Surah 12. Yusuf

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Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-35 [4], 36-42 [5], 43-49 [6], 50-57 [7], 58-68 [8], 69-79 [9], 80-93 [10], 94-104 [11], 105-111 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 94-104وَ لَمَّاAnd whenفَصَلَتِdepartedالْعِیْرُthe caravanقَالَtheir father saidاَبُوْهُمْtheir father saidاِنِّیْIndeed, Iلَاَجِدُ[I] findرِیْحَ(the) smellیُوْسُفَ(of) Yusufلَوْ لَاۤif notاَنْthatتُفَنِّدُوْنِ you think me weakened in mind قَالُوْاThey saidتَاللّٰهِBy Allahاِنَّكَindeed youلَفِیْsurely (are) inضَلٰلِكَyour errorالْقَدِیْمِ old 12. Yusuf Page 247فَلَمَّاۤThen whenاَنْ[that]جَآءَarrivedالْبَشِیْرُthe bearer of glad tidingsاَلْقٰىهُhe cast itعَلٰیoverوَجْهِهٖhis faceفَارْتَدَّthen returned (his) sightبَصِیْرًا ۚthen returned (his) sightقَالَHe saidاَلَمْDid notاَقُلْI sayلَّكُمْ ۙۚto youاِنِّیْۤindeed, Iاَعْلَمُ[I] knowمِنَfromاللّٰهِAllahمَاwhatلَاnotتَعْلَمُوْنَ you know قَالُوْاThey saidیٰۤاَبَانَاO our father!اسْتَغْفِرْAsk forgivenessلَنَاfor usذُنُوْبَنَاۤ(of) our sinsاِنَّاIndeed weكُنَّاhave beenخٰطِـِٕیْنَ sinners قَالَHe saidسَوْفَSoonاَسْتَغْفِرُI will ask forgivenessلَكُمْfor youرَبِّیْ ؕ(from) my LordاِنَّهٗIndeed HeهُوَHeالْغَفُوْرُ(is) the Oft-Forgivingالرَّحِیْمُ the Most Merciful فَلَمَّاThen whenدَخَلُوْاthey enteredعَلٰیuponیُوْسُفَYusufاٰوٰۤیhe tookاِلَیْهِto himselfاَبَوَیْهِhis parentsوَ قَالَand saidادْخُلُوْاEnterمِصْرَEgyptاِنْifشَآءَAllah willsاللّٰهُAllah willsاٰمِنِیْنَؕsafe وَ رَفَعَAnd he raisedاَبَوَیْهِhis parentsعَلَیuponالْعَرْشِthe throneوَ خَرُّوْاand they fell downلَهٗto himسُجَّدًا ۚprostrateوَ قَالَAnd he saidیٰۤاَبَتِO my fatherهٰذَاThisتَاْوِیْلُ(is the) interpretationرُءْیَایَ(of) my dreamمِنْ(of) beforeقَبْلُ ؗ(of) beforeقَدْVerilyجَعَلَهَاhas made itرَبِّیْmy Lordحَقًّا ؕtrueوَ قَدْAnd indeedاَحْسَنَHe was goodبِیْۤto meاِذْwhenاَخْرَجَنِیْHe took me outمِنَofالسِّجْنِthe prisonوَ جَآءَand broughtبِكُمْyouمِّنَfromالْبَدْوِthe bedouin lifeمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterاَنْ[that]نَّزَغَhad caused discordالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanبَیْنِیْbetween meوَ بَیْنَand betweenاِخْوَتِیْ ؕmy brothersاِنَّIndeedرَبِّیْmy Lordلَطِیْفٌ(is) Most Subtleلِّمَاto whatیَشَآءُ ؕHe willsاِنَّهٗIndeed, HeهُوَHeالْعَلِیْمُ(is) the All-Knowerالْحَكِیْمُ the All-Wise رَبِّMy Lordقَدْindeedاٰتَیْتَنِیْyou have given meمِنَofالْمُلْكِthe sovereigntyوَ عَلَّمْتَنِیْand taught meمِنْofتَاْوِیْلِthe interpretationالْاَحَادِیْثِ ۚof the eventsفَاطِرَCreatorالسَّمٰوٰتِ(of) the heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ۫and the earthاَنْتَYouوَلِیّٖ(are) my Protectorفِیinالدُّنْیَاthe worldوَ الْاٰخِرَةِ ۚand the HereafterتَوَفَّنِیْCause me to dieمُسْلِمًا(as) a Muslimوَّ اَلْحِقْنِیْand join meبِالصّٰلِحِیْنَ with the righteous ذٰلِكَThatمِنْ(is) fromاَنْۢبَآءِthe newsالْغَیْبِ(of) the unseenنُوْحِیْهِwhich We revealاِلَیْكَ ۚto youوَ مَاAnd notكُنْتَyou wereلَدَیْهِمْwith themاِذْwhenاَجْمَعُوْۤاthey put togetherاَمْرَهُمْtheir planوَ هُمْwhile theyیَمْكُرُوْنَ (were) plotting وَ مَاۤAnd notاَكْثَرُmostالنَّاسِ(of) the mankindوَ لَوْeven thoughحَرَصْتَyou desireبِمُؤْمِنِیْنَ (will be) believers 12. Yusuf Page 248وَ مَاAnd notتَسْـَٔلُهُمْyou ask themعَلَیْهِfor itمِنْanyاَجْرٍ ؕrewardاِنْNotهُوَ(is) itاِلَّاbutذِكْرٌa reminderلِّلْعٰلَمِیْنَ۠to the worlds

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Translation of Verse 94-104

(12:94) And as the caravan set out (from Egypt), their father said (in Canaan): "Indeed I smell the fragrance of Joseph.⁶⁶ I say so although you may think that I am doting."

(12:95) They said: "Surely you are still in your same old craze."⁶⁷

(12:96) And when the bearer of good news came he threw Joseph's shirt over Jacob's face, whereupon he regained his sight, and said: "Did I not tell you that I know from Allah what you do not know?"

(12:97) They said: "Father! Pray for the forgiveness of our sins; we were truly guilty."

(12:98) He said: "I shall pray to my Lord for your forgiveness, for He, and indeed He alone, is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful."

(12:99) And when they went to Joseph,⁶⁸ he took his parents aside and said (to the members of his family): "Enter the city now, and if Allah wills, you shall be secure."

(12:100) And after they had entered the city, Joseph raised his parents to the throne⁶⁹ beside himself, and they (involuntarily) bowed in prostration before him.⁷⁰ Joseph said: "Father! This is the fulfilment of the vision I had before - one that My Lord has caused to come true. He was kind to me when He rescued me from the prison, and brought you from the desert after Satan had stirred discord between me and my brothers. Certainly my Lord is Subtle in the fulfilment of His will; He is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

(12:101) My Lord! You have bestowed dominion upon me and have taught me to comprehend the depths of things. O Creator of heavens and earth! You are my Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die in submission to You, and join me, in the end, with the righteous."⁷¹

(12:102) (O Muhammad), this is part of news from the Unseen that We reveal to you for you were not present with them when Joseph's brothers jointly resolved on a plot.

(12:103) And most of the people, howsoever you might so desire, are not going to believe.

(12:104) You do not seek from them any recompense for your service.⁷² This is merely an admonition to all mankind.⁷³

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Commentary

66. This indicates the extraordinary faculties possessed by the Prophets.

The caravan had just set out from Egypt, carrying Joseph’s shirt. And yet, even though Jacob was hundreds of miles away, he could smell its fragrance. From this we also learn that these faculties were not their personal acquisitions. They were special endowments bestowed upon the Prophets by God. Whenever God so wills, He enables the Prophets to mobilize those faculties and to do so to the extent that He pleases. We know that Joseph had been in Egypt for years and yet Jacob had never smelled his fragrance. But suddenly, when God so willed, it became possible for him to smell the fragrance of Joseph’s shirt even though it was far away.

It is also interesting to note the difference between the Qur’anic and Israelite images of Jacob. The Qur’an portrays Jacob with all the glory of a Prophet. On the contrary, the Israelite sources portray him as hardly different from an ordinary Bedouin. According to the Bible: And they [i.e. the sons] told him: ‘Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.’ And his heart fainted, for he did not believe them and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived . . . (Genesis 45: 26-7).

67. It is evident from the above verse that except for Joseph none of the brothers truly valued his father. Jacob himself had despaired of his sons because of their moral degeneracy. Jacob’s mission and message had enlightened those outside his household. But members of his own family scarcely held him in any esteem. Such instances are quite common in history.

Many great men have received no appreciation from their compatriots.

68. According to the Bible, the members of Jacob’s family who migrated to Egypt at that time were sixty-seven in number. This number does not include Jacob’s daughters-in-law. Jacob was then one hundred and thirty years old and subsequently lived in Egypt for: another seventeen years.

One may wonder about one thing. When the Israelites first entered Egypt their number, including Joseph, was only sixty-eight. But after some five hundred years, when they migrated from Egypt, their numbers had swelled to hundreds of thousands. According to the Bible, when Moses conducted a census in the Sinai desert after just one year, the number of combatant males was 603,550. Using this figure as our basis, their total number at the time must have been at least two million. Is it physically possible that a group of sixty-eight people could grow into two million within a span of just five hundred years? If we were to suppose that the total population of Egypt at that time was twenty million which would be a highly exaggerated figure — the Israelites would form just one tenth of it. Is it possible for a family to multiply in such great numbers by normal reproduction? Reflection on this question leads us to another important fact; it is simply impossible for a family to multiply so profusely in just five hundred years.

However, the Israelites were the progeny of Messengers of God. Their leader, Joseph, who had paved the way for their settlement in Egypt, was himself a Messenger. For between four and five centuries the Israelites held total sway over Egypt. During this period, they must have preached their religion. As a result, those Egyptians who had embraced Islam would have become distinct from non-Muslim Egyptians and in the course of time assimilated into the Israeli way of life.

As a consequence, the local unbelieving Egyptians would have treated the converted Egyptians as aliens in the same manner as the Hindus of India treated the Muslims of Indian origin. The appellation ‘Israeli’ would have been applied to those converts in the manner that the term ‘Muhammadan’ is often applied to all non-Arab Muslims. Moreover, owing to the close religious, social and matrimonial relationships with the Israelites, those Egyptians. who converted to Islam would have become distinct from their non-Muslim Egyptian compatriots and in the course of time would have been identified with the Israelites. This accounts for the fact that when an upsurge of nationalist feeling took place in Egypt, it was not only the original Israelites but also the converted Egyptians which were subjected to severe oppression. Later on, when the original Israelites migrated from Egypt, these converts migrated with them.

Our conclusion on the subject is corroborated by several Biblical statements.

For example, in a passage in Exodus where the departure of the Israelites from Egypt has been described, it is remarked, ‘a mixed multitude went up also with them ...’ (Exodus 12: 38). The following statement also has the same import: ‘Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving...’ (Numbers 11: 4). Thus, in the Commandments revealed to Moses we find the following statement: For the assembly, there shall be one state for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; as you are, so shall the sojourner be before the Lord. One law and one ordinance shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, (Numbers 15: 15-16).

But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people, (Numbers 15: 30).

And I charged your judges at that time, ‘hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the alien that is with him’, (Deuteronomy 1: 16).

It is difficult, however, to determine the exact term used in the Scriptures for non-Israelites for which the terms ‘strangers’ and ‘aliens’ were subsequently used.

69. According to the Talmud, ‘when Joseph learned that his father was.

upon the way, he gathered together his friends and officers, and soldiers of the realm, attired in rich garments and formed a great company to meet Prophet Jacob on the way and escort him to Egypt. Music and gladness filled the land, and all the people, the women and the children assembled on the house tops to view the magnificent display’. (H. Polano, The Talmudic Selections, p.

70. The use of the term ‘sajdah’ (prostration) in the above verse has given rise to considerable misconception. This misconception reached such heights that some people interpreted the verse to justify prostration before kings and saints, calling it ‘prostration of greeting’ or ‘prostration of respect’ as distinguished from ‘prostration of worship’.

Since in Islam prostration is associated with worship, some scholars resorted to an altogether novel explanation. They contended that it was only the prostration of worship, provided it was directed to any other than God, which was prohibited in the earlier versions or Divine Law. As for prostration which did not signify any worship, it was permissible even in respect of persons other than God. They claimed that it is only in the Shari‘ah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that all forms of prostration directed to anyone other than what lies at the core of all this confusion is the word sajdah (prostration) as used in the verse. It has been taken in the technical sense in which it has come to be used in Islam as meaning putting one’s feet, knees and forehead on the ground. However, the true meaning of sajdah is ‘to bow’ and in the above verse the word has been used exactly in that sense. Bowing as a form of respect was in vogue in ancient cultures. The practice is still in vogue in some countries of the world. When people wish to thank or welcome, or even receive someone, they are wont to put their hands on their chest and bow a little. The act, called bowing in English, is expressed in Arabic by the word sajdah. Numerous references to this bowing are found in the Bible signifying that it was an established form of paying respect tu others. The Arabic version of the Bible uses exactly the same expression with reference to Abraham's reception of three persons approaching his tent.

In the English version of the Bible too we find references to bowing as a sign of respect. For instance, after mentioning that a piece of land was donated as a burying place for Sarah, Prophet Abraham expressed his thankfulness in the following manner: ‘Abraham rose and bowed to the Hittites, the people of the land’ (Genesis 23: 7). To cite another example: ‘Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land’ (Genesis 23: 12). Numerous references to this practice are found in the Bible which establishes beyond doubt that the act concerned did not mean prostration in the sense in which sajdah is used as a technical Islamic term.

Some people, who have studied the question superficially, have contended that in the different versions of the Divine Law prior to the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) it was permissible to prostrate before others than the One True God. Such a statement is utterly devoid of all justification.

For if prostration is taken in the technical sense that it denotes in Islam, it has never been lawful to offer it to anyone other than God. According to the Bible, during the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites, King Ahasuerus advanced Haman and set him above all the princes who were with him: ‘And all the king's servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and did obeisance to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or do obeisance’ (Esther 3: 2). This was because the Israelites were not supposed to do so. The following details of this incident found in the Talmud are significant.

The servants of the King said to Mordecai: ‘Why will thou refuse to bow before Haman, transgressing thus the wishes of the King? Do we not bow before him?’ ‘Ye are foolish’ answered Mordecai, ‘aye wanting in reason. Listen to me. Shall a mortal, who must return to dust, be glorified? Shall I bow down before one born of woman whose days are short? When he is small he cries and weeps as a child: when he grows older sorrow and sighing are his portion; his days are full of wrath and anger and at the end he returns to dust. Shall I bow to one like him? No, I prostrate myself before the Eternal God, who lives forever. To Him the great Creator and Ruler of the Universe, and to no other will I bow’. (H. Polano, The Talmudic Selections, p. 172.)

This speech was made some one thousand years before the revelation of the Qur’an by a believing Israelite. It does not suggest in any way that it was permissible to prostrate before anyone other than God.

71. These utterances by Joseph (peace be on him) present before us the image of a true man of faith, of a paragon of moral excellence. A person coming from a family of nomadic shepherds, a victim of the conspiracies of his - own brothers, Joseph reaches the height of worldly glory by successfully going through the vicissitudes of fortune. The famine-stricken members of his family, including his jealous brothers who had wanted to kill him, are now solely dependent on him. All of them stand before him in abject humiliation.

Such an opportunity is generally used by people to boast of their - achievements and to reproach and insult those who had earlier been unkind to them. However, this truly God-conscious person behaves in an entirely different manner. Rather than take pride in his rise to eminence, he fully acknowledges God’s favor which helped him to rise to such an exalted position. He does not reproach the members of his family who had been conspicuously unkind to him in his childhood. On the contrary, he thanks God Who has enabled him to be reunited with them after a long time.

In addition, Joseph does not utter a single word of complaint against his jealous brothers. He does not even mention their misdeeds. Ascribing their deeds to Satan’s prompting, he simply says that it was Satan who had ‘stirred discord between me and my brothers’ (verse 100). Instead of dwelling on his brothers’ misconduct, Joseph makes the best use of the incident, saying that it was God Who contrived his rise to glory. In other words, what Satan had prompted his brothers to do was a part of divine dispensation, something that turned out to be to his own good. In the end, summing up all this in a few words, Joseph once again submits to God in thanksgiving for bestowing on him kingdom and wisdom, of having rescued him from prison, for having placed him at the helm of the largest state in the world. Finally, Joseph makes a moving prayer to God, asking Him to hold him fast in submission to Him and to join him with the righteous when he dies. This is indeed an example of the most noble: and perfect conduct conceivable in a righteous person.

To one’s utter astonishment, this highly significant speech by Joseph finds no place in either the Bible or the Talmud. These books abound in detail concerning trivial matters. However, they are usually devoid of things that have moral value or shed light on the mission of the Prophets or their basic teachings. These books scarcely provide the materials from which one may learn any important lesson.

As we conclude this story, it is worth reminding the readers that the Qur’anic account of Joseph’s story is an independent account, not a rearrangement of the Biblical and Talmudic accounts. A comparative study of Joseph’s story in these three sources makes it quite apparent that on several important points, the Qur’anic account significantly differs from the other two sources. In several cases, the Qur’an elaborates the information found in the Bible and the Talmud. It also omits some of the details mentioned in the Bible. Moreover, the Qur’an refutes the Bible and the Talmud on some important matters relating to the story. It, thus, leaves no grounds for the charge that Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) took over this story from the Israelites.

72. This refers to the stubbornness of the unbelievers. On the one hand, after careful deliberation and mutual consultation, they decided to put a number of questions to the Prophet (peace be on him) so as to test the truth of his claim to prophethood. When the Prophet (peace be on him) successfully responded to their demands it was naturally expected that they would no longer persist in their denial of the truth and would no longer cast any doubt on the divine origin of the Qur’an. God, however, tells Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) that the unbelievers would still act unreasonably and would find one pretext after another for their denial of the Prophet (peace be on him). They did not disbelieve because they had failed to have access to the arguments that would convince them regarding his prophethood. That was not the case at all. They simply did not want to believe in the Prophet (peace be on him) and hence any reasonable discussion with them was out of the question.

The purpose of this clarification was not to remove any misgiving that the Prophet (peace be on him) might have had. Though the statement here is apparently addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him), it is in fact directed to the unbelievers and its purpose is to warn them against their obduracy. They had tried to put the Prophet (peace be on him) to the test by suddenly demanding that he tell them something about the migration of the Israelites to Egypt if his claim to prophethood was true. In response, the whole of Joseph’s story was related to them there and then.

In conclusion, it was remarked that now it was for those stubborn people to judge for themselves whether they had any justification whatsoever for putting the Prophet (peace be on him) to any further test. If they had been sincere in testing him, then they should have welcomed the truth which had become apparent in response to their query. However, the unbelievers were still adamant in denying the truth even after it had become manifest.

73. In addition to the warning given in the preceding verse, the present verse also carries a subtle note of warning, wherein the element of admonition is more conspicuous than the reproach.

Even though the verse is apparently addressed to the Prophet (peace be on him), it is meant, in fact, for the unbelievers. They are being asked to think and to see for themselves how unjustified they were in their adamancy. Had the Prophet (peace be on him) been carrying out his mission to fulfil his own personal ends, the believers would be justified in rejecting his message.

However, they could see for themselves that he was an absolutely selfless person who was working for their good. The Prophet (peace be on him) could not have gained anything for himself out of the reform for which he was striving. Therefore, there was no point in their adamant rejection of him. There was no reason why a person should have prejudice against someone who was inviting them to their common good. The unbelievers were, therefore, well advised to pay heed to what the Prophet (peace be on him) taught and to do so with an open mind. After that it was up to them to accept his teachings if they were convinced, or to reject them if they were not.