53. SURAH YUSUF – Presentation of Islam and Quran

INTRODUCTION TO SURAH YUSUF

The surah, which takes its name from the story of Yusuf that forms its axis, was revealed near the end of the Meccan period, at a time when the polytheistic Quraysh were devising plans to kill, exile, or imprison our Prophet. According to the order of revelation, it is the 53rd surah of the Qur’an. Although some sources have claimed that verses 1-3 and 7 were revealed in Medina, the harmony these verses show with the integrity of the surah indicates that this claim is a remote possibility.

In the first three verses of the surah, emphasis is placed on the Qur’an, and in the section from the 4th verse to the 101st verse, the story of Yusuf, described as “The best of stories,” is narrated. The story of Yusuf, which is also found in the Bible and is told in detail, was the most famous story circulating among both the People of the Book and others at the time the surah was revealed.

In contrast to other narratives which are found in multiple surahs with both short and long accounts, the story of Yusuf is narrated in the Qur’an only in this surah. The narrative possesses a unique characteristic and beauty in terms of its style and content that is without equal. Indeed, this aspect is also indicated in verse 3 with the expression “…We narrate you the best of stories .”

Through this narrative, in which timeless principles concerning tawhid (monotheism), patience, justice, tolerance, forgiveness, family relations, economics, and politics are decreed for humanity, and which emphasizes that a “human,” even if a prophet, can make mistakes, our Prophet was given the message to be as patient as the Prophet Yusuf, to carry out his duty without fear or faltering, and that the end result would be “good,” like the outcome of the Prophet Yusuf. At the same time, the Quraysh were warned that they would ultimately lose the struggle they had entered into with our Prophet and that their resistance would be meaningless.

According to the records of the reasons for revelation (asbab-i nuzul) ^[1], this surah was revealed after the Jews asked our Prophet – in relation to the story of Yusuf – why Jacob’s family went from Sham (Syria) to Egypt. According to the Jews’ calculation, our Prophet, who would not know the answer to this question, would first evade the question with elusive replies, then would have to ask some Jews how the event happened, and the moment he did this, his entire fraud would be exposed. The Jews were hoping that by springing this trap, they would show people that our Prophet had fabricated the Qur’an himself. However, events did not unfold at all as the Jews had expected. Our Prophet, who had lived distanced from the culture of the People of the Book, conveyed the story concerning the prophets Jacob and Yusuf to the people as divine revelation from Allah, thus demonstrating once again that the Qur’an was revealed by Allah and is miraculous.

According to another view, the surah of Yusuf was revealed after some believers made a request, saying, “O Messenger of Allah, if only you would tell us a story.” ^[2]

Meaning of verses:

¹Alif/1, Lam/30, Ra/200. These are the Ayat of that explicit book/the book which clarifies.

²Surely, We have sent down the Qur’an in Arabic so you may understand.

³We narrate you the best of stories as We reveal this Qur’an to you although you were among those who were unaware of/apathetic to this matter before this.

⁴When Joseph said to his father: “O my father! Indeed I have seen eleven stars, the sun and the moon; I have seen them submitting to me”

^5,6His father said: “My child! Do not tell your brothers what you have seen. Or they will plot against you. Surely, satan is a clear enemy to man. Thus will your Rabb choose you and teach you informations about what the first meanings of events/words are. He will complete His favor upon you and the family of Ya’kub [Jacob] as He did upon your two ancestors before you; Abraham and Isaac. Indeed, your Rabb is the One Who knows very well, the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible”.

–⁷Surely, there are many evidences/signs in Joseph and his brothers for those who ask about it/seek for it.-

^8,9When brothers of Joseph once said: “Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than us, we are, on the other hand, a strong and passionate group. Surely, our father is in a dead-end. Kill Joseph or cast him away so your father will be only for you, then you will become a righteous people”.

¹⁰A speaker from among them said: “Do not kill Joseph but throw him into the bottom of that well so travelers of the caravans passing by can find and take him with them. Do it in this way if you will”.

^11,12They said: “O our father! Why do you not trust us about Joseph? Indeed we wish for his good. So let him go with us tomorrow so he may enjoy the food and play. Surely, we are protectors of him”.

¹³Their father said: “It saddens me that you would take him with you and I fear that wolf will eat him when you are apathetic to/unconcerned with him”.

¹⁴Brothers of Joseph said: “Surely, we would be among those who lose and suffer if wolf should eat him when we are such a powerful group”.

¹⁵So brothers of Joseph took him and decided to put him into the bottom of that well. And We revealed to Joseph: “Surely, you will inform them about this affair of theirs in the future when they do not perceive”.

¹⁶And in the evening they came to their father, weeping.

¹⁷They said: “O our father! Surely we went racing. We left Joseph with our belongings. Then, a wolf ate him. And even though we are truthful, you would not believe us”.

¹⁸And they brought his shirt with false blood on it. Their father said: “Quite contrary, your selves enticed you and made you do an affair. – So patience is most appropriate now! – and Allah is the Only One to seek refuge in for what you have told”.

***

¹⁹And a caravan arrived and they sent their water-carrier. He let his bucket down the well and said, “Good news! Here is a boy!”. And they kept and protected him as a merchandise. However, Allah knew what they would do.

²⁰And they sold him for a low price; a few silver coins. They were those who were content with little for the sale of Joseph.

²¹And the Egyptian man who bought Joseph said to his inharmonious and incompatible wife: “Make his place honorable. He may benefit us or we will adopt him”. And thus We placed Joseph on the earth … so We might teach him the informations about what the first meanings of events/words are… And Allah is dominant in His command. But most of people do not know.

²²And when Joseph reached the age of ability to distinguish between good and evil, We gave him knowledge and judgment. And thus We recompense those who do good deeds.

***

²³And the woman, in whose house he stayed, wanted to seduce and take advantage of him, she locked the doors and said: “Come closer!”. Joseph said: “I seek refuge in Allah! Surely, your husband, my master/my Rabb; Allah made my position good. Indeed, those who do wrong; act against their own good will not succeed”.

²⁴And surely that woman desired him. If Joseph had not seen the clear proof of his Rabb, he would have desired her. Thus it was so We should keep immorality and evil away from him. Surely, he was of our purified servants.

²⁵And they both hasted to the door. She tore his shirt from the back. And they faced her master at the door. She said: “What else can be the recompense of the one who intended to do evil to your family other than being thrown into the prison or a painful punishment?”.

^26,27Joseph said: “It was she who sought to seduce me”. And a witness from her relatives testified: “If Joseph’s shirt is torn from the front then she has told the truth and Joseph is of the liars but if his shirt is torn from the back then she has lied and Joseph is of the truthful”.

^28,29And when Joseph’s master saw that his shirt is torn from the back, he said: “Surely, this is of the plot of yours, women. Your plot is indeed great. Joseph! Stay away from this. Woman! Ask forgiveness for your sin. Surely, you have been among the sinners”.

***

³⁰And women in the city said: “Inharmonious and incompatible wife of Aziz seeks to seduce her boy. Surely, he has impassioned her with love. Indeed, we see her in an explicit astray”.

³¹And when the inharmonious and incompatible wife of Aziz heard that they bruit rumors, she sent them a messenger and prepared a banquet for them. And she gave a knife to each of them. And said: “Come out before them!”. And when they saw Joseph, they marveled upon him and cut their hands. And they said: “Perfect! For Allah, this is not a human but only an honorable angel.”/”Perfect! This is not a slave purchased but only an honorable prince”.

³²The inharmonious and incompatible wife of Aziz said: “This is the one that you see, about whom you blamed me. Indeed, I sought to seduce him but he refused firmly. And if he does not do what I ordered him, he will definitely be thrown into prison and be of those debased”.

³³Joseph said: “My Rabb! Prison is more to my liking than that which they invite me to. If You do not avert their plot from me, I will fall into their plot and be among the ignorant”.

³⁴Then his Rabb responded to him and averted their plots away from him. Surely, He is the One Who hears in truth, knows in truth.

³⁵Then after they had seen such signs, it appeared to them that they should imprison him for a time.

***

³⁶And two young men entered prison with him. One of them said: “Surely, I have seen myself pressing wine”. The other one said: “Surely, I have seen myself carrying bread over my head and birds ate from it. Give us its interpretation. Surely we see you among those who produce good”.

^37-41Joseph said: “I will inform you of its interpretation before a food that is provided to you comes to you. This is a part of what my Rabb has taught me. Surely, I have left the religion, lifestyle of a people who do not believe in Allah – they are the ones who consciously deny; disbelieve in Akhirat [Afterlife]-. And I have followed the religion, life principle of my ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with Allah. This is a bounty of Allah to us and the people. But most of the people do not repay for the blessings they are given. O my companions of prison! Are many individual rabbs better or Allah, the One and the Only, owner of all things, the prevailing? Those whom you worship from among those that are inferior to Allah are nothing but some names that you and your ancestors invented. Allah has sent no evidence about worshipping them. Judgment belongs only to Allah: He commanded you to worship none but Himself. This is the correct/protecting religion. But, most of the people do not know. O my companies of prison! One of you will offer wine his master again. And the other one will be driven out from city life, he will do agriculture in the farms, he will work in the stone pits and birds will eat him from his head. The matter has been decreed about which you inquire”.

⁴²And Joseph said to the one whom he definitely knew that would be saved: “Mention me before the one whom you take your master/ruler!”. Then his self made him forget to mention. And Joseph remained in prison for five-ten years.

***

⁴³And the ruler said: “Indeed, I have seen that seven lean cows eating seven fat cows, and seven green spikes and seven dry spikes. O chiefs! If you should interpret a vision, enlighten and convince me about this vision”.

⁴⁴Chiefs said: “It is a mixture of visions. And we are not the ones who know the interpretation of such mixture of visions”.

⁴⁵And the one who was saved from those two remembered after a time and said: “I will inform you what this vision exactly means, send me right away”.

***

“⁴⁶Joseph! O the truthful one! Give us convincing information about “Seven lean cows eating seven fat cows. And seven green spikes and seven dry spikes” so I may return to the people being informed and so they may learn”.

^47-49Joseph said: “For seven consecutive years you will do agriculture as usual; you will produce all kinds of food products, then leave these products on their spikes; store them except for what you consume. Then ensue will seven years of drought. These years of drought will consume what you have saved before except for a little from which you will store. Then will come a year during which people will enjoy abundance of rainfall and they will milk and press; they will have such food items as olive oil, grape juice, molasses; life will be normal again”.

***

⁵⁰And that ruler said: “Bring him to me!”. When a messenger came to Joseph, Joseph said to him: “Go back to your master and ask him what was the case with those women who cut their hands? Indeed, my Rabb knows their plan very well”.

⁵¹The ruler said: “What was the condition when you sought to seduce Joseph?”. The women said: “God forbid, for Allah, we knew no evil about him”. The inharmonious and incompatible wife of Aziz said: “Now the truth has become evident. It was I who tried to seduce him. Indeed, he is of the truthful with no doubt. –⁵²This is so that Joseph may know that I have not betrayed him in a desolate place and that Allah does not guide the plot of the betrayers.- ⁵³And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, it is self that commands evil persistently. But except for those who my Rabb spares. Indeed, my Rabb is very forgiving, very merciful”.

⁵⁴And the ruler said: “Bring him to me so I may appoint him for myself”. And then when he spoke with him, he said, “Surely, today you have a very important position with us, you are a trustworthy man”.

⁵⁵Joseph said: “Appoint me over the treasury of the earth. Surely, I am the one who protects well, who knows very well”.

–⁵⁶Thus We gave Joseph in that place rulership; governance. He would settle wherever he willed. We bestow Our mercy to whomever We will. And We never let the reward of those do good be lost. ⁵⁷And surely the reward of Akhirat [Afterlife] is better for those who believe and have entered under the guardianship of Allah.-

***

⁵⁸Brothers of Joseph came and entered his presence. He recognized them immediately but they were those who did not recognize him.

^59,60And when he prepared their supplies, he said: “Bring me brother of yours from your father. You see that I measure fully and I am the best of accommodators. If you do not bring him to me, there will be no grain for you anymore and do not come close to me!”.

⁶¹They said: “We will attempt to get him from his father and surely we are the ones who do”.

⁶²And Joseph said to his officers: “Put their money into their saddlebags so they may realize it when they have gone back to their family and may come again!”.

***

⁶³Thus, when they returned to their father, they said: “O our father! Grain has been forbidden to us; we will not be given grains anymore. Therefore, send our brother with us this time so we may get grains. And we will absolutely protect him”.

⁶⁴Their father said: “Should I entrust you with him? Other than what happened when I entrusted you with his brother; Joseph before! Then, Allah is the One Who protects best. And He is the most merciful of those who show mercy”.

⁶⁵And when they opened their baggage they found their money returned to them. They said: “O our father! What else should we desire? Here, our money is returned to us. We will get grains for our family with this and bring it, we will protect our brother as well and get a camel’s load of extra grains. This is a very easy/a very little amount of grains”.

⁶⁶Their father said: “I will never send him with you until you give me a promise by Allah that you will definitely bring him to me unless you are surrounded/you all become helpless”. And when they had given their promise to their father, their father said: “Allah is the One Who arranges pursuant to a schedule and implements this schedule by supporting, maintaining it for what we have said”.

⁶⁷And he said: “O my children! Do not enter from one gate, enter from different gates. I can not avail you against Allah at all. Judgment belongs only to Allah. I rely only on Him. And those who rely should rely only on Him”.

***

⁶⁸And when they arrived to the city, they entered as their father had ordered them. This would not avail them against Allah at all, but this was only a realization of a wish that Jacob had. And surely, he was a possessor of knowledge since We had taught him. But most of the people do not know.

⁶⁹And when they entered the presence of Joseph, Joseph took his brother to himself: “Indeed, I am your brother! Therefore, do not grieve over what they did!

⁷⁰And then when Joseph prepared their important belongings, supplies, he put the water bowl into the bag of his brother. Then a caller called out: “O caravan! Indeed, you are thieves!”

⁷¹The caravan said turning to them: “What is it you are missing?”.

⁷²Officials said: “We are missing the water bowl of the ruler and for whoever brings it will be a load of grains. And I guarantee it”.

⁷³The ones in the caravan said: “We swear by Allah, and you certainly know that we did not come to make corruption on the earth/here. And we are not thieves either”.

⁷⁴Officials said: “If you should be liars, what is the recompense for the one who steals?”.

⁷⁵The caravan said: “Its recompense, in whose bag it is found, he will be its recompense/he will be kept, he will pay the price himself. Thus we recompense those who do wrong; act against their own good”.

⁷⁶Then Joseph started to search their bags before the bag of his brother. Then he brought the water bowl out from the bag of his brother. Thus We taught such a trick to Joseph. There was no way to keep his brother within the religion of the king/laws of the country. – Except that Allah wills. We raise in degrees whomever We will. And there is always another one who knows better over every possessor of knowledge. –

⁷⁷The caravan said: “If he becomes a thief with the fact that the water bowl has been found in his bag, then one of his brothers; that’s to say, one of us indeed becomes a thief as well with the fact that the money which we had paid before as the price of grain came out of our baggage when we returned to our homeland. Yet, none of us was accused of theft by anyone, we were given grain once again. In this case, our brother can not be accused of theft.”

Joseph kept that which happened as a secret at that time and did not make an explanation about this to them and said: “You certainly are very bad in position, Allah is the One Who knows best what you describe”.

⁷⁸They said: “O Aziz! Surely, he has a father who is very old. Therefore, take one of us in place of him. Surely, we see you among those who do good”.

⁷⁹Joseph said: “We seek refuge in Allah from catching/keeping except him with whom we have found our possession. Surely, if we do like that we will be those who do wrong; act against their own good”.

^80-82And when they lost their hope upon him, they secluded, whispering among themselves. Eldest of them said: “Do you not remember that you have sworn by Allah before your father and you transgressed about Joseph before? I will not leave here until my father gives me permission or Allah gives a judgment about me. And Allah is the best of those who judge. Now go back to your father and say: “O our father! Surely, your son has stolen/has been accused of theft. And we have testified only to what we knew. And we are not the guardians of the unseen, the unheard and the unfelt. Ask the city we were in and the people of the caravan we have travelled along. We surely are truthful”.

***

⁸³Their father said: “Quite contrary, your selves enticed you to drag you an affair. Patience is most appropriate now! I hope that Allah will bring three of them [Joseph, his little brother and elder brother] back to me. Indeed, He is the One Who knows best, Who makes laws, rules and principles that are set forth to prevent injustice and chaos”.

⁸⁴And Jacob turned away from them. And he said: “Alas, my longing for Joseph!”. And his two eyes became white from sorrow [withered, depressed]. Now Jacob was a man who swallowed continuously; who kept his sorrow within himself.

⁸⁵They said: “By Allah that you mention Joseph all the time. At the end you will disappear or be one of those who are manipulated/destroyed”.

^86,87Jacob said: “I complain of my excessive longing, my grief to Allah. And I know from Allah that which you do not know. O my sons! Go search for Joseph and his brother. Do not despair of the relief Allah gives you, surely no one but those infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb will despair of the relief from Allah”.

***

⁸⁸And when they entered the presence of Joseph, they said: “O Aziz! Adversity has touched us and our family. And we have come with a poor capital. But give us full scale. And give us sadaqa as well / provide support to us from your public revenues which is to be paid back. Surely, Allah recompenses those who give sadaqa”.

⁸⁹Joseph said: “Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?”

⁹⁰Brothers of Joseph said: “Are you really Joseph?”. Joseph said: “I am indeed and he is my brother. Surely, Allah has given us His blessings. Surely, whoever enters under the guardianship of Allah and is patient; then no doubt Allah will not let the reward of those who do good deeds be lost”.

⁹¹They said: “By Allah, Allah exalted you above us. And we surely have been the wrong”.

^92,93Joseph said: “No condemnation and accusation will be upon you today. May Allah forgive you. He is the most merciful of those who show mercy. Take my shirt and put it on the face of my father so he may be saved from that scorned/ridiculed illness/being depressed. And bring me your all family”.

***

⁹⁴And when the caravan left, their father said: “If you do not call me weak minded, I truly find the smell of Joseph”.

⁹⁵They said: “Indeed, you are still in your same old confusion”.

⁹⁶But when the bearer of good tidings arrived, he put the shirt on the face of Jacob, he immediately became saved from the scorned/ridiculed illness. He said: “Have I not said to you? I truly know from Allah that which you do not know”.

⁹⁷They said: “O our father! Ask forgiveness of our sins for us. Indeed, we have been sinners”.

⁹⁸Jacob said: “I will later ask my Rabb for forgiveness for you. Surely, He is the One Who is very forgiving, very merciful”.

***

⁹⁹When they entered the presence of Joseph, Joseph embraced his father and mother, cherished them and took them by himself and said: “Enter Egypt in safety by the will of Allah!”.

¹⁰⁰And he exalted his father and mother upon a high throne. And all of them submitted to him. And Joseph said: “My father! This is the interpretation of what I saw. Indeed my Rabb has made it true. My Rabb certainly did favor to me by getting me out of prison and bringing you through the desert after satan sown enmity between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Rabb is the One Who gives bounties to whatever He wills. Indeed He is the One Who knows best, the One Who is the best law maker”.

-“¹⁰¹My Rabb! You have given me rulership and taught me from the informations of the first meanings of what will occur/of the words. Creator of the heavens/universe and the earth from nothing! You are my helper, my protector in the world and in the Akhirat [Afterlife]; take my life as Muslim and join me with the righteous!-

¹⁰²This, what We have revealed to you is from the news of which you have not seen, heard, known. And you were not with them when they decided and plotted their evil deeds.

¹⁰³Although you desire passionately, many of the people are not to believe.

¹⁰⁴And you do not ask them any payment for this. The Qur’an is nothing but a reminder for the mankind.

¹⁰⁵And there are many evidences/signs in the heavens/universe and on the earth, they pass over them as the ones who stay away. ¹⁰⁶Most of them do not worship Allah without associating others with Him.

¹⁰⁷Are they safe from that a calamity from the punishment of Allah that will surround them all will come or the hour/the moment of Qiyamat [Resurrection] will come suddenly while they do not perceive?

¹⁰⁸Say: “This is my path; I invite you to Allah as a requirement of reason, knowledge and common sense. I and those who follow me… And purified is Allah. And I am not among those who associate others with Allah”.

¹⁰⁹And We sent some mature men before you as messengers to whom We revealed only from among their own people. Have they not traveled through those places? So they may see how was the end of those who passed on before them! Indeed, the home of Akhirat [Afterlife] is better for those who enter under the guardianship of Allah. Will you still not use your reason?

¹¹⁰And when the messengers were to despair and were certain that they would be denied, Our help came to them. Then those who We willed were saved. And our punishment can not be repelled from the people of criminals.

¹¹¹Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in the stories of Joseph, his father and his brothers for those who are capable of understanding.

The Qur’an is not an invented word. It is only a confirmation of what is mentioned within it, a detailed explanation of everything, a guidance and mercy for those who believe.

Analysis of Verses

Verses 1-2:

¹Alif/1, Lam/30, Ra/200. These are the Ayat of that explicit book/the book which clarifies.

²Surely, We have sent down the Qur’an in Arabic so you may understand.

This surah, like the surahs of Yunus and Hud, began with the disconnected letters “ا (Alif)”, “ل (Lam)”, and “ر (Ra)”. After drawing attention with these letters, the gaze is directed towards the Quran with a demonstrative pronoun, and emphasis is placed on the characteristics of the Quran.

In verse 2, the reason for the Quran’s revelation in Arabic is explained, and it is stated that the Quran was revealed in Arabic so that people may reason, reflect, and understand. Because the Quran was being revealed to the Arab society, for a society to understand, reason upon, apply, and convey the message revealed to it to others, the message must be in the native language of that society. If it were not so, that is, if the message were revealed in a foreign language to the society, it would not be possible for a society that does not know that language to understand, reason upon, and apply the message.

However, it is not correct to understand and explain the word “عربيّا (arabiyyan)” here only as “Arabic, the Arabic language.” Because this word is derived not only from the form “عربً (arabe)” but also from the form “عرُب (arube).” According to the “arube” form, the meaning of the word is “fasahat, to speak eloquently.” ^[3]

“Fasahat [to speak eloquently]” means “the speech being free from phonetic and semantic defects, meaning it is easy to understand, easy to pronounce, and its composition is perfect.” ^[4]

In this case, the meaning of the verse would be: “Indeed, We have sent it down as a Quran that is ‘easy to understand, easy to pronounce, perfectly composed, and compliant with grammatical rules’ so that you may reason.”

Due to the language of the society to which the Quran was revealed being Arabic, the fact that it was revealed in Arabic so that society could understand and reason upon the Quran has been emphasized in many verses (Nahl/103, Fussilat/44, Shu’ara/198, 199, Zukhruf/2, 3, Shu’ara/193-195, Rad/37, Ahqaf/12, Ta Ha/113, Zumar/27, 28, Fussilat/3, Shura/7).

Verse 3:

³We narrate you the best of stories as We reveal this Qur’an to you although you were among those who were unaware of/apathetic to this matter before this.

In this verse, which serves as the introduction to the story of Yusuf, it is emphasized that our Prophet had no prior knowledge of this story. This story, which was very well-known among the People of the Book, was narrated in “the best” manner by our Prophet, who had no prior knowledge of the story, and moreover, the points which the People of the Book had incorrectly understood were corrected. Thereupon, those who attempted to test the Messenger of Allah were astonished by this situation.

That our Prophet was not someone who concerned himself with these subjects and that he was indifferent and uninterested in these matters has also been expressed in other verses:

²²indeed, you were in apathy and ignorance of this. Now, We have removed your cover from you. Then your sight is sharp on this day; thanks to the Qur’an, you have become educated.

(Qaf / 22)

⁸⁶And you were not expecting that the Book would be revealed/sent down to you. It has been given to you as a mercy from your Rabb. So, do not help the infidels; those who consciously deny the divinity of Allah and the fact that He is Rabb.

(Qasas / 86)

^52,53Thus We have revealed to you the soul/the Qur’an which is of Our own command/affair. You did not know what the book was, what faith was. But We made it a light/soul with which We guide from whomever We will of Our servants. Without a doubt, you also guide to a straight path; the path of Allah for Whom those in the heavens/universe and on the earth are. So open your eyes! All matters return only to Allah.

(Shura / 52)

In the 111th verse, it is said regarding the story of Yusuf, which is described as “the most beautiful of stories” in the 3rd verse of the surah: “Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in the stories of Joseph, his father and his brothers for those who are capable of understanding.” This verse expresses that in these stories, which tell of the family of Jacob being brought to a happy ending, there are many principles beneficial to humanity.

The story of Yusuf is found in chapters 37-45 of the Book of Genesis in the Bible. As the occasion arises, the relevant sections will be conveyed from there, allowing for a comparative examination of the subject, thus enabling a better understanding of how the spirit of revelation, which was lost in the Bible, is manifested in the Quran.

Verse 4:

⁴When Joseph said to his father: “O my father! Indeed I have seen eleven stars, the sun and the moon; I have seen them submitting to me”

The story of Yusuf begins with this verse where Yusuf describes a vision he saw to his father. This “vision,” in which eleven stars, the Sun, and the Moon prostrated to him [submitted and entered his service], is not a dream seen in sleep, but rather a vision Yusuf saw while awake. This point is emphasized in the verse by the double use of the verb “رأيت (raaytu) [I saw].” That is, Yusuf insistently informed his father that he saw what he saw not in sleep but while awake, by saying, “O my father, indeed I have seen eleven stars, the Sun and the Moon; I saw them prostrating to me [submitting].”

Similar visions to those Yusuf saw while awake will, as will be reported in later verses, also be seen while awake by Yusuf’s prison companions and the king of the country. That is, the visions featured in the continuation of the story – “making wine, carrying bread on one’s head, and birds eating the carried bread” and “seven lean cows eating seven fat cows, and seven green ears of grain and seven dry ones” – will also appear not as dreams, but as real visions. In fact, these visions are related to the “future.” That is, they are complex visions of the kind seen by clairvoyants and psychics. The fact that such visions are reported to have been seen by persons other than Yusuf in the surah indicates that divination was widespread in that era. Just as Moses was granted miracles to challenge magic when sorcery was common, just as our prophet was sent with the Quran, a literary miracle, in a period when verbal art and literature were widespread, the prophet Yusuf was also granted miracles through the interpretation of “the complex visions of future events” in his own time.

Such a vision concerning the future also occurred for our prophet:

²⁷And surely, Allah has made that vision to come out as true in truth; “If Allah wills, you will enter Masjid al-Haram in safety as the ones who have turned back to their normal civil life”. Therefore, Allah knows what you do not know. Then He bestowed you a conquest lesser/closer than that.

(Fatah / 27)

And Surah Fil:

^1,2Have you not seen/thought about how your Rabb dealt with the army with elephant/gang of fools, idiots?47 Did He not make their evil plans fail?

^3-5And He sent upon them clusters of clouds; a storm that poured large drops of rain along with stones of hard clay and then made them like an eaten leaf.

Have you not seen how your Rabb dealt with the gang of idiots? He sent upon them Ayat division by division/trials upon trials thus He gave them distress of conscience and destroyed them.

These are the verse representations mentioned in Surahs Najm and Isra.

Visions seen while asleep, which are referred to by the English word “dream”, are mentioned in the Qur’an using the expression ” فى المنام fi’l-manami [in sleep]”.

⁴³When at that time, Allah showed them to you as few in your sleep. Had Allah showed you them as many, you would surely have feared and differed about war. But Allah established safety. Surely He is the One Who knows best what is within hearts.

⁴⁴And when you met them to fulfill an affair which must have been fulfilled, He showed them a few in your eyes. And He showed you a few in their eyes. And all matters will only be returned to Allah.

(Al-Anfal / 43, 44)

The expression “almanam” discussed in Saffat/102 is in the form of an Ism-i Maqan (noun of place) and means “the place of sleep.” Here, it is used metaphorically to refer to that city’s insensitivity, indifference, and the state of being covered with the dust of death. The necessary explanation has been made in its proper place.

The visions seen while awake – of the kind seen by the prophet Yusuf – are called “vision” today. Because Muslims have not exerted sufficient intellectual effort and conducted adequate examination on these subjects, a conceptualization has largely formed in line with the studies and research conducted in the West. Although one must approach the information they provide with caution, we are of the opinion that it would be beneficial to also look at information from metapsychics and parapsychology for the sake of providing an idea.

According to what we learn from the Quran, a vision is a phenomenon that can be seen by anyone. Because, as will be seen in the later verses, the prophet Yusuf’s prison companions and the king of the country also saw such images. Looking at history, apart from what the Quran narrates, it is seen that various visions in various places are mentioned. The most well-known of these visions, and one that still continues to attract interest today, are the visions of Nostradamus. It must be stated here immediately that a vision and prophecy [or mediumship] are not the same things. Prophecy is the business of “so-called” interpretation of the vision [or dream]. The ability to interpret such images [visions], according to what is reported in the Quran, is a characteristic given only to the prophet Yusuf. Indeed, the prophet Jacob, the father of the prophet Yusuf, could not fully interpret his son’s vision and could only make a guess. Apart from the story of Yusuf, the only vision in the Quran, which is our prophet’s vision, was not interpreted by any servant but was explained by our Lord Himself. Similarly, the visions of Nostradamus are also in a form that people can only understand when their time comes.

Scholars have attributed visionary abilities—especially those of Nostradamus—to specific tools and teachings, but we believe this gift is innate (perhaps genetic) and cannot be acquired through study or instruction. We see support for this idea in Nostradamus’s alleged genetic connection to the Israelite tribe of Issachar, from which many Biblical prophets emerged. Indeed, one might even speculate that Nostradamus could be a descendant of the prophets Jacob and Joseph.

In the verse describing the stars, the sun, and the moon prostrating to Joseph, this “prostration” does not refer to ritual prayer. Rather—much like the angels’ prostration before Adam—it expresses deep respect for Joseph and acknowledgment of his authority. Since Surah Najm provides a detailed explanation of the term sajdah (prostration), we’ll simply refer you there.

The term sajdah also appears in verse 100 of this surah with the same meaning:

¹⁰⁰And he exalted his father and mother upon a high throne. And all of them submitted to him. And Joseph said: “My father! This is the interpretation of what I saw. Indeed my Rabb has made it true. My Rabb certainly did favor to me by getting me out of prison and bringing you through the desert after satan sown enmity between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Rabb is the One Who gives bounties to whatever He wills. Indeed He is the One Who knows best, the One Who is the best law maker”.

(Yusuf/100)

Verses 5, 6:

As seen, the prophet Jacob could not fully interpret his son’s vision, but with the accumulation gained from being a messenger, he gave him very serious advice. The prophet Jacob, warning that his brothers might plan to harm him out of jealousy, also made the interpretation regarding what his son saw that Allah would bring him to a good position both in His presence and among people, that He would give him the ability for “strategic assessment,” teaching him the interpretation of words, events, and future happenings, granting him the characteristic of being able to interpret visions, and that He would bestow blessings upon Yusuf just as He had bestowed upon his forefathers Ibrahim and Ishaq.

Concluding his advice to his son with the words “Indeed, your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise,” the prophet Jacob, with these final words, expressed that Allah knows very well to whom He will grant messengership and that He will enact the best laws, confessing his own incapacity arising from servitude and referring the matter to Allah. From the prophet Jacob’s words here, it is understood that he knew the prayer of his grandfather, the prophet Ibrahim, and that he had expectations in line with that supplication:

^127-129And when Abraham and Ishmael raised/exalted the fundamental laws of the religion from the oneness school, saying: “O our Rabb! Accept from us, surely You are the One Who hears best, knows best. O our Rabb! Make us both the ones who strengthen [who make healthier, happier and convince people to be Muslims] for You. And bring from our descendants as well a people with a leader who strengthen [who make people healthier, happier and convince people to be Muslims] for You. And show us the methods of servitude, accept our repentance as well. Surely, You are the One Who accepts the repentances much and the One Who is very merciful. O our Rabb! And send a prophet from among them so he may recite them Your Ayat; teach them the book and the laws, rules and principles that are set forth to prevent injustice, corruption and chaos; purify them. No doubt that You are the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible”.

(Al-Baqara / 129)

His brothers’ jealousy of the prophet Joseph is recorded in the Bible as follows:

Joseph’s Dreams

1 Jacob lived in Canaan, where his father had been a stranger.

2 The story of the house of Jacob: Joseph was a young man of seventeen years old. He was herding cattle with his half-brothers, his father’s wives, Bilhah and Zilpah. He brought the evil deeds of his brothers to his father.

3 Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons. For Joseph was born in his old age. He made Joseph a long, colorful robe.

4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than they did, they hated him. They did not speak sweet words to Joseph.

5 Joseph had a dream. When he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.

6 Joseph said, “Please listen to my dream!”

7 “We were tying sheaves in the field, and suddenly my sheaf stood up. And yours gathered around it and bowed down to it.”

8 His brothers said, “Are you going to be king over us? Are you going to rule us?” They hated him for his dreams and for what he said.

9 Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Listen, I had another dream,” he said, “and the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down before me.”

10 When Joseph told this dream to his father and brothers, his father rebuked him: “What kind of a dream is this?” he said, “Do I and your mother and your brothers and sisters bow down before you?”

11 His brothers were jealous of Joseph, but his father was concerned about this.^[5]

……………………………..

The phrase ” تأويل الأحادس (ta’wilu al-ahadis) [the prioritization/determination of the true meaning of events and words]” found in the original text has generally been understood as “the interpretation of visions.” However, “Allah teaching him [the prophet Yusuf] ta’wilu al-ahadis” does not only mean this. The expression more comprehensively means that Allah granted Yusuf the ability to understand events and the problems of life and to find solutions, bestowing upon him insight that leads to the truth of all things.

Those who take the word “dream”—which we insist on calling “vision” and defining as “a waking image”—in its English sense of “what is seen in sleep,” have proffered numerous opinions without any grounding in fields like psychiatry or psychology. They have produced inconsistent narrations about dreams, even invoking the Prophet as “proof.” As a result, the notion of “dream” became one of the points at which Islam was attacked, and an entirely new “religion” arose in diametric opposition to Islam by elevating a so-called “true dream” (rū’yā-i ṣādiqa) into doctrine. But this pseudo-religion did not emerge through the establishment of new divine rules; rather, it corrupted Allah’s religion by introducing superstitions. These malicious impostors concocted countless fanciful beliefs and practices in the Prophet’s name, then—together with the gullible who fell for their claims—built their perverted faith upon supposed revelations granted to them in sleep.

However, the idea of a dream’s “truth” has no place in a believer’s life, for the Qur’an clearly shows that dreams are not, in fact, true:

(Al-Anfal / 43, 44)

As the above verses show, even the Prophet’s vision had no connection to waking reality. Allah Almighty, however, has explicitly laid out in the Qur’an the means by which He speaks to His servants and delivers His messages—and “dream” is not among them. Therefore, the impostors’ claim of “receiving messages from Allah through dreams” directly contradicts the Qur’an:

⁵¹It is not for a human that Allah should speak to him except by a revelation [Wahy] or behind an object or that He sends a messenger to reveal what He wills by His permission/knowledge. Indeed, He is the most sublime and the One Who exalts, the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

(Ash-Shura / 51)

As we see, this verse exposes those who claim to receive messages from Allah through their dreams—even as they profess adherence to a faith that the Qur’an declares complete in an unequivocal verse.

Verse 7:

⁷Surely, there are many evidences/signs in Joseph and his brothers for those who ask about it/seek for it.-

The events of the story of Yusuf begin with this verse, which states that “…many evidences/signs in Joseph and his brothers for those who ask about it/seek for it” following the description of the vision that forms the basis of the story and the view of the prophet Jacob regarding this vision, and it concludes with the same expression found in the verse 111 at the end of the surah.

The phrase “many signs” refers to the parable’s subtle, deeply meaningful examples, serving as an admonition to all humanity. It also functions as a warning to the Meccans—many of whom were the Prophet’s relatives—who, driven by jealousy, rejected his prophethood and opposed him. By the story’s end, Joseph’s brothers—who, like the Meccans, had persecuted him to extremes—ultimately submit to his authority, as he rises to power by Allah’s aid. Thus, the parable’s message is that the Meccans, like Joseph’s brothers, will eventually come under the protection and rule of the very one they envied.

The identities of the brothers of Prophet Joseph are explained in some works as follows:

The name of the eldest was Rubil. The others were Sham’un, Lawi, Yehuda, Zeyalun, and Yeshcer. Their mother was Leya, the daughter of Leyan. She was the daughter of Hz. Yaqub’s maternal uncle. Hz. Yaqub also had four sons from two concubines: Dan, Naftali, Cad, and Asher. Later, when Leya passed away, Hz. Yaqub married her sister Rahil. From this marriage, his sons named Yusuf and Bunyamin were born. Thus, Hz. Yaqub’s children totaled twelve persons. al-Suhayli says: The name of Yaqub’s mother was Refqa. Rahil died while in childbirth due to Bunyamin. Leyan b. Nahur b. Azar is Hz. Yaqub’s maternal uncle. ^[6]

Zamakhshari lists the names of Yusuf’s brothers as follows: Yehuda, Rubyal, Shimon, Levi, Ribalon, Yeshcer, Dayne, Dan, Naftali, Cad, and Asher. The first seven of these are from Libya, the daughter of Hz. Yaqub’s maternal aunt whom he married. When Libya died, Hz. Yaqub married Libya’s sister Rahil. From Rahil, Bunyamin and Yusuf were born. It appears that there were also step-sibling relationships among the brothers. ^[7]

Verses 8, 10:

In these verses, it is narrated that the prophet Jacob loved Yusuf and his younger brother more than his other children, and because of this, the other children, out of jealousy, made a plan to get rid of Yusuf, thus drawing attention to some inherent traits present in human nature.

According to what is understood from the verses, although Jacob(as) was a prophet who received revelation, he concentrated his affection on Yusuf and his younger brother, and as a result, the feeling of jealousy that formed could lead his other children to consider removing their brother Yusuf from there, or even killing him. The evil of the feeling of jealousy had been pointed out earlier in the surah of Falaq, and seeking refuge in our Lord from the evil of the envier was commanded:

^1-5Say: “I seek refuge in Rabb, Allah Who systematically removes all afflictions, from the evil of that which He formed and the evil of darkness when it settles and the evil of those who spit and blow on the knots/those who do not comply with the covenants and from the evil of an envier when he envies.

(Al-Falaq / 1-5)

The verses in question also contain an indirect message about what the jealousy stemming from the prophet Jacob’s discrimination among his children might cost. The fact that the brothers used the expression “Yusuf and his brother” while discussing their plans regarding Yusuf among themselves indicates that Yusuf and his younger brother were from a different mother. This was a situation that required the prophet Jacob to be especially careful regarding affection and to meticulously avoid attitudes that could lead his children to jealousy.

In verse 8, it is noteworthy that the brothers describe themselves as “usba.” “Usba” means “a tight-knit, bonded, passionate group consisting of ten to forty people.” ^[8]

In the end, the prophet Jacob’s bonded, passionate children decided among themselves, after discussion, to throw Yusuf into a well. The article “al-” in front of the word “al-jubb [the well]” in the verse indicates that this was not just any well, but a “known, familiar” well that the brothers knew and which was explicitly stated in the plan.

The phrase “then you will become a righteous people” in the verse means “then you will win your father’s heart, your father will love you too, and you will become good children in his eyes.” To derive the meaning of “you repent, you purify yourselves” from this expression is, in our view, not an accurate opinion. Because “repentance” is for sins committed out of ignorance. However, the crime the brothers decided to commit is a crime to be committed in a planned and conscious manner. Such deliberately committed crimes fall into istihfaf; they constitute belittling Allah, the Hereafter, and the crime.

Verses 11 – 14:

¹³Their father said: “It saddens me that you would take him with you and I fear that wolf will eat him when you are apathetic to/unconcerned with him”.

¹⁴Brothers of Joseph said: “Surely, we would be among those who lose and suffer if wolf should eat him when we are such a powerful group”.

In this section, it is narrated how the brothers, who were plotting against Yusuf, tried to assure their father that they would look after him, and conversely, how the Prophet Yaqub received this request from his sons with anxiety and concern.

Verses 15 – 18:

¹⁶And in the evening they came to their father, weeping.

¹⁷They said: “O our father! Surely we went racing. We left Joseph with our belongings. Then, a wolf ate him. And even though we are truthful, you would not believe us”.

In these verses, Joseph’s brothers coaxed their father into letting Joseph accompany them, then abandoned him in the well as planned. They later presented Joseph’s bloodstained shirt—fabricated with false blood—to convince their father that Joseph had died.

In these verses, it is narrated how Yusuf’s brothers persuaded their father to take Yusuf with them, how they left Yusuf in a well according to their plan, and then, to convince their father this time that Yusuf was dead, they brought Yusuf’s shirt with a false blood stain on it.

In verse 15, our Lord, opening a parenthesis within the narrative of the story, declared that He revealed to Yusuf. Thus, Yusuf, following the first vision he saw, this time received revelation and was granted a great favor for the second time. The revelation made is expressed briefly in the verse as “…you will inform them about this affair of theirs…” However, according to what is understood from the subsequent verses that relate the development of the story, what was revealed to Yusuf were the future events: that he would be saved from the well, that he would be settled in a good place and made a respected administrator, that he would be given the duty of prophethood, that he would be reunited with his brothers and his father, that his brothers would seek help from him and would feel regret for what they had done; thus, he was comforted in his moment of distress and enabled to await what was to come with patience.

Some commentators, citing the revelation made to Joseph, have argued that Joseph was over eighteen years old when he was thrown into the well. However, the fact that in verse 12 his brothers said “let him eat, drink and play”, that in verse 13 the prophet Ya’qub stated that he could not protect himself from the wolf, and that in verse 19 he was accepted as “luqata” by the traveling caravan indicate that Joseph was still a child when he was thrown into the well. It is already stated in verse 22 that prophethood was given to Joseph at the age of maturity. The revelation given to Joseph while he was in the well is similar to the revelation given to the mother of Prophet Moses (Qasas/77) and the honeybee (Nahl/68).

In the story, three different shirts are mentioned in relation to what happened to Joseph at different times. One of these shirts is the shirt that the brothers falsely smeared with blood and took to their father; the other is the shirt that was torn from Joseph’s back when he was attacked by Aziz’s wife; and the third is the shirt that Joseph sent to his father to smear on his face. These are different shirts from different periods in Joseph’s life; they cannot possibly be the same shirt.

The story of Joseph has also been the target of fabricators and many legends have been invented about Joseph, Jacob, Zulayha and the shirt.

JACOB (AS) KNEW HIS SONS’ LIE

As can be understood from the fact that Prophet Jacob’s speech mentioned in verse 18 begins with the particle “bal [bilakis / contrarily]”, he knew that what his sons said about Joseph was a lie. It is possible to find logical reasons for how he could have known this:

Prophet Jacob had interpreted Joseph’s vision as indicating that he would attain great blessings in the future. Since this expectation of his had not been fulfilled, he did not believe that Joseph had died.
Even if Prophet Jacob did not have certain knowledge, as a father, he more or less guessed that Joseph and his younger brother were envied by the other children; therefore, he may have thought that Joseph had not been killed but only removed from the house out of jealousy.
Perhaps on the bloody shirt brought to Prophet Jacob, there were no tooth or claw marks belonging to the wolf that was said to have torn Joseph apart, and the shirt was neither torn nor ripped. Because he paid attention to these things, he did not believe in Joseph’s death.

Mawdudi’s observations regarding Prophet Jacob’s reaction to the news of Joseph’s death are as follows:

Jacob’s (a.s.) reaction to the news of Joseph’s (a.s.) death is also different from what is mentioned in the Bible and the Talmud. According to these books, Ya’qub (a.s.) was overwhelmed by the bad news and acted like an ordinary father. The Bible states: “And Jacob tore his garment and wrapped his sackcloth around his waist. And he wept for his son for many years” (Genesis 37:34). The Talmud, on the other hand, denies that Jacob was aware of the truth of the matter, saying that upon receiving the sad news, he threw himself into the embrace of grief and threw his face to the ground. Supposedly Jacob said: “A wild animal tore Joseph to pieces and I will never see him again” and “wept for years for Joseph” (The Talmud, H. Polano, p. 78. 79). ^[9]

WHY DID PROPHET JACOB NOT ATTEMPT TO RESCUE JOSEPH?

From the wording of verse 18, it is clear that Prophet Jacob did not believe what his sons told him, and it is notable that he took no steps to discover what had happened to Joseph or what his brothers had done—despite knowing Joseph was alive. Based on the entire narrative, the following possibilities can be considered:

Jacob may have feared that his powerful sons, driven by jealousy, would prevent him from searching for Joseph and might even harm him if he pressed the matter.
Prophet Jacob trusted that Allah would protect Joseph from all calamities and that the vision Joseph received would be fulfilled; revealing the secret before its time would have undermined that trust.
Jacob may have seen a plan to establish influence in Egypt from within—an approach different from the direct conquest methods of his forefathers Abraham and Isaac.

In short, when confronted with such a calamity, Prophet Jacob likely concluded that the best course was to remain silent, exercise patience, and leave the matter entirely to Allah.

BEAUTIFUL PATIENCE (SABR-I JAMIL – صبر جميل)

The “beautiful patience (sabr-i jamil – صبر جميل)” that Prophet Jacob clung to as a way out is a patience in which there is no intolerance or complaint.

Verse 19 – 20:

²⁰And they sold him for a low price; a few silver coins. They were those who were content with little for the sale of Joseph.

In these verses, as the brother who proposed throwing him into the well had foreseen, it is narrated that Joseph was found and rescued by a passing caravan that stopped there to draw water. According to the information provided by the verses, the caravan that found Joseph considered him as “found property (luqata)”, protected him, and sold him at a low price at the first opportunity; this event became the beginning of another period in Joseph’s life.

LUQATA

” لقطة‎ Luqata”, as a legal term, is defined as “a respected property [over which no one other than its owner has a right of disposal], which was lost against its owner’s will without any intention of abandoning its ownership or the right over it, and which was found by someone else and taken to be given to its owner, and whose owner is unknown to the finder.” In the field of law, “luqata” has been examined in detail, from producing witnesses to making public announcements, from the conditions of delivery to its owner to the conditions under which the finder may benefit from the found item if the owner does not appear, from its classifications to its tax.

The infinitive of the word “ الزّاهدون az-zahidun” mentioned in the verse, “زهد zuhd”, means “renouncing worldly greed” or “not coveting the material world.” ^[10]

Accordingly, it is possible to derive two types of meanings from the verse:

The people in the caravan sold Joseph for a small amount of money when they could have sold him for a large sum if they had wanted to. They did this either because they were worried that his guardian would show up and take him off their hands as soon as possible, or because they found him without any effort and did not consider him worth much.
The unjust money they received for selling a little boy they found is insignificant compared to the evil of their deed.

Many legends have arisen both about the caravan that found Joseph and about the sale of Joseph. The authenticity of these stories is very doubtful and they do not have any exemplary features. Therefore, we see no benefit in their transmission.

Verses 21, 22:

²²And when Joseph reached the age of ability to distinguish between good and evil, We gave him knowledge and judgment. And thus We recompense those who do good deeds.

In verse 21, it is reported that Joseph was sold to an Egyptian and settled in Egypt, thus beginning a new chapter in his life. Verse 22 describes the blessings bestowed upon him.

The statement by the man who bought Joseph to his wife, “Make his place honorable,” means “value him, hold him in high esteem.” From our Lord’s statement in the same verse, “And thus We placed Joseph on the earth … so We might teach him the informations about what the first meanings of events/words are… And Allah is dominant in His command.” it is understood that the family who bought Joseph truly valued him and provided him with a good education and instruction, that this situation was actually by Allah’s command, and that during this period of his life, Joseph was receiving revelation and was taught the interpretation of events. That is, whereas he was previously a child of a family living in the desert, Joseph was first placed with a family that would provide him with a good education and instruction, and when he reached adulthood, he was made a messenger by Allah.

The expression “We gave him knowledge and judgment” in verse 22 is reserved for those whom Allah elevates both to prophethood and to rulership. It shows that Joseph was endowed not only with the role of messenger but also with the authority to enact wise laws—confirmed later in verse 101, where Joseph prays, “My Lord, You have granted me property …”

Although no specific information is provided in the Quran by our Lord regarding the age of Joseph’s maturity, many opinions have been put forward on this matter:

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and Qatada say “thirty-three years.” According to a narration from Ibn Abbas, it was thirty-something years. Dahhak says twenty, Hasan says forty, Ikrima says thirty-five, Suddi says thirty, and Said ibn Jubayr says eighteen years. Imam Malik, Rabi’ah, Zayd ibn Aslam, and Sha’bi explained maturity as reaching puberty. Other opinions have also been stated. ^[11]

WHO IS THE EGYPTIAN?

The Qur’an does not give any information about the Egyptian who bought Joseph, but the term “the woman of Aziz” is used for his wife in verse 30. When the adjective “aziz” is applied to a person, it means that the person is “a very powerful, invincible person”, and from this it is clear that the person who bought Joseph was a very influential person in Egypt.

The narratives in this regard are as follows:

The person who bought him in Egypt was the Aziz and vizier of Egypt. Awfi, narrating from Ibn Abbas, says his name was Qitfir. Muhammad b. Ishaq says his name was Itfir b. Ruhayb, that he was the Aziz of Egypt and was in charge of the treasuries of Egypt. According to this, the king of Egypt at that time was Rayyan b. Walid, one of the Amalekites. According to Muhammad b. Ishaq, his wife’s name was Ra’il bint Ra’il. Others say his wife’s name was Zulaykha [or Zulayha]. Again, according to a narration from Muhammad b. Sa’ib, from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas, the one who bought Joseph in Egypt was Malik b. Buayb b. Anqa b. Madyan b. Ibrahim. ^[12]

According to the Holy Bible, this person’s name was Potiphar. However, the Quran mentions him only with the title “al-Aziz”. Considering that the Quran uses the same title for Joseph (as) when his status was elevated, it becomes clear that this title indicates a very high official position in Egypt. For the word “Aziz” is used for powerful persons who cannot be opposed and towards whom disobedience is not possible. Judging by what the Holy Bible and the Talmud mention, the “Aziz” must have been Pharaoh’s personal guard and guard officer. According to the narration of Ibn Abbas mentioned by Ibn Jarir, the Aziz was the royal treasurer.

According to the Talmud, his wife’s name was “Zaliycha” [Zaliykha], and this woman is known by the same name in Muslim tradition. ^[13]

1 The Ishmaelites had taken Joseph to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was an official of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites.

2 The LORD was with Joseph and made him successful. Joseph lived in the house of his Egyptian master.

3 His master saw that the LORD was with Joseph and made him successful in everything he did.

4 He found favor in his eyes and appointed him as his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his household and all that he owned.

5 From the moment he put Joseph in charge of his household and all his possessions, the LORD blessed the household of Potiphar because of Joseph. He blessed his house, his field, and everything belonging to him.

6 Potiphar entrusted all his possessions to Joseph’s care; he concerned himself with nothing except the food he ate. Joseph was well-built and handsome. ^[14]

With the statement, “And thus We recompense those who do good deeds. (muhsinin),” in the final part of verse 22, our Lord informs us that those to whom He will grant authority must possess knowledge and good conduct worthy of it, and that He bestows blessings upon the people of excellence (muhsinin) [those who constantly produce goodness and beauty] both in this world and in the Hereafter.

Verses 23 – 29:

This passage concerns an incident which holds an important place in Joseph’s life due to its consequences. The incident, which began with the lady of the house assaulting Joseph with sexual desire, resulted in instructive outcomes because Joseph sought refuge in Allah and refused to be an instrument for the woman’s desires.

In Joseph’s statement “My Lord” in verse 23, there is (Allah knows best) Tawriya. Tawriya is a literary device meaning “to utter a word with a near meaning while intending its distant meaning.” In Tawriya, both meanings of the word are real. In the verse, when Joseph says “My Lord,” he utters the near meaning, referring to his master in the palace, while intending the distant meaning, which is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

According to the very clear and explicit narrative in the verses; when the lady of the house assaulted him, Joseph ran towards the door to escape, and the woman, chasing after him, caught him by his shirt and pulled, causing his shirt to tear. The woman’s husband arrived home precisely at that moment and was left indecisive between his wife, who was slandering Joseph to save herself, and Joseph, who was defending himself. Ultimately, the incident was resolved very logically by a woman whose judgment was sought. This woman, who was a relative of Al-Aziz’s wife, expressed the opinion that if the shirt was torn from the front, then Joseph was guilty, but if it was torn from the back, then the woman was guilty. Consequently, since the shirt was torn from the back, it was understood that Joseph had been slandered. Once the incident was resolved, the woman’s husband asked Joseph not to publicize the event to others, and he asked his wife to ask forgiveness for her sin.

JOSEPH’S SEEING THE BURHAN (EVIDENCE) OF HIS LORD

As understood from verse 24, when the woman revealed her intention and made a move, the same intention passed through Joseph’s heart as well; however, Joseph, through a burhan (evidence) shown to him by Allah, controlled his self and remained distant from the foul act that was about to occur.
What the burhan (evidence) that Allah showed to Joseph was, has not been explained in the Quran. Considering Joseph’s position in the event, many views can be put forward regarding the “burhan” in the verse. Indeed, classical works have also offered various explanations on this matter:

….

We explain what is meant by “His Lord’s burhan” in the verse as follows: The muhaqqiq (investigative) scholars, who accept that prophets are ma’sum (infallible/sinless), have explained the burhan that Hz. (Hazrat) Joseph saw in several ways:

a- This is the knowledge of Allah’s hujjah (proof) regarding the prohibition of the act of fornication and the knowledge of the punishment that befalls the one who fornicates.

b- Allah Ta’ala has cleansed the selves of the prophets from evil traits. We can even say that Allah has cleansed the selves of the prophets’ close companions from such evil traits. Indeed, Al-Jannah al-Haqq (The Sublime Truth, i.e., Allah) has said, “O Ahl al-Bayt (People of the House), Allah only intends to remove impurity from you and to purify you thoroughly” (Al-Ahzab/33). Consequently, what is meant here by the divine burhan (evidence) which is reported to have been seen by Hz. (Hazrat) Joseph, is the actualization of good traits for the prophets and the reminding of those states which prevent them from inclining towards such evil deeds.

c- Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf (a.s.) saw written on the ceiling of the room, “Do not approach fornication. Indeed, it is ever an abomination and an evil path.” (Al-Isra/32)

d- This is the “nubuwwah” (prophethood) which would prevent the commission of obscenities. Its proof is that the prophets were sent to forbid people from evils and disgraceful things. Therefore, if the prophets, while themselves inclining towards every kind of evil and obscenity, attempted to forbid people from it, they would fall under the content of the verse, “O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? Great is aversion in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” (As-Saff/2-3)

Furthermore, Allah Ta’ala has reproached the Jews [saying], “Do you enjoin righteousness upon the people while you forget yourselves?” (Al-Baqarah/44). How can something that is a fault for the Jews be attributed to a prophet supported by miracles?

Those who attribute this sin to Yusuf (a.s) have made the following explanations regarding what this “burhan” means:

1- “The woman turned towards an idol inlaid with pearls and rubies in the middle of the house and covered it with a cloth. Thereupon, Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf (a.s) said, ‘Why did you do that?’ and she replied, ‘I am ashamed for my idol to see me committing a sin.’ Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf (a.s) then said, ‘You feel ashamed before an idol that has no mind and cannot hear, so how could I not feel ashamed before my God, who gives everyone the power to do what they do! I swear by Allah that I will definitely not do this deed!'” Those who hold this view have said, “This is the burhan.”

2] They have reported the following from Ibn Abbas (r.a.): “His father Ya’qub appeared to Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf (a.s) in a state of biting his fingers and saying, ‘Are you doing the work of merchants when you are one destined for the company of prophets? Be ashamed of this!'” This is also the view of Ikrima, Mujahid, Hasan al-Basri, Sa’id bin Jubayr, Qatada, Dahhak, Muqatil, and Ibn Sirin. Sa’id bin Jubayr said: Hz. (Hazrat) Ya’qub (a.s.) appeared to Yusuf (a.s.) and struck his chest. Thus, all his desire left him from his fingertips, as it were.

3- They have said: “Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf (a.s.) heard someone calling to him from the sky, ‘O son of Ya’qub, do not be like the birds. A bird has feathers. But when it fornicates, those beautiful feathers fall out [its beauty goes away].'”

4- They have reported that Ibn Abbas (r.a.) said: “When Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf (a.s.) saw the image [vision] of Ya’qub (a.s.), he still did not desist. Until Jibril (a.s.) pushed him back, and all his desire disappeared.” After recounting these narrations, Al-Wahidi said arrogantly [tauntingly], “This is the view of the leading masters of Tafsir, who received the interpretation of the Quran from those who witnessed its revelation.” One could say to him: “You are saying nothing to us but these taunts which are of no benefit. Where is your proof for this?” Furthermore, it is permissible for proofs to follow one another regarding the same matter. Yusuf (a.s.), according to the fundamental proofs, refrained from fornication. ^[15]

“The burhan (evidence) of his Lord” means the inspiration that comes from Allah, an inspiration which made him attain the consciousness that yielding to a woman’s temptation would bring no benefit. The answer to the question, “What was this burhan?” is actually already found in the previous verse: “My Lord has been so gracious to me. So why should I commit such a wrong deed? Indeed, the wrongdoers never prosper.” Therefore, it should be understood what the “divine burhan” was that protected Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf (a.s) from this great temptation despite his youth.

According to a narration from Ali b. Abi Talib (r.a), Zulaykha went over to an idol in a corner of the house, adorned with a crown of pearls and rubies, and covered it with a cloth. When Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf asked her what she was doing, Zulaykha said, “I am ashamed for my god to see me like this.” He replied, “It is more fitting for me to feel shame before Allah.” This is the most beautiful explanation made regarding this matter. Because with this kind of response, evidence is established [against Zulaykha regarding her polytheism].

It is said that Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf saw the command, “Do not approach fornication. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and an evil path.” (Al-Isra/32) written on the ceiling of the house.

Al-A’mash reports from Mujahid that he said: When he loosened his trousers, Ya’qub appeared to him and said, “O Yusuf!” whereupon Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf turned and fled.

Sufyan also reports from Abu Husayn, who reported from Sa’id b. Jubayr, that he said: Hz. (Hazrat) Ya’qub appeared to Hz. (Hazrat) Yusuf and struck his chest. Thereupon, his desire left from his fingertips.

Mujahid says: Each of Hz. (Hazrat) Ya’qub’s sons had twelve male children. But Yusuf had only two sons; his children were few because of this desire.

Other explanations have also been made. ^[16]

According to our view, the sign shown to Yusuf was Allah’s command that the act of fornication is a crime and that those who commit this act must be punished. Indeed, in verse 24, Almighty Allah explained the reason for showing him the proof by stating, “Thus it was so We should keep immorality and evil away from him.”

According to the statement, “Surely, he was of our purified servants.” which is the last sentence of verse 24, it is understood that Yusuf had already been purified, refined, made pure, and sincere through many trials and tribulations before this event, becoming a servant free of adulteration.

The word “Muhlas,” which we have translated as “purified,” is a quality used in the Quran for the prophets Dawud, Sulayman, Ibrahim, Isma’il, and Yusuf. However, it is not an accurate opinion to think that no one other than these prophets, who are declared to be muhlas in the Quran, can be muhlas and to consider this quality as exclusive to prophets. Anyone who is tested by trials, who patiently endures afflictions and calamities, who educates and matures themselves with a desire for purification, and who cultivates themselves by strengthening their intellectual faculties like reflection and reasoning can become muhlas and be protected from the seductions of Iblis.

The event narrated in the verses relevant to our topic [Yusuf/23-29] is found in the Bible as follows:

7 After a while his master’s wife coveted him and said to him, “Lie with me.”

8 But Joseph refused. “Because I am here, my master does not need to take care of anything in the house,” he said, “He has given me charge of everything he owns.

9 I am as much in charge of this house as he is. He has spared me nothing except you. You are his wife. How could I do such evil and sin against God?”

10 Potiphar’s wife insisted that he sleep with her or have sex with her every day, but Joseph refused.

11 One day Joseph went home to do his work. There was no one in the house.

12 Potiphar’s wife took hold of Joseph’s garment and said, “Lie with me.” But Joseph left his garment in her hand and ran out of the house.

13 When the woman saw that Joseph had left his garment and ran out of the house,

14 He called his servants. “Look!” she said, “This Hebrew my husband brought has disgraced us. He came to me and wanted to sleep with me. So I cried out.

15 When he heard me shouting, he left his garment with me and ran out.”

16 She kept Joseph’s garment with her until her master came home.

17 He told him the same thing: “The Hebrew slave you brought here came to me and wanted to insult me.

18 But when I cried out, he left his garment with me and ran away.”

19 Joseph’s master was furious when he heard what his wife had told him, saying, “This is what your servant did to me.”^[17]

Verses 30 – 34:

³⁰And women in the city said: “Inharmonious and incompatible wife of Aziz seeks to seduce her boy. Surely, he has impassioned her with love. Indeed, we see her in an explicit astray”.

³³Joseph said: “My Rabb! Prison is more to my liking than that which they invite me to. If You do not avert their plot from me, I will fall into their plot and be among the ignorant”.

³⁴Then his Rabb responded to him and averted their plots away from him. Surely, He is the One Who hears in truth, knows in truth.

From this passage dealing with the events following the assault incident, it is understood that the event became a subject of gossip among Egyptian high society, and despite this, the lady of the house still did not give up her intention.

According to the narrations, it was heard in the surroundings that the wife of Al-Aziz desired to have her way with Yusuf, and this situation was condemned by the women of the city. Most probably, the news of the event was leaked by the person who acted as the arbitrator. The wife of Al-Aziz, presumably to show that anyone in her place would feel the same desires for Yusuf, invited the women who condemned her to a banquet at her house and presented Yusuf before them. The events that followed unfolded as the wife of Al-Aziz had anticipated; the women who saw Yusuf were so captivated and astonished that they cut their hands while eating the fruits. Thus, having gained the support of the women who had condemned her for her desires towards Yusuf, the wife of Al-Aziz declared in front of the women that she had not given up her intention, and threatened to have Yusuf thrown into prison if he refused.

As for Yusuf, despite knowing how bad being imprisoned was, and despite the thing the woman wanted being very appealing, he acted wisely; he did not prefer a temporary pleasure over the afterlife, meaning he chose going to prison, not the sin.

Although the number of the women mentioned in verse 30 is not stated in the Quran, various claims have been put forward on this matter:

Kalbi said: “These women were four people: the wife of Al-Aziz’s cupbearer, the wife of his baker, the wife of his guard, and the wife of his shepherd.” ^[18]

Muqatil added the wife of his watchman to these.

We, based on the plural meaning of the word “niswatun [women]” in the verse, think that the mentioned women were three or more.

The phrase “they cut their hands” in verse 31 means “they scratched and wounded their hands.” In almost every language, injuries such as scratches or bleeding occurring on any part of the body are expressed as “cutting.”

The verb “to cut” in the verse is given in the form “قطّع qattaa.” This form adds the meaning of “kathrat [multitude/abundance]” to the verb. However, this multitude added to the “meaning” can belong to any one of the verb, the subject, or the object in the sentence. Therefore, from the expression that the women “cut their hands abundantly,” it can be inferred that: a- They cut their hands three to five times; b- They cut several of their fingers at once; c- Or that those who cut their hands were numerous.

In verses 22 and 24, both the qualities of “محسن muhsin [one who produces goodness and beauty]” and “مخلص muhlas [purified]” are given for Yusuf. This situation is more than sufficient to understand the level of Yusuf’s identity, personality, morality, and education.

Verse 35:

³⁵Then after they had seen such signs, it appeared to them that they should imprison him for a time.

This verse relates that Yusuf’s prayer was accepted and that he was thrown into prison. Despite everything coming to light, it being understood that he was the one actually assaulted, and this being confessed by the wife of Al-Aziz herself, Yusuf was thrown into prison in an attempt to cover up the woman’s scandal. This situation exposes how morally corrupt the high society of that period was. Because, in order not to shake the social status of a harassing woman who was in a state of moral weakness, a person whose innocence was proven was unjustly sent to prison.

Zamakhshari attributed Yusuf’s unjust imprisonment to the henpecked personality of Al-Aziz, who acted compliantly and weakly towards his woman, and described Al-Aziz as “a person who had surrendered his reins to the woman’s hand like a riding camel.” ^[19]

In classical works, durations such as “three months,” “five years,” “seven years,” “twelve years,” and “nine years” are mentioned as Yusuf’s prison term. However, none of these claims have any basis. The expression “hıyn [a while]” in the verse indicates that Yusuf was imprisoned not for a long time, but for a short period. This is a duration sufficient for the gossip to die down and for things to calm down.

Verses 36 – 41:

These verses convey a segment from Yusuf’s prison life. Two prison companions described the visions they had seen about themselves to Yusuf, and before interpreting these visions, Yusuf gave his prison companions a clear lesson in Tawhid (monotheism).

The prison companions saying to Yusuf, “Surely we see you among those who produce good” shows that he did not remain idle but performed righteous deeds and held a respected, valued position in the prison. Indeed, by describing the visions they saw, they poured out their hearts to Yusuf, opened up their troubles, and appealed to him for a solution. On this matter, the following is written in the Bible:

“And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was under Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him…” ^[20]

The lesson in Tawhid given by Yusuf to those with him before interpreting the visions is very remarkable. Yusuf’s words here are the words of one who has received revelation and been given a mission of messengership:

Surely, I have left the religion, lifestyle of a people who do not believe in Allah – they are the ones who consciously deny; disbelieve in Akhirat [Afterlife]-. And I have followed the religion, life principle of my ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with Allah. This is a bounty of Allah to us and the people. But most of the people do not repay for the blessings they are given. O my companions of prison! Are many individual rabbs better or Allah, the One and the Only, owner of all things, the prevailing? Those whom you worship from among those that are inferior to Allah are nothing but some names that you and your ancestors invented. Allah has sent no evidence about worshipping them. Judgment belongs only to Allah: He commanded you to worship none but Himself. This is the correct/protecting religion. But, most of the people do not know.

The comparative warning of Prophet Joseph in this speech, “O my companions of prison! Are many individual rabbs better or Allah, the One and the Only, owner of all things, the prevailing?” is also found in Surah al-Naml:

⁵⁹Say: “All praise is to Allah; no one else may be praised. Well-being and safety is to His servants whom He has chosen and purified. Is Allah better or that which they associate with Allah?”.

⁶⁰Is that which they associate with Allah better or the One Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth, Who sends down water from the sky for you? Then with that water We made grow beautiful gardens which you could not have grown even one of its trees. Is there any other deity with Allah? Rather, they are a people who continue to do wrong; act against their own good by associating others with Allah.

⁶¹Is that which they associate with Allah better or the One Who made the earth a shelter, formed rivers within it, placed firmly set mountains for it and placed a barrier between two seas? Is there any other deity with Allah? Quite contrary, most of them do not know.

⁶²Is that which they associate with Allah better or the One Who responds to one who is depressed when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, the One Who appoints you as the successors of the earth? Is there any other deity with Allah? You think so little!.

⁶³Is that which they associate with Allah better or the One Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, the One Who sends winds as the bringer of good tidings before His mercy? Is there any other deity with Allah? Allah is high above than those that they associate with Him.

⁶⁴Is that which they associate with Allah better or the One Who began the formation, and then will return it and the One Who provides you both from the sky and the earth? Is there any other deity with Allah? Say: “If you are truthful, bring your solid proof!”.

(An-Naml / 59-64)

Prophet Yusuf, beginning his speech by saying, “I will inform you of its interpretation before a food that is provided to you comes to you. This is a part of what my Rabb has taught me.” thereby announcing that he is not a soothsayer and that the interpretations he will make express the truth, and his interpreting his companions’ visions after the lesson in Tawhid, is another indicator that he was given the “miracle of interpretation(tawil),” meaning that he was made a prophet.

TAWIL

The word “Tawil” (تَأْوِيل), whose root meaning is “returning,” has changed and is used in the meanings of “planning, arranging in sequence like first, second, third, prioritizing.” Here, many similar events related to the visions can be put forward. Their “tawil” is the selection and adoption of the most appropriate one among these events.

The events narrated in these verses are found in the Bible, Genesis, chapter 40.

Verse 42:

According to what is understood from the verse, thanks to the knowledge given by Allah, the interpretation made by the Prophet Joseph came true; however, the person whom he said would be saved did not mention the warning of the Prophet Joseph to his master, and thus he remained in prison.

What caused the saved person to abandon reminding of that warning was the devil of that person himself, that is, his own devil, his Iblis. Because, as our Lord has informed us, Satan has no power of compulsion. Therefore, that person did not speak of the Prophet Joseph to his master not because he forgot or was made to forget, but because it did not suit him, because he himself did not want to.

The word النّسيان [an-nisyan] found in the original of the verse is famously known as “forgetting”; however, the essential meaning of the word is “ضدّ الذّكر والحفظ ḍidd al-dhikr wa’l-ḥifẓ [not saying, not mentioning, and not keeping in mind]”.^[21] Accordingly, the word “nisyān” expresses “knowingly abandoning”, “not valuing”, “not paying attention to”. Although the concepts of “not remembering, forgetting” are also expressed with this word, for all occurrences of the word “nisyān” in the Qur’an, the meaning of “not paying attention to, not mentioning” must always be taken into consideration.

Consequently, the forgetting of the prison companion to mention the Prophet Joseph to his master is not an excusable, ordinary forgetfulness; like the young companion of the Prophet Moses saying “I forgot Khut – I truly got rid of depression/distress, but my egoism kept me from mentioning it. “ (Kahf/63), it is a culpable forgetfulness in the sense of “not paying attention, not deeming important, knowingly abandoning.”

The original of the expression we have translated as “for some years [3 to 10 years]” is “بضع سنين bid’i siniyn”. The word “بضع bid’i” means “between 3 and 10”, although there are also those who say it means “between 3 and 9 or between 4 and 9”. ^[22]

As in this case, numbers within a range with definite lower and upper limits are expressed in our language as “qusur” (some-odd). In English, such ranges are often phrased “ten-odd years” or “one hundred-odd liras,”. This is the reason we made our translation as “the some-odd of years”. Although Joseph was initially put in prison for a short time, according to what is understood from the verse, he remained in prison longer than planned.

The word “ظنّ zann” that appears in the verse here means “certain knowledge”. Details regarding the usage of the word “Zann” in the Qur’an are available in our article titled “Zann” at the end of Sad Surah.

Verses 43, 44:

⁴⁴Chiefs said: “It is a mixture of visions. And we are not the ones who know the interpretation of such mixture of visions”.

These verses describe the vision seen by the country’s ruler, and this vision was seen not in a dream, but while awake. The vision, which distressed the sovereign, as is evident from his asking those around him for its interpretation, actually became the means for the Prophet Joseph’s release from prison, as understood from the subsequent verses. Or, in other words, our Lord made the sovereign’s vision a reason for the Prophet Joseph’s release from prison.

Regarding the topics of “The Identity of the Ruler” and “The Types of Dreams,” the views of Elmalili Hamdi Yazir are as follows:

Islamic scholars have classified the phenomenon of dreams into three categories: The first is a divine inspiration that occurs directly from Allah or through an angel; this is the true dream, the right and real dream. The second is the vision that occurs through the self’s suggestion to itself, which holds no value other than the re-imagining of accumulated memories from the past. The third is the mental image that occurs through a satanic suggestion; it arises from being influenced by an unknown external factor, but it is nothing more than a false association and imagination. These two are called “ahlam” or “adghasu ahlam”. Nevertheless, even though all of these may not have informational value in the self, they do not fail to arouse an emotional excitement. Therefore, when considered not only from the perspective of informational value but also from the perspective of emotions transitioning from one state to another, it is seen that even the part called “ahlam” has an important place in psychology worthy of being accounted for. Indeed, in the hadiths of the Prophet, the emphasis is placed on both the informational value and the emotional importance of dreams, and both of their benefits are indicated separately. Meanwhile, we should also remind that in the hadith, “The dream is one part of forty-six parts of prophethood” meaning it is one of its forty-six pieces, pointing to its scientific value. Furthermore, again in a hadith, “Prophethood has been cut off, only the Mubashshirat remain” was said. This belongs more to the emotional side of the matter. Without a doubt, the most perfect of prophethoods is the prophethood of Muhammad. The duration of prophethood during which our master, the Khatam al-Anbiya [the final prophet], received revelation until his passing was twenty-three years. And the revelation he received in the first six months of this twenty-three-year period was entirely in the form of dreams appearing like the morning light. If one considers that twenty-three years equals forty-six half-years, meaning forty-six “six-month” periods, it is understood that the revelation which came in the form of dreams in the first six months constituted one forty-sixth of the entire revelation period and was one part of its forty-six parts.

Here, it would not be devoid of benefit to address the issue of dreams also from the perspective of the philosophical views of our time. As those engaged in psychology and generally the psychic sciences know, any sight or hearing that makes us recognize a certain thing while awake, for example, that makes us say “I saw a wheat ear or I heard a sound,” is not merely a simple sensation occurring at that moment. Along with that sensation we receive at that moment, our memory also activates with a similar speed, scans all previously stored images similar to it, finds the exact same one if it exists, compares it, and decides at that moment that it is a wheat ear. From the integration of the new sensation it sees with the perceptions it acquired before, it obtains a new definition.

The King mentioned here appears to be one of the six Hyksos kings who invaded Egypt from the east via the Sinai Peninsula and then ruled the country from 1700 BC to 1580 BC. The name of this dynasty, which is undoubtedly from a foreign people, is derived from the ancient Egyptian words “hik shasu” or “heku shoswet,” meaning “rulers of foreign lands” or, according to Manetho, a later Egyptian historian, “shepherd kings.” All this shows that they were Arabs who, although they had begun to adopt a settled lifestyle in Syria before the invasion of Egypt, still carried much of the nomadic way of life. This partly explains the trust and closeness felt by the king mentioned in the story towards the Hebrew Prophet Joseph, and also the subsequent settlement of the latter’s family in Egypt (and thus the eventual formation of the nation of Israel over time). Because it should be remembered that the Hebrews themselves are descended from one of the Bedouin tribes that migrated from the Arabian Peninsula to Mesopotamia, and then to Syria, a few centuries earlier; moreover, the Hyksos language must have been very close to Hebrew, which is itself ultimately one of the ancient Arabic dialects. ^[23]

The account of what the ruler saw and the subsequent developments are recorded in the Bible in Genesis 41.

Verses 45 – 49:

⁴⁵And the one who was saved from those two remembered after a time and said: “I will inform you what this vision exactly means, send me right away”.

These verses recount the ruler’s vision—one that those around him could not interpret—and then describe Prophet Joseph’s explanation of that vision.

In verse 45, the phrase “after many nations” signifies that Joseph’s former prison companion, once freed, only approached the ruler after countless so-called priests had failed to decipher the vision, and then asked permission to bring Joseph forward to interpret(tawil) this perplexing vision.

Verse 50:

Upon hearing the interpretation made by the Prophet Joseph, the ruler sent men to bring him to the palace. However, the Prophet Joseph refused to leave the prison and requested that the ruler interrogate the women who were the cause of his unjust imprisonment and have the truth revealed.

Verses 51 – 55:

⁵⁵Joseph said: “Appoint me over the treasury of the earth. Surely, I am the one who protects well, who knows very well”.

In these verses, the interrogation of the Aziz’s woman together with the other slanderous women in a court before the ruler, upon the request of the Prophet Joseph, is depicted with a representative narrative.

The ruler’s question, “What was the condition when you sought to seduce Joseph?” is aimed at understanding whether Joseph exhibited any provocative or encouraging behavior during that incident. When the women told the truth and exonerated Joseph, the Prophet Joseph was taken out of the prison and brought to the palace. Upon the ruler stating that he trusted him greatly, Joseph asked to be appointed over the treasury affairs of the country. The words which the Prophet Joseph said with confidence, “Appoint me over the treasury of the earth. Surely, I am the one who protects well, who knows very well” show that he had thoroughly considered and planned what he would do during the famine period, which he knew would manifest after seven years.

Since details regarding the word “nefs” found in verse 51 are provided in the Layl and Qiyamah surahs, it has not been deemed necessary to explain the word again here.

Mawdudi expressed his determinations regarding the Prophet Joseph’s accession to the country’s administration and his effectiveness in this duty as follows:

According to the Talmud, “The Hebrew had proven himself to be a wise and expert person”; furthermore, the Talmud relates that the Prophet Joseph said: “It is certain that there is no one more distinguished than me: For I am one to whom Allah has taught all knowledge.” In the subsequent verses, it will be seen that this request of his was accepted and Joseph duly fulfilled the duty he undertook. ^[24]

So much so that the king and his entourage declared the Prophet Joseph as the sole person who saved the country from the approaching disaster. It will be no surprise that Joseph now proposed that all the resources of the country be left to his hands, to his disposal, and that the king accepted that this proposal be urgently put into effect.

The first question is this: Was the Prophet Joseph’s proposal to the king for an official post? It should be clear in the light of previous explanatory notes that the matter was neither an application nor a request by an ambitious person waiting for an opportune moment to achieve his goal, nor was the king’s acceptance of this proposal expressed in his presence sudden, as if there were no prior context.

Modern researchers working on comparative Bible and Egyptian history share the view that the Hyksos king Apophis was the king contemporary with the Prophet Joseph.

At that time, Memphis was the capital of Egypt. Remains of this city are found on the banks of the Nile, 14 miles south of Cairo. When the Prophet Joseph was brought here, he was 17-18 years old. He stayed with the Aziz for two-three years, and in prison for eight-nine years; he was thirty years old when he became the ruler of Egypt and he remained in power alone for eighty years. In the ninth and tenth years of his rule, he sent word to his father Jacob and all his family members to come from Palestine to Egypt. According to the Bible, he settled them in the region of Goshen, where the Prophet Moses lived. Again, according to the Bible, before his death, the Prophet Joseph took the following oath from his relatives: “When you return from this country to the land of your fathers, you will take my bones with you.” Then he died. He was one hundred and ten years old when he died. His relatives mummified him. Although the story of Joseph narrated in the Qur’an differs in details from the Bible and the Talmud, all three are in agreement on the fundamental elements. We will also try to explain these differences with our explanatory notes in the appropriate place and time.

Contrary to the relationship between the Pharaoh and the Prophet Moses, there was a positive relationship between the Prophet Joseph and the Egyptian king of that period. The Prophet Joseph had advanced in the state hierarchy to the point of serving as the Minister of Finance. ^[25]

The phrase “Hazainu’l-Ard” (Treasures of the Land) mentioned in this verse and the subsequent task of distributing grain have misled those inexperienced in comprehending the Qur’an; with this misunderstanding, they concluded that the mentioned post was an official position like today’s “Undersecretary of the Treasury”, “Famine Period Advisor”, or “Minister of Finance”. In reality, Joseph’s post was none of these, for according to the Qur’an, the Bible, and the Talmud, all power was delegated to the Prophet Joseph and he was given all the privileges of a ruler. This is the reason for his sitting on the throne (Yusuf/100) and being called a king (Yusuf/72). The Prophet Joseph himself thanked Allah for granting him kingship (Yusuf/100). Above all, Allah Himself is a witness to this event; in meaning: “And thus We established Joseph in the land, to take possession therein as he pleased” (Yusuf/56). When we look at the Bible, we read the following: “And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. And he had him ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried out before him, ‘Bow the knee!’ So he set him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh also said to Joseph, ‘I am Pharaoh, and without your consent no man may lift his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.’ And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-Paaneah [Savior of the World]” (Genesis, 41: 41-45). According to the Talmud, the event is as follows: “When his brothers returned from Egypt to their father, the Prophet Jacob, they told him this about the Prophet Joseph: The king of Egypt is so sovereign over his people that there is none above him. Everyone enters the country by his command and leaves by his command. His commands rule… His master Pharaoh doesn’t even need to spend his breath.”

……
The opinion of Allama Zamakhshari is given in his commentary on verse 55 in his Tafsir Al-Kashshaf. He says: “When the Prophet Joseph made his proposal, ‘Place the resources of the land under my control,’ his intention was to seek an opportunity for power in order to implement Allah’s decrees, establish truth and justice, and perform his duty like all messengers. He did not desire to ascend the throne for the sake of kingship itself or to satisfy his worldly desires and ambitions. Thus, he made a request; because he knew very well that there was no one else who could execute this task. And it was incumbent upon the Prophet Joseph to manage the affairs of the people. Therefore, it was permissible for him to undertake this task, in whatever form it took. We say that managing the affairs of the people is incumbent for the following reasons…” ^[26]

Verses 56, 57:

In these verses, our Lord informs us that He gave the blessing of authority to the Prophet Joseph, made him a ruler who acts as he pleases, that He will certainly give rewards to all the Muhsinun (the good-doers) like those given to the Prophet Joseph, but that the rewards in the Hereafter are more valuable than those in this world, and thus He encourages all His servants to become Muhsinun.

Furthermore, in the story, by emphasizing that the sovereign saw the signs of the traits of truthfulness, honesty, and trustworthiness in the Prophet Joseph and trusted him, it is shown that such morality benefits its possessor, and everyone is encouraged to adhere to such morality.

Verses 58 – 62:

⁵⁸Brothers of Joseph came and entered his presence. He recognized them immediately but they were those who did not recognize him.

⁶¹They said: “We will attempt to get him from his father and surely we are the ones who do”.

⁶²And Joseph said to his officers: “Put their money into their saddlebags so they may realize it when they have gone back to their family and may come again!”.

In these verses, the beginning of the Prophet Joseph’s relations with his family during his period of governance is narrated in a very brief and concise manner.

According to what is understood, the visions seen by the sovereign materialized in line with the Prophet Joseph’s interpretation, and a famine broke out in the region. However, not only was the land of Egypt unaffected by this famine thanks to the measures taken by the Prophet Joseph, but it was also providing aid to the surrounding countries. The Prophet Jacob sending his sons to Egypt for provisions, for securing supplies, demonstrates this.

The Prophet Joseph, who recognized his brothers who did not recognize him, must have conversed with his brothers considerably, for he obtained the necessary information about their father and younger brother from them, and requested that they bring their younger brother with them the next time they came to buy provisions. To ensure they would return, the Prophet Joseph had their paid capital placed back into the provisions he gave to his brothers, and to secure the bringing of his younger brother, he warned them that if they did not bring their younger brother with them next time, they would not be given any provisions.

The narration of the events in this part of the story is found in Chapters 42 and 43 of Genesis in the Bible.

Verses 63 – 67:

In these verses, the persuasion of the Prophet Joseph’s brothers to their father regarding sending the younger brother to Egypt, and the conversations that took place among them during this process, are relayed.

In this conversation, after taking a pledge from his sons that they would guard and watch over their younger brother very well, the Prophet Jacob advised them not to draw unnecessary attention to themselves in a foreign land and thus avoid falling victim to unexpected intrigues. The Prophet Jacob’s these warnings are actually measures that only provide psychological relief, or at least, spiritual support. Because no matter what kind of precaution is taken, it is not possible to prevent what will come to people from Allah. Indeed, the Prophet Jacob also demonstrated that he was conscious of this, by leaving the outcome of the matter to Allah.

Since the concept of “tawakkul”, which is a result of faithful people knowing and appreciating Allah, was explained in detail earlier, we deem it sufficient here to only repeat the definition of the word “tawakkul”.

TAWAKKUL

According to the meaning of the word “Wakil” in the Qur’an, “tawakkul” means “a person, by demonstrating their own incapacity, takes Allah, who is the ‘Wakil’, as their trustee; that is, in terms of belief, they entrust their existence and the continuity of their existence to Allah for provision, upbringing, and protection, accept that any kind of outcome will be the best for them, and be content with the result.” In other words, “tawakkul” is a person, after determination [making all kinds of preparations and making a firm decision], leaving the result to the “Wakil” [to Allah, who sustains existence, maintains, protects, and provides provision].

As can be understood from the definitions above, it is also possible to explain “tawakkul”, which is a reflection of faith, as “after making all kinds of preparations, a person leaves the result to Allah and can say, like Erzurumlu Ibrahim Hakki, ‘Let us see what the Mawla does, whatever He does, He does beautifully!’” Because the person who leaves the result to Allah after doing their part knows that the outcome of every matter relying on the true Wakil will be more beneficial for them. Therefore, there is no need to grieve, fall into depression, or worry about the future. Even if the outcome of a matter appears at first glance to be unfavorable, the person who practices tawakkul considers that the result could be in their favor and is not negatively affected by the outcome. For a matter that appears to have concluded in their favor, they also consider that this outcome might actually be bad for them and do not become arrogant.

Verse 68:

In this verse, it is stated that even though the children entered Egypt as their father had instructed them, this behavior of theirs could not prevent what was going to happen, thus confirming how correct the Prophet Jacob’s tawakkul was. The Prophet Jacob performed this tawakkul not because his feelings guided him, but because of the knowledge that Allah had taught him.

The Prophet Jacob’s words in verse 67, “I can not avail you against Allah at all.” show that he was conscious that the warning he gave out of an instinct to protect his children from potential dangers was merely a wish. Such wishes are expressed instinctively by many people. However, as can be easily understood from the clear expression of the verse in question, because the “command” always belongs to Allah, such wishes cannot lead to any change in Allah’s plan.

The statement at the end of the verse, “And surely, he was a possessor of knowledge since We had taught him.” shows that the Prophet Jacob was a wise person who had received revelation. Indeed, this aspect is also demonstrated in the following verses in the surah which contain the remarkable characteristics of the Prophet Jacob:

^5,6His father said: “My child! Do not tell your brothers what you have seen. Or they will plot against you. Surely, satan is a clear enemy to man. Thus will your Rabb choose you and teach you informations about what the first meanings of events/words are. He will complete His favor upon you and the family of Ya’kub [Jacob] as He did upon your two ancestors before you; Abraham and Isaac. Indeed, your Rabb is the One Who knows very well, the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible”

(Yusuf/5, 6)

(Yusuf/18)

(Yusuf/64)

(Yusuf/66, 67)

Verses 69 – 82:

⁶⁹And when they entered the presence of Joseph, Joseph took his brother to himself: “Indeed, I am your brother! Therefore, do not grieve over what they did!

⁷⁰And then when Joseph prepared their important belongings, supplies, he put the water bowl into the bag of his brother. Then a caller called out: “O caravan! Indeed, you are thieves!”

⁷¹The caravan said turning to them: “What is it you are missing?”.

⁷²Officials said: “We are missing the water bowl of the ruler and for whoever brings it will be a load of grains. And I guarantee it”.

⁷³The ones in the caravan said: “We swear by Allah, and you certainly know that we did not come to make corruption on the earth/here. And we are not thieves either”.

⁷⁴Officials said: “If you should be liars, what is the recompense for the one who steals?”.

⁷⁶Then Joseph started to search their bags before the bag of his brother. Then he brought the water bowl out from the bag of his brother. Thus We taught such a trick to Joseph. There was no way to keep his brother within the religion of the king/laws of the country. – Except that Allah wills. We raise in degrees whomever We will. And there is always another one who knows better over every possessor of knowledge. –

⁷⁸They said: “O Aziz! Surely, he has a father who is very old. Therefore, take one of us in place of him. Surely, we see you among those who do good”.

In these verses, the step-by-step implementation of the plan that God taught to the Prophet Yusuf, in order not to send his younger brother back, is narrated. According to this plan, the Prophet Yusuf kept his younger brother with him, and the eldest of the brothers, due to the promise they had given to their father, decided to stay in Egypt to take care of the younger brother.

The brothers’ statement in verse 75, “Its recompense, in whose bag it is found, he will be its recompense/he will be kept, he will pay the price himself.“, while primarily expressing the individual nature of punishment, also contains the meaning that the person who commits the crime of theft must be taken under control and pay the price for the damage they have caused. That is, with these words, the brothers expressed both that, according to the law of their own country, the crime and punishment are individual and therefore all the brothers cannot be punished, and that the crime of theft is punished in their society by the restriction of freedom. Essentially, through these words of theirs, Almighty God is giving a lesson in law to people.

PUNISHMENT FOR THEFT IN THE SHARI’AH TO WHICH SIBLINGS ARE BOUND

According to what is reported in verse 76, the Prophet Yusuf, who could not find a way to detain his brother within the framework of Egyptian laws, asked his brothers, as part of the plan God had taught him, about the punishment for theft according to the laws of their own country. The brothers replied that the punishment was that the thief would be detained. The Prophet Yusuf was only able to detain his younger brother after this form of punishment was presented. It was not possible for the Prophet Yusuf to know what kind of practice his father applied in this matter, because he had been separated from him at a young age. Therefore, the Prophet Yusuf’s asking this question happened through the inspiration or revelation given by God. The meaning of this is: The Prophet Yusuf was able to detain his younger brother with God’s help.

From the incident of the Prophet Yusuf detaining his brother through the plan God taught him, it is understood that it is permissible to seek and find legitimate means, which are not contrary to the laws and do not cause any oppression, to achieve correct goals.

As for the statement in verse 76, “In the King’s religion [the laws of the country], there was no possibility for him to detain his brother”: According to some sources, “The King’s law regarding the thief was that the person would be beaten and compelled to pay twice the amount of what he stole.”

On this matter, Razi said the following:

Ibn Abbas (r.a.) said the following: “In those times, they considered every thief a slave due to his theft. In their Shariah, the consideration of the thief as a slave took the place of the obligation of cutting off the hands in our Shariah…” The meaning of the verse is, “The punishment for this crime is the person in whose saddlebag the stolen property is found. That is, ‘that person himself is the punishment for the crime. Meaning, his being taken as a slave is the punishment for that crime.'” ^[27]

At the end of verse 76, our Lord also, with a parenthetical sentence, warns people not to become arrogant, stating that everything is under His control and that He elevates in degrees whom He wills. The expression “elevates in degrees” here is primarily related to the Prophet Yusuf and points to the blessings given to him. For it was also reported in previous verses (Yusuf/21, Yusuf/22, Yusuf/24, Yusuf/56, Yusuf/76) that the Prophet Yusuf was made superior in degrees to both his own brothers and many other people.

For Allah to will to elevate someone in degrees, that person must be worthy of it:

¹⁷⁵And recite to them the serious news of that one to whom We gave Our Ayat, then he detached himself from them then satan made him follow himself thus becoming of those who transgressed.

¹⁷⁶And if We had willed, We could have elevated him with those Ayat but he was stuck into the ignominy and followed his desires. Now his example is like the example of the dog that pants if you chase; and still pants if you leave him alone. This is the end of those people who deny Our Ayat. Therefore, tell them this story throughout so that they may think very well.

¹⁷⁷How evil is the example of those people who denied Our Ayat and only treated unjustly to themselves!

¹⁷⁸Whoever Allah guides, he is the one who follows the righteous path he is guided. And whoever Allah leads astray, it is those who lose.

(Al-A’raf / 175-178)

Our Lord’s statement in the parenthetical sentence of verse 76, “And above every possessor of knowledge is a ‘more knowing one’ “, can be viewed from the perspectives of both the relationship between God and man, and the relationships between servants. When viewed from the perspective of the relationship between God and the servant, the meaning is “Above every possessor of knowledge is God, the more knowing one”; when viewed from the perspective of the relationships between servants, the same statement yields the meaning “Above every knowing person is a human who knows better.”

However, no matter from which perspective one looks, the message of this statement is this: No human should consider themselves “the most knowledgeable.”

The statements in verse 77, “اِنْ يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ اَخٌ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُۚ” (In yasrik faqad saraqa akhun lahu min qabl), are generally explained as “If he has stolen, indeed a brother of his had stolen before.” In this case, it is seen that the brothers are also accusing the Prophet Yusuf of theft.

In this case, this accusation must either be considered slander, or, based on the information that “The Prophet Yakub loved Yusuf very much, and his brothers were jealous of him for this reason,” it is interpreted as “the brothers accused Yusuf of stealing their father’s love.” However, regarding the theft attributed to the Prophet Yusuf by his brothers, there are many narrations. Even though these are nothing more than conjectures, we see benefit in knowing them for the lesson to all:

Sa’id ibn Jubayr said: “His maternal grandfather was an idolater. Therefore, the mother of Hz. Yusuf ordered him to steal and break those idols so that his grandfather would thus abandon idol worship. Yusuf (a.s.) did this; the mentioned theft is this one.”

“He stole food from his father’s table to give to the poor. It has been said that he stole a lamb from his father and gave it to the poor, and similarly, it has been said that he stole a chicken and gave it to the poor.”

“Hz. Yusuf (a.s.)’s paternal aunt loved him very much. Therefore, she wanted to keep him with her. At his aunt’s place [in her house], there was a belt inherited from Hz. Ishak (a.s.), and they preserved it hoping for its blessing [tabarrukan]. His aunt tied that belt to Hz. Yusuf’s waist and said that he had stolen the belt. According to their laws, a thief had to be enslaved. Thus, she was able to keep Yusuf with her.”

“Hz. Yusuf’s brothers attributed the theft to him purely as slander. Because his brothers were filled with anger towards Yusuf, even though a long time had passed since that incident. This incident shows that the heart of an envious person can never be cleansed of that envy and malice.” ^[28]

“The scholars hold different views regarding what the theft they attributed to Hz. Yusuf was. According to a narration from Mujahid and others, Hz. Yusuf’s paternal aunt, who was the daughter of Hz. Ishak, was older than Hz. Ya’qub. Because she was older, the belt of Hz. Ishak had passed to her, as they inherited according to seniority of age. This is among the things whose ruling has been abrogated in our Shariah. Also, according to their Shariah, a thief would be enslaved. Hz. Yusuf’s aunt had taken and raised him [after his mother’s death] and loved him excessively. When Hz. Yusuf grew up, Hz. Ya’qub said to his sister, ‘Hand Yusuf over to me, I cannot bear for him to be out of my sight for even a moment,’ but his aunt did not want to be separated from him. She said to her brother Ya’qub, ‘Leave him with me for a few more days, let me enjoy him.’ After Hz. Ya’qub left, she took the belt of Hz. Ishak and tied it to Hz. Yusuf under his clothes. Then she said, ‘I have lost Ishak’s belt, look into who took it, who has it!’ The belt was searched for, then she said, ‘Search the persons of those present in the house!’ When everyone was searched, the belt was found with Hz. Yusuf; thereupon she said, ‘By Allah, he is now my slave. I will do to him as I wish.’ Later, when Hz. Ya’qub came to her and she informed him of the situation, Hz. Ya’qub said, ‘You decide; if he did such a thing, then he is to be delivered to you as your slave.’ His aunt kept Hz. Yusuf with her until she died. So, his brothers alluded to and reproached him for this matter with their words: ‘If he has stolen, a brother of his had stolen before.’ And it was from here that Hz. Yusuf learned to place the cup in his brother’s baggage – in the same way his aunt had done.”

Sa’id ibn Jubayr says: “No, his aunt ordered him to steal an idol belonging to his maternal grandfather. So he stole the aforementioned idol, broke it, and threw it on the road. Their action in this was to change a wrong. But his brothers characterized him as being a thief and reproached him for this deed.” Qatada also said this.

According to what is narrated in az-Zajjaj’s book, this idol he stole was made of gold.

‘Atiyyah al-‘Awfi says: “Hz. Yusuf saw a piece of meat while he was eating with his brothers and he hid it. Therefore, they reproached him.”

It has also been explained thus: “Hz. Yusuf used to take something from the food on the table to give to the poor.” This is narrated by Ibn ‘Isa. According to another explanation, his brothers lied in what they attributed to Hz. Yusuf. This explanation is given by al-Hasan. ^[29]

Our Analysis:

First, let us state that there is no information in the Quran indicating that the Prophet Yusuf committed theft. According to our findings, such a thing is not even an issue. However, this accusation was made because Yusuf’s brothers had a bad record; and no one objected to this accusation. This erroneous understanding continues to persist.

The existing translations of verse 77 propose a meaning that is outside the structure of the verse and do not reflect the truth.

The statement in the verse, ““إنْ يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ اَخٌ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُۚ in yasriq faqad saraq aakh lah min qabluۚ”, is technically a CONDITIONAL SENTENCE.

Conditional sentences consist of two parts. The first is the condition clause, the second part is the consequence/result clause. This type of sentence also exists in our Turkish language. For example:
“If you work, you will earn”, “If you go, I will come”, “If you take your medicine, you will get better” etc. are all conditional sentences. Many more examples can be given.

This part of the verse; “اِنْ يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ اَخٌ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ ain yasriq faqad saraq aakh lah min qabl” is a conditional sentence; the “اِنْ يَسْرِقْ ain yasriq” part is the condition, and the “فَقَدْ سَرَقَ اَخٌ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ faqad saraq aakh lah min qabl” part is the consequence/result clause. The result clause is dependent on the fulfillment of the condition clause. It is not independent.

Furthermore, the expression “يَسْرِقْ yasriq” in the verse is in the form of a mudari’ (imperfect) verb. It contains meanings of the present and future tenses. This form definitely does not have a past tense meaning.

Translating the verse as “If he has stolen, indeed a brother of his had stolen before” is absolutely incompatible both with the fact that the verb “يَسْرِق yasriq” is in the mudari’ (imperfect) form and with the sentence being a conditional sentence. But unfortunately, in the common translation and classical understanding, this verb is treated as a past tense verb; it is rendered as “If he stole/has stolen”. Furthermore, the theft in the statement “Indeed a brother of his had stolen before” is presented as having occurred independently, without being conditional upon the fulfillment of the condition in the conditional clause. Therefore, this statement cannot be the consequence/result of the condition clause, and the sentence ceases to be a conditional sentence. It becomes an ill-formed sentence in terms of meaning.

Another point is that there is no expression in the verse that alludes to Yusuf. The verse does not say “أخوه Akhuh (his brother)” or “إخوته iikhwatuh (his brothers)”; rather, ” أخ akh (brother)” comes as “نَكِرَة nakira (indefinite)” in the form ““ أخ له Akhun lahu (a brother of his)”. Thus, the expression means “any one of Benjamin’s brothers”. This means that the brothers, who had previously collectively taken the grain, had not opened their bags themselves; therefore, they did not know in whose bag their returned payment had been found. Thus, they are all objecting to the injustice of the accusation, which implicates them all by making them all subject to the charge.

In short, if we translate the text: “If he is a thief, then surely one of his brothers was also a thief before!”
In other words, “If he is not a thief, then surely none of his brothers was a thief either.” The result is “If his brothers did not steal, then he cannot be considered a thief either.”

Here, the caravan, namely Yusuf’s/Benjamin’s brothers, essentially said, “Just as we are not considered thieves because of the money someone else placed in our baggage, our brother also cannot be accused of theft because of the drinking cup someone else placed in his baggage.”

In this case, the detailed translation of the verse is as follows:

While Yusuf does not give information about the events here, he nevertheless said to them, “You certainly are very bad in position, Allah is the One Who knows best what you describe” because of their past deeds; their jealousy, throwing Yusuf into the well, selling him as a slave, lying to their father that Yusuf was eaten by a wolf, and persisting in their mistakes for years without repenting.

This means that they had previously mentioned the finding of the payment for the grain they bought in their baggage (verse 65), and when they came again to buy grain, no one said to them, “you stole.” Now, when they are accused in a similar manner, they then defended themselves by saying, “according to this logic, any one of us, Benjamin’s brothers, must also have stolen,” arguing that there was no theft in this matter.

Because the baggage, as clearly stated in verses 62 and 70, was prepared by the attendants; even by Yusuf himself. In this case, theft should definitely not have been alleged.

It is also very significant that in verse 79, the Prophet Yusuf used the expression “the one with whom we found our possession” instead of the word “thief.” Because the Prophet Yusuf knows that his brother is not a thief, and therefore, instead of using this word which implies a legal judgment, he used this expression which only describes the situation and does not imply a judgment about his brother. This is called the “art of tawriyah” (double entendre/ambiguity). Tawriyah is performed as “mentioning a word that has two meanings, one being close and understood initially from the speech but not intended, and the other being remote, and then, for the sake of a subtle point, intending the remote meaning and using the word in that sense.” ^[30]

Verses 83 – 87:

⁸⁵They said: “By Allah that you mention Joseph all the time. At the end you will disappear or be one of those who are manipulated/destroyed”.

According to what is reported in these verses, when Prophet Jacob, who did not believe his sons upon hearing the news of what happened in Egypt, first became distraught with longing for his son Joseph, and then, due to the situation he was in and upon his sons’ reproach, he entrusted his inner feelings to God and asked his sons to go and search for Joseph and his younger brother.

If noticed, when Prophet Jacob learned of the events, he showed the same reaction he had shown to the news that “a wolf ate Joseph,” repeated the same words that he did not believe his sons, and asked for “beautiful patience” for himself. “Sabr-i jamil” (صَبْرٌ جَمِيل) means patience that is filled with hope, does not breed hatred, and is free of rancor. Despite everything, Prophet Jacob asked for such patience that would prevent him from feeling hatred towards his children and allow him to treat them as if nothing had happened. Indeed, in verse 87, thanks to this sabr-i jamil, Prophet Jacob addressed his children with courtesy and affection, saying, “O my sons!” without harboring enmity or rancor.

On the other hand, Prophet Jacob’s saying, “Go search for Joseph and his brother,” shows that he was certain Joseph was alive. In classical sources, various explanations have been made regarding the reason for Prophet Jacob’s certainty that Joseph was alive:

The Reasons for Ya’qub’s Hope

Later, Ya’qub (a.s.) said, “And I know from Allah what you do not know,” which means, “I know of Allah’s mercy and blessings, many of which you cannot know. He is the one who brings relief and ease from a place I do not expect.” This is an indication that Hz. Ya’qub was watching for, awaiting, the arrival of Yusuf to him. The scholars have said the following regarding the reason for this anticipation:

1- When the Angel of Death came to Ya’qub (a.s.), Ya’qub asked him, “O Angel of Death, have you taken the soul of my son Yusuf?” He replied, “No, O Prophet of Allah,” then, pointing towards the direction of Egypt, he said, “Look for him there.”

2- He knew that Yusuf’s (a.s.) dream was true and veracious. For the signs of righteousness and perfection concerning Yusuf were manifest and clear upon him. The dream of someone like Yusuf (a.s.) could not come to nothing.

3- Perhaps the Almighty had revealed to Ya’qub (a.s.) that He would cause Yusuf to reach him and reunite them; however, He did not specify the time. It was because of this that Ya’qub (a.s.) remained in a state of distress.

4- Al-Suddi said: “When the sons of Hz. Ya’qub informed him of the king’s manner of conduct and his perfection, Ya’qub (a.s.) fell into the hope that he might be Yusuf, saying, ‘It is not possible for such conduct to appear in an infidel.'”

5- Ya’qub (a.s.) knew with certainty that Benjamin would not steal. He had also heard that the king did not harm Benjamin or beat him. Thus, with strong conviction, he concluded that the king was Yusuf. This is the complete statement regarding the first premise.

As for the second premise, according to this, Ya’qub (a.s.) approached his children and spoke to them gently, which is Ya’qub’s statement: “My sons, go and seek news of Yusuf and his brother.” ^[31]

In our view, the main reason for Prophet Jacob’s belief that Joseph was alive is his trust in the interpretation he himself made regarding his son Joseph’s vision. Furthermore, the existence of a spiritual connection/communication between Joseph and him, the nature of which we cannot know, could also be in question. If one remembers, Prophet Jacob made an interpretation about the visions his son saw, saying, “…Thus will your Rabb choose you and teach you informations about what the first meanings of events/words are. He will complete His favor upon you and the family of Ya’kub [Jacob] as He did upon your two ancestors before you; Abraham and Isaac. Indeed, your Rabb is the One Who knows very well, the One Who is the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible” and the events in this interpretation of his had not yet occurred. Therefore, it was not possible for Joseph to die before these events came to pass.

According to what is reported in verse 84, Prophet Jacob became extremely sorrowful due to the longing he felt for his son Joseph, he turned pale and became distraught. The phrase “wa’byazzat ‘aynahu mina al-ḥuzni” (وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ), which describes this state of Prophet Jacob, has been understood to mean “his eyes turned white, he became blind,” and many scenarios have been produced on this subject, the mildest of which is as follows:

“And his eyes turned white from grief.” It is said that for a period of six years he could not see with his eyes; he had become blind. This was stated by Muqatil. It is also said that when the eyes turn white, there is still some vision, albeit little. And Allah knows best the true state of Hz. Ya’qub. His eyes had turned white from crying, but the reason for his crying was his grief. This is why Almighty Allah says: “From grief.”^[32]

The Reason Why Hz. Ya’qub Grieved for Yusuf More

Know that when Hz. Ya’qub heard that statement from his sons regarding Benjamin, the sorrow and grief in his heart for Yusuf grew even greater, and he said, “Alas, my longing for Yusuf!” This event caused the grief of Hz. Ya’qub for his Yusuf to intensify for the following reasons:

1- A new grief strengthens an old, internal grief. When one wound is added to another, it causes more pain. As the poet Mutammim ibn Nuwayra said:

My companion reproached me as I wept with deadly tears by the graves, saying, ‘Do you weep for every grave you see? For every tomb among the sands and hollows?’ I said to him: ‘Grief provokes grief. So leave me be. All of these are the grave of Malik.’

For whenever he saw a grave, his grief over losing his brother Malik would be renewed, and those around him would blame him. He would respond by saying, “Grief provokes grief.”

Another has said:

“You have not forgotten me, or at least, the calamities that came after it. But the cauterization of a wound with another wound is very painful.”

2- Benjamin and Joseph had the same mother. Therefore, there was a perfect resemblance between them both in appearance and character. Consequently, by seeing Benjamin, Jacob found consolation as if he were seeing Joseph. When this event occurred, the source of consolation vanished. Thus, Jacob’s anguish and longing increased.

3- His primary sorrow was having lost Joseph. The grief he felt for him amounted to grief for everything.

4- These calamities were tribulations that could be attributed to certain causes and were explicable. As for Joseph’s incident, Jacob (a.s.) knew that his sons were lying in the excuse they put forward. The real reason, however, was not known to him. Moreover, Jacob (a.s.) knew that they [Benjamin and the others] were alive. As for Joseph, Jacob (a.s.) did not know whether he was alive or not. It is for these reasons that Hz. Jacob’s longing and yearning due to separation from Joseph increased, and the calamity he was in, from not knowing his condition (whether he was dead or alive), became extremely severe.

The Second Issue:

Some ignorant people criticized Hz. Jacob for saying, “Alas, my longing for Joseph, alas!” stating: “For this is to cry out and complain against Allah, which is not permissible.” The scholars, however, have explained that the matter is not as this ignorant person presumed. This can be clarified as follows:

Jacob (a.s.) did not utter these words. But afterwards, his weeping was great, as understood from the statement of Almighty Allah: ‘And his eyes turned white from sorrow and grief.’ Then he restrained his tongue from shouting and saying inappropriate things, as understood from his statement in the verse. Furthermore, Jacob (a.s.) did not express this complaint to any human being. The proof for this is Jacob (a.s.)’s saying: ‘I only complain of my suffering and grief to Allah.’ All of this indicates that when his calamity and distress intensified, he exercised patience, bore that distress and grief within his heart, and did not complain to anyone, thus rightfully earning great praise and great commendation through this.

The Soothing of Yaqub’s Grief by Gabriel

It is narrated that when Yusuf (a.s.) asked Hz. Gabriel, “Do you have any news about Yaqub?” and Gabriel said “Yes,” he then asked, “To what extent is his sorrow and grief?” Gabriel said, “His grief is like the grief of seventy ‘Sakla’.” A Sakla is a woman who has only one child and then that child dies. Thereupon, Hz. Yusuf said, “Is there a reward for him in this matter?” and Gabriel (a.s.) said, “Yes, there is a reward equivalent to that of a hundred martyrs.”

Accordingly, it is narrated that Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir said: An old man came upon Yaqub and asked him, “Are you Abraham?” Upon this, Yaqub (a.s.) said, “I am the son of his son; my troubles have changed me like this, they took away my beauty and strength.” Thereupon, Almighty God revealed to Yaqub, “Whenever you complain of Me to My servants, by My Glory and Majesty, if you had not complained of Me, I would have given you something better than your flesh and blood [I would have rejuvenated you].” So, after this, Hz. Yaqub used to say, “I only complain of my suffering and grief to Allah.”

It is also narrated that Hz. Prophet (s.a.s) said: “He had a brother who considered Yaqub a brother. He asked Yaqub, ‘What is it that took away your sight and bent your back?’ Thereupon, Hz. Yaqub said, ‘What took away my sight is my crying over Yusuf; and what bent my back is my grief for Benjamin.'” Thereupon, Almighty God revealed to Yaqub, “Do you not refrain from complaining of Me to other than Me?” Upon this, Yaqub (a.s.) said, “I only complain of my suffering and grief to Allah,” and continued his words, saying, “Will you not have mercy on this bent, blind old man? Let me smell the scent of Yusuf and Benjamin again.” Thereupon, Gabriel gave him the good news and conveyed that Allah said: “Even if they were dead, I would resurrect them. Therefore, prepare a meal for the poor and needy. For the most beloved of my servants to Me are the prophets and the poor.” When Yaqub (a.s.) wanted to have breakfast, a caller would shout, “Whoever wants to have breakfast, to eat, let him do so with Yaqub!” Similarly, when Yaqub (a.s.) fasted, a caller would shout in the same way at the time of breaking the fast. It is narrated that due to old age, Yaqub (a.s.) used to wrap his fallen eyebrows with a cloth. Thereupon, someone said to him, “What is the cause of this?” and he replied, “The length of my life and the multitude of my sorrows.” Therefore, if it is said that Allah the Almighty revealed to him, “O Yaqub, are you complaining of Me?” and he said, “My Lord, I have made a mistake. Therefore, forgive me that mistake,” then we say:

We have already informed, with its proofs, that what Yaqub did was merely patience and steadfastness, without crying out. [No further statement should be considered.] It is narrated that when the Angel of Death entered Yaqub’s presence, Yaqub said to him, “Have you come to take my soul before I see my beloved?” Thereupon, Azrael said to him, “No, I have come to share your sorrow in your grief and your joy in your joy.” Weeping, however, is not considered a sin. It is narrated that Hz. Prophet (s.a.s) also wept for his son Ibrahim, saying, “The heart grieves; the eye sheds tears. We do not say anything that would anger our Lord. O Ibrahim, we are sad and grieved because of you.” Moreover, being overcome by sorrow does not occur by a person’s will and choice. Therefore, no responsibility arises from it. But as for sighing, saying ‘ah’, ‘of’; weeping, and tears flowing from the eyes like pouring rain – a person may sometimes be unable to prevent these.

O you who ask this question! As for the things you put forward: Those addresses that came to Yaqub (a.s.) in a reproachful manner occurred only because the good deeds of the righteous are considered like the misdeeds of those brought near (to Allah). Furthermore, there is a subtle point here: A person inevitably turns to Allah in a situation where they are in wonder and hesitation. Yaqub (a.s.) did not know whether Yusuf was alive or dead. He was not saying anything for or against in this matter; he was observing pause. Because of his pausing in this matter, his turning to Almighty Allah increased even more, and he ceased to turn and look at anything else (except this matter). His attitudes and actions in this event were varied. At times, he would be so immersed in remembering Allah that he would not remember this event at all. Consequently, remembering this event became like not remembering it. For this reason, relative to Hz. Yaqub, this event became like the event of Hz. Ibrahim being thrown into the fire and the event of his son being commanded to be sacrificed.

Why Didn’t Hz. Yaqub Show Complete Submission?

Now, if it is asked: “When a severe calamity struck, wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for him to say, ‘We belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return’ (Baqara/156), so that he would deserve the great reward mentioned in Almighty God’s statement, ‘They are the ones upon whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord, and it is they who are the [rightly] guided’ (Baqara/157)?” we say:

Although some commentators have said, “The ‘Istirja’ (saying ‘Inna lillahi…’) was not given to any community other than this ummah. Therefore, when a calamity befalls this ummah, Allah has honored only this ummah so that they may obtain reward by saying this,” this view is weak in my opinion for the following reasons: Because a person’s statement, ‘We belong to Allah,’ indicates that we are Allah’s possession, that He is the one who created and brought us into existence; and his saying, ‘and to Him we shall return,’ is a sign that the resurrection and the Day of Judgment will certainly occur. It is inconceivable that there could be a community that does not know this. Therefore, when some trials and calamities come, anyone who knows this also knows that they will ultimately certainly return to Allah. It is at this point that complete consolation for that calamity occurs. It is impossible for someone who affirms Allah and believes in Him not to know this.

The Third Issue

His expression, “Alas, my longing!” is a call to sorrow and grief. This is like a person saying, “O wonder, O astonishment!” which is as if he is shouting to that sorrow and grief, saying, “This is the time of your full arrival and presence.” We have explained this interpretation in many places. One of them, for instance, was mentioned in the commentary of Almighty God’s verse, ‘Ha sha Lillahi (حاش لله)’ (Yusuf/31). The word ‘asaf’ (أَسَف) means the sadness and grief felt for something that has been missed. Al-Layth said: “If something befalls you, and you are sad because of it and are unable to ward it off, then you are both ‘asif’ (أَسِف), meaning sad, and ‘muta’assif’ (مُتَأَسِّف), meaning grieved.” Al-Zajjaj also said: “The original form is that it should be used as ‘Ya asafi’ (يَا أَسَفِي), meaning ‘O my sorrow, my grief!’ However, it is permissible to change the ya of idafah (possessive) to an alif maqsurah due to the lightness of the fatha.”

The Veiling of Hz. Yaqub’s Eyes

Later, Almighty God said, “And his eyes turned white from sorrow and grief.” Regarding this matter, two explanations can be made:

1-When Yaqub (a.s.) said, “Alas, my longing for Yusuf, alas!”, he was constantly overcome by weeping. When weeping took hold, the fluid in his eyes increased. Thus, his eyes became as if whitened due to the whiteness of that fluid. Therefore, Almighty God’s statement “and a veil fell over his eyes from sorrow and grief” would be a metaphor for weeping dominating him and his excessive crying. The proof for the correctness of this explanation is this: The effect of sorrow is not in causing blindness, but in weeping dominating him. Consequently, if we take the whitening mentioned in the verse to mean the domination of weeping, this cause is reasonable and appropriate. But if we interpret it to mean he became blind, then this cause and rationale would not be good, reasonable, or appropriate. Therefore, the one we mentioned is more appropriate. Al-Wahidi narrated this explanation along with its proof from Ibn Abbas in his Kitabu al-Basit.

2-This is intended to mean that Hz. Yaqub became blind. Muqatil says: “Yaqub (a.s.) remained blind for six years. Then Allah the Almighty opened his eyes with Yusuf’s shirt, which is understood from Almighty God’s verse, ‘Take this, my shirt, and cast it over my father’s face; he will become seeing’ (Yusuf/93).” It is said that Gabriel (a.s.) came to Yusuf (a.s.) while he was in prison and said, “Your father’s eyes are gone due to his grief for you.” Thereupon, Yusuf put his hands on his head and said, “I wish my mother had not given birth to me, and that I had not caused my father such grief!” Those who put forward this view have said: “Constant sorrow leads to constant weeping, and constant weeping leads to blindness; thus, sorrow becomes the cause of blindness through this path. Constant weeping caused the blindness. Because this creates a cloudiness in the pupil.” Some of them said that Yaqub was not blind, but that his sight had diminished. It has also been asserted that Yaqub (a.s.)’s eyes were always tearful, never drying, from the time he was separated from Yusuf until he met him again; that this period was eighty years; and that there was no one on earth more noble and better than Yaqub in the sight of Allah.

As for the word “من الحزن mina al-huzni” in the verse, know that this word has been recited as “al-huzn” with a dammah on the ha and a sukun on the za. However, Hasan al-Basri recited it as “al-hazan” with a fatha on both the ha and the za. Al-Wahidi says: “The scholars have disagreed concerning the meaning of the words huzn and hazan. Some of them claim that huzn means weeping, while hazan means ‘sorrow and grief.’ Others have claimed that these two words are two usages expressing both meanings. Just as in Arabic, it is said, ‘A severe huzn [or hazan] befell him.’ This is the view adopted by most language scholars.” Yunus reported that Abu Amr said: “When this word is in a position of nasb, the Arabs recite it with a fatha on both the ha and the za. This is like in Almighty God’s statement, ‘…their eyes overflowed with tears because of grief…’ (Tawbah/92). When this word is used in a position of jarr or raf’, the Arabs recite the ha with a dammah. As it is here [in Yusuf/84]. The word “wa hazani” (Yusuf/86) is also in the position of raf’ as a mubtada. As for the word “fa huwa kazim” in the verse, since the fa’il form can carry the meaning of ism al-fa’il (active participle), it is permissible for it to mean ‘kazim’ (one who suppresses). Kazim means one who holds back his grief, who does not show it. Ibn Qutaybah said: It is also permissible for this fa’il form here to carry the meaning of ism al-maf’ul (passive participle), makzum (that which is suppressed). According to this, its meaning is ‘filled with grief’. This expression is taken from the phrase “kazima al-siqaa” used when a water-skin is filled to its utmost capacity. It is also permissible for it to mean that Hz. Yaqub was filled with anger towards his children.

Know that the most precious of human limbs are these three things. Thus, Allah the Almighty declared that these limbs were submerged and overwhelmed by sorrow and grief. So, Yaqub’s tongue was occupied by saying “Alas, my longing!”, his eye was occupied by weeping and the falling of the white veil, and his heart was occupied by an intense sorrow resembling a container filled to its utmost capacity, allowing no room for the water to escape. This is an expression that thoroughly describes that sorrow.

Their Reproach of Hz. Yaqub

As for Almighty God’s statement, “They said, ‘By Allah, you will not cease to remember Yusuf until you become consumptive or become among the perished,'” there are several issues related to it:

The First Issue

Ibn al-Sikkit says: “In Arabic, the phrases ‘ma tafattu’ and ‘la tafattu’ are used to mean ‘you continuously do such and such,’ and these expressions are always used with a negative particle.” Ibn Qutaybah said: “In Arabic, you say ‘tafattatu’ when you have forgotten something and severed connection from it.” The grammarians have said: “Here, a negative sense is implied, meaning ‘ma tafattu’ or ‘la tafattu’. Its omission is permissible. Because if a positive meaning had been intended, just as in the expression ‘Wallahi la-taf’alanna’ (By Allah, you will surely do), then this expression would have been with a lam and nun, as ‘la-taftaanna’. Therefore, since this expression is used without the lam and nun, it is understood that a negative particle ‘La’ is implied here.” The grammarians have cited the following verse by Imru’ al-Qays as an example on this subject: ‘And I said, I swear by Allah, I will not cease from my seated state.’ This means, “I will continue sitting.” There are many similar examples like this.

As for the commentators, they have said the following regarding this expression: Ibn Abbas, Hasan al-Basri, Mujahid, and Qatadah interpret this expression to mean: “You continuously remember him.” It is reported from Mujahid that he interpreted this expression to mean, “You do not cease to remember him,” thus taking the word ‘futur’ to have the same meaning as ‘futu’.

Their Blaming of Prophet Ya‘qub (Jacob)

As for the Almighty’s saying: “They said: ‘You keep on remembering Yusuf. By Allah, you will not cease to remember Yusuf until you become ill and emaciated from sorrow, or you will be among those who perish.’” — there are several issues related to this verse.

First Issue

Ibn al-Sikkit said: “In Arabic, expressions such as ‘I keep doing such and such a thing’ are used with the same meaning, and these expressions are always employed together with a negation particle.”

Ibn Qutayba said: “In Arabic, one says this expression when you have forgotten and become detached from something.”

The grammarians said: “Here, the negation state is implied, in the sense of ma taftau (ما تفتؤا) or la taftau (لا تفتؤا). Its omission is also permissible. For if an affirmative meaning had been intended, then — just like in the expression ‘By Allah, you will do it’ — the phrase would have been formed with lam and nun as latatafa’anna ( لتفتأنّ ). Therefore, since this expression appears without lam and nun, it is understood that a negation particle la (لا) is implied.” The grammarians have cited as an example the verse of Imru’ al-Qays: “And I said: By Allah, I will not abandon my sitting posture.” This means: “I will continue sitting.” There are many similar examples.

As for the commentators, they have said the following concerning this expression: Ibn ‘Abbas, Hasan al-Basri, Mujahid, and Qatada have interpreted it as meaning: “You keep on remembering him.”

It has also been narrated from Mujahid that he gave it the meaning: “You never stop mentioning him,” thus taking the words futur (فُتُور) and futu (فُتُوّ) to have the same sense.

Second Issue

Al-Wahidi has narrated from among the authors of Ma‘ani al-Qur’an that: The word “Haradan (حرضاً)” means the corruption or deterioration (fasad) of both the mind and the body because of acid, sorrow, or love. Therefore, when one says “haraztu fulanan ‘ala fulanin (حرضت فلان على فلان )”, it means “I provoked him against someone” or “I incited him against someone.” Likewise, the Almighty has said: “O Prophet, urge the believers to fight!” (Al-Anfal, 65).

When this principle is well understood, we say: describing that person — namely Ya‘qub — in this way is either due to the assumption of an omitted genitive (muḍaf) and the expression being in the sense of “dhu haradin (ذو حرض)”, meaning “the possessor of decay”, or it is because the meaning intended is that Prophet Ya‘qub’s body and mind were in an extremely deteriorated state. Thus, according to this second meaning, Ya‘qub himself became the very embodiment of decay and weakness.

As for its being read with the ra having a kasra, harid (حارض), in that case the word becomes an ism al-fa‘il (active participle). The word has been recited in both forms.

When this too is well understood, we say that the commentators have provided various explanations regarding this matter:

a) The words حرض, حارضHaridun and haradun mean “the one whose body and mind have decayed.”
b) Nafi‘ and Ibn al-Azraq asked Ibn ‘Abbas (r.a.) about the meaning of the word haradun (حرض ), and he replied: “A person who is gravely and chronically ill.”
c) This word also means “a person who is neither alive nor dead,” i.e., someone in a coma. Abu Rawq narrated that Anas b. Malik recited this verse with the ha having a damma and the ra being silent as: “hatta takuna hurdaan (حتّى تكون حُرضاً)”,
and he said that, according to this recitation, the meaning is: “You will almost become like the jowen plant.”

As for the part of the verse “aw takuna minal halikin (او تكون من الهالكين)”, the meaning of the verse is as follows: “They said to their father: ‘You do not cease to remember Yusuf with sorrow and tears. Thus you will cause your body to fall into an incurable illness, or you will die from grief.’” Thus, they were as if saying: “You are already in a great distress, and we fear that something even greater and worse may occur.” With these words, they intended to dissuade him from crying and grieving excessively.

Accordingly, if it is said: “Why did they swear an oath about something they could not be certain of?” — we say: They interpreted the matter according to outward appearances.

Also, if it is said: “Who are those who said ‘Tallahi taftau (تالله تفتؤ)’?” — we say: According to the most apparent situation, they were not the brothers who had departed, but rather the grandchildren and servants who were in Ya‘qub’s household.

Then the Almighty related that Ya‘qub (a.s.) said: “I only complain of my sorrow and grief to Allah.” That is to say: “What I have said, I have not said to you; I express it before Allah alone.” When a person presents his complaint to Allah, he belongs to the group of those endowed with true knowledge (muhhaqqiqun). Indeed, the Prophet said: “I seek refuge in Your mercy from Your anger, in Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and in You from You.” The One who grants success is Allah alone.

The word “al-bathu (البث)” means to spread, disperse, or broadcast. As the Almighty said: “And He spread therein every moving creature.” (Al-Baqara, 164) Hence, when a person hides his sorrow and grief and does not reveal it, that is [grief] (huzn). But when he reveals it to others, that is “al-bathu (البث)”.

The scholars said: “Bath” is the intensified form of sorrow (huzn), and huzn is the intensified form of distress (hamm). This is so because when a person does not speak of it, the sorrow does not dominate him; but when the sorrow grows and he becomes unable to conceal it within himself, and his tongue unwillingly speaks it out, then it is called “bath” — and this indicates that the person has become powerless before it, and that sorrow has gained mastery over him. Therefore, the meaning of Ya‘qub’s statement “baththi wa huzni ila Allah (بثثّى و حزنى الى الله)” is: “I disclose and pour out both my great and small sorrows only to Allah.” Hasan al-Basri recited both letters with either fatḥa or ḍamma, as hazan and huzn.

It is reported that once someone entered upon Ya‘qub (a.s.) and said: “O Ya‘qub, your body has weakened and become frail, though you have not yet reached old age.” Then Ya‘qub (a.s.) said: “What has befallen me is because of the excess of my grief.” Upon this, Allah the Exalted revealed to him: “O Ya‘qub, are you complaining about Me to My creation?” Then Ya‘qub (a.s.) said: “O my Lord! I have committed an error; forgive this fault of mine.” And Allah forgave him. From then on, whenever Ya‘qub (a.s.) would ask for something, he would say: “I only complain of my sorrow and grief to Allah.”

It is also narrated that the Almighty revealed to Ya‘qub (a.s.): “I found a fault in you and was displeased, for you had slaughtered a sheep but did not feed any of it to the poor man who came to your door. The most beloved of My creation to Me are the prophets and the poor. Therefore, prepare a feast and invite the poor and needy to it.”

It has also been said that Ya‘qub (a.s.) once purchased a bondwoman together with her child and then sold her child. As a result of crying over her child, that bondwoman became blind. ^[33]

Returning again to our main verse — the descriptions such as “his eyes turned white because of sorrow” and “he became a man who swallowed his grief” are better understood through the expression in verse 96, “fartadda basiran (فارتدّ بصيراً)” — “he regained his sight.”

In view of the state into which Prophet Ya‘qub had fallen, it is inevitable that the human mind comes up with questions such as the following:

Was Prophet Ya‘qub’s love for his son to this degree normal?
Is it appropriate that a person in the rank of prophethood loses self-control and wanders around crying, “Ah Yusuf, alas Yusuf!”, leading his surroundings to accuse him of error or deviation?
To what extent is it proper for Prophet Ya‘qub to conceal what had happened from others and not impose any disciplinary measure on his sons?
Even if one assumes that Prophet Ya‘qub had an excuse for entrusting the search for his son to his own children [and not to anyone else], is it not strange that after being saved from the well, Prophet Yusuf — despite knowing the places where his father lived — did not look for him or inquire about him, and especially that when he gained power, he did not send a messenger or envoy to him?
How can it be considered appropriate that Prophet Yusuf, even under a prearranged plan, put his brother under the accusation of theft?
Knowing that his father would be deeply grieved, how could Prophet Yusuf keep his brother with him?

If one pays close attention to the expressions within the story, the answers to these questions become apparent on their own. However, first, the following verses — Yusuf / 76, 21, 56, 83, 86, 87, and 96 — should be reread carefully.

From these verses it is understood that the two main figures of this narrative — Prophets Ya‘qub and Yusuf — are two actors performing the roles that have been assigned to them. The Exalted Allah granted them, upon the stage of history, the roles of “committing errors within the family.” They would perform these roles well, so that those who see and hear of their errors would take admonition from them and would avoid making similar mistakes within their own families.

In our view, our Lord assigned them this duty, and they fulfilled it with sabr-i jamil (beautiful patience).

³⁶And when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, it is not for any believing man and any believing woman that they should have any choice about their matter. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has gone astray with a clear astray.

(Al-Ahzab / 36)

A similar kind of divine arrangement can also be observed in the Qur’an in the incident of Zaynab, who had been the wife of the Prophet’s adopted son Zayd, and who, after being divorced by him, was married to the Prophet himself.

Verses 88 – 93

⁸⁹Joseph said: “Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?”

⁹¹They said: “By Allah, Allah exalted you above us. And we surely have been the wrong”.

In this group of verses, it is seen that the message in verse 15 — in which Almighty Allah informed that He revealed to Prophet Yusuf, saying, “Surely, you will inform them about this affair of theirs in the future when they do not perceive” — has been fulfilled. Prophet Yusuf introduced himself to his brothers when they came to him again to obtain provisions; upon their embarrassment and apologies, he forgave them and sent his shirt to his father, thereby inviting the entire family to settle in Egypt.

In verse 88, the expression “تَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَاؕ (tasaddak alayna)” is rendered in summary as “give us alms.” In this case, the question arises whether a prophet may receive alms. Some argue that the charity mentioned here refers to the fact that the money or the goods brought by the sons of Ya‘qub did not equal the value of the wheat they were to receive in exchange; therefore, they were essentially begging for alms.

However, the phrase in the verse “tasaddak alayna (give alms against us)”, with the preposition “عَلٰى (‘ala)”, means “provide us, on our behalf, with support from public revenues to be repaid later.” (Detailed information about sadaqat was given in at-Tawbah / 60.) If the expression in the verse had been “ تَصَدَّقْ لَنَا (tasaddak lana)”, then it would have meant that they did not intend to repay the support they received from public revenues.

The words of Prophet Yusuf to his brothers in verse 90 — “Surely, whoever enters under the guardianship of Allah and is patient; then no doubt Allah will not let the reward of those who do good deeds be lost” — constitute a lesson not only for his brothers but for all humanity as well, since they demonstrate the relationship between the concepts of taqwa (piety), sabr (patience), and muhsin (one who does good).

In this part of the story, the message is also conveyed that the elimination of hostility among people depends on forgiveness. Indeed, Prophet Yusuf reestablished the bonds of love within the family by forgiving the brothers who had done him wrong. In our view, the message given here can also be expressed as: “Where there is forgiveness and tolerance, there will be no hostility or unhappiness.”

البصير BASIYR

Since the word “basiyr” (البصير) is generally used in the sense of “seeing, seeing well,” the situation of Prophet Ya‘qub in this story has been understood as meaning that he first became blind and then was delivered from blindness and came to “see well.” However, in Arabic, the word “basiyr” (البصير) is also used as the opposite of the word “darir” (ضرير), which means “mocked, ridiculed, miserable, sick.” ^[34]

With the words at the end of verse 93, Prophet Yusuf is calling his family to come to him. However, in our view, it is not a correct perspective to understand these words as “While Yusuf himself should go to his father’s feet, he calls his father to come to him.” For Prophet Yusuf’s intention was not to summon his family out of pride. Rather, he wanted to bring his nomadic family into a settled and civilized life, and for this purpose, he extended to them an invitation on behalf of the state.

Verses 94-98:

⁹⁴And when the caravan left, their father said: “If you do not call me weak minded, I truly find the smell of Joseph”.

⁹⁵They said: “Indeed, you are still in your same old confusion”.

⁹⁷They said: “O our father! Ask forgiveness of our sins for us. Indeed, we have been sinners”.

⁹⁸Jacob said: “I will later ask my Rabb for forgiveness for you. Surely, He is the One Who is very forgiving, very merciful”.

In verse 94, it is stated that when his sons departed from Egypt, Prophet Ya‘qub perceived the scent of his son Yusuf from a distance of hundreds of kilometers — that is, he understood that he was alive. Although it does not seem physically possible to perceive such a scent at that exact moment and from that distance, Prophet Ya‘qub certainly and accurately sensed information about his son from that very distance and at that very time. In our view, explaining this situation as a “miracle,” as some do, is incorrect. Therefore, before evaluating Prophet Ya‘qub’s perception as a “miracle,” it is necessary to investigate whether other possible explanations might exist for the situation.

In our opinion, this gives the impression that there was a paranormal connection [telepathy] between father and son. Although modern science does not recognize telepathy as a verified phenomenon, it is an undeniable fact that the capabilities of the human brain have not been completely discovered. Based on this event in the Qur’an, we consider it possible that such a spiritual connection might also be accepted by modern science as a psychic phenomenon.

It appears that Prophet Ya‘qub, from the very beginning, was aware of his son Yusuf through telepathic means, and that vision (ru’ya) and telepathy are among the blessings Allah granted to the lineage of Ibrahim and Ishaq.

As we mentioned earlier, in the Islamic world, sufficient research has not been conducted on these matters. Although the explanations expressed in Western sources should be approached with caution, it is possible to benefit from science and technology books about “telepathy” in order to help better understand the subject.

The statement in verse 96 — “But when the bearer of good news came, he put it [the shirt] on his [Yaqub’s] face, and immediately he became basiyr [a person who has recovered from the disease for which he had been blamed and mocked]” — has generally been regarded as a miracle, interpreted as “Prophet Yaqub, whose eyes had turned white and who had become blind from crying, began to see again when he rubbed his son’s shirt on his face.”
Because, in real life, it is not possible for eyes to whiten and become blind from crying, and then for such a blind and structurally damaged eye to return to its former state and see again. However, there is no situation here that requires a miracle, and it is not reasonable to accept and dismiss the event as a miracle. Therefore, this incident must have occurred within the framework of the meaning we prefer to assign to the word “basiyr”.

The narration of this part of the story in the Bible is in harmony with the characteristic of the word “basiyr” as we have analyzed it.

Joseph Reveals Who He Is to His Brothers

1 Joseph could not contain himself in front of his men and shouted, “Get everyone out of here!” So when he presented himself to his brothers, no one was with him.

2 He cried so loudly that the Egyptians heard him cry. The news reached Pharaoh’s household.

3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph!” “Is my father alive?” His brothers were frozen and could not answer.

4 Joseph said, “Please come closer to me.” When they came closer, Joseph continued: “I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold to Egypt.

5 Do not be sorry that you sold me here. Do not blame yourselves. God sent me ahead of you to save mankind.

6 For there has been a famine in the land for two years, and it will last for five more years. No one will be able to plow or reap.

7 God has sent me ahead of you to protect your descendants on the earth and to save your lives in a wonderful way.

8 It is God who sent me here, not you. He has made me Pharaoh’s chief adviser, lord of his palace, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

9 Go to my father at once and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me ruler over the land of Egypt. Go ahead and come to me.

10 You will settle in Goshen, and you will be near me, with your children and your grandchildren, your cattle and your sheep, and everything you have.

11 I will take care of you there, because the famine will last five more years. Otherwise you will be miserable, you and your family and all who depend on you.

12 “You all see with your eyes, my brother Benjamin, and you see that it is I who speak.

13 Tell my father how strong I was in Egypt and all that you saw. Bring my father here at once.”

14 Then he put his arms around his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept. Benjamin also cried and hugged him.

15 Joseph wept and kissed all his brothers. Then his brothers began to talk to him.

16 When the news of the arrival of Joseph’s brothers reached Pharaoh’s palace, Pharaoh and his officials were delighted.

17 Pharaoh said to Joseph: “Say to your brothers: “Load your animals and go to Canaan.

18 Bring your father and your families here. I will give you the best land in Egypt, and you will eat the cream of the land.

19 I also command you to say to them, “Get wagons from Egypt for your children and your wives, and come here with your father.

20 You shall not be left behind, for all that is best in Egypt will be yours.'”

21 The sons of Israel did as they were told. Joseph gave them wagons and provisions for the journey, as Pharaoh had commanded.

22 He gave them each a layer of spare clothes, and to Benjamin alone he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five layers of spare clothes.

23 So he sent to his father ten donkeys loaded with all that was best in Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with wheat and bread and provisions for the journey.

24 When he sent his brothers on their journey, he said to them, “Do not quarrel on the way.”

25 Joseph’s brothers left Egypt and returned to Canaan to their father Jacob.

26 “Joseph is alive!” they said to him, “and he is the ruler of Egypt.” Their father was astonished and did not believe them.

27 They told him all that Joseph had told them. When he saw the chariots that Joseph had sent to take him to Egypt, Jacob’s spirits were lifted.

28 “All right!” he said, “Joseph my son is alive. I will go and see him before he dies.” ^[35]

It is seen that Prophet Yaqub repeated in verse 96 the statement that appears in verse 86: “Have I not said to you? I truly know from Allah that which you do not know” From this statement of his, it is understood that there were unspoken secrets behind the events that took place.

Another message given by verses 97 and 98 is that forgiveness and pardon from Allah can be sought for those whose judgment has not yet been decreed. However, for those about whom a decree has been issued, seeking forgiveness (istighfar) is not permissible, as has been established by the verse.

^113,114It is not for the Prophet and for those who have believed to ask forgiveness for those who associate others with Allah after it has become clear to them that they are the companions of Jahannah [Hell], even if they are relatives. And asking of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was because of a promise he had given to him. And when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed, Abraham was compassionate and patient.

(At-Tawbah / 113, 114)

Verses 99 – 101:

⁹⁹When they entered the presence of Joseph, Joseph embraced his father and mother, cherished them and took them by himself and said: “Enter Egypt in safety by the will of Allah!”.

From these verses it is understood that the family of Yaqub went to Egypt and that Prophet Yusuf met them outside the city.

According to Mawdudi’s observations, this meeting was held in the form of a ceremony:

According to the Talmud, “When Yusuf learned that his father was on the way, he gathered together his friends, officers, and the country’s soldiers adorned with splendid garments. He formed a great assembly to go and meet Prophet Yaqub on the road and to accompany him to Egypt. Music and joy filled every place; everyone, women and children alike, climbed onto the roofs of the houses to watch this magnificent procession.” [H. Polano, p. 111] ^[36]

The word “sajda” (سجدة) mentioned in verse 100 does not mean worship, but rather expresses respect as it was understood in those days. The word here is used in its literal, not technical, sense. The story ends with Prophet Yusuf’s address to his father, followed in verse 101 by his prayer to Allah.

Verse 102:

¹⁰²This, what We have revealed to you is from the news of which you have not seen, heard, known. And you were not with them when they decided and plotted their evil deeds.

After the story of Yusuf is narrated in detail with concise and eloquent expression, verse 102 refers to these narrations and explains that they are reports of the unseen (ghayb) which were revealed to the messenger of Allah through revelation.

As all the people of Mecca knew, and as it is also explained in the Qur’an, our Prophet had never been interested in the stories of Israel, and therefore had neither read nor listened to them. Nothing had ever been heard from him before regarding these stories. At a time when the Meccan infidels were trying to spread among the people the lie that the Qur’an was something fabricated by the Prophet himself, this story suddenly flowed from the tongue of the Prophet in a concise and eloquent manner. Yet, it was impossible for the Prophet to have composed this story in all its details and in accordance with Jewish records. Because the Arabs did not possess any written text concerning this story.

Therefore, not only the story of Yusuf but also the other narratives contained in the Qur’an were among the reports of the unseen (akhbar al-ghayb) and were what Allah had revealed to him.

⁴⁴This is what We have revealed to you from the important news of the past which you did not have possibility to perceive. And you were not with them while they were casting their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. And you were not with them when they were disputing.

(Ali-Imran / 44)

⁴⁴And when We fulfilled that command to Moses, you were not in the west side; you were not in the geography where Moses lived. You were not of those who were present, who saw.

⁴⁵We created many generations and their lives were prolonged. You were not among the people of Midian who recited Our Ayat to them; but We are senders of messengers.

^46,47And when We called, you were not next to the position of being prophet (You were not a messenger yet). Quite opposite, We revealed to you what happened there, We sent you as a messenger so you may warn a people, to whom no warner/prophet was sent before you, and as a sign of the mercy of your Rabb, as a reminder for them to receive, to prevent them from saying, “Our Rabb! If only You had sent us a messenger thus we could have followed your Ayat and become believers” when a disaster came upon them for what their own hands had done.

(Al-Qasas / 44-47)

⁶⁹When they were disputing one another, I had no information concerning the Qur’an; which is “full of the most exalted”. ⁷⁰It is revealed to me because I, yes I, am only an explicit warner.”

(Sad/69, 70)

Verses 103 – 106:

¹⁰³Although you desire passionately, many of the people are not to believe.

¹⁰⁴And you do not ask them any payment for this. The Qur’an is nothing but a reminder for the mankind.

In these verses, where our Prophet is consoled and the Meccan infidels are severely condemned, the situations of two sides are narrated together: on one side, our Prophet — who, without asking for any payment, yearns with burning desire for people to have faith and approaches them with a Book that is an admonition for them — and on the other side, the Meccan infidels — who, ignoring and trampling upon thousands of signs in the heavens and on the earth, continue in denial, and of whom most will not believe.

Although these verses primarily refer to the Meccan infidels, their message is directed to all humanity, because such unbelievers have existed in every era.

The decree of Almighty Allah in verse 106, “Most of them do not worship Allah without associating others with Him.” is an expression that must be carefully examined and well understood. Because associating partners (shirk) is not a matter concerning the faithless, but — as stated in many verses of the Qur’an — a deviation found among those who believe in the existence of Allah but do not recognize His Lordship [the quality of being the Programmer of everything].

⁶¹And indeed, if you asked them: “Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth, and who got the sun and the moon under control/created them in such structure and characteristic so servants may benefit?”, they would definitely say, “Allah”. Then, how are they deluded?

(Al-Ankabut / 61)

⁶³And surely, if you asked them: “Who sent down water from the sky and revived the earth with it after its lifelessness?”, they would definitely say, “Allah”. Say: “All praise is to Allah; no one else may be praised”. But most of them do not use their reason.

(Al-Ankabut / 63)

⁸⁷And surely, if you asked them who formed them, they would definitely say: “Allah”. So, how are they deluded?

(Az-Zukhruf / 87)

²⁵Indeed, if you asked them: “Who formed the heavens/universe and the earth?”, they would surely say, “Allah!” Say: “All praise is to Allah; no one else may be praised!” Actually, most of them do not know.

(Luqman / 25)

^31,32Say: “Who is the One Who provides for you from the sky and the earth? Or who is the One Who possesses ears and eyes; who is the One Who owns these? Who is the One Who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living? And who is the One Who arranges the matters?” They will immediately say: “Allah”. Then say: “So will you not still enter under the guardianship of Allah? Therefore He is Allah, your true Rabb. And what can be beyond truth except going astray! So how are you averted?

(Yunus / 31, 32)

⁸⁴Say: “If you should know; to whom does this world and those on it belong?”.

⁸⁵They will say: “To Allah”. Then say: “Do you not contemplate?”.

⁸⁶Say: “Who is Rabb of the heavens/universe and who is Rabb of the great throne³⁰⁵?”.

⁸⁷They will say: “It belongs to Allah/It is Allah”. Then say: “So, will you not enter under the guardianship of Allah?”.

⁸⁸Say: “If you should know; who is the One Who possesses the dominion over all things and Who governs all and Who protects all; but Who is not protected?”.

⁸⁹They will say: “It belongs to Allah/It is Allah”. Then you, say: “Then how are you deluded?”.

⁹⁰Rather, We have brought them the truth, yet they are certainly the liars.

(Al-Mu’minun / 84-90)

As stated in the verses, even today there are those who believe in Allah but, through various actions, fall into shirk (polytheism).

Another explanation related to verse 106 is as follows: they pray to Almighty Allah to save them from the calamity that would destroy them. But when Allah rescues them, they attribute the protection and preservation granted by Allah to something else, saying words such as, “If it were not for such and such a person, we would not have been saved,” or “If it were not for the dog, the thief would have entered our house.” Or, they turn away and reject the blessing that was given to them.

¹²And when affliction touches man, he definitely calls upon Us while lying on his side, sitting, standing. And when We remove his affliction from him, he continues as if he had never called upon Us for that affliction that touched him. Thus has been made pleasing for those who show the truth incomplete.

(Yunus / 12)

⁵¹And when We bestow favor upon man, he keeps his distance and turns away. But when an evil touches him, he is full of extensive supplication; he calls and invokes.

(Fussilat / 51)

The tendency that exists in human nature — “to seek refuge only in Allah when faced with a distressing situation, and to fall into shirk when relief comes” — is a trait present in the general character of humankind.

¹⁸⁹He is the One who formed you from a single self and then made its mate to accompany it. When he covered and enshrouded her, then she carried a light burden. And she continued with this. When the wife got heavier, then they both invoked their Rabb: “If you give us a healthy child, indeed we will be among those who repay”.

¹⁹⁰When He gave them a healthy child, they ascribed partners to Him about what He gave them. Allah is purified from that which they associate with Him, high above them.

(Al-A’raf / 189, 190)

^9-11And if We make those other than who have patience and do amendatory deeds – those are the ones for whom the forgiveness and the greatest reward are – taste a mercy from Us and then take it back, then they are indeed desperate, very ungrateful. And if We make him taste happiness after sadness has touched him, he definitely says: “Evil has left me”. Indeed, he is the one who is spoiled and arrogant.

(Hud / 9-11)

In the Qur’an, there are many other verses (Tawbah/75, 76; Yunus/22, 23; Nahl/53, 54; Luqman/31, 32; Rum/33; Ankabut/65; Isra/67) that carry the same style as the verse which is our subject and serve as a commentary in nature on the verses of the surah Hud that we have mentioned above.

Our Lord has also exemplified this psychology of shirk in the surah Dukhan.

⁸There is no deity except Him. He gives life and He takes life, He is your Rabb and Rabb of your ancestors before you. ⁹But, they are amusing themselves in insufficient knowledge.

^10,11Then watch for the day when the sky will bring an explicit famine. That famine will surround people. This is a painful punishment.

¹²O our Rabb! Remove the punishment from us. Indeed, now we are truly believers.

^13,14Do they ever remember? Yet a messenger who clarifies came to them. Then they turned away from him and said: “A madman who was taught/a man supported by secret forces!”.

¹⁵Surely, We remove the punishment a little, then you are the ones who return.

¹⁶The day when We will seize with the greatest seizure, We surely are the Ones Who will maintain justice by seizing and recompensing the criminal.

(Ad-Dukhan / 8-16)

Verse 107:

In this verse, the infidels are condemned for their indifference — that is, because they did not take lesson from so many signs, did not come to their senses, did not listen to the revelation, and did not heed the admonitions. Although it is a question sentence, the verse has only one possible answer: mankind is certainly not secure from being encompassed by a disaster or from the coming of their appointed death. Therefore, what befits human beings is to live with awareness of this truth and to act with such consciousness.

Our Lord has repeated this warning in many verses.

^97-99So, did the people of those cities feel secure from Our punishment that would come to them while they were sleeping at night? Or did the people of those cities feel secure from Our punishment that would come to them in the morning while they were occupied with trivial things? So, did they feel secure from the intricate plan of Allah? No one feels secure from the intricate plan of Allah but a people who have lost.

(Al-A’raf / 97-99)

^45-47Then, do those who plot evil deeds in secrecy feel secure that Allah will not cause the earth to swallow them or punishment will not come from where they do not know or Allah will not seize them while they travel, -and they will not incapacitate Him- or He will not seize them gradually/in fear? Then, indeed your Rabb is very compassionate, very merciful.

(An-Nahl / 45-47)

Verse 108:

After the explanations starting from verse 103, our Lord wants our Prophet, as a preacher who knows and believes in this mission, to continue his invitation with courtesy to the polytheists of Mecca [and consequently to all humankind], no matter what the infidels do: “This is my path; I invite you to Allah as a requirement of reason, knowledge and common sense. I and those who follow me… And purified is Allah. And I am not among those who associate others with Allah”

Verse 109:

In these verses, an answer is given to the polytheists who opposed our Prophet by claiming that, according to a supposed divine law they had invented, the mission of prophethood could not be assigned to a human being. In this answer, it is stated that in earlier communities too, messengers were sent from among themselves to give warnings; that among them, some accepted and some rejected the call; that none of those previous communities remained; and that, likewise, the polytheists of Mecca would one day return to Allah to give account.

The word “ رجال rijal” —which we translated as “a number of persons”— has been understood by some as “men,” and from this interpretation they have argued that prophets are chosen only from among men and that women cannot be prophets.
Others, on the other hand, have considered the messengers who spoke with the wife of Prophet Ibrahim in the Surah Hud to be “angels,” and because she conversed with angels, they have regarded Ibrahim’s wife as a prophetess. Likewise, due to the statement in Surah al-Qasas / 7 that Allah inspired the mother of Prophet Musa, and because of the account in Surah Al-i Imran / 42, 43 regarding the mother of Isa (Jesus), they have also regarded these women as prophetesses for the same reason.

Those who oppose this and claim that none of these three women were prophets have cited as evidence a narration attributed to our Prophet which says, “There are no prophets among women, but there are the truthful ones (siddiqats).”

In our opinion, in order to resolve this confusion, it is necessary to analyze the word “rijal” mentioned in the verse.

الرّجل RAJUL

Since the word “rajul” (الرّجل) is generally used in the sense of “man [the opposite of woman],” it causes misunderstandings in some verses. Therefore, the word must be analyzed by taking into account both its use in the Arabic language and its use in the Qur’an.

In Arabic, “الرّجل rajul” means “male of the human kind” and is the opposite of “woman.” It is also said: “When one passes the stage of childhood, begins to reach puberty, and becomes a young man, he becomes a ‘rajul.’”^[37]

When we look at the analyses in linguistic works, it is seen that the word is derived from the root “rjl,” just like the word “rijl,” which means “foot,” and that the words derived from this root have their fundamental meanings formed around the sense of “foot.” For example, the word “rijal” developed from the meaning “those who walk with their feet.” The plural of the word “rajul,” which is “ رجال rijal,” is the same as the word “ رجال rijal” derived from “رجِل rijl,” which is used in the sense of “to walk on foot, pedestrian.” The meaning of the word is distinguished only by its usage in the sentence. For instance, in Al-Baqara / 239 and Al-Hajj / 27, this word is used in the sense of “those on foot.”

With this broad meaning, the word functions as a descriptor given to the human species without containing any distinction between male and female. Later on, the meaning narrowed, and the word came to be used more specifically for the “male” gender of the human being.

According to the findings of Allame Ibn al-Manzur, when Abu Zeyyad al-Kilabi said “ فتهايج الرّجلان fatahayuj -rajulani [the two rajul deceived each other],” by saying “two rajul,” he was referring to himself and his wife. ^[38]

This finding actually shows that the word “rajul” is used for both man and woman.

Zebidi also reports in Taj al-Arus that in al-Muhkam, it is mentioned that the word “rajl” expresses “maturity and firmness,” and that phrases such as “ رجل ابوه رجل rajulun abuhu rajulun [a man whose father is a man]” are mentioned. ^[39]

From this, it is understood that the reason a human being is called “rajul” is because of his or her maturity and steadfastness. In this aspect, the word “rajul” means “a mature person,” without including any distinction between man and woman.

Similarly, in Turkish, the word “erkek” (man) is used as an expression of maturity, toughness, bravery, and integrity—without any distinction between male and female—in the sense of “a person who keeps their word, who does not abandon friends in difficult times, who is mature.” For example, in the expression “Erkeklik sende kalsin!” [Let the manliness be yours!], the word “erkeklik” (manliness) has nothing to do with gender. Likewise, the expression “Erkek kizmish vesselam!” [She’s truly a brave girl!] is also a very common usage.

“RAJUL” IN THE QUR’AN

The number of words derived from the root “ر ج ل r-j-l” in the Qur’an is seventy-three, and eighteen of them, whether in singular, dual, or plural form, are in the pattern of “رجِل rijl,” which means “foot” [Al-Baqara / 239, Al-Hajj / 27, Sad / 42, An-Nur / 24, 31, 45, Al-A’raf / 124, 195, Al-Ma’idah / 6, 33, 66, Al-An’am / 65, Ta Ha / 71, Ash-Shuara / 49, Al-Ankabut / 55, Ya Sin / 65, Al-Mumtahina / 12, Al-Isra / 64].

The words “rajul” (رَجُلٌ) meaning “man”, are used in the Qur’an in two ways: as nakirah [indefinite] and ma‘rifah [definite].

Those used as ma‘rifah and those used together with their opposite gender clearly mean “male,” the opposite of the female gender [Al-Baqara/282, An-Nisa/1, 12, 32, 34, 85, 98, 176, Al-A‘raf/81, Al-Fath/25].

All those used as nakirah are used in the absolute sense of “a mature human being” [Al-A‘raf/46, 48, 63, 69, 155, Yunus/2, Hud/78, Al-Mu’minun/25, 38, Al-Qasas/20, Al-Ahzab/4, 23, 40, Saba/7, 43, Ya Sin/20, Az-Zumar/29, Al-Mu’min/28, Az-Zukhruf/31, Al-An‘am/9, Al-Isra/47, Al-Kahf/28, 32, Al-Furqan/8, Al-Ma’idah/23, An-Nahl/43, 76, Yusuf/109, An-Nur/37, Al-Jinn/6, Sad/62, At-Tawbah/108].

Below are the meanings of a few of them:

⁴⁶Between them will stand a curtain.

And those who have knowledge about the sections of the Qur’an, will recognize them all from their signs. And those who have knowledge about the Qur’an call out to the companions of Jannah [Heaven] who hoped for Jannah [Heaven] but have not entered yet: “Salam [health, peace, happiness…] be upon you!”

(Al-A’raf / 46)

^48,49Those who have knowledge of the sections of the Qur’an, will call out to those whom they will recognize from their signs and they will say: “Your community and that with which you were arrogant have not availed you. Are those the ones whom you swore that Allah would not grant His mercy? – that this mercy is the promise that Allah gave, “Enter Jannah [Heaven], there is no fear for you and you will not grieve”-.

(Al-A’raf / 48, 49)

^36-38There are such men in the houses in which Allah lets Himself to be raised and His name to be mentioned, who continuously purify Allah, commerce and business do not distract them from remembering Allah, establishing Salah [establishing and maintaining the institutions that support financially and spiritually; enlighten the community] and giving zaqah; the tax that the believers sincerely give as a liability of belief and duty of servitude so that the religion of Allah may be spread, maintained and Salah may be established. They fear a day in which hearts and eyes will overturn so Allah may recompense them with the best of what they did and increase from His bounties for them. And Allah provides for whom He wills without account.

(An-Nur / 37)

⁴Allah has not made two hearts within the chest cavity of man; a man is not a believer and an infidel, he is definitely one of these. And He has not accepted your wives as your mothers when you take Zihar; when you make your wives the subject of the oath of abstinence by declaring they are like the back of your mother to you. And He has not made your adopted children your true children. This is what you say with your mouths. But Allah speaks the truth. And He guides to the Path.

(Al-Ahzab / 4)

^23,24And there are such people among the believers who were faithful to Allah, to that which they had to do according to their belief. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow/has given his life, and among them is he who awaits. –They did not alter their behaviors by acting liberally for Allah will reward the truthful for their truthfulness and if He wills, He will punish the hypocrites or give them opportunity to repent.-. Surely, Allah is very forgiving, very merciful.

(Al-Ahzab / 23)

Translating “rajul” and “rijal” in these contexts as “men” or “males” introduces confusion and is therefore inappropriate. We believe these terms are better rendered as “mature person,” “persons,” or simply “people,” allowing “men” only where the context clearly contrasts gender.

Returning to the verse in question, this expression does not imply that all messengers must have been male. Rather, it emphasizes that they came from among the inhabitants of the earth, refuting the polytheists’ claim that “a messenger cannot be human but must be an angel.” In fact, other verses make this point explicitly:

²⁰Before you, We indeed sent messengers who ate, walked in bazaars. And We made some of you, a tool for trial for purification for some of you. – Will you have patience? – And your Rabb is the One Who sees very well.

(Al-Furqan / 20)

⁸And We did not make those messengers dead bodies who did not eat. They were not eternal/immortal either.

⁹Then We fulfilled the promise that We had given to them. Thus We saved them and those whom We willed. And We manipulated/destroyed those who had shown the truth incomplete.

(Al-Anbiya / 8, 9)

“It is not sufficient, in our opinion, for those who say that there can be no female messengers to justify their claim on the grounds that there were no female messengers among the messengers that our Lord informed us about in the Qur’an. This is because our Lord did not inform us of the number of messengers He sent and the identity of all of them:

^163-165No doubt that We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and all prophets after him. We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, their grandsons, Jesus, Job, Jonas, Aaron and Solomon, the messengers about whom We have mentioned to you, the messengers about whom We have not mentioned to you as warners and harbingers so the people might not have any evidence against Allah after the messengers. And We gave David the Psalms. And Allah spoke to Moses/hurt him, made him go through many distress. And Allah is the One Who is the most exalted, the most powerful, the most honorable, the invincible/the subduer, the best law maker, the One Who precludes corruption best/makes incorruptible.

(An-Nisa / 163-165)

⁷⁸And indeed, We sent many messengers before you. Among them are those We have related to you, among them are those We have not related to you. No messenger can bring an evidence/a sign except by permission/knowledge of Allah. And when the command of Allah comes, it will be fulfilled in truth. Those who commit falsehood has lost and suffered in this.

(Al-Mu’min / 78)

In that case, it remains entirely possible that among the messengers our Lord did not mention by name there were women.

From the statement in the verse, “And We sent some mature men before you as messengers to whom We revealed only from among people of the towns [their own people].” it is understood that our Lord chose His envoys from settled communities, not from nomadic tribes. This is probably because the Bedouins, compared to city dwellers, were at a lower level in terms of knowledge, education, and understanding. For it is evident that people of this kind would have difficulty in communicating and interacting with others. (That the messengers were of a nature capable of clearly conveying what was revealed to them to humankind is pointed out in An-Nahl/43, 44.)

After our Lord explicitly declared His practice of sending messengers, the verse also calls for traveling through and examining the regions where the previous nations, to whom prophets had been sent, once lived, and drawing lessons from them. This matter has been addressed in many verses.

⁴⁶Have they not travelled through the earth so they might have hearts to reason and ears to hear. Indeed, it is not the eyes that go blind but, hearts which are within the chests go blind.

(Al-Hajj / 46)

³⁶And surely, We sent to every community a messenger, “Worship Allah and avoid Taghut”. Then Allah guided some of those communities to the righteous path but for some of them, going astray was decreed. Then travel through the earth and observe how was the end of those who denied!

(An-Nahl / 36)

⁸²Do they not travel across the earth and see how was the end of those before them? They were more numerous than themselves and greater in strength and in soundness of their traces on the earth. But that which they earned did not avail them.

(Al-Mu’min / 82)

⁹Have they not travelled across the earth and observed how was the end of those before them? They were more powerful than them; they plowed the earth and built it up more than these have built up. And their messengers brought to them many clear proofs. And Allah would not have treated them unjustly, but they were treating themselves unjustly by associating others with Allah.

(Ar-Rum / 9)

In addition, see also Ali-Imran/137, An-Naml/69, Al-An‘am/11, Muhammad/10, Ar-Rum/42, Fatir/44, Al-Mu’min/21.

Verse 110:

In this verse, it is stated that although the previous prophets strove with all their might, they came to the conclusion that they had been denied; that Allah’s help came precisely at the moment when those societies had lost all hope. Thus, it is declared in the Qur’an (Al-Baqara/214, As-Saffat/171–173, Al-Mujadila/21, Muhammad/7, Al-Fath/4, Ali-Imran/139, Al-Mu’min/51, 52) that our Lord destroys whomever He wills among those who do not respond to the call, and saves whomever He wills.

The word “az-zann” (الظّنّ ) mentioned in this verse means “al-yaqin” ( اليقين) [certain knowledge].According to this meaning, the verse may be interpreted as follows: “Those prophets realized with certainty that their nations had denied them and that no faith would come from them thereafter. Then they invoked curses upon them.”

Verse 111:

¹¹¹Surely, there is an evidence/a sign in the stories of Joseph, his father and his brothers for those who are capable of understanding.

The Qur’an is not an invented word. It is only a confirmation of what is mentioned within it, a detailed explanation of everything, a guidance and mercy for those who believe.

In this verse, it is emphasized that the stories (qissas) in the Qur’an are narrated not to provide historical information, but to give admonition. Since they are admonitions, how the stories in the Qur’an benefit people was explained in the analysis of Al-A‘raf/58. We are of the opinion that reading those explanations again would be useful.

Regarding verse 111, Muqatil narrated the following event:

Some Jews — among whom were Ka‘b b. Ashraf, the sons of Akhtab, Huyayy and Judayy, Nu‘man b. Awfa, Amr, Bahira, Gaza, Samuel, and Malik b. Dayf — heard that the Prophet mentioned Yusuf. However, except for Jabr, the slave of Ibn al-Hadrami, Yesar, Abu Fukayha, and Abbas, no one believed in the Prophet. Yet their hearing of the statements in which Yusuf and his situation were mentioned contained signs/verses for those who asked. For the Jews had asked the Prophet about the condition of Yusuf, and what they heard was indeed a sign for those who asked about Yusuf’s situation. Yusuf, in his own time, was made superior to other people through his beauty; such that his superiority over the people of his time in beauty was like the superiority of the full moon over the other stars. ^[40]

The final sentence of the surah and of the verse — “The Qur’an is not an invented word. It is only a confirmation of what is mentioned within it, a detailed explanation of everything, a guidance and mercy for those who believe.” — refers to the Qur’an. In this statement, the following characteristics of the Qur’an are emphasized:

The Qur’an is not fabricated.
The Qur’an confirms what came before it.
The Qur’an explains everything.
The Qur’an is a guide for those who believe.
The Qur’an is a mercy for the believers.

There are hundreds of verses that emphasize these characteristics of the Qur’an. Because of their abundance and the fact that examples of them are also given in other contexts, we do not find it necessary to cite them here.

Allah knows best the truth.

^[1] [Mukatil; Razi, el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb; Kurtubi, el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an]

^[2] Vahidi; Esbab-i nuzul, p. 155

^[3] (Lisanu’l-Arab; p. 153-159, a-r-b item)

^[4] (es-Sekkaki; Miftahu’l Ulum)

^[5] (Genesis; Chapter 37, sentences 1-11)

^[6] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[7] (Zemahsheri, Keshshaf; v.2, p. 304)

^[8] (Lisanu’l Arab; v: 6, p: 276 “asb” item)

^[9] (Mevdudi; Tefhimu’l-Kur’an)

^[10] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v. 4, p.419)

^[11] (Ibn Kesir)

^[12] (Razi, el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb; Kurtubi, el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[13] (Mevdudi; Tefhimu’l-Kur’an)

^[14] (Bible, Genesis, 39:6)

^[15] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[16] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[17] (Genesis; Chapter 39, sentences 7-19)

^[18] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[19] (Zamakhshari ; Keshshaf, v.2,p. 319)

^[20] (Genesis 39:22–23)

^[21] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v: 8, p: 544)

^[22] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v: 1, v: 438, “bd’i” item.)

^[23] (Elmalili)

^[24] (Mevdudi; Tefhimu’l Kur’an)

^[25] (Mevdudi; Tefhimu’l Kur’an)

^[26] (Mevdudi; Tefhimu’l Kur’an)

^[27] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[28] ( Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[29] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[30] (es-Sekkaki, Miftahu’l-Ulum; also all the “Belaghat(Eloquence)” books)

^[31] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[32] (Kurtubi; el-Camiu li Ahkami’l-Kur’an)

^[33] (Razi; el-Mefatihu’l-Gayb)

^[34] (Lisanu’l-Arab ; v: 1, p: 429 “Bsiyr” item and v: 5, p: 487 “Dariyr” item)

^[35] (Genesis, Chapter 46)

^[36] (Mevdudi; Tefhimu’l-Kur’an)

^[37] (Lisanu’l-Arab; v: 4, p: 84, Taju’l-Arus; v: 14, p: 263)

^[38] (Lisanu’l Arab; v: 4, p: 83)

^[39] (Taj’ul-Arus; v:14, p: 263)

^[40] (Muqatil)