• Another lesson: a person is not to be censured for dispelling suspicion from himself; rather, doing so is actually required. Thus Joseph refused to leave prison until his innocence was proven in the affair of the women who cut their hands.

• Another lesson: the excellence of knowledge—knowledge of the Sacred Law and its rulings, knowledge of dream interpretation, knowledge of administration and upbringing, and knowledge of statecraft. It was through this wide-ranging knowledge that Joseph, peace be upon him, attained honor in both this world and the next. From this we also learn that interpreting dreams falls under the heading of issuing a legal verdict; therefore no one may declare a definitive interpretation without proper mastery, just as it is forbidden to deliver legal opinions without knowledge, for in this surah Allah Himself calls it a “fatwa.”

• Another lesson: there is no harm in a person mentioning the complete attributes he truly possesses—such as knowledge and the like—when a genuine benefit is served, provided he speaks truthfully and is not seeking ostentation. Joseph said, “Put me in charge of the storehouses of the land; I am trustworthy and knowledgeable” (12:55). In the same manner, public office is not blameworthy if the office-holder does what he can to uphold the law and see that people receive their rights; nor is it objectionable to seek such a post when one is qualified and more competent than others. What is censured is to seek office without the necessary competence, when an equal or superior candidate exists, or when the aim is prestige and financial gain rather than establishing Allah’s command.

• Another lesson: Allah is vast in generosity and grace, granting His servant the good of this world and the next. The good of the Hereafter, however, rests on only two pillars—no third:
• faith in everything Allah has obligated His servants to believe, and
• piety, which is to carry out the divine commands and avoid the prohibitions.