Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/252)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

until he sat upon the throne. The kings submitted to him, and the king withdrew to his own residence, entrusting Joseph with the affairs of Egypt. He dismissed Qitfir from his former post and appointed Joseph in his place. This was related by Ibn Ishaq. (1)

Ibn Zayd said: The king of Egypt had many treasuries, so he surrendered all his authority to Joseph and made his orders and judgments binding. They said: Qitfir then died during those nights, and the king married Joseph to Ra'il, Qitfir’s wife. When Joseph went in to her, he said, “Is this not better than what you had desired?” She replied, “O truthful one, do not blame me. I was a beautiful and pampered woman, as you can see, living amid wealth and worldly luxury; yet my husband did not approach women. And you possessed the beauty and appearance with which Allah had endowed you, so my desire overcame me.” Joseph found her to be a virgin and consummated the marriage with her. She bore him two sons: Afrathim, son of Joseph, and Misha, son of Joseph. (2)

Joseph’s rule over Egypt was firmly consolidated—that is, it was brought together for him. He established justice among them, and both men and women loved him. This is the meaning of the Most High’s words:

“And thus We established Joseph in the land, to settle therein wherever he willed. We grant Our mercy to whomever We will, and We do not let the reward of those who do good go to waste. (56) Yet the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and are mindful of Allah. (57)”

“And thus We established Joseph in the land”: that is, the land of Egypt; We gave him dominion over it. (3) “To settle therein”: that is, to reside wherever he willed and to do in it whatever he wished.

Ibn Kathir recited “We will” with the first-person plural, corresponding to “We established”; the others recited “he wills,” corresponding to “to settle.”

“We grant Our mercy to whomever We will”: that is, through Our blessing. “And We do not let the reward of those who do good go to waste.” Ibn Abbas and Wahb said: that is, those who are patient.

Mujahid and others said: Joseph, peace be upon him, continued to call the king to Islam and to treat him gently until the king and many people embraced Islam. This was his reward in this world.

“Yet the reward of the Hereafter”—the recompense of the Hereafter—“is better for those who believe and are mindful of Allah.”

Once Joseph was secure in his rule, he made the finest arrangements for gathering food. He built fortresses and many storehouses, in which he stored provisions for the years of famine. He distributed generously until the fertile years had passed and the years of famine began with a calamity the people had never known the like of.

(1) Ibn Atiyyah related this report from Ibn Ishaq, then said: “Narrations of this kind, whose authenticity cannot be established, have also been reported in such stories; recounting them at length would be tedious.” See Al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, 8:8. (2) Ibn Atiyyah related this report from Ibn Ishaq, then said: “Narrations of this kind, whose authenticity cannot be established, have also been reported in such stories; recounting them at length would be tedious.” See Al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, 8:8. (3) Manuscript A reads: “We established him.”

حَتَّى جَلَسَ عَلَى السَّرِيرِ، وَدَانَتْ لَهُ الْمُلُوكُ، وَدَخْلَ الْمَلِكُ بَيْتَهُ وَفَوَّضَ إِلَيْهِ أَمْرَ مِصْرَ، وَعَزَلَ قِطْفِيرَ عَمَّا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعْلَ يُوسُفَ مَكَانَهُ قَالَهُ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ (١) . وَقَالَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ: وَكَانَ لِمَلِكِ مِصْرَ خَزَائِنُ كَثِيرَةٌ فَسَلَّمَ سُلْطَانَهُ كُلَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ أَمْرَهُ وَقَضَاءَهُ نَافِذًا، قَالُوا: ثُمَّ إِنْ قِطْفِيرَ هَلَكَ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيَالِي فَزَوَّجَ الْمَلِكُ يُوسُفَ رَاعِيلَ امْرَأَةَ قِطْفِيرَ، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا قَالَ: أَلَيْسَ هَذَا خَيْرًا مِمَّا كُنْتِ تُرِيدِينَ؟ فَقَالَتْ: أَيُّهَا الصَّدِيقُ لَا تَلُمْنِي، فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأَةً حَسْنَاءَ نَاعِمَةً كَمَا تَرَى فِي مُلْكٍ وَدُنْيَا، وَكَانَ صَاحِبِي لَا يَأْتِي النِّسَاءَ، وَكُنْتَ كَمَا جَعَلَكَ اللَّهُ فِي حُسْنِكَ وَهَيْئَتِكَ فَغَلَبَتْنِي نَفْسِي فَوَجَدَهَا يُوسُفُ عَذْرَاءَ فَأَصَابَهَا فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ وَلَدَيْنِ: أَفْرَاثِيمَ بْنَ يُوسُفَ، وَمِيشَا بْنَ يُوسُفَ (٢) . وَاسْتَوْثَقَ لِيُوسُفَ مُلْكُ مِصْرَ، أَيِ: اجْتَمَعَ، فَأَقَامَ فِيهِمُ الْعَدْلَ، وَأَحَبَّهُ الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَنْ نَشَاءُ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ (٥٦) وَلَأَجْرُ الْآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ (٥٧) ﴾ . ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ﴾ يَعْنِي: أَرْضَ مِصْرَ مَلَّكْنَاهُ (٣) ، ﴿يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا﴾ أَيْ: يَنْزِلُ ﴿حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ﴾ وَيَصْنَعُ فِيهَا مَا يَشَاءُ. قَرَأَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ: " نَشَاءُ " بِالنُّونِ رَدًّا عَلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿مَكَّنَّا﴾ وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ بِالْيَاءِ رَدًّا عَلَى قَوْلِهِ ﴿يَتَبَوَّأُ﴾ . ﴿نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَنْ نَشَاءُ﴾ أَيْ: بِنِعْمَتِنَا، ﴿وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَوَهْبٌ: يَعْنِي الصَّابِرِينَ. قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ وَغَيْرُهُ: فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُوسُفُ ﵇ يَدْعُو الْمَلِكَ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَيَتَلَطَّفُ لَهُ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ الْمَلِكُ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ. فَهَذَا فِي الدُّنْيَا. ﴿وَلَأَجْرُ الْآخِرَةِ﴾ ثَوَابُ الْآخِرَةِ، ﴿خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ﴾ . فَلَمَّا اطْمَأَنَّ يُوسُفُ فِي مُلْكِهِ دَبَّرَ فِي جَمْعِ الطَّعَامِ بِأَحْسَنِ التَّدْبِيرِ، وَبَنَى الْحُصُونَ وَالْبُيُوتَ الْكَثِيرَةَ، وَجَمَعَ فِيهَا الطَّعَامَ لِلسِّنِينَ الْمُجْدِبَةِ، وَأَنْفَقَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ حَتَّى خَلَتِ السِّنُونَ الْمُخْصِبَةُ وَدَخَلَتِ السِّنُونَ الْمُجْدِبَةُ بِهَوْلٍ لَمْ يَعْهَدِ النَّاسُ بِمِثْلِهِ.

(١) ساق ابن عطية هذ الرواية عن ابن إسحاق ثم قال: وروي في نحو هذا من القصص ما لا يوقف على صحته، ويطول الكلام بسَوْقه. انظر: المحرر الوجيز. (٨ / ٨) . (٢) ساق ابن عطية هذ الرواية عن ابن إسحاق ثم قال: وروي في نحو هذا من القصص ما لا يوقف على صحته، ويطول الكلام بسوقه. انظر: المحرر الوجيز. (٨ / ٨) . (٣) في "أ": مكناه.