On the reason behind revealing Ayah (12:3), Ibn Jarir At-Tabari recorded that
`Abdullah bin `Abbas said, "They said, `O, Allah's Messenger! Why not narrate to
us stories' Later on, this Ayah was revealed,
[نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ
عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ]
(We relate unto you the best of stories...)'' There is a Hadith that is
relevant upon mentioning this honorable Ayah, which praises the Qur'an and
demonstrates that it is sufficient from needing all books besides it. Imam Ahmad
recorded a narration from Jabir bin `Abdullah that `Umar bin Al-Khattab came to
the Prophet with a book that he took from some of the People of the Book. `Umar
began reading it to the Prophet who became angry. He said,
«أَمُتَهَوِّكُونَ
فِيهَا يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ؟ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَقَدْ جِئْتُكُمْ
بِهَا بَيْضَاءَ نَقِيَّةً، لَا تَسْأَلُوهُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَيُخْبِرُوكُمْ بِحَقَ
فَتُكَذِّبُونَهُ، أَوْ بِبَاطِلٍ فَتُصَدِّقُونَهُ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ،
لَوْ أَنَّ مُوسَى كَانَ حَيًّا مَا وَسِعَهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَّبِعَنِي»
(Are you uncertain about it Ibn Al-Khattab By the One in Whose Hand is my
soul! I have come to you with it white and pure. Do not ask them about anything,
for they might tell you something true and you reject it, or they might tell you
something false and you believe it. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! If Musa
were living, he would have no choice but to follow me.) Imam Ahmad also recorded
a narration from `Abdullah bin Thabit who said, "`Umar came to Allah's Messenger
and said; `O Messenger of Allah! I passed by a brother of mine from [the tribe
of] Qurayzah, so he wrote some comprehensive statements from the Tawrah for me,
should I read them to you' The face of Allah's Messenger changed [with anger].
So I said to him, `Don't you see the face of Allah's Messenger'' `Umar said, `We
are pleased with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion, and Muhammad as our
Messenger.' So the anger of the Prophet subsided, and he said,
«وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ
مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ، لَوْ أَصْبَحَ فِيكُمْ مُوسَى ثُمَّ اتَّبَعْتُمُوهُ
وَتَرَكْتُمُونِي لَضَلَلْتُمْ، إِنَّكُمْ حَظِّي مِنَ الْأُمَمِ، وَأَنَا
حَظُّكُمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّين»
(By the One in Whose Hand is Muhammad's soul, if Musa appeared among you and
you were to follow him, abandoning me, then you would have strayed. Indeed you
are my share of the nations, and I am your share of the Prophets.)''
[إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ
لاًّبِيهِ يأَبتِ إِنِّى رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ
رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِى سَاجِدِينَ ]
(4. (Remember) when Yusuf said to his father: "O my father! Verily, I saw (in
a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon - I saw them prostrating
themselves to me.'')