Narrative and Meaning in Surah Yūsuf: A Critical Hermeneutic Analysis

Abstract

This study examines Surah Yūsuf through the lens of narrative ethics and hermeneutics, demonstrating how the Qur’an communicates moral guidance not only through explicit injunctions but through the design and coherence of its stories. By applying a critical hermeneutic framework informed by Gadamer and Ricoeur, the research traces how motifs such as dreams, betrayal, patience, and forgiveness structure meaning across the surah. Classical tafsīr traditions, including the works of al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, and Ibn Kathīr, are brought into dialogue with contemporary interpretive approaches to highlight both continuities and methodological tensions. The findings show that ethical insights in Surah Yūsuf emerge from its narrative arc and symbolic motifs, which reinforce Qur’anic values of restraint, justice, and reconciliation. In doing so, the study models a replicable hermeneutic method that honours exegetical tradition while addressing modern questions of morality, identity, and human resilience.