Narratological Re-reading of Prophet Yusuf and Zulaikha Story

The story of Prophet Yusuf and Zulaikha is one of the fascinating stories of the Holy Qur’an. One of the points of dispute is this section of the Holy Qur’an”… he would have made for her [too] had he not beheld the proof of his God ”. The significance of the sentence includes two parts: What does “…he would have made for her [too]…” mean? And what is the meaning of “…had he not beheld the proof of his God”? The objective of the current research is shedding enough light upon the true meaning of the afore-mentioned sentence. Accordingly, by utilizing the methodology of content analysis and narratology (White, ۱۹۷۳), verses ۲۳ and ۲۴ of Surah Yusuf have been analyzed thoroughly and meticulously to ultimately clarify the ambiguous points. The result of the study shows that the phrase “…he would have made for her [too]…” could be elaborated on in two ways: it can mean a physical confrontation with Zulaikha and it can also mean an intention similar to Zulaikha’s intention and will. The significance of “…had he not beheld the proof of his God” squarely depends on the meaning obtained from “…he would have made for her [too]…” In the first interpretation, the observation of the proof of his God describes Prophet Yusuf as a pious person whom God helps thanks to his steady piety, and in the second interpretation, the observation of the proof of God portrays the infallibility and impeccability of Prophet Yusuf which hinders him to succumb to sordid penchants and intentions.

Keywords:

Prophet Yusuf , Zulaikha , God’s Proof , piety , Infallibility of Prophets , Quranic Narratives