Verses 96–102
12. Yusuf · Joseph
Makkan111 verses
فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ فَٱرْتَدَّ بَصِيرًۭا ۖ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
12:96When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast it on his face, and he regained his sight. He said, ‘Did I not tell you, ‘‘I know from Allah what you do not know?’’ ’1
قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَبَانَا ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا خَٰطِـِٔينَ
12:97They said, ‘Father! Plead [with Allah] for forgiveness of our sins! We have indeed been erring.’
قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
12:98He said, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you; indeed He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful.’2
فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مِصْرَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ
12:99When they entered into the presence of Joseph, he set his parents close to himself, and said, ‘Welcome to Egypt, in safety, God willing!’3
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًۭا ۖ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ هَٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّۭا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِىٓ إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِى مِنَ ٱلسِّجْنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْبَدْوِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌۭ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
12:100And he seated his parents high upon the throne, and they fell down prostrate before him. He said, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true. He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you over from the desert after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers. Indeed my Lord is all-attentive in bringing about what He wishes. Indeed He is the All-knowing, the All-wise.’
۞ رَبِّ قَدْ ءَاتَيْتَنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِى مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِىِّۦ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًۭا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
12:101‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter! Let my death be in submission [to You], and unite me with the Righteous.’
ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ
12:102These are accounts from the Unseen, which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they conspired together and schemed.
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 99
1.Different views are expressed how they entered Misr after coming to Yusuf (a.s.). Some say that Yusuf (a.s.) came out from the city to welcome them and some say that a special stage was constructed outside the city. Some say that to enter Misr means to stay satisfactorily. Now there will be no fear of monarch. According to traditions when the sons of Yaqoob (a.s.) entered Misr, they were 73 people totally and after four hundred years, when they joined with Moosa (a.s.) their strength was about six lakh five hundred and seventy.
Verse 100
2.Some people think that it was a real prostration and was for thankfulness to Allah. Some say prostration is the confession of humility which is the way of acknowledging the greatness towards whom the prostration is performed.
3.This is the perfection of Yusuf (a.s.) that he did not mention in front of his brothers how he was taken out from the well because they would have been ashamed and said that this happened because of Shaitan and all these mistakes were due to Shaitan even though a man is responsible for his deeds.
Verse 102
4.This is the best argument of Prophethood of Prophet (s.a.) for the deniers. They know, they were not present at the time of Yusuf (a.s.) and they all know that Prophet did not become a disciple of others and have not read any book, then how can he get clear details without revelation and this is the best argument of ones prophethood.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
It should be clear that the promise of seeking forgiveness was from the aspect of its result in case of Yusuf (a.s.) and the promise of Yaqoob (a.s.) was the seeking of means of forgiveness so there is no contradiction between them.
- 1
It is said that this was the same person who had come with the blood smeared shirt of Yusuf (a.s.) and now he had brought the dress and there was a gap of forty years between the two incidents.
- 2
Some people say that a doubt had remained in the heart of Yaqoob (a.s.) that is why he did not pray immediately and saying ‘soon’ he left the matter so, although this is against the status of a prophet. When he forgives, he forgives completely, where is the question of a doubt. ‘Soon’ indicates that he would pray at an appropriate time because there are special timings for acceptance of dua, although all the invocations of a prophet are accepted.
- 3
According to some scholars Abwain denotes father and aunt, because his mother had expired. Some even add that the Almighty Allah raised his mother from the dead so that she can see the splendor of her child - Allah knows best.
Benefit
It should be clear that the sajdah of Yaqoob (a.s.) and his sons towards Yusuf (a.s.) was a sajdah of thanking the Lord of the worlds and it did not make Yusuf (a.s.) the Qibla that he should be honoured thus. That is why this is known as sajdah of respect. Otherwise sajdah to anyone other than Allah is Shirk of worship and it is totally haraam.