آفاق الحضارة الاسلامية

آفاق الحضارة الاسلامية

Grammatical Tense in the Story of Joseph: A Comparative Analysis of Surah Yusuf and the Book of Genesis Based on Gérard Genette's Method

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Aliasghar Yari Estahbanati 1
Morteza Arab 2
AliAsghar Shahbazi 3
1 Assistant Professor of Arabic language and literature, Faculty of Law and Theology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
2 Assistant Professor of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Law and Theology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
3 Imam Khomeini International University
10.30465/afg.2026.52036.2198
Abstract
Narratology, as a branch of literary criticism, analyzes the temporal structure of narratives. In Narrative Discourse, Gérard Genette defined grammatical tense through three elements: order, duration, and frequency. This study examines the story of Joseph in two prominent religious narratives: Surah Yusuf (the Holy Qur'an) and the Book of Genesis (the Torah, chapters 37–50). The aim is to assess the applicability of Genette's theory to religious texts and to demonstrate the similarities and differences in the temporal structure between these two narratives. In Surah Yusuf, extensive temporal displacements (analepsis and prolepsis) appear, while duration focuses on pivotal points with intermittent ellipsis, and repetitive frequency emphasizes moral lessons. In contrast, the Book of Genesis is characterized by a more linear structure, with limited temporal displacements, a more balanced duration with more frequent pauses, and a frequency that highlights historical details. This study, which follows a descriptive-analytical method, concludes that both narratives use time to achieve their religious goals: more precisely, in the Qur'an for divine wisdom and admonition, and in the Torah for documenting the life and history of the people. This analysis confirms that Genette's theory, despite its Western roots, is applicable to religious texts, but the function of time differs in each narrative according to theological intention.

Keywords: Surah Yusuf, Book of Genesis, grammatical tense, Gérard Genette.

Introduction
The story of Joseph (Yusuf) is the only narrative in the Qur'an described as “the best of stories” (12:3). It is also one of the most extended continuous narratives in the Book of Genesis (chapters 37–50). Although both texts share the same core plot — a beloved son betrayed by his brothers, enslaved, imprisoned, elevated to power, and finally reunited with his family — their narrative architectures differ significantly. Gérard Genette, in Narrative Discourse (1980), provides a precise analytical tool for examining such differences through the concept of grammatical tense, which he divides into three components: order (the relationship between the chronological sequence of events and their arrangement in the text, including anachronies such as analepsis/flashback and prolepsis/flashforward), duration (the ratio between story time and narrative text length, manifesting as scene, ellipsis, pause, or summary), and frequency (how many times an event is narrated relative to how many times it occurs: singulative, repetitive, iterative). The present study applies this tripartite model to answer two research questions: (1) To what extent is Genette's theory, rooted in Western literary criticism, applicable to religious scriptures? (2) How do the distinct temporal structures of Surah Yusuf and Genesis reflect their respective theological goals — transcendental wisdom and moral lesson in the Qur'an versus historical documentation and covenantal memory in the Torah?

Materials and Methods
The primary materials are the Arabic text of Surah Yusuf (Qur'an 12:1–111) and the Hebrew text of Genesis 37–50, consulted in standard translations (Saheeh International for the Qur'an; New Revised Standard Version for Genesis). The study adopts a descriptive‑analytical comparative method. Genette's framework (as elaborated in Narrative Discourse and Narrative Discourse Revisited) is applied systematically to both texts. To avoid imposing an external literary model onto sacred scriptures, the analysis is supplemented by classical and modern exegetical works (e.g., al‑Ṭabarī, al‑Ṭabāṭabāʾī, and Alter) and informed by Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutical theory of threefold mimesis (prefiguration, configuration, refiguration), which justifies contemporary narrative readings of ancient religious texts. Each component of grammatical tense is examined separately: order (analepses and prolepses, both external and internal, as well as mixed anachronies), duration (the four rhythmic modes), and frequency (singulative, repetitive, iterative). The analysis then compares the results between the two narratives.

Discussion and Results
Order: In Surah Yusuf, anachronies are abundant and often complex. External analepses (e.g., Q. 12:1–2 referring to the revelation of the Qur'an itself) establish a metaphysical frame; internal prolepses (e.g., the childhood dream in Q. 12:4, fulfilled in Q. 12:100) create suspense and emphasise divine foreknowledge. Mixed anachronies (e.g., Q. 12:21, combining a prolepsis of Joseph's future power with an implicit analepsis of earlier divine teaching) highlight God's pervasive agency. In Genesis, order is predominantly linear. Analepses are short and mostly internal, clarifying family background (e.g., Gen. 37:1–2 linking back to Isaac and Abraham). Prolepses are rare and implicit; Joseph's dreams (Gen. 37:5–9) are reported without immediate divine commentary. Thus, the Qur'an uses complex order to foreground transcendent causality, whereas Genesis uses linear order to narrate a historical family chronicle. Duration: Surah Yusuf displays a fast rhythm. Ellipsis and summary dominate (e.g., Joseph’s years in prison are condensed into “a few years” in Q. 12:42). Scenes (isochrony) are reserved for key dialogic moments (e.g., the temptation by Potiphar's wife, Q. 12:23–29). Pauses are extremely brief and didactic (e.g., the king’s dream, Q. 12:43). Genesis, by contrast, has a more balanced rhythm: scenes are frequent and extended (e.g., the brothers’ conspiracy, Gen. 37:18–27); pauses are longer, providing descriptive and genealogical details (e.g., Pharaoh’s dream in Gen. 41:1–7; the list of names in Gen. 46:8–25); summary and ellipsis are used but do not dominate. Hence, the Qur'an’s accelerated pace focuses attention on exemplary moments of moral trial and divine intervention, while Genesis’s measured pace allows for historical thickening and character development. Frequency: In Surah Yusuf, the singulative mode (one event narrated once) provides clarity. The repetitive mode (one event narrated several times) is used strategically for moral emphasis — most notably, the attempted seduction by Potiphar’s wife is related three times (Q. 12:23–29, 32, 51), each time revealing a different moral or legal aspect. The iterative mode (several events narrated once) generalises divine patterns (e.g., “Thus did We establish Joseph in the land”). In Genesis, the singulative predominates throughout, ensuring a straightforward historical sequence. Repetitive narration is rare (e.g., Pharaoh’s dream is told twice, Gen. 41:1–7 and 41:17–21) but serves to confirm the dream’s divine origin. Iterative summaries are practical rather than symbolic (e.g., “Joseph went out over the land of Egypt”). Thus, repetition in the Qur'an is pedagogical; in Genesis, it is evidentiary.

Conclusion
This comparative analysis demonstrates that Genette’s theory of grammatical tense is not only applicable to religious narratives but also reveals their distinctive theological functions. Both Surah Yusuf and Genesis employ temporal manipulation to affirm divine providence. However, the Qur’an uses complex anachrony, fast duration, and pedagogical repetition to transform the story into a timeless lesson about God’s wisdom, human jealousy, patience, and forgiveness. The Torah, through linear order, balanced duration, and predominantly singulative frequency, constructs the same story as a foundational memory of the people of Israel, tracing the covenant from the patriarchs to the Egyptian sojourn. The difference is not accidental: it reflects the Quranic emphasis on ‘ibrah (admonition) versus the Biblical emphasis on tôledôt (generations/history). Future research could apply Genette’s other categories (mood and voice) to the same narratives or extend this comparative method to other shared prophetic stories (e.g., Moses, Noah).
Keywords
: Surah Yusuf, Book of Genesis, grammatical tense, Gé
rard Genette
Subjects

زمان نحوی در روایت یوسف:

تحلیلی تطبیقی از سورهٔ یوسف و سفر تکوین بر اساس رویکرد ژرار ژنت

علی‌اصغر ياری اصطهباناتی*

مرتضی عرب**

علی‌‌اصغر شهبازی***

 

چکیده

روایت‌شناسی به عنوان شاخه‌ای از نقد ادبی، ساختار زمانی روایت‌ها را تحلیل می‌کند. «ژرار ژنت» در کتاب «گفتمان روایی»، زمان نحوی را در سه عنصر نظم، تداوم و بسامد تعریف کرده است. این پژوهش به بررسی داستان یوسف در دو روایت دینی برجسته، یعنی سورهٔ یوسف (قرآن کریم) و سفر تکوین (تورات، ابواب ۳۷ تا ۵۰) می‌پردازد. هدف، ارزیابی قابلیت کاربست نظریهٔ ژنت بر متون دینی و نشان دادن شباهت‌ها و تفاوت‌های ساختار زمانی میان این دو روایت است. در سورهٔ یوسف، دگرگونی‌های زمانی گسترده (پیش‌آیندگی و پس‌آیندگی) دیده می‌شود، در حالی که تداوم بر نقاط محوری متمرکز است و حذف‌های گسسته دارد. همچنین بسامدِ مکرر بر عبرت‌های اخلاقی تأکید می‌کند. در مقابل، سفر تکوین ساختاری خطی‌تر دارد، با دگرگونی‌های زمانی محدود، تداومی متعادل‌تر همراه با مکث‌های بیشتر، و بسامدی که جزئیات تاریخی را برجسته می‌سازد. این پژوهش که با روش توصیفی-تحلیلی انجام شده، به این نتیجه می‌رسد که هر دو روایت از زمان برای دستیابی به اهداف دینی خود استفاده می‌کنند؛ به عبارت دقیق‌تر، در قرآن برای حکمت الهی و عبرت‌آموزی، و در تورات برای مستندسازی زندگی و تاریخ قوم بنی‌اسرائیل. این تحلیل تأکید می‌کند که نظریهٔ ژنت، باوجود ریشه‌های غربی‌اش، بر متون دینی قابل تطبیق است، اما کارکرد زمان در هر روایت بنا بر نیتِ الهیاتی متفاوت است.

کلیدواژه‌ها: سورهٔ یوسف، سفر تکوین، زمان نحوی، ژرار ژنت.


* استاديار بخش زبان و ادبيات عربي، دانشكده حقوق و الهيات، دانشگاه شهيد باهنر كرمان، كرمان،‌ايران (نويسنده مسئول) ayari@uk.ac.ir  

** استاديار بخش الهيات، دانشكده حقوق و الهيات، دانشگاه شهيد باهنر كرمان، كرمان،‌ايران morteza.arab@uk.ac.ir 

*** استاديار بخش زبان و ادبيات عربي، دانشكده ادبيات و علوم انساني، دانشگاه بين‌المللي امام خميني قزوين، قزوين،‌ايران shahbazi@hum.ikiu.ac.ir

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Talāyī, Faramarz, Farahmand Sarābī, Mohammad, Valīzādeh, Vadodo, Jalālat, Faramarz. (2023). An analysis of narrative time in the story of Moses (AS) based on Gérard Genette’s viewpoint with emphasis on the Quran. Quranic Studies, 14(56), 185-212. [in Persian]
Ṣāleḥī, Peyman, Akbar Nezhād, Mahdi, (2016). An analysis of the concept of apocalypse and its relation to stylistics with emphasis on the story of Yusuf (AS) in the Holy Quran. Pajūheshnāmeh-ye ʿErfān, 8(15), 199-224. [in Persian]
 
آفاق الحضارة الاسلامية

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 June 2026

  • Receive Date 23 May 2025
  • Revise Date 15 May 2026
  • Accept Date 19 May 2026
  • Publish Date 10 June 2026