In the beginning of the Chapter...

In the beginning of the Chapter, Allah says: “We narrate to you (O’ Prophet) the most excellent of the narratives by (means of) what We have revealed to you this Qur’an.” [^4] While, in the concluding verse of this very chapter, He says: “Indeed (there) in the histories of theirs, is a lesson for men of understanding.” [^5] Indeed, one of the distinguished feats of the Qur’an is this very story of Yusuf (as), which it refers to as the ‘best of the narratives’, and at the end of which, it says: “In these stories there is a lesson for those, who desire to take a moral and adopt the path of the Perfect Men.” In this regard, Amirul Mo’minin (as), in Nahjul Balagha says to his son Imam Hasan (as): “Even though I have not reached the age, which those before me have, yet I have looked into their behaviour and reflected over the events of their lives.

I walked amongst their ruins till I was as one of them. In fact, by virtue of those of their affairs that have become known to me, it is as though I have lived with them from the first to the last. I have therefore been able to discern the impure from the clean and the benefit from the harm.

I have selected for you the choicest of those matters and collected for you their good points while keeping away from you the useless ones.” Years ago, I had written a book on ethics (for the treatment of vices), by the name of Ihyaul Qulub. Ever since, I had been reflecting over the idea of compiling a book on moral stories. It so happened that, divinely, an opportunity came up before me and with it the motivation for undertaking this assignment.

In spite of the lack of necessary books, I contented myself with those that were available and commenced the compilation of this book, recording four to five stories for every topic. I have certainly not come across any book which has been compiled in this fashion.

Books like Namunah-e-Ma’arif-e-Islam and Pand-e-Tarikh have been present for around 30 years and I have made use of them too (in the course of this collection), but in those books, Qur’anic verses, traditions, poems and analogies have all been accumulated together; whereas, I have sought to satisfy myself by mentioning only the stories, while abstaining from presenting considerations relating to Qur’anic verses, traditions, poems and analogies, which would not only have increased the size of the book but would also have made it difficult to understand for many of the readers.