Yusuf 12:3 - Linguistic Miracle

We alone narrate to you step by step, the best of all stories/ the best story/ in the best manner; because of Us revealing this majestic Quran to you. While before it, you were among the heedless.

In the sentence "We alone walk you step by step...", the pronoun We is repeated two times. A literal translation would be "We; we walk you step by step." This is a common usage in Arabic rhetoric (Balaghah) and it indicates exclusivity. We alone - and nobody else - narrate to you step by step... These stories are being revealed by Allah alone, nobody else. In the previous verse, I mentioned that the word Truly (إن) was used because the listeners were skeptical and in doubt regarding the origin of these verses. So to remove their doubts regarding the origin of where the Prophet was receiving this, Allah used the word إن (Truly). This verse emphasizes that again by using the pronoun We two times. Allah alone is sending this down to him, no one else is the source of this.

Allah again uses the plural of majesty We, remaining consistent with the previous verses that first used the distant demonstrative pronoun to highlight the lofty status of these verses as well as the plural of majesty in the previous verse to refer to the lofty status of Allah, the source of these lofty verses. Staying true to this theme, Allah again uses the plural of majesty We for Himself rather than I.

You can see that a central point being made so far in this whole passage is that these verses are lofty and high in status. It then clarified that this lofty status is because these verses lead us to develop Aql - deep and thorough understanding that changes the way we act and behave, unlike other versions of this story of Yusuf which lack this quality. Those versions simply narrate what happened with Yusuf and his brothers but the Quran narrates their story in such a way that it changes the way we live our lives.

Then in this verse, it uses the pronoun We two times to convey that Allah alone and nobody else is the source of these verses.

These verses are lofty and high in status because they develop Aql in the one who listens to them. The reason why these verses possess the ability to change us and the way we live our lives is because Allah alone and nobody else, is their source.

All of this entails that Allah - the source of these verses - must be lofty and high in status as well. Therefore, the plural of majesty is being used.

Next the phrase Ahsan al Qasas is normally translated as the best of stories. Generally people have taken it to mean that this story of Yusuf is the best of all the stories in the Quran but this is not what it means. Ahsan al Qasas can mean a number of things if we look at its linguistics.

1. We narrate to you step by step the story of Yusuf in the best way possible. This is based on the fact that the word Qasas (stories) is being used in the meaning of its object (مفعول) which Ibn Ashur, Razi and others have mentioned. Explaining this in English is too difficult and hence I will simply mention what this implies. The story of Yusuf is present in other scriptures as well but the version found in the Quran is the best of all of them. I explained in the previous verse that this is because the story of Yusuf in the Quran produces Aql - deep understanding that changes us. Other versions outside the Quran lack this.
2. We narrate to you all the stories in the best manner; not just the story of Yusuf. This is again based on the fact that the word Qasas is being used in the meaning of its object. The phrase is open ended and can apply in general to all stories of the Quran. Many stories mentioned in the Quran are present in the Hebrew and Christian Bible but the way Quran recounts those stories is the best. This would imply that all the stories mentioned in the Quran lead to deep understanding that changes the way we live; not just the story of Yusuf.
3. We narrate to you step by step the best of the story of Yusuf. The Quran's account of Yusuf and what happened with him is significantly shorter than the version in Genesis. The Quran is mentioning only those parts that are needed for our guidance. For example, the Quran does not mention the minister's name, or the name of other characters but the Bible does. These names do not serve our guidance. What will we do if we learn their names? The important thing is not their names but what happened because the events that happened serve to guide and change us. Even among those events, Quran mentions those that are needed. The Quran's account of Yusuf's story is significantly shorter yet it captures all that happened. It is remarkable in that respect and the eloquence of it is second to none. You will notice again and again that the Quran's account will leave out unnecessary details as we will see In sha Allah.
4. We narrate to you step by step the best of all stories not just the stories of Yusuf. This expands what I mentioned above in point number three to all the stories mentioned in the Quran; not just the story of Yusuf.
5. We narrate to you the best story that we have revealed to you. This is the meaning that people unanimously accept but the truth is that this meaning is the least likely of what I have mentioned. Based on the language, the four meanings mentioned above are all equally valid and I see no reason why the Quran does not mean all the four meanings at the same time. This meaning though, is linguistically and contextually weak.

Next the preposition Ba denotes causal meaning and hence the preposition Ba, in this ayah, means because. The Quran narrates the stories of Yusuf and other Prophets in the best manner possible and in such a way that it changes us; because We (Allah) revealed it to Muhammad. This is a proof for the Quranic origin being Divine. These stories are narrated in the best manner possible and they will change you if you understand them; only because Allah is the source of these stories; because Allah is sending them down.

The plural of majesty is again used for Allah in the sentence "Because of Us revealing this majestic Quran to you" - consistent with the overall theme so far.

Next the demonstrative pronoun this in "because of Us revealing this majestic Quran to you" is also for the sake of grandeur and magnification. Demonstrative pronouns in Arabic denote actual meanings which differ according to the context. Here in this sentence, the demonstrative pronoun this is also in meanings of grandeur and majesty. Hence, I translated this sentence as "because of Us revealing this majestic Quran to you" even though the verse does not contain the word majestic.

You can notice that again and again, the pronoun of majesty is being for Allah; then Allah is repeatedly emphasizing that the source of the Quran is Allah and nobody else. He used the إن (Truly) in the previous verse to emphasize that it Allah Himself who is sending down this Quran and in this verse, He used the pronoun We two times to say that We alone sent it down and nobody else. Then we can also see that Allah is again and again emphasizing the greatness of the Quran. He called it Mubeen in the first verse, then explained that the Quran is distinguished and exclusive in that it leads to deep understanding that changes us the way we live and act; then He stated that the Quran mentions the stories in the best manner possible, and then He again emphasized the greatness and majesty of the Quran by using the demonstrative pronoun this which also denotes majesty and greatness in this verse while again using the majestic pronoun Us for Himself when He again mentions that We (Allah) revealed it to you and no one else in the sentence 'Because of Us revealing this majestic Quran to you.'

All of this is emphasizing one simple fact. The source of the Quran is the majestic and lofty one - Allah and no one else. Since the source of the Quran is Majestic and lofty, the Quran itself is majestic and lofty. It is also emphasizing it the other way around. Since the Quran is majestic and lofty, its source must be majestic and lofty as well. All of this is being said at the start of the Surah which makes all of this an open challenge. What you are about to read in this Surah is lofty, majestic and possesses greatness; and because what you will read in this Surah is majestic and lofty, it necessarily means that its source must be lofty and majestic as well; which is Allah.

Allah is presenting Surah Yusuf as a proof that the Quran is divine. Surah Yusuf proves that the Quran is from God.

Hence, a thorough study of this Surah is absolutely crucial and critical. Let us take the Quran for its word and test it.

Then it says "While you, before it, were among the heedless." Before this was sent down, the Prophet had no knowledge regarding Yusuf and his story. This is again emphasizing that the Quran is from Allah and not from the Prophet. The Prophet had no knowledge of Yusuf before this Surah was revealed. Allah alone is the source of this Quran, not the Prophet.

Now we come back to the word Mubeen in the first verse which means something that separates. We mentioned in the previous verse why this Surah is Mubeen but now, after reading this verse, we can add one more reason why Surah Yusuf is Mubeen. Surah Yusuf will prove that the Quran is from God and in doing so, it will separate God's word from others.