Surah Yusuf (Section 11)

12-94 And when the caravan left (Egypt), their father said: Surely I scent (the power of) Joseph, if you call me not a dotard.^a

وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ ٱلْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّى لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ (۹۴)

12-94a: رِيحَ – The well-known meaning of رِيحَ is wind and an aroma or a stench is also called رِيحَ or رائحة . In وقد یکونُ الرِّیۡحُ the word رِيحَ is used in the sense of الغلبةِ و القوۃ (R) that is رِيحَ is also used in the sense of dominance and power.

تُفَنِّدُونِ – فَنَد is weak of opinion and تفنید is to attribute this to another (R).

By رِيحَ of Joseph is meant either his scent indicating that Joseph is alive or that Jacob can sense the power and magnificence of Joseph. As soon as Joseph reveals himself, Jacob was able to sense his presence.

12-95 They said: By Allah! thou art surely in thy old error.

قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلِكَ ٱلْقَدِيمِ (۹۵)

12-96 Then when the bearer of good news came, he cast it before his face so he became certain. He said: Did I not say to you that I know from Allah what you know not?

فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ فَٱرْتَدَّ بَصِيرًۭا ۖ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ (۹۶)

12-97 They said: O our father, ask forgiveness of our sins for us, surely we are sinners.

قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَا ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا خَـٰطِـِٔينَ (۹۷)

12-98 He said: I shall ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ (۹۸)

12-99 Then when they went in to Joseph, he lodged his parents with himself and said: Enter Egypt in safety, if Allah please.

فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مِصْرَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ (۹۹)

12-100 And he raised his parents on the throne, and they fell prostrate for his sake. And he said: O my father, this is the significance of my vision of old — my Lord has made it true. And He was indeed kind to me, when He brought me forth from the prison, and brought you from the desert after the devil had sown dissensions between me and my brethren. Surely my Lord is Benignant to whom He pleases. Truly He is the Knowing, the Wise.^a

وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًۭا ۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ هَـٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَـٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّۭا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِىٓ إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِى مِنَ ٱلسِّجْنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْبَدْوِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌۭ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ (۱۰۰)

12-100a: ٱلْعَرْشِ – It is the place where the king sits and by virtue of the place being elevated, it is called عَرْشِ as is the case here and in يَأْتِينِى بِعَرْشِهَا (bring me her throne) (27:37).

خَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًۭا – خَرّ means to fall down in a way that خَرِیر (sound) is emitted and خَرِیر is the sound of water, wind etcetera as it falls from on high, as in فَكَأَنَّمَا خَرَّ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ (it is as if he had fallen from on high) (22:31); فَخَرَّ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّقْفُ (so the roof fell down on them from above them) (16:26). In another place, it is stated:  خَرُّوا۟ سُجَّدًۭا وَسَبَّحُوا۟ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ(fall down prostrate and celebrate the praise of their Lord) (32:15). Raghib states that the use of the word خَرّ testifies to two things, one is prostration, and the other is glorification. The addition in a further verse of سبحوا بحمد ربہم is to convey that the word خَرِیر is used to mean the sound of the glorification of Allah and not anything else (R). Here as well, the use of the words خَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًۭ draws attention to the fact that in prostration the only sounds emitted are the glorification and praise of Allah. It follows that this prostration is not for Joseph but for Allah who they are glorifying and praising and the significance of لَهُ is only that this prostration is to thank Allah for the honor and status that Allah has bestowed on Joseph and which all of them now share.

بَدْو – The meaning of بَدَءَ is manifested and بَدۡو means the opposite of حضر which is urban or civilized regions. It is so called because anything that comes in between becomes manifest. So, بد و بادیہ is country and town. One who lives in the countryside is called باد , as in سَوَآءً ٱلْعَـٰكِفُ فِيهِ وَٱلْبَادِ ۚ(the dweller therein and the visitor) (22:25); لَوْ أَنَّهُم بَادُونَ فِى ٱلْأَعْرَابِ (They would fain be in the deserts with the desert Arabs) (33:20).

The prostration is not to Joseph: Putting the father and mother, or maternal aunt, on the throne is to honor them. The entire family then falls into prostration and glorifies and praises Allah as is obvious from the use of the word خَرُّوا . The idea that this prostration is to Joseph is totally incorrect for then who is being glorified and praised? It is obvious that the glorification and praise is for the same One to whom prostration is being made. The idea that in the previous shariah it was allowed to prostrate to other than Allah is the same as saying that in the previous shariah it was allowed to have partners with Allah. Polytheism and prostration to other than Allah has been prohibited in all shariah and the principles of religion have always stayed the same.

Fulfillment of Joseph’s vision: To consider Joseph’s statement: this is the significance of my vision of old to mean prostration is another fallacy. The word هَـٰذَا (this) refers to the greatness and glory of Joseph which is the reason all of them prostrate to give thanks to Allah. Joseph elucidates this further in the next verse by addressing Allah and saying that it is He who has given him rulership and knowledge and this rulership and knowledge is what is meant by the prostration of the sun, moon and the stars. Otherwise, it is not a big deal if one brother achieves greatness from amongst his siblings and the other brothers admit to his greatness. The detailed interpretation of this vision is given in 12-2b. The finesse with which Joseph mentions his brothers is noteworthy. He does not say that his brothers mistreated him at the instigation of the devil but instead says the devil had sown dissension between him and his brother, as if his brothers are not much at fault.

12-101 My Lord, Thou hast given me of the kingdom and taught me of the interpretation of sayings. Originator of the heavens and the earth, Thou art my Friend in this world and the Hereafter. Make me die in submission and join me with the righteous.^a

رَبِّ قَدْ ءَاتَيْتَنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِى مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِىِّۦ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًۭا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ (۱۰۱)

12-101a: The desires of the righteous are so pure: Joseph is blessed with kingdom and knowledge and that too the knowledge of religion but there is only one desire in his heart – to live and die in obedience to Allah and to be with the righteous. This is the real purpose of life. This is a lesson for the Muslims but alas there are few who live a life according to the Quran today. One of the fruits of righteousness is the grant of a kingdom but those who want the kingdom first and claim that they will then become righteous do not tread the way of the Quran. There is a promise in this surah for the Holy Prophet and his followers that just as Joseph became a ruler and his brothers had to humble themselves before him, similarly the opponents of the Holy Prophet will be discomfited, and the Muslims will become rulers. The equivalent of Joseph’s brothers are not only the Arabs. Hence the kingdom that is promised is not just rulership over Arabia but such a large kingdom that others, besides the people of Arabia, will also profit, just as Joseph’s brothers profited from his rulership. There is an indication in this of a vast kingdom stretching far outside Arabia. Thus, a hadith in Bukhari, which is also reported in Muslim, Tirmazi, and Abu Daud, has the following statement: اِنَّ رَبِّی زَوَی لِیَ الۡاَرۡضَ فَاُرِیۡتُ مشارِ قَہا و مغاربہا و اِنَّ مُلك اُمتی سَیَبۡلُغُ مَازُوِیَ لِی منہا (My Lord has shrunk the earth for me, that is its map was presented to me, and I was shown eastern and western countries and the kingdom of my followers will reach the areas that were shown to me).

12-102 This is of the announcements relating to the unseen (which) We reveal to thee, and thou wast not with them when they resolved upon their affair, and they were devising plans.^a

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ (۱۰۲)

12-102a: Holy Prophet’s opposition and its result: Joseph’s narrative is ended with تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًۭا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ (Make me die in submission and join me with the righteous). The narration is now changed to those who are planning against the Holy Prophet and the words وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ (they are devising plans) are a testimony to the elaborate plans that they were hatching. By the words أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ (announcements relating to the unseen) are meant those prophecies regarding the Holy Prophet that are incorporated in the narration of Joseph, namely the conspiracies of the opponents and their attempts, the seven year famine, and the final failure of all the opponent’s efforts, their defeat and their presenting themselves before the Holy Prophet in submission, their forgiveness by the Holy Prophet, the grant of a vast kingdom to the Holy Prophet and his former opponents benefitting from it. If the indication in ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ  (This is of the announcements relating to the unseen) is taken to be to the narration of Joseph then the equally valid meaning will be that the Quranic narration has many events from which great moral lessons can be obtained but thee events are lacking in the Biblical account which is a mere story devoid of any great moral lessons.

12-103 And most men believe not, though thou desirest it eagerly.

وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ (۱۰۳)

12-104 And thou askest them no reward for it. It is nothing but a reminder for all mankind.

وَمَا تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌۭ لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ (۱۰۴)