Surah 12 Yusuf — Ayah 21
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِى ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓ أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَىٰهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدًۭا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِۦ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, "Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son." And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.
waqāla alladhī ish'tarāhu min miṣ'ra li-im'ra-atihi akrimī mathwāhu ʿasā an yanfaʿanā aw nattakhidhahu waladan wakadhālika makkannā liyūsufa fī l-arḍi walinuʿallimahu min tawīli l-aḥādīthi wal-lahu ghālibun ʿalā amrihi walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna
Word by word
- وَقَالَ waqāla And said
- ٱلَّذِى alladhī the one who
- ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ ish'tarāhu bought him
- مِن min of
- مِّصْرَ miṣ'ra Egypt
- لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓ li-im'ra-atihi to his wife
- أَكْرِمِى akrimī Make comfortable
- مَثْوَىٰهُ mathwāhu his stay
- عَسَىٰٓ ʿasā Perhaps
- أَن an that
- يَنفَعَنَآ yanfaʿanā (he) will benefit us
- أَوْ aw or
- نَتَّخِذَهُۥ nattakhidhahu we will take him
- وَلَدًۭا ۚ waladan (as) a son
- وَكَذَٰلِكَ wakadhālika And thus
- مَكَّنَّا makkannā We established
- لِيُوسُفَ liyūsufa Yusuf
- فِى fī in
- ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍi the land
- وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ walinuʿallimahu that We might teach him
- مِن min (the) interpretation of
- تَأْوِيلِ tawīli (the) interpretation of
- ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ l-aḥādīthi the events
- وَٱللَّهُ wal-lahu And Allah
- غَالِبٌ ghālibun (is) Predominant
- عَلَىٰٓ ʿalā over
- أَمْرِهِۦ amrihi His affairs
- وَلَـٰكِنَّ walākinna but
- أَكْثَرَ akthara most
- ٱلنَّاسِ l-nāsi (of) the people
- لَا lā (do) not
- يَعْلَمُونَ yaʿlamūna know
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Yusuf in Egypt
Allah mentions the favors that He granted Yusuf, peace be on him, by which He made the man from Egypt who bought him, take care of him and provide him with a comfortable life. He also ordered his wife to be kind to Yusuf and had good hopes for his future, because of his firm righteous behavior. He said to his wife,
(Make his stay comfortable, maybe he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son.) The man who bought Yusuf was the minister of Egypt at the time, and his title was `Aziz'. Abu Ishaq narrated that Abu `Ubaydah said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "Three had the most insight: the `Aziz of Egypt, who said to his wife,
(Make his stay comfortable...), the woman who said to her father,
(O my father! Hire him...), 28:26 and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he appointed `Umar bin Al-Khattab to be the Khalifah after him, may Allah be pleased with them both." Allah said next that just as He saved Yusuf from his brothers,
(Thus did We establish Yusuf in the land), in reference to Egypt,
(that We might teach him the interpretation of events.) the interpretation of dreams, according to Mujahid and As-Suddi. Allah said next,
(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) if He wills something, then there is no averting His decision, nor can it ever be stopped or contradicted. Rather, Allah has full power over everything and everyone else. Sa`id bin Jubayr said while commenting on Allah's statement,
(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) "He does what ever He wills." Allah said,
(but most of men know not.) meaning, have no knowledge of Allah's wisdom with regards to His creation, compassion and doing what He wills. Allah said next,
(And when he attained), in reference to Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him,
(his full manhood), sound in mind and perfect in body,
(We gave him wisdom and knowledge), which is the prophethood that Allah sent him with for the people he lived among,
(thus We reward the doers of good.) because Yusuf used to do good in the obedience of Allah the Exalted.