• Joseph receives his parents and relates to them the bounties of God bestowed upon him and his experiences in Egypt

Yusuf (Joseph) Verses 94 - 104

وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ الْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ لَوْلَا أَنْ تُفَنِّدُونِ

And when the caravan (with Yousuf’s shirt) had left1(Egypt), their father (there in his place) said: “I feel the smell of Joseph, if ye think not that I dote.” (12:94)

قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِي ضَلَالِكَ الْقَدِيمِ

Said they: “By God! Verily thou art in thy error.” (12:95)

فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَ الْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَاهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ فَارْتَدَّ بَصِيرًا قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

So when came the bearer of glad tidings, he cast it (the shirt) on his (Jacob’s) face, and (forthwith) returned (unto him) the eye-sight. He said: “Said I not unto you? Verily I know from God what ye know not.” (12:96)

قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ

Said they: “O’ our father! Ask thou forgiveness for us, Verily we are guilty ones.” (12:97)

قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

He said: “Soon will I ask forgiveness for you from my Lord: Verily He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” (12:98)

فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ آوَىٰ إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ادْخُلُوا مِصْرَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ

And when they entered the presence of Joseph, he accommodated his parents with himself, and said he: “Enter ye Egypt, if God willeth, (all) in security.” (12:99)

وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا وَقَالَ يَا أَبَتِ هَٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُمْ مِنَ الْبَدْوِ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ نَزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

And raised he2his parents to the throne, and they fell down unto him prostrating and said he3“O’ my father! this is the interpretation of my dream of a foretime! Indeed my Lord hath made it come true; and indeed He was kind unto me when He took me out of the prison and hath brought you from the desert (into this town unto me) after hath sown Satan dissension between me and my brothers: Verily my Lord is Benignant unto whomsoever He willeth; Verily He is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (12:100)4

رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنْتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ

“O’ My Lord! Indeed hast Thou given me of the dominion and taught me of the interpretation of events5(dreams):(O’) Originator of the heavens and the earth! Thou (alone) art my guardian in this world and the hereafter; cause me die a Muslim (in submission unto Thee) and join me with the righteous.” (12:101)

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ

This is (one) of the tidings of the unseen (which) We reveal unto thee (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) and nor wast thou present with 6them (the brothers of Joseph) when they resolved their affair, and while they were devising their plans. (12:102)

وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

And most7people believe (it) not, though thou desirest it. (12:103)

وَمَا تَسْأَلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِلْعَالَمِينَ

What (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) Thou asketh not of them a recompense for 8it, for this, (it) is no other than an admonition unto (all) the worlds (of creation). (12:104)

Commentary

Verse 96

(a) The return of sight means that he turned again seeing. It implies that Jacob had lost his sight and then regained it. The attempt to attach figurative significance means he came to know the whereabouts of Joseph is unwarranted and does not tally with ‘Fartadda’ which means, return to a state or regaining a thing lost. (A.P.).

Verse 100

‘Sujjadan’, i.e., making obeisance by prostrating. The prostration was by the father, mother (i.e., Joseph’s aunt) and his brothers. It is clear here that obeisance is of two kinds - one to God, i.e., the obeisance in the real sense - meaning total submission of the self to the Lord, and that of reverence and regard to a great person. This was the interpretation of the dream which Joseph had seen and related it to his father Jacob.

(a) Joseph clearly states that the scene of the prostration is a true interpretation of his dreams, which means, that the parents and the brothers actually prostrated unto people and it leaves no room for mis interpretation to avoid the permissibility of man’s prostration in reverence or regard to any superior personality.

(b) This indicates that the divine grace and benignance is not emotional but based on knowledge and wisdom. (A.P.).

• 1. Literally, departed.
• 2. Joseph.
• 3. Joseph.
• 4. Refer to verses 7:200, 6:103, 22:63 & 42:19.
• 5. Proceedings.
• 6. The brothers of Joseph.
• 7. This Condemns the majority to be disbelievers.
• 8. The services of the apostleship - or preaching Qur’an.