of narrative
appropriate structure
voice action
 revealing use of  tension
interior dialogue  clearly recognizable
climax
 satisfying ending

7. Short Story Analysis
linguistic literary
 Construction and  an imaginative
usage of literature that should
word, formatting. appeal to the
emotions of the
 exclamation marks,
reader.
 diction, grammar, and  artistic use of
descriptive analysis language to signify
 Words chosen should human experience
appeal, human  strong themes
emotions.

8. Four Basic Elements Of A Short Story
remarkable story writers are the
masters at combining these FOUR key
elements in every great short story.

9. Surah yusuf: short story
Although the purpose of divine
revelation is not to teach the
rules and principles of literature
and it is not bound to pass the
test of man made laws of any
form, but…

10. Quran invites;
“Then, do they not ponder upon the
Qur'an,”
.
Muslims believe that;
The Quran is a Divine Miracle of
Prophecy - Science - Warnings –
Wisdom - Truths…..

11. And
literature
“ALIF LAM RA. THESE ARE VERSES
OF THE ENLIGHTENING BOOK.”
[YUSUF:1-2]

12. Muslims claim that a book, (a composition of
language) should be hailed as Islam's (and
Muhammad's pbuh) strongest argument
To prove its claim of being
literary miracle for all times It
has to be the best literature of
all times indeed

13. Surah Yusuf Proves;
 Qur'anis a literary
miracle and that it is
unmatched among any
other literature even of
modern day .

14. This is the most detailed and fascinating
story in the Quran, involving both human
weaknesses
such as
jealousy, hatred, pride, passion,
and terror
lust, deception, intrigue, vengea

15. as well as noble qualities
such as
patience, loyalty, obedience, br
avery, nobility, compassion
and forgiveness.

16. LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS
Selection of words is so emotive that
reciter can visualize the whole scene
every time.
“Now the Lady of the house attempted to
seduce him. She bolted the doors and
said; “come”! He replied “may Allah
protect me from this! My lord has
provided me with good
residence, should I betray his trust?”
(Yusuf; 23)
.

17.  Many of such words in Surah are used
only once in Quran because of the unique
style of the Surah.
 Construction of sentences fascinates the
overwhelming emotions
“And they sold him for a paltry(petty)
price, for a few silver-coins, and they
had not much interest in him.”
[yusuf:21]

18.  personification, imagery, exaggeration, puns and
sarcasm all are used at impeccably superior level.
“She said, .This is the one about whom you
reproached me! Yes, I seduced him, but he
abstained. And should he not
follow my command, he shall be imprisoned
and will be disgraced..”
[Yusuf:33]

19. literary Analysis
 Construct on a powerful plot
 Characters are strongly build and highly interlinked
with the plot
 story is presented in a sequence of episodes.
It gives you scene after scene and the transition is
inspiring, informative, and stirring to the imagination.

20. Scenes are created to stir emotions
 Surah comprises some twenty-eight scenes, each
of which leads to the next in a manner which
maintains the organic unity of the entire narrative.
 less than one hundred verses of the narrative
telescope many years, present an amazing variety of
scenes and characters in a tightly-knit plot, and offer
a dramatic illustration of some of the fundamental
themes of the Qur'an.

21. Rich in dialogues
 All such scenes are presented through dialogues
replete with details and ideas.

22. Rich in Dialouges
 They said (to Yaqub), .Our father, why is it that you
do not trust us about Yusuf, while we are his well-
wishers indeed.
 Send him with us tomorrow, that he may eat and
play, and of course, we will remain as guards for
him..
 He said, .It makes me sad that you should take him
with you, and I fear that some wolf may eat him up
when you are heedless of him..
 They said, .If a wolf eats him up, while we are a
whole group, we are then losers indeed..
 [Yusuf:12-15]

23. Tensions and Their Resolution
A notable feature of the story is the way in
which the plot thickens and is then brought to
its resolution.
Major tensions are created in roughly the first
half of the story and may be catalogued as
follows:

24. Tensions and Their Resolution
A. Yusuf (as)'s dream (4-6).
B. The brothers' plot against Yusuf(as) (8-18).
C. Aziz's wife's attempt to seduce Yusuf(as) (23-
29).
D. A similar attempt by Egyptian ladies (30-
31).[3]
E. Yusuf(as) imprisonment (35).
F. The king's dream (43-44).

25. After that, the plot begins to
unravel, but the tensions are
resolved in reverse order.
A. The king's dream is the first to be interpreted (45-
49),
B. followed by Joseph's release from prison (50).
C. Next come the confessions of the Egyptian ladies,
D. Followed by that of Aziz’s wife (51).
E. The brothers learn their lesson (58),
F. and finally comes the fulfillment of Yusuf's dream
(100).

26. This is the analogy of the literary-
rhetorical device of(involution
and evolution
in reverse).

27. Principal Theme of
the story:

28. God’s plan is dominant (Ghalib)
and His purposes are inevitably
fulfilled.
 "God is in complete control of His affairs, but most people
have no awareness of it.“
This verse is central to the sūra's
meaning, and the keyword in it is ghālib
("dominant").

29. Sub themes
 Truth and goodness always prevails
 Success or failure in a moral struggle is the result of
independent choices made and executed during the
struggle itself
 Patience and Trust in Allah never go unrewarded
 Destiny is a combination of tadbeer and taqdeer
“Yusuf asked the prisoner to
mention him to he king”


30. Some prominent features
 Parallels
The plot has a number of parallels which might
escape one at a cursory reading of the story but
which come into relief upon a close study

31. Parallels
 In Palestine Yusuf(as) is thrown into a
pit
 in Egypt into prison
 each time for a crime he has not
committed.
The first incident is the result of the brothers'
hatred of Yusuf (as),
the second of Aziz's wife's love of Yusuf (as).

32. Parallels
Effect of Prophet Yusuf‟s(as) shirt
 First time, took Prophet Yaqub‟s (as) eye sight
 Second time brought it back

33. Highly Dramatic
Dramatic Element
 There are a large number of striking
scenes and many intensely dramatic
moments
 “They raced towards the door, and she ripped his
shirt from behind, and they found her master by
the door. She said, What could be the
punishment of him who intended evil with your
wife, except that he be imprisoned or (given) a
painful chastisement?.”
 [Yusuf:26]

34. Rich in irony
 Ayah No 25
 “They raced towards the door,..”
They were both
running physically
in the same
direction, but
spiritually and
emotionally, exactl
y opposite.

35. Human Element
 The Surah draws a sharp distinction between
good and bad characters,
 In spite of this crucial distinction, the
humanity of the characters is never
compromised:
 “She certainly desired him, and he
might have desired her, had he not seen
the proof from his Lord. Thus We did, to
turn evil and lewdness away from him.
Surely, he was one of Our chosen
servants.”(Yusuf 24)

36. Marvelous piece of Art
 Thestory begins with a
dream and ends with its
interpretation.
"O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven
stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them
prostrating themselves to me." (Ch 12:4)

37. Characters of the story
 Major Characters  Minor Characters
 a. Yaqub (as)  a. The Caravaneers
 b. Yusuf (as)  b. Aziz
 c. The Brothers  C. prison partners
 d. Aziz’s Wife  D. women of Egypt

38. Hero of the story
A protagonist (HERO) “One who plays the central
part, is the main character (the central or primary
personal figure) of a literary narrative, around whom
the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with
whom the audience is intended to most identify.”

39. Multi Dimensional Hero
Prophet Yusuf
(as)
So when they saw him, they found him
great, and (were so stunned that they) cut
their hands and said, .Oh God! He is no
human being. He is but a noble angel..
[Yusuf:32]

40. Who is a hero?

41. The classic hero
From Greek times Hero was one
person charged by fate to create an
act of tremendous courage in an
attempt to overcome a great
existential threat.

42. definition of a Modern day
hero
3. They are brave, wise, and caring.
4. They act by always putting others before
themselves.
5. They always think logically, and carefully
and plan out all decisions.
6. They take joy in seeing the happiness of
others. ,
7. protect and maintain the dignity of their
adversaries

43. 8.utilize fear as a means to show
courage,
9.crusade compassionately for those
unable to speak for themselves,
10.celebrate diversity for the
enrichment of mankind.

44. A hero deliberately and courageously
overcomes all the obstacles that are put
forward in his way to achieve the
highest moral grounds

45. Great Hero of history
Before we go on to prove
That Prophet Yusuf (as) was one of a
very few greatest heroes of History,
we must keep one thing in mind that
He was a real life hero and not a supernatural
charchter of a fiction created by any script writer.

47. Prophet Yusuf (as)
 Even as a young boy, Yusuf (as) was
shy, modest, and respectful. While telling his father
about the dream, he uses the word ra'aytu (4) twice.
This gives a clue to his character, hesitant to report
the dream to his father but still did;

Humble
and
wise

48. Apparent grace and poise
 In many incidents people tend to like hime even
before knowing him
 Aziz said, we might adopt him
 Women said, he is an angel
 Prison men said u look pious

49. Immeasurably virtuous
 “And
she, in whose house he
was, seduced him towards herself, and
bolted the doors, and said, .come on!.
He said, .I seek refuge with Allah.
Surely, he (your husband) is my
master. He has given me a good
lodging. Indeed, the wrongdoers do
not prosper..”

50. Immeasurably virtuous
 virtuous
 Self controlled
 Humble
 Loyal
 Buoyancy
 Civilized
 Grateful
 Straight forward

51. Meticulous, Contender, Fighter

 They raced towards the door..
He (Yusuf) said, .It was she who tried
to seduce me..

52. OYusuf, ignore this matter, and
you (O woman,) seek forgiveness
for your sin, for you were guilty in
fact..
[Yusuf:30]
Considerate and courteous

53. Immensely meticulous
 “He (Yusuf) said, .My Lord, the prison is dearer to
me than what these women invite me to do. If You do
not turn their guile away from me, I shall get inclined
towards them and shall be among the ignorant..”
[Yusuf:34]
He immediately sought refuge in Allah and sincerely
opened his heart to Him and begged for help. Great
sincerity and purity of heart are exemplified by his
behavior:
 exhibit a consistently high standard of morality and
conscience

54. Yusuf’s Character in dungeon
 Genial
 Easy going
During his prison term we observe a few other traits
of his personality.
"... Their mark is on their faces, the traces of
prostration..." (Surat al-Fath: 29)
 Yusuf must have distinguished himself in prison
as a man of upright character: the two young
men testify that he is a muhsin (36)

55. Yusuf’s Character in dungeon
“He said, .No food provided for you shall come to
you, but I can give you its description before it
comes to you. This is the knowledge my Lord
has given to me.”
 Intelligent
 Seeker (opportunist)
 Modest
 we see him as a person who takes his beliefs
seriously and propagates the truth he believes in
(35-40).

56. Excellent preacher
 the manner in which he presents his religious
convictions to them testifies to his astute intelligence.
 Thought provoking questions
 O my fellow prisoners, are different gods better or
Allah, the One, the All-Dominant?
[Yusuf:40]
 he also gave examples of past prophets, recalling
how they had all been part of the same Divine
religion.
 at the same time recalling Allah's name as the
Conqueror. Thus he tried both to get them to think
and to have awe of the glory of Allah.

57.  prison life, instead of breaking him
down, confirms him in his fierce sense
of honor. He was thrown into prison
because he put honor over immorality.
 After many years' imprisonment, his
spirit remains indomitable; he refuses
to come out of prison without making
sure that the plot of which he is an
innocent victim is laid open. Women of
Egypt

58.  “(Then Yusuf said), .That was because he
(the governor) may know that I did not
betray him in his absence, and that Allah
does not lead the guile of betrayers to
success.” [Yusuf:53]
 Honour
 Dignity
 wisdom

59. Beginning of new life
Test in the life of prosperity
 “The king said, .Bring him to me, and I shall
employ him purely for myself.. So, when he (the
king) talked to him, he said (to Yusuf), .Today you
are with us well-placed, fully trusted..”
[Yusuf:55]
 Yusuf is successful as a ruler and administrator. He
proves his claim (55) that he Is Just, Honest, And
Competent. And it is as a result of his benevolence
that foreigners come to him for aid during the years
of famine.

60. Wise planner
“ ”

61. Matchless, Generous heart
 “Hesaid, "No blame at all will fall on
you. Today you have forgiveness from
Allah. He is the Most Merciful of the
merciful." (Yusuf: 92)
 This behaviour on the part of Prophet Yusuf (as)
is an example to all the faithful

62.  “Later, when they came to Yusuf, he placed his
parents near himself and said, .Enter Egypt, God
willing, in peace..”
Obedient and respectful.
hospitality and subtlety of Prophet

63. Always humble and grateful
 … "My father, truly this is now the
interpretation of the dream I had. My
Lord has made it all come true; and He
was kind to me by letting me out of
prison and brought you from the desert
when satan had caused dissent
between me and my brothers. My Lord
is kind to anyone He wills. He is indeed
All-Knowing and All-Wise." ( Yusuf: 100)

64. Always Optimist
 Another characteristic of Prophet Yusuf
(as) that is noteworthy here is the way in
which he saw the positive side of
everything and interpreted everything in a
favourable manner. For example,
he said that Allah had done him a kindness
and freed him from the dungeon

65.  "My Lord, You have granted power to
me on earth and taught me the true
meaning of events. Originator of the
heavens and earth, You are my Friend in
this world and the Next. So take me as a
Muslim at my death and join me to the
people who are righteous." ( Yusuf: 101)
Final Supplication

66. Faith And Fear Of Allah.
 humble and fully conscious of the power of the baser
self to draw a person into sin and error
(wa mā ubarri'u nafsī inna 'l-nafsa
la'ammaratun bi 'l-sū'i, 53),
 That is why he not only prays to God for help against
temptations (24, 33, 53), he himself stays morally
alert, too.
 confirms the superiority of his moral values and
faith, greeting everything that happened to him with
submission to the will of Allah.

67.  Yusuf (as) was a hero and his
story in the Quran a
 masterpiece or a
miracle?

68. Conclusion
 Masterpieces are the work of
humans. Miracles are the work
of God. A miracle, any
miracle, is superior to the best
of masterpieces

69. Best way to teach
people is by
telling a story
Kenneth Blanchard

70. By revealing this Qur„an to you, we
hereby narrate to you the best
narrative, while before this you
were
among those
unaware (of it).
[Yusuf:4]

71. Let’s Fall in Love
with Surah Yusuf
All Over Again

72. Research Supported
by Ad Duha Institute
of Islamic Science