DISCUSSION: THE FIGURE OF JOSEPH
The story of Joseph, found in
Chapter/Sūra 12 of the Quran, constitutes the longest continuous
narrative in the the Muslim scripture. Verse 4 of this chapter describes
the story as "the best of stories". Answer the following question on the discussion board. You may want to include quotations from the chapter in your answers.
- What character traits do you think the Quran wants to teach through the examples of Joseph and Jacob? In what ways does Joseph exemplify a role model muslim, i.e., submitter to God?
- If you have encountered another version of the Joseph story in scripture or popular culture, what differences stand out to you in the Quranic account? If this is the first time you are reading the Joseph story, what parts of the story make the biggest impression on you and why?