Revealed in Mecca as 'the best of stories' (ahsan al-qasas) — the complete narrative of Prophet Yusuf. Revealed when the Quraysh tested the Prophet by asking about the story of Yusuf (as suggested by the Jewish rabbis). The surah consoles the Prophet and the Believers who faced persecution from their own families. Revealed in the Meccan period as part of the story of Yusuf, when Ya'qub (Jacob) instructs his sons not to despair of Allah's mercy.