Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/226)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The three people of greatest discernment were the Aziz with regard to Joseph, when he said to his wife, ‘Make his stay comfortable; perhaps he will benefit us’; the daughter of Shu‘ayb (peace be upon him), when she said to her father concerning Moses (peace be upon him), ‘My dear father, hire him’; and Abu Bakr with regard to Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), when he appointed him as his successor.” (1)

“And thus We established Joseph in the land”—[that is, in the land of Egypt] (2)—meaning: just as We saved Joseph from being killed and brought him out of the well, so too [We established him] (3) in the land, making him overseer of its storehouses.

“And that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams,” meaning: [We established him] (4) in the land so that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams; that is, the interpretation of visions.

“And Allah prevails over His affair.” It was said that the pronoun in “His affair” refers to Allah, exalted is He. That is, Allah prevails over His affair: He does whatever He wills; nothing can overcome Him, and no one can overturn His decree.

It was also said that it refers to Joseph (peace be upon him). Its meaning is that Allah oversees Joseph’s affair through His planning [and protection] (5), and does not entrust him to anyone until He brings him to the culmination of what He has decreed for him.

“But most people do not know” what Allah is doing.

“And when he reached full maturity, We granted him judgment and knowledge. Thus do We reward those who do good.” (22)

“And when he reached full maturity,” that is, the height of his youth, vigor, and strength. Mujahid said: thirty-three years of age.

Al-Suddi said: thirty years of age.

Al-Dahhak said: twenty years of age.

Al-Kalbi said: full maturity is from eighteen to thirty years of age.

Malik (may Allah have mercy upon him) was asked about full maturity, and he replied: “It is puberty.” (6)

“We granted him judgment and knowledge”: judgment means prophethood, and knowledge means understanding of the religion.

(1) Al-Hakim graded it authentic according to the criteria of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and al-Dhahabi concurred. Al-Mustadrak, 2:346. Al-Haythami said in Majma al-Zawaid, 10:268: “Al-Tabarani narrated it through two chains; the narrators of one of them are the narrators of the Sahih, if Muhammad ibn Kathir is al-Abdi. If he is al-Thaqafi, he has been deemed trustworthy despite the considerable weakness attributed to him.” (2) Omitted from manuscript B. (3) In manuscript B: “We established him.” (4) In manuscript B: “We established him.” (5) In manuscript B: “and encompassing.” (6) Imam al-Tabari said, 16:23: “The soundest view on this matter is that Allah informed us that He gave Joseph judgment and knowledge when he reached his full strength; al-ashudd refers to the completion of one’s strength and youth. It is possible that He gave him this when he was eighteen years old, twenty years old, or thirty-three years old. However, there is no indication in the Book of Allah, no report from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and no consensus of the Ummah as to which of these it was. Since no evidence exists from the sources mentioned, the correct approach is to say only what Allah has said, until proof establishes the soundness of what has been claimed on this matter from a source whose authority must be accepted; then it should be accepted.”

قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ ﵁: أَفْرَسُ النَّاسِ ثَلَاثَةٌ: الْعَزِيزُ فِي يُوسُفَ، حَيْثُ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ: أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَى أَنْ يَنْفَعَنَا، وَابْنَةُ شُعَيْبٍ ﵇ حَيْثُ قَالَتْ لِأَبِيهَا فِي مُوسَى ﵇: يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ فِي عُمَرَ ﵄ حَيْثُ اسْتَخْلَفَهُ (١) . ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ﴾ [أَيْ: فِي أَرْضِ مِصْرَ] (٢) أَيْ: كَمَا أَنْقَذْنَا يُوسُفُ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ وَأَخْرَجْنَاهُ مِنَ الْجُبِّ، كَذَلِكَ [مَكَّنَا لَهُ] (٣) فِي الْأَرْضِ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ عَلَى خَزَائِنِهَا. ﴿وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ﴾ أَيْ: [مَكَّنَّا لَهُ] (٤) فِي الْأَرْضِ لِكَيْ نُعَلِّمَهُ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ، وَهِيَ عِبَارَةٌ عَنِ الرُّؤْيَا. ﴿وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ﴾ قِيلَ: الْهَاءُ فِي أَمْرِهِ كِنَايَةٌ عَنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، يَقُولُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ، لَا يَغْلِبُهُ شَيْءٌ وَلَا يَرُدُّ حُكْمَهُ رَادٌّ. وَقِيلَ: هِيَ رَاجِعَةٌ إِلَى يُوسُفَ ﵇ مَعْنَاهُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُسْتَوْلٍ عَلَى أَمْرِ يُوسُفَ بِالتَّدْبِيرِ [وَالْحِيَاطَةِ] (٥) لَا يَكِلُهُ إِلَى أَحَدٍ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ مُنْتَهَى عِلْمِهِ فِيهِ. ﴿وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ مَا اللَّهُ بِهِ صَانِعٌ. ﴿وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ (٢٢) ﴾ . ﴿وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ﴾ مُنْتَهَى شَبَابِهِ وَشِدَّتِهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ. قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: ثَلَاثًا وَثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً. وَقَالَ السُّدِّيُّ: ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً. وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً. وَقَالَ الْكَلْبِيُّ: الْأَشَدُّ مَا بَيْنَ ثَمَانِي عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً إِلَى ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً. وَسُئِلَ مَالِكٌ ﵀ عَنِ الْأَشُدِّ قَالَ: هُوَ الْحُلُمُ (٦) . ﴿آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا﴾ فَالْحُكْمُ: النُّبُوَّةُ، وَالْعِلْمُ: الْفِقْهُ فِي الدِّينِ.

(١) صححه الحاكم على شرط الشيخين وأقره الذهبي، المستدرك: ٢ / ٣٤٦، وقال الهيثمي في مجمع الزوائد: (١٠ / ٢٦٨) : "رواه الطبراني بإسنادين، ورجال أحدهما رجال الصحيح إن كان محمد بن كثير هو العبدي، وإن كان الثقفي فقد وثق على ضعف كثير فيه". (٢) ساقط من "ب". (٣) في "ب": مكناه. (٤) في "ب": مكناه. (٥) في "ب": والإحاطة. (٦) قال الإمام الطبري: (١٦ / ٢٣) "وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصواب أن يقال: إن الله أخبر أنه آتى يوسف لما بلغ أشده حكما وعلما =والأشد: هو انتهاء قوته وشبابه= وجائز أن يكون آتاه ذلك وهو ابن ثماني عشرة سنة، وجائز أن يكون آتاه وهو ابن عشرين سنة، وجائز أن يكون آتاه وهو ابن ثلاث وثلاثين سنة - ولا دلالة له في كتاب الله، ولا أثر عن رسول الله ﷺ، ولا في إجماع الأمة، على أي ذلك كان. وإذا لم يكن ذلك موجودا من الوجه الذي ذكرت، فالصواب أن يقال فيه كما قال الله ﷿، حتى تثبت حجة بصحة ما قيل في ذلك من الوجه الذي يجب التسليم له، فيسلم لها حينئذ".