Surah Yusuf 12:94-104 - Quran Translation Commentary

(12:96) Then, as the bearer of good tiding came to him, he laid it on his face and once again he became seeing. He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know from Allah what you do not know?’

(12:97) They said, ‘O our father! Seek Allah’s forgiveness for our sins, certainly, we have been sinners indeed.’

(12:98) He said, ‘Presently I shall seek forgiveness for you from my Lord.¹⁴¹ Indeed He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’

(12:99) When they entered upon Yusuf he drew his parents unto himself and said, ‘Enter into Egypt in peace, Allah willing.’

(12:100) He raised his parents to the throne¹⁴² and they fell in prostration to him.¹⁴³ He remarked, ‘O my father. This is the fulfillment of my vision of old. My Lord made it come true. He was indeed good to me when He brought me out of the prison¹⁴⁴ and brought you out of the desert¹⁴⁵ after Shaytan had stirred (strife) between me and my brothers. Surely, my Lord is Subtle (in doing) what He will.¹⁴⁶ Indeed, He is the All-Knowing, the All-wise.’

(12:101) ‘My Lord! You have given me some power, and taught me the interpretation of dreams, O the Originator of the heavens and the earth. You are my Protector in this world and the next. Take my soul as one submitted, and admit me into the company of the righteous.’¹⁴⁷

(12:102) This is of the tidings of the Unseen that We reveal unto you.¹⁴⁸ You were not by them when they put together their plan and conspired.

(12:103) Yet, most people - even if you wished eagerly – are not going to believe.¹⁴⁹

(12:104) Although you do not ask them wages for it. It is only a reminder unto all beings.

Commentary

139. Several reports have come down from Ibn `Abbas which say that Ya`qub felt Yusuf’s smell from a distance of eight-day’s travel, that is, as Ibn Abi Hudhayl said, the distance between Kufa and Busra (Ibn Jarir).

140. The word “tufannidun” carries several shades of meaning. (i) “If you will not call me foolish”, (ii) “if you will not think that old-age has advanced”, (iii) that “my mind has suffered loss”, (iv) “if you will not call me lies,” are several connotations that are hidden in the word - all those things that happen to a man as he advances in age (Ibn Jarir from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and others).

141. For Ya`qub’s sons, no reward could have been better than this one: that a Prophet should pray for their forgiveness. This was the reward bestowed on “the three whose case was deferred after the Tabuk expedition,” after their repentance had been accepted (Qurtubi). See Surah Tawbah, verse 118.

Ibn Mas`ud’s opinion is that Ya`qub delayed the supplications until the pre-dawn hour. In fact, Ibn Mas`ud himself used to make his supplications at that time. Ibn Daththar says: “I had an uncle who, on his way to the mosque, would hear the voice of a man emerging from a house, ‘O Allah, You beckoned me and I answered. You commanded and I obeyed. Now it is close to the dawn, so forgive me.’ He found out that it was Ibn Mas`ud’s house. He asked him about those words and Ibn Mas`ud said, “That was the time Ya`qub had in mind when he said, ‘I shall soon seek forgiveness of your sins from my Lord’” (Ibn Jarir).

142. Ibn `Abbas, Suddi, Dahhak, Mujahid and Qatadah have said that the ‘Arsh of the text alludes to a long couch (Ibn Jarir).

In ancient times thrones were of various kinds. Some were like heavy chairs. Others were divan-like, long and wide, large enough to accommodate several people, although, normally, it was the king or the high official who occupied it. When they wished to honor someone, they gave him a place on it by their side (Au.).

143. Ibn `Abbas, Qatadah, Sufyan, Ibn Jurayj and others have said that Yusuf’s parents and his eleven brothers prostrated themselves to Yusuf. It was a prostration of respect and greeting and not of worship (Ibn Jarir).

Ibn Kathir adds: When Mu`adh b. Jabal visited the Syrian region, he found the people there prostrating themselves to priests. When he returned, he said to the Prophet,

أَرَأَيْتَ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ يَسْجُدُونَ لأَسَاقِفَتِهِمْ وَبَطَارِقَتِهِمْ ؟ أَفَلا نَسْجُدُ لَكَ ؟ قَالَ : لَوْ كُنْتُ آمِرًا أَحَدًا أَنْ يَسْجُدَ لأَحَدٍ لأَمَرْتُ الْمَرْأَةَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِزَوْجَهَا

“Do you know that the people of the Book prostrate themselves to their priests and monks? Should

we not prostrate ourselves to you? He said, “Were I to ask anyone to prostrate to another, I would ask a woman to prostrate herself to her husband because of the enormity of his rights on her.”

The above is Ahmad’s version, the second half of which is also found in Tirmidhi and others.

According to another report (in Ahmad and Ibn Majah: H. Ibrahim), once Salman (al-Farsi) encountered the Prophet in one of the streets of Madinah and prostrated himself before him.

The Prophet told him, “Do not prostrate yourself to me O Salman. Rather, prostrate yourself to the Living who will not die.”

Since prostration before Yusuf sounds unusual, Imam Razi offers two other alternative meanings. One, Ya`qub, his wife and sons did not prostrate themselves before Yusuf, rather prostrated themselves to Allah. That is because it is unthinkable that Yusuf would have allowed his father, a Prophet - superior in age, intellect, knowledge and religion, a most honorable person otherwise - to prostrate himself to him. Two, while the parents sat on the throne, the sons prostrated themselves to Yusuf. (The textual: “He raised his parents to the throne and they fell in prostration to him,” words favor this meaning: Au.).

Now, a doubt might arise. Yusuf had dreamt that in total thirteen objects had prostrated themselves to him. But, with the parents off, we are left with only eleven. Imam Razi answers that the dream came true in the general sense (of they acknowledging his moral superiority: Au.). It was not at all necessary that the thirteen of them should have physically prostrated themselves to him for the dream to come true. Further, the true interpretation of the dream was that one day they would pay homage to him, which came to pass.

Alusi is inclined to believe that at best they would have bowed their heads a little which has been described as “sajdah” here.

Qurtubi adds: Hasan’s opinion was that they all prostrated themselves to Allah, while Sa`id b. Jubayr, Qatadah, and a second opinion of Hasan was that it was no prostration at all. It was customary then to bend their heads forward in greeting, and that is what they did. Others have conjectured that it was merely bowing down that has been referred to as prostration. In any case, none of it is allowed in our religion, not even bending forward of the head before men of power which has now become customary among the Muslims. Anas b. Malik has reported, “We asked the Prophet,

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيَنْحَنِى بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ إِذَا الْتَقَيْنَا؟ قَالَ: لاَ. قِيلَ: فَيَلْتَزِمُ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا؟ قَالَ: لاَ. قِيلَ: فَيُصَافِحُ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ

‘Messenger of Allah, should some of us bend forward for one another when we meet?’ He replied, ‘No.’ We asked, ‘Should we embrace each other?’ He replied, ‘No.’ We asked, ‘Should we shake hands?’ He said, ‘Yes.’”

The above is in Ibn Majah and, according to Albani, of Hasan status (Au.).

Now, it might be asked, the Prophet (saws) had said, “Stand up for your leader and for the best of you,” (referring to Sa`d b. Mu`adh when he arrived to judge Banu Qurayda’s fate), why then should we also not stand up for one another? The answer is, the Prophet had asked them to stand up and help Sa`d b. Mu`adh come down his donkey (Sa`d was then in an injured state: Au.). At best, one might stand up in deference of someone about whom he is sure that it will not lead him to self-conceit. The Prophet has said,

مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَمْثُلَ لَهُ الرِّجَالُ قِيَامًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ

“Whoever wished that people should stand up for him (when he arrives) may seek his abode in the Fire.”

Apart from other collections, the above is in Abu Da’ud about which Albani said that it is Sahih (Au.).

Accordingly, the Companions never stood up for the Messenger. As for shaking the hand or raising the fingers, in reply to greetings, that is allowed on condition that the person greeted is at a distance. So also, kissing of the hands is disallowed in Islam. As for hand-shake, it is clearly allowed. It is reported of the Companions that when they met each other, they shook hands, but when they met after a long separation, they embraced each other.

Qurtubi’s discourse ends here.

It might also be noted that “sajada” of Arabic originally stood for an act of humbleness, or self-humiliation. That led to the meaning of bowing down for someone. Finally, it acquired the meaning of prostration. Here are a few examples:

كلّ شيء ذلّ فقد سجد (المصباح المنير)

Everything that humbles itself is said to have done sajada – Al-Misbah al-Muneer

سجد: خضع (الصحاح للجوهري و تاج العروس)

Sajada means to humble oneself – Al-Sihah and Taj al-`Arus.

شجرة ساجدة : مائلة (أساس البلاغة)

Shajarah saajidah means ‘an inclined tree’ – Asas al-Balaghah

والسفينة تسجد للرياح : تطيعها وتميل بميلها (أساس البلاغة)

When you say, ‘the ship has sajada for the winds,’ it means the ship follows the wind’s course and is inclined (under its pressure) – Asas al-Balaghah

سجد البعير وأسجد : طأمن رأسه لراكبه (أساس البلاغة)

When you say, ‘the camel has prostrated,’ it means it lowered its head for the rider - Asas al-Balaghah

سَجَدَ ، إِذا انْحَنى وتَطَامَنَ إِلى الأَرضِ (تاج العروس)

Sajada is used when (someone) bowed and bent forward towards the ground – Taj al-`Arus.

In the light of the above, it is quite likely that Yusuf’s brothers merely bowed themselves to him, while it is unlikely that his parents would have done the same. No father will bow down for his son (Au.).

144. It might be noted that Yusuf said, “He was indeed good to me when He brought me out of the prison.” He did not say, “He brought me out of the pit,” because that would have meant reproaching his brothers, while he had already told them, “There is no blame on you” (Qurtubi).

145. Earliest Muslim scholars have said that Ya`qub had been living at the edge of the Syrian desert, rearing sheep and cattle.

146. That is, when Allah wills something, He creates its means and elements of existence, foreordains (its measures) and renders easy its coming into existence (Ibn Kathir).

147. Ibn `Abbas, Ibn Jurayj and Qatadah have said that when all things were settled to satisfaction, and Yusuf had received the best of what the world can yield, he longed to join with his ancestors and, accordingly, supplicated for death. Among the Prophets he was the only one to have wished for death.

Ibn Kathir, Shabbir and others however point out that supplication for death is prohibited in Islam. The most one can do, if overwhelmed by misfortunes is to say,

لَا يَتَمَنَّيَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ الْمَوْتَ مِنْ ضُرٍّ أَصَابَهُ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَا بُدَّ فَاعِلًا فَلْيَقُلْ اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتْ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتْ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي

“O Allah let me live if living is good for me and let me die if dying is better for me.” (The hadith is in Ahmad: H. Ibrahim).

The above is Bukhari’s version (Au.).

On one occasion, as the report goes in Ahmad, when the Companions got together and spoke of the Hereafter, Sa`d b. Waqqas began to cry bitterly and remarked, “O that I was dead.” the Prophet censured him, “Do you say that before me? (Three times).” Then he added,

يَا سَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتَ خُلِقْتَ لِلْجَنَّةِ فَمَا طَالَ عُمْرُكَ أَوْ حَسُنَ مِنْ عَمَلِكَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ

“Sa`d, if you are created for Paradise, then the longer you live doing virtuous things the better.”

The above is Ahmad’s version, but which is declared weak by Shu`ayb al-Arna’ut (Au.).

According to another report preserved by Ahmad the Prophet said,

اثْنَتَانِ يَكْرَهُهُمَا ابْنُ آدَمَ الْمَوْتُ وَالْمَوْتُ خَيْرٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ الْفِتْنَةِ وَيَكْرَهُ قِلَّةَ الْمَالِ وَقِلَّةُ الْمَالِ أَقَلُّ لِلْحِسَاب

“Adam’s son detests two things: death, while death is better than tribulations. And he detests poverty while poverty is better than accounting for wealth.”

The above is from Ahmad rated good by Arna’ut.

All said, it is allowed to wish for death when one faces a severe tribulation (in his religion) as it is reported of ‘Ali that when he was fed up with the seditions and political upheavals he cried out, “O Allah, take me back to you. They are tired of me and I am tired of them.” It is also reported that a man will pass by a grave - during the tribulations brought by Dajjal and remark: “Oh that I was in your place.”

Ibn Kathir also states that with reference to Yusuf, various possibilities exist: that Yusuf supplicated in these words either then and there, or when he met his parents, or later, at the time of death. Our Prophet also supplicated to Allah just before dying, in words, as in the Sahihayn, “O Allah. (to) the companions on high.”

Some scholars point out that one might wish death out of love of the hereafter, but not out of fear of this world (Au.).

In any case, Shafi` adds, as against his father Ya`qub , [whose body was taken back for burial in Syria, following his will], Yusuf died and was buried in Egypt itself. He left a will that his body be taken back to Palestine if the Israelites went back there. Accordingly, when the Israelites left Egypt along with Musa (asws), they took his corpse along with them.

The report referred to above is in Musnad of Abu Ya`la and Hakim, and is judged Sahih by Albani (Al-Ahadith al-Sahihah, no. 313), and by Arna’ut. It runs as follows: the Prophet said,

أعجزتم أن تكونوا مثل عجوز بني إسرائيل؟ قالوا: يا رسول الله وما عجوز بني إسرائبل؟ قال: إن موسى عليه السلام لما سار ببني إسرائيل من مصر ضلوا الطريق فقال: ما هذا ؟ فقال علماؤهم: إن يوسف عليه السلام لما حضره الموت أخذ علينا موثقا من الله أن لا نخرج من مصر حتى ننقل عظامه معنا قال: فمن يعلم موضع قبره؟ قال: عجوز من بني إسرائيل فبعث إليها فأتته فقال: دليني على قبر يوسف قالت: حتى تعطيني حكمي قال: وما حكمك؟ قالت: أكون معك في الجنة فكره أن يعطيها ذلك فأوحى الله إليه: أن أعطها حكمها فانطلقت بهم إلى بحيرة موضع مستنقع ماء فقالت: أنضبوا هذا الماء فأنضبوه فقالت: احتفروا فاحتفروا فاستخرجوا عظام يوسف فلما أقلوها إلى الأرض وإذا الطريق مثل ضوء النهار

“Is it impossible for you that you be - in the least - like the old Israelite woman?” They asked him, “What about her O Messenger of Allah”? He said, “When Musa left Egypt along with the Israelites, they lost the way. He said, ‘Now, what’s this?!’ Their scholars explained, ‘When death came upon Yusuf, he took a promise from us by Allah, that we will not leave Egypt but with his body.’ [Musa] asked, ‘Who knows where his grave is?’ [They said, ‘No one knows where his grave is] except an old Israeli woman.’ So he sent for her. When she came he said, ‘Lead us to Yusuf’s grave.’ She said, [By Allah I will not] until you give me my judgment.’ He asked, ‘What is the judgment you are referring to?’ She replied, ‘That I should be with you in Paradise.’ Musa did not like to give her that promise. So Allah revealed to him that he might give her the word. So she led them to a pond, more like a swampy area. She said, ‘Drain out water from this spot.’ They did that. She said, ‘Now, dig and remove Yusuf’s body.’ As soon as they brought out the body, the way became clear to them” (Au.).

Thanwi adds: This moving of coffins, however, as stated in Tahtawi, is not allowed in Islam by consensus. Also, some historians have noted that after Yusuf’s death, the rule was taken over by the old ruling family, as Yusuf had all along held the position of an ‘Aziz only.

148. Note the difference, Shafi` points out, between the expression, “tidings of the Unseen” which the Qur’an uses here and at several other places, and “knowledge of the Unseen,” an expression never used anywhere in the Qur'an for anyone save Allah.

Yusuf Ali summarizes: “The story is finished. But, is it a story? It is rather a recital of forces and motives, thoughts and feelings, complications and results, ordinarily not seen by men. However much they concert their plans and unite their forces, whatever dark plots they hack with all their resources, - the plan of Allah works irresistibly, and sweeps away all their machinations. The good wins through in the end, but not always as they planned; the evil forces are foiled, and often their very plots help the good.”

149. Imam Baghawi has said that some Jews came to the Prophet and said, “If you are a true Messenger, tell us Joseph’s story.” (According to other versions, “tell us, how the Israelites happened to be in Egypt?”: Au.). In response, this chapter was revealed. But when the Prophet recited it to them, they refused to believe. So Allah revealed the verse, “Yet, most people - even if you coveted - will not believe” (Ma`arif).

Thanwi points out that Baghawi’s report could not been traced.