Yusuf 12:54
Joseph · Juz 13 · Page 242
وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱئۡتُونِي بِهِۦٓ أَسۡتَخۡلِصۡهُ لِنَفۡسِيۖ فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ لَدَيۡنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٞ ٥٤
And the king said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted."
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 12:54
In the next verse (54) which begins with the words: وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ ائْتُونِي بِهِ (Bring him to me ...), it has been said, when the king of Egypt investigated about the event, as requested by Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، Zulaikha and all other women concerned with it confessed to the truth. The king, then, ordered that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) be brought to him so that he can appoint him as his personal adviser. According to the royal order, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was brought with full honours from the prison to the royal court. When he got an idea of his full potential by talking to him, the king said: ` Today you are with us firmly accommodated and trusted.'
Imam al-Baghawi reports: When the emissary of the king arrived again at the prison to convey the invitation of the king to Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، he prayed for all inmates of the prison, took a ritual bath and donned a new dress. When he arrived at the royal court, the du a' he made was:
حَسبِی رَبَّی مِن دُنیَایَ و حَسبِی رَبِّی مِن خَلقِہِ عَزّ جَارُہ وجَلَّ ثَنَأٰیٌہ ۔ وَلَا اِلٰہَ غَیرُہ
For me sufficient is my Lord against my world and, for me, sufficient is my Lord against the whole creation. Mighty is he who comes under His protection; and most sublime is His praise; and there is no deity worthy of worship other than Him.
When he reached inside the court, he turned to Allah again, prayed again in the same spirit and greeted the court in Arabic saying: اَلسلامُ عَلَیکُم وَ رَحمَۃ اللہِ (Peace on you and the mercy of Allah). For the king, the prayer he made was in Hebrew. The king, though he knew many languages, was not aware of Arabic and Hebrew. It was Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) who told him that the Salam was in Arabic and the Du a', in Hebrew.
It also appears in a narration that the king talked to Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) in many different languages and Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) replied to him in the language spoken by him, adding Arabic and Hebrew as two additional languages which the king did not know. This episode greatly increased respect for Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) in the heart of the king.
After that, the king wished to hear him give the interpretation of his dream directly before him. In response, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) first described before him particular details of his dream which he himself had not told anyone about, and then told him the interpretation as he had wished.
The king was astonished. Though, it was not so much about the interpretation given. What made him really wonder was how could he find out all those details. After that, the king sought his counsel on what should he do next. The advice given by Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was: During the first seven years of expected heavy rains, you should have arrangements made so that cultivation and crops yield their highest. This could be done by giving incentives to people to make sure that their maximum land areas come under cultivation and crops turn out plentiful and let them keep storing one fifth of their total produce with them. Thus, the people of Egypt would have stored with them enough for the seven years of famine and you would not have to worry on their account. Keep whatever supply of grains comes to the government through fixed taxes or state lands stored for those coming from outside the country - because, this famine will be wide-spread. People living in adjoining countries would need your help. At that time, you may come to the help of many a deprived people around you by giving it to them. Even if you were to put an ordinary price on it, you can be sure of collecting in the government treasury the amount of wealth that had never been there. The king was immensely pleased with this advice, but did wonder how would such a stupendous plan be managed, and who would do that.
Page 242
12:53
۞ وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفۡسِيٓۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفۡسَ لَأَمَّارَةُۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّيٓۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٥٣
And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."1
1 translator’s note
- Although Ibn Katheer attributes the words of verses 52-53 to the wife of al-ʿAzeez, others have concluded that they were spoken by Joseph, thereby justifying his request for an inquiry and acknowledging Allāh's mercy to him. ↩
12:54
وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱئۡتُونِي بِهِۦٓ أَسۡتَخۡلِصۡهُ لِنَفۡسِيۖ فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ لَدَيۡنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٞ ٥٤
And the king said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted."
12:55
قَالَ ٱجۡعَلۡنِي عَلَىٰ خَزَآئِنِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٞ ٥٥
[Joseph] said, "Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian."
12:56
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنۡهَا حَيۡثُ يَشَآءُۚ نُصِيبُ بِرَحۡمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُۖ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ٥٦
And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.
12:57
وَلَأَجۡرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ خَيۡرٞ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ ٥٧
And the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believed and were fearing Allāh.
12:58
وَجَآءَ إِخۡوَةُ يُوسُفَ فَدَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ فَعَرَفَهُمۡ وَهُمۡ لَهُۥ مُنكِرُونَ ٥٨
And the brothers of Joseph came [seeking food], and they entered upon him; and he recognized them, but he was to them unknown.1
1 translator’s note
- Due to the change in his appearance over the years. ↩
12:59
وَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمۡ قَالَ ٱئۡتُونِي بِأَخٖ لَّكُم مِّنۡ أَبِيكُمۡۚ أَلَا تَرَوۡنَ أَنِّيٓ أُوفِي ٱلۡكَيۡلَ وَأَنَا۠ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمُنزِلِينَ ٥٩
And when he had furnished them with their supplies, he said, "Bring me a brother of yours from your father.1 Do you not see that I give full measure and that I am the best of accommodators?
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Benjamin, who had been kept at home by his father Jacob. ↩
12:60
فَإِن لَّمۡ تَأۡتُونِي بِهِۦ فَلَا كَيۡلَ لَكُمۡ عِندِي وَلَا تَقۡرَبُونِ ٦٠
But if you do not bring him to me, no measure will there be [hereafter] for you from me, nor will you approach me."
12:61
قَالُواْ سَنُرَٰوِدُ عَنۡهُ أَبَاهُ وَإِنَّا لَفَٰعِلُونَ ٦١
They said, "We will attempt to dissuade his father from [keeping] him, and indeed, we will do [it]."
12:62
وَقَالَ لِفِتۡيَٰنِهِ ٱجۡعَلُواْ بِضَٰعَتَهُمۡ فِي رِحَالِهِمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَعۡرِفُونَهَآ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٦٢
And [Joseph] said to his servants, "Put their merchandise1 into their saddlebags so they might recognize it when they have gone back to their people that perhaps they will [again] return."
1 translator’s note
- The goods which they had brought to trade for food supplies. ↩
12:63
فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيهِمۡ قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا ٱلۡكَيۡلُ فَأَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَآ أَخَانَا نَكۡتَلۡ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ ٦٣
So when they returned to their father, they said, "O our father, [further] measure has been denied to us, so send with us our brother [that] we will be given measure. And indeed, we will be his guardians."