and their obedience, piety, and patient perseverance in what they did were greater than Joseph’s obedience, worship, and piety. Those are the messengers of firm resolve whom Allah singled out for mention in His words:

“And when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary.”

Allah Most High also said:

“He has ordained for you the religion He enjoined upon Noah, and that which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: uphold the religion and do not become divided in it.”

They are the ones from whom the nations will seek intercession on the Day of Resurrection. The Seal of the Messengers was commanded to follow their example in patience, being told:

“So be patient, as the messengers of firm resolve were patient, and do not seek to hasten their punishment.”

Their accounts are therefore better than the account of Joseph. This is why Allah repeated them in the Quran, especially the account of Moses. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: “The finest account concerning the prophets is the account of Allah speaking to Moses.”

The point here is that, concerning His words, “the best of narratives,” some have said that the expression is a verbal noun, while others have said that it is a direct object. The two interpretations entail one another.

The correct view, however, is that al-qasas (“narrative”) functions as a direct object. Although originally a verbal noun, it came to be used predominantly for what is recounted, as with khabar (“report”) and naba’ (“tidings”). Usage indicates this, as explained earlier, and lexicographers have acknowledged it. Al-Jawharī said:

“One says, ‘He recounted the report to him,’ using qasas as the verbal noun. The noun is also qasas, with a short a vowel; it was used in place of the verbal noun until it came to predominate.”

Thus His words, “the best of narratives,” are like saying, “We tell you the best of reports,” and “We inform you of the best of tidings,”