When and Why Revealed?
The subject matter of this Surah suggests that it was given at a time when the Quraish were debating whether to kill, exile, or imprison the Holy Prophet during his final days in Makkah. The question "Why did the Israelites travel to Egypt?" was asked at that time by some non-believers as a test (possibly at the Jews' request). They raised this inquiry because they were aware that the Arabs were unaware of their tale because it was never mentioned in any of their oral traditions and the Holy Prophet never even alluded to it. They thus anticipated that he would either be unable to provide an acceptable response to this question or would initially try to avoid it before attempting to find out the answer from a Jew, leaving him completely exposed. They didn't anticipate the tables to turn on them, though, as Allah immediately revealed the entirety of the Prophet Joseph tale, which the Holy Prophet subsequently recited. This put the Quraish in a difficult situation because it not only thwarted their plan but also issued a warning to them by aptly applying it to their circumstance, as if to say, "As you are behaving toward this Prophet, exactly in the same way the brothers of Prophet Joseph behaved toward him; so you shall meet with the same end."

Objects of Revelation
It is evident from the foregoing that this Surah was revealed for two purposes:
The first goal was to provide Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) with the Prophethood proof that his opponents had specifically asked, in order to demonstrate unequivocally that his knowledge was not derived from hearsay but rather from Revelation. This point has been made clear in both the verses that introduce it and the section that follows.
The second goal was to apply it to the Quraish and warn them that the Holy Prophet would finally triumph over them in their battle. Since they were at that time treating their brother, the Holy Prophet, in a manner similar to how Prophet Joseph's brothers had treated him. It was implied to the Quraish that they would fall short in their nefarious plans just as Prophet Joseph's brothers had, even after hurling him into the well. This is so that no one can thwart the Divine will. And just as the brothers of the Prophet Joseph had to submit to him, so too would the Quraish one day have to ask their brother, whom they had been trying to crush down, for pardon. This has also been made very clear in verse 7: Indeed, there are indicators in this account of Joseph and his brothers for these Quraish inquirers.
The Quran had made a bold and unequivocal forecast by relating this account to the struggle, and the events that transpired over the course of the next ten years literally fulfilled that prophecy. A mere two years had elapsed since its revelation when the Quraish plotted to assassinate the Holy Prophet, much like Prophet Joseph's brothers had done. As a result, he was forced to leave Makkah for Al-Madinah, where he attained the same level of influence that Prophet Joseph had in Egypt. Once more, the Quraish were ultimately forced to submit to him in a state of humility, much like the Prophet Joseph's brothers did when they humbly asked, "Prophet Joseph graciously pardoned them (even though he had the power to exact vengeance on them) and said, "Today no penalty shall be inflicted on you. Allah rewards richly those who show mercy" (v. 88). May Allah pardon you: He is the greatest of the pardoners " (v. 92). The same act of mercy was shown again when, following the capture of Makkah, the crestfallen Quraish bowed low before the Holy Prophet, who was fully authorized to exact his revenge on them for all of their atrocities. But he just asked them, "What treatment do you anticipate from me now?" instead. You are a generous brother and the son of a generous brother, they retorted. When he heard this, he immediately forgave them and said, "I will respond to your plea in the same manner as Joseph responded to his brothers: "Today, no penalty shall be placed upon you: you are forgiven."

Topics of Discussion
The Quran has made it clear throughout the narrative that the Faith of Prophets Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph (Allah's peace be upon them all) was the same as that of Prophet Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him), and they invited the people to the same Message that Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) was inviting them to. Furthermore, the Quran does not relate this story as a mere narrative but uses it, as usual, for the propagation of the Message
Then it juxtaposes the characters of Prophet Jacob and Prophet Joseph with those of the brothers of Joseph, the travelers, the court dignitary, Al Aziz of Egypt and his wife, the Egyptian "ladies," and the country's rulers, as if to ask the reader to "Compare the former characters molded by Islam on the foundation of the worship of Allah and accountability in the Hereafter with the latter characters molded by kufr and "irshad"."
This tale has been utilized by the Qur'an to illustrate another truth: whatever Allah wills, He does it in whatever case, and man is never able to stop Him from carrying out His plans through his counterplans, stop them from happening, or alter them in any way. Nay, it frequently occurs that a man will take a step in the direction of his own design, believing that he has done exactly what would accomplish that goal, only to discover to his dismay that what he actually did was contrary to his own goals and beneficial to the divine purpose. The Prophet Joseph's brothers thought they had finally removed the impediment to their progress when they threw him into the well, but in reality, they had opened the door for God to use him as the ruler of Egypt, forcing them to eventually submit to him. Similarly, the wife of Aziz sent Prophet Joseph to prison, thinking that she had exacted her revenge on him, but in reality, she had given him the chance to rule Egypt and put herself in the embarrassing position of confessing her own guilt in public.
And these are not the only cases that demonstrate the fact that even if the entire world banded together to bring down the person that Allah intended to promote to a high position, they would not be successful. No, Allah utilized the brothers' extremely "sure and successful" means to humiliate Joseph for Joseph's prosperity and for the humiliation and shame of his brothers. On the other hand, if Allah intended for one to fall, no effort, no matter how successful, could cause him to rise; in fact, it contributed to his downfall and the shame of those who followed him.
The narrative also teaches important lessons for individuals who want to follow Allah's path. The first lesson it imparts is that one should keep their goals, objects, and measures within the parameters established by the Divine Law because Allah alone determines whether they are successful or unsuccessful. Therefore, even if one pursues morally upright goals and legal means but fails, one will at least avoid shame and ignominy. The person who pursues an impure goal and uses illegal means to accomplish it, on the other hand, will not only unavoidably suffer ignominy and shame in the Hereafter, but also faces the chance of experiencing ignominy and disgrace in the present.
The second lesson it teaches is that those who work for the cause of truth and righteousness and who put their faith in Allah and entrust all of their affairs to Him receive comfort and consolation from Him. This enables them to face their opponents with courage and confidence and to remain steadfast in the face of what may appear to be terrifying actions from their powerful enemies. They will continue working without fear and leave the outcome in Allah's hands.
The most important lesson, however, is that if a believer has authentic Islamic character and is given with wisdom, he may rule a whole nation only on the basis of the power of his character. The wonderful example of Prophet Joseph demonstrates to us that a man of lofty and pure character succeeds even in the most trying situations. Prophet Joseph was only a youngster of seventeen years old, a foreigner, completely alone, and without any sustenance when he traveled to Egypt; in fact, he had been sold there as a slave. And every history student is aware of the deplorable conditions that the slaves endured throughout that period. Then he was imprisoned indefinitely and accused with a horrible moral crime. But despite his suffering, he had the strongest moral character traits that propelled him to the nation's top period.

Historical and Geographical Background
Understanding the story will be aided by the following geographical and historical information:
Prophet Jacob's son, Prophet Isaac's grandson, and Prophet Abraham's great-grandson, Prophet Joseph, were all prophets (Allah's peace be upon them all). Prophet Jacob reportedly had twelve sons from four wives, according to the Bible (which is also supported by allusions in the Quran). Prophet Joseph and his younger brother Benjamin were descended from a single wife, while the other eleven were descended from many other brides. Prophet Jacob had established himself in Hebron (Palestine), where his father Prophet Isaac had resided before him, and where Prophet Abraham had also owned land in Shechem.
Biblical experts have determined that Prophet Joseph was born in or around 906 B.C., and the incident that begins this account took place in or around 890 B.C. He was thrown into the well when he was seventeen and witnessed the dream. According to Biblical and Talmudic traditions, this well was close to Dothan to the north of Shechem, and the caravan that pulled him out of the well was traveling from Gilead (Trans-Jordan) to Egypt.
The rulers of Egypt's fifteenth dynasty at the time are known historically as the Hyksos kings. They belonged to the Arab race, but around 2000 B.C., they moved from Palestine and Syria to Egypt and took control of the territory. Their name as the Amaliq (the Amalekites) by Arab historians and Quranic scholars has been confirmed by modern Egyptological research. They were foreign invaders who took advantage of the country's internal conflicts to establish their own kingdom. Because of this, there was no discrimination against the Prophet Joseph's rise to power or the Children of Israel's subsequent settling in the most productive area of Egypt. Because they shared a race with the foreign tyrants of Egypt, they were able to acquire the power and influence that they did.
The Israelites continued to hold virtually all of the power during the Hyksos' dominance of Egypt, which lasted until the end of the fifteenth century B.C. This is mentioned in verse 20 of Surah Al-Ma'idah of the Quran: "...He raised Prophets among you and created you rulers." The Amalekites were roughly 250,000 strong when a powerful nationalist movement destroyed their dynasty and drove them into exile. As a result, a particularly intolerant Coptic dynasty seized control and destroyed everything related to the Amalekites. Then the Israelites were subjected to the persecution that has been mentioned in relation to the life of Prophet Moses.
The "Hyksos rulers" imported their own gods from Syria in order to spread their own religion in Egypt because they did not recognize the Egyptian gods, according to Egypt's history. This is the reason the Bible incorrectly refers to the king who lived during the time of Prophet Joseph as "Pharaoh," as this title was associated with the religion of the original people of Egypt and the Hyksos did not believe in it. The Quran, however, does not refer to this king by the title of "Pharaoh." It seems that all Egyptian kings were mistakenly considered "Pharaohs" by the Bible's editors.
Apophis was the Hyksos ruler, who was the Prophet Joseph's contemporaries, according to the majority of modern research experts who have compared the Bible and Egyptian history.
Egypt's capital at the time was Memphis, whose ruins may still be seen on the Nile four miles south of Cairo. Prophet Joseph was 17 or 18 years old when he was transported there. At the age of 30, he became the monarch of the land and ruled Egypt on his own for eighty years after spending three years in the house of Aziz and nine years in prison. He ordered his father, Prophet Jacob, to travel from Palestine to Egypt in the ninth or tenth year of his reign. The Bible states that he then placed his family in the land of Goshen, where they remained up until the time of Prophet Moses. According to the Bible, Prophet Joseph swore an oath to his relatives before he died: "You must take my bones out of this land with you when you go back to the home of your ancestors. He passed away at the age of 110, and they embalmed him."
Although the intricacies of the Prophet Joseph account as told in the Quran and the Bible and Talmud are quite different, the Three typically concur on its essential elements. When and when it is essential, we will discuss the differences in our Explanatory Notes.

Surahs - Page 2