Verses 31–37
12. Yusuf · Joseph
Makkan111 verses
فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَـًۭٔا وَءَاتَتْ كُلَّ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ مِّنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًۭا وَقَالَتِ ٱخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُۥٓ أَكْبَرْنَهُۥ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا مَلَكٌۭ كَرِيمٌۭ
12:31When she heard of their machinations, she sent for them and arranged a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said [to Joseph], ‘Come out before them.’ So when they saw him, they marvelled at him and cut their hands [absent-mindedly], and they said, ‘Good heavens! This is not a human being! This is but a noble angel!’1
قَالَتْ فَذَٰلِكُنَّ ٱلَّذِى لُمْتُنَّنِى فِيهِ ۖ وَلَقَدْ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ فَٱسْتَعْصَمَ ۖ وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَآ ءَامُرُهُۥ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰغِرِينَ
12:32She said, ‘He is the one on whose account you blamed me. Certainly, I did solicit him, but he was continent, and if he does not do what I bid him, surely he shall be imprisoned and humbled.’
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱلسِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِىٓ إِلَيْهِ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّى كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْجَٰهِلِينَ
12:33He said, ‘My Lord! The prison is dearer to me than to what they invite me. If You do not turn away their schemes from me, I will incline towards them and become one of the senseless.’3
فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
12:34So his Lord answered him and turned away their stratagems from him. Indeed, He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing.
ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُۥ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍۢ
12:35Then it appeared to them, after they had seen all the signs [of his innocence], that they should confine him for some time.
وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ٱلسِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ ۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَآ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًۭا ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلْءَاخَرُ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِى خُبْزًۭا تَأْكُلُ ٱلطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ ۖ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
12:36There entered the prison two youths along with him. One of them said, ‘I dreamt that I am pressing grapes.’ The other said, ‘I dreamt that I am carrying bread on my head from which the birds are eating.’ ‘Inform us of its interpretation,’ [they said], ‘for indeed we see you to be a virtuous man.’
قَالَ لَا يَأْتِيكُمَا طَعَامٌۭ تُرْزَقَانِهِۦٓ إِلَّا نَبَّأْتُكُمَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِى رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنِّى تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍۢ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَهُم بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمْ كَٰفِرُونَ
12:37He said, ‘Before the meals you are served come to you I will inform you of its interpretation. That is among things my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I renounce the creed of the people who have no faith in Allah and who [also] disbelieve in the Hereafter.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 32
1.The women of the present time are adopting the same style. They claim that everything is fair in love and to entice a youngster is not a sin. Perhaps a sin has no connection with character and chastity. On the contrary it is connected with the appearance. They think, having connection with an ugly person is a sin and liaison with handsome people is a good thing. One tries very hard to conceal ones humiliation. All matters were decided. The chastity of Yusuf (a.s.) was affirmed and Zulaikha’s offence was proved. The witness gave his evidence. His shirt also supplied the proof. Zulaikha also confessed and then also it is necessary to punish an innocent so that their own offence should not be disclosed. After a thousand years man still has this habit and the rules are also the same that punish the innocent to conceal their defects.
Verse 37
2.Yusuf (a.s.) took respite that he can teach the others about Islam and its religious laws in the prison. Such as we estimate that first he gave the sign of revelation of Allah and His divine knowledge and showed why he became a prisoner, so that the other prisoners may think about his faith. This is the sign of real and true follower that wherever he is, he would never be tired of propagation.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
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Benelil: ‘Akhraj Alaihinna’ proves that Yusuf (a.s.) did not enter the gathering of the women, rather Zulaikha wanted him to come out with some excuse so that was no blame on him.
- 1
Zulaikha has compared the scandal to the conspiracy of the women as it was not intended for reform. It was only to malign Zulaikha as is mostly the aim of gossip of ladies. 2. Some commentators have mentioned a humorous thing that the presence of knives in the feast indicates that knife and fork were ancient customs. However, the presence of pillows shows that the feast was on the floor and not on table and chairs.
- 3
‘Ahab’ denotes the beloved and ‘Yad’oonani’ being a plural verb shows that not only Zulaikha all the women were desirous of attracting Yusuf’s attention and it was the lofty character of Yusuf (a.s.) that he preferred imprisonment than face divine chastisement.
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Yusuf (a.s.) has also made it clear that one cannot escape sins without the Tawfeeq of Allah and being attracted towards sins is a kind of ignorance. It is not a sign of intellect because a wise person shuns sinful acts. He never commits sinful deeds.