Quddús and the Story of Joseph:

Abstract: The story of Joseph, son of Jacob, as told in the Book of Genesis and the Qur’án, has been widely interpreted as a parable of sacrifice, patience, and divine favor. Its significance has been explored across Judaic, Christian, Islamic, Bábí, and Bahá’í traditions. This paper examines how Quddús, the most outstanding disciple of the Báb, can be meaningfully understood through the lens of Joseph’s narrative. In one of His Writings, Bahá’u’lláh likens the figure of Quddús to that of Joseph. Rather than asserting a direct and absolute analogy, this study offers a typological framework for exploring shared motifs, including exile, leadership, trials, and ultimate vindication. A key objective is to provide a structured and reasoned approach to typological figuration, addressing both the possibilities and limits of drawing such comparisons.