(110–111) “Until, when the messengers had despaired and thought that they had been rejected, Our help came to them, and We saved whomever We willed. Our punishment cannot be averted from the wicked people. There was certainly a lesson in their stories for people of understanding. This Quran is not a fabricated account, but a confirmation of what came before it, a detailed explanation of all things, and guidance and mercy for people who believe.”
Allah Most High informs us that He sends the noble messengers, but the wicked, ignoble people deny them. Allah Most High grants them respite so that they may return to the truth, and He continues to grant them respite until their persecution of the messengers reaches the utmost severity.
Despite the messengers’ perfect certainty and firm belief in Allah’s promise and warning, there may enter their hearts a measure of despair and some weakening of knowledge and conviction. When matters reach this point, “Our help came to them, and We saved whomever We willed”—namely, the messengers and their followers. “Our punishment cannot be averted from the wicked people.” That is, Our punishment cannot be turned away from those who commit crimes and brazenly defy Allah, for “they will have neither power nor helper.”
“There was certainly a lesson in their stories”—that is, the stories of the prophets and messengers with their peoples—“for people of understanding.” People of both good and evil take heed from them, knowing that whoever acts as they did will meet the same honor or humiliation that they met. They also learn from these stories of Allah’s perfect attributes and immense wisdom, and that He is Allah, to whom alone worship is due, without any partner.
“This Quran is not a fabricated account.” That is, this Quran, through which Allah has related to you what He has related of unseen events, is not among the invented and fabricated tales. “But” it is “a confirmation of what came before it” of the earlier scriptures, agreeing with them and testifying to their truth, as well as “a detailed explanation of all things” that His servants require concerning the fundamentals and branches of religion, and concerning proofs and demonstrations.
“And guidance and mercy for people who believe.” Through the knowledge of the truth and the preference for it that they acquire from the Quran, they attain guidance; and through the reward they receive both immediately and in the Hereafter, they attain mercy.
Chapter
Some of the lessons and benefits contained in this magnificent story, concerning which Allah said at its beginning, “We relate to you the finest of stories”; “There were certainly signs in Joseph and his brothers for those who inquire”; and at its conclusion, “There was certainly a lesson in their stories for people of understanding,” in addition to the benefits mentioned throughout it.
One such benefit is that this is among the finest, clearest, and most lucid of stories because it contains so many transitions: from one condition to another; from one trial to another; from trial to favor and blessing; from humiliation to honor; from slavery to kingship; from separation and dispersion to reunion and harmony; from sorrow to joy; from prosperity to famine and from famine to prosperity; from hardship to ease; and from denial to acknowledgment. Blessed, therefore, is the One who related it in the finest manner and made it clear and lucid.
Another is that it establishes a foundation for the interpretation of dreams. The science of dream interpretation is one of the important branches of knowledge that Allah grants to whomever He wills among His servants. It is generally based upon correlations and similarities in names and attributes. In Joseph’s dream, he saw the sun, the moon, and eleven stars prostrating before him. The correlation is that these lights are the adornment and beauty of the sky and provide its benefits. Likewise, the prophets and scholars are the adornment and beauty of the earth, and through them people are guided amid darkness just as they are guided by these lights. Furthermore, his father and mother were the source, while his brothers were the branches. It was therefore fitting that the source should be represented by bodies greater in light and size than those representing its branches. Thus, the sun represented his mother, the moon his father, and the stars his brothers.
Another correlation is that the word “sun” is grammatically feminine and therefore represented his mother, whereas “moon” and “stars” are masculine and therefore represented his father and brothers. Another is that one who prostrates venerates and honors the one before whom he prostrates, while the one before whom the prostration is made is venerated and honored. This therefore indicated that Joseph would be venerated and honored by his parents and brothers.
A necessary implication was that he would be chosen and favored through knowledge and the virtues warranting such honor. His father therefore told him, “Thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of events.” ⦗408⦘
As for the two young men’s dreams, the first was the dream of the one who saw himself pressing wine. The correlation is that one who presses something is ordinarily serving someone else, and the pressing is done for another person. Joseph therefore interpreted it according to its eventual outcome: he would serve wine to his master. This also implied his release from prison.
He interpreted the dream of the one who saw himself carrying bread upon his head from which birds were eating to mean that the skin, flesh, and brain of his head—the very things being carried—would be exposed to birds in a place where they could eat from it. From this he understood that the man would be killed and then crucified, thereby being exposed to the birds so that they could eat from his head. This could occur only through crucifixion after death.
He interpreted the king’s dream of the cows and ears of grain as years of abundance and years of famine. The correlation is that the condition and welfare of the subjects are bound to the king: through his rectitude their affairs are set right, and through his corruption they are corrupted. Likewise, the years determine whether the people’s condition will prosper and their livelihood be sound or otherwise.
As for the cows, they are used to plow the land and draw water. When a year is fertile they grow fat, but when it is barren they become lean. Similarly, ears of grain grow plentiful and green during times of abundance, but become scarce and dry during famine; and grain is among the finest produce of the earth.
Another benefit is the evidence the story contains for the truth of Muhammad’s prophethood (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He related this lengthy story to his people despite having neither read the books of earlier nations nor studied under anyone. His people saw him among them morning and evening, and he was unlettered, neither writing nor reading. Yet the story agrees with what is contained in the earlier scriptures, and he was not present with Joseph’s brothers when they agreed upon their plan and devised their scheme.
Another is that one should keep away from the causes of evil and conceal anything whose disclosure may be harmful. Jacob said to Joseph, “My dear son, do not relate your dream to your brothers, lest they devise a plot against you.” It also follows that one may mention something a person dislikes about him when sincerely advising another, as indicated by the words, “lest they devise a plot against you.”
Another is that Allah’s blessing upon a servant is also a blessing upon those connected to him among his family, relatives, and companions. It may encompass them so that they receive, through him, what he himself received. Jacob said when interpreting Joseph’s dream, “Thus will your Lord choose you, teach you the interpretation of events, and perfect His blessing upon you and upon the family of Jacob.” When Allah perfected His blessing upon Joseph, the family of Jacob attained honor, establishment in the land, happiness, and delight because of him.
Another is that justice is required in every matter, not merely in a ruler’s treatment of his subjects but also in lesser affairs, including a parent’s treatment of his children in love, preference, and other matters. Failure to uphold justice causes affairs to become disordered and circumstances to deteriorate. Thus, when Jacob favored Joseph in his love and preferred him over his brothers, they did what they did to themselves, their father, and their brother.
Another is the need to beware of the evil consequences of sins. A single sin leads to numerous other sins, and the perpetrator can accomplish it only through several offenses. When Joseph’s brothers wanted to separate him from his father, they devised all manner of schemes, lied repeatedly, and presented false evidence to their father through the shirt and the blood upon it, as well as by coming to him at night weeping. It is quite possible that the matter was repeatedly investigated throughout that period; indeed, this may have continued until they were reunited with Joseph. Whenever the matter was discussed, further lies and fabrications inevitably followed. This is the evil consequence of sin and of the effects that precede, accompany, and follow it.
Another is that what matters in a servant’s condition is the perfection of his end, not the deficiency of his beginning. Jacob’s sons initially committed deeds that were among the gravest causes of blame and deficiency, but their affair ended in sincere repentance, complete pardon from Joseph and their father, and prayers for their forgiveness and mercy. When a servant relinquishes his own right, Allah is the Best of those who show mercy.
For this reason, according to the soundest view, they were prophets, as indicated by the words of Allah Most High: “And We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes.” The Tribes were Jacob’s twelve sons and their descendants. This is also indicated by Joseph’s dream, in which he saw them as radiant stars. Stars possess light and guidance, which are among the attributes of the prophets. If they were not prophets, then they were learned guides.
Another is what Allah bestowed upon Joseph (peace be upon him) of knowledge, forbearance, noble character, and the ability to call people to Allah and His religion. He immediately pardoned his brothers who had wronged him and completed his pardon by neither reproaching nor taunting them for what they had done. This was followed by his immense dutifulness toward his parents and his kindness to his brothers—and indeed to people generally.
Another is that some evils are lesser than others, and committing the lesser of two harms is preferable to committing the greater. When Joseph’s brothers agreed to kill him or cast him away in a distant land, one of them said, “Do not kill Joseph, but cast him into the depths of the well.” His proposal was better and less harmful than theirs, and through it his brothers were spared the graver sin.
Another is that when something passes through several hands and becomes treated as property, without it being known that it was originally acquired unlawfully, there is ⦗409⦘ no sin upon one who subsequently sells, purchases, serves, benefits from, or uses it. Joseph’s brothers sold him in an unlawful and impermissible sale. The caravan then took him to Egypt and sold him there, and he remained with his master as an enslaved boy. Allah called this transaction a purchase (1), and among them Joseph held the status of an honored enslaved servant.
Another is the need to beware of seclusion with women from whom temptation is feared, and also of affection whose harmful consequences are feared. What happened with the governor’s wife resulted from her being alone with Joseph and from her intense love for him, which did not leave her until she attempted to seduce him. She then lied about him, and because of her he was imprisoned for a long time.
Another is that Joseph’s inclination toward the woman, which he then abandoned for Allah’s sake, was something that brought him nearer to Allah. Such an inclination is one of the impulses of the soul that persistently commands evil and is natural to most people. When he weighed it against his love and fear of Allah, his love and fear of Allah overcame the impulse of his lower self and desire. He was therefore among those who “feared standing before their Lord and restrained the soul from desire,” and among the seven whom Allah will shade beneath the shade of His Throne on the Day when there will be no shade but His. One of them is “a man whom a woman of status and beauty invited to sin, but he said, ‘I fear Allah.’” The inclination for which a servant is blameworthy is only that which he entertains until it becomes a settled resolve and may then be accompanied by action.
Another is that when faith enters a person’s heart and he is sincere to Allah in all his affairs, Allah, through the proof of his faith and the truthfulness of his sincerity, wards off from him various forms of evil, indecency, and causes of sin as a reward for his faith and sincerity. Allah says, “She desired him, and he would have desired her had he not seen a proof from his Lord. Thus We turned evil and indecency away from him. He was truly one of Our sincerely devoted servants.” This follows the reading mukhlisīn, with an i-vowel on the lām. According to the reading mukhlasīn, with an a-vowel, it means that Allah chose him and made him sincere, which itself entails Joseph’s own sincerity. When Joseph devoted his deeds sincerely to Allah, Allah chose and purified him, saving him from evil and indecency.
Another is that when a servant finds himself in a place containing temptation and causes of sin, he should flee from it and escape as far as possible so that he may avoid the sin. When the woman in whose house Joseph lived attempted to seduce him, he fled toward the door to escape her evil.
Another is that circumstantial evidence may be acted upon when a matter is uncertain. If a man and his wife dispute over an item among the household utensils, then whatever is suited to the man belongs to him and whatever is suited to the woman belongs to her, in the absence of other evidence. The same applies if a carpenter and a blacksmith dispute over the tools of their respective trades without evidence. Expert inference from physical resemblance and tracks also falls under this principle. Joseph’s witness testified on the basis of circumstantial evidence and judged according to the tear in the shirt, inferring from its being torn from behind that Joseph was truthful and she was lying.
Another indication of this principle is that the discovery of the king’s cup in his brother’s baggage was used to judge him guilty of theft without testimonial evidence or confession. Accordingly, if stolen property is found in a thief’s possession—especially if he is known for stealing—he is judged to have stolen it. This is even stronger than testimony. Likewise, if a man is found vomiting wine, or a woman who has neither husband nor master is found pregnant, the prescribed punishment is carried out unless some impediment prevents it. For this reason, Allah called the one who rendered this judgment a witness: “A witness from her household testified.”
Another is Joseph’s outward and inward beauty. His outward beauty caused the woman in whose house he lived to do what she did. It also caused the women whom she gathered after they had criticized her to cut their hands and say, “This is no human being; this can only be a noble angel!” His inward beauty consisted in his immense chastity and abstention from sin despite the many motives for committing it, as well as the later testimony of the governor’s wife and the other women to his innocence. The governor’s wife therefore said, “I certainly tried to seduce him, but he firmly resisted.” Later she said, “Now the truth has become clear. It was I who tried to seduce him, and he is indeed one of the truthful.” The women said, “Allah forbid! We know of no evil on his part.”
Another is that Joseph (peace be upon him) chose prison over sin. Likewise, when a servant is tested with a choice between committing a sin and undergoing a worldly punishment, he should choose the worldly punishment rather than commit a sin that incurs severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter. One of the signs of faith is therefore that a servant hates to return to disbelief after Allah has saved him from it just as he hates to be cast into the Fire.
Another is that a servant should seek refuge with Allah and shelter under His protection when the causes of sin are present, disavowing any power or strength of his own. Joseph (peace be upon him) said, “Unless You turn their schemes away from me, I may incline toward them and become one of the ignorant.”
Another is that knowledge and reason call their possessor to goodness and restrain him from evil, whereas ignorance calls its possessor to follow the soul’s desires even when doing so is sinful and harmful to him.
⦗410⦘ Another is that just as a servant owes worshipful devotion to Allah in prosperity, he also owes it to Him in adversity. Joseph (peace be upon him) never ceased calling to Allah. When he entered prison, he continued to do so, calling the two young men to monotheism and forbidding them to associate partners with Allah. His discernment was evident when he saw that they were receptive to his call: they thought well of him and said, “We see that you are one of those who do good,” and they came to him so that he might interpret their dreams. When he saw how eager they were for him to interpret them, he recognized and seized the opportunity. Before interpreting their dreams, he called them to Allah Most High so that his purpose might be achieved more effectively and the desired result attained more readily. He first explained that the faith, monotheism, and rejection of the religion of those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day were what had brought him to the perfection and knowledge they saw in him. This was an invitation through his example. He then invited them with words, explaining and proving both the falsity of polytheism and the reality of monotheism.
Another is that one should begin with the most important matter and then the next most important. If a mufti is asked a question while the questioner has a more pressing need concerning something else, he should teach him what he needs before answering his question. This is a sign of the teacher’s sincerity, discernment, sound guidance, and effective instruction. When the two young men asked Joseph about their dreams, before interpreting them he first called them to Allah alone, who has no partner.
Another is that if someone encounters hardship and distress, there is nothing wrong with seeking help from a person capable of freeing him or informing others of his condition. This does not constitute complaining to a created being, for it is an ordinary matter according to which people customarily seek one another’s assistance. Joseph therefore said to the one of the two young men whom he believed would be saved, “Mention me to your master.”
Another is that a teacher should—and emphatically so—teach with complete sincerity. He must not make his teaching a means of obtaining compensation from anyone in the form of wealth, status, or benefit. Nor should he withhold instruction or fail to teach sincerely if the questioner has not done what the teacher asked of him. Joseph had instructed one of the two young men to mention him to his master, but the man did not do so and forgot. When they later needed to consult Joseph, they sent that young man to him, and he came asking Joseph for a ruling regarding the dream. Joseph neither rebuked nor reproached him for failing to mention him, but answered his question fully in every respect.
Another is that the person being consulted should direct the questioner to something beneficial that relates to his question and guide him to the path that will benefit him in both his religion and worldly life. This reflects the perfection of his sincerity, discernment, and sound guidance. Joseph did not confine himself to interpreting the king’s dream; he also instructed them what to do during the fertile years by cultivating extensively and collecting abundant produce.
Another is that a person is not to be blamed for striving to clear himself of an accusation and establish his innocence. Rather, he is praised for doing so. Joseph refused to leave prison until his innocence had been made clear through the matter of the women who had cut their hands.
Another is the virtue of knowledge: knowledge of rulings and revealed law, knowledge of dream interpretation, and knowledge of administration and education. Knowledge is superior to outward appearance, even if that appearance reaches the degree of Joseph’s beauty. Because of his beauty, Joseph suffered that trial and imprisonment, whereas because of his knowledge he attained honor, elevation, and establishment in the land. Every good in this world and the Hereafter is among the effects and necessary fruits of knowledge.
Another is that the science of dream interpretation is one of the revealed sciences and that a person is rewarded for learning and teaching it. Interpreting dreams falls within the giving of legal opinions, as Joseph said to the two young men, “The matter about which you sought a ruling has been decided.” The king said, “Give me your ruling regarding my dream,” and the young man said to Joseph, “Give us your ruling concerning seven cows,” and so on in the succeeding verses. It is therefore impermissible to undertake the interpretation of dreams without knowledge.
Another is that there is nothing wrong with a person mentioning the excellent qualities of knowledge or conduct he possesses when there is a legitimate benefit in doing so, provided he does not intend to show off and what he says is true. Joseph said, “Appoint me over the storehouses of the land; indeed, I am a knowledgeable guardian.” Likewise, holding public office is not blameworthy when the one appointed fulfills, to the best of his ability, the rights of Allah and His servants. There is also nothing wrong with seeking such office when he is more qualified than others. It is blameworthy only when he lacks sufficient competence, when another person of equal or greater competence is available, or when his purpose is not to uphold Allah’s command. In such cases, seeking or putting oneself forward for office is forbidden.
Another is that Allah is boundless in generosity and munificence, bestowing upon His servant the good of both this world and the Hereafter. The good of the Hereafter has two causes: faith and piety. It is better than worldly reward and dominion. A servant should therefore encourage himself and inspire his soul to seek Allah’s reward. He should not allow it to grieve when it sees worldly people enjoying pleasures that remain beyond its reach; rather, he should console it with Allah’s reward in the Hereafter and His immense bounty. Allah Most High says, “The reward of the Hereafter is surely better for those who believe and are mindful of Allah.”
Another is that there is nothing wrong with collecting provisions when the purpose is to bring ease to people without harming them. Joseph instructed them to collect provisions and food during the fertile years in preparation for the years of famine. This does not contradict reliance upon Allah. Rather, the servant relies upon Allah ⦗411⦘ while adopting the means beneficial to him in his religion and worldly life.
Another is Joseph’s excellent administration when he assumed charge of the storehouses of the land. Produce became so abundant among them that people from other regions traveled to Egypt seeking provisions because they knew of its abundance there. Joseph would measure out to each person only the amount specifically needed, or less, and no visitor received more than one camel-load.
Another is the legitimacy of hospitality, that it is one of the practices of the messengers, and that guests should be honored. Joseph said to his brothers, “Do you not see that I give full measure and am the best of hosts?”
Another is that harboring suspicion when circumstantial evidence supports it is neither forbidden nor unlawful. Jacob initially refused to send Joseph with his sons until they pressed him insistently. When they later returned claiming that a wolf had eaten Joseph, he told them, “Rather, your souls have enticed you into something.” Concerning the other brother, he said, “Should I entrust him to you as I entrusted his brother to you before?” Then, when Joseph detained that brother and the others returned to their father, he again said, “Rather, your souls have enticed you into something.” Although they had not been negligent on this last occasion, their previous conduct justified their father’s words, and he incurred neither sin nor blame for them.
Another is that adopting means to ward off the evil eye or other harms, or to remove them after they occur, is not forbidden but permissible. Although nothing occurs except by divine decree and predestination, the causes themselves are also part of divine decree and predestination. Jacob therefore instructed his sons, “My sons, do not enter through one gate, but enter through different gates.”
Another is the permissibility of using stratagems to secure one’s rights. Knowledge of subtle means that lead to legitimate aims is praiseworthy. What is forbidden is resorting to trickery to evade an obligation or commit something prohibited.
Another is that when a person wishes to give someone else an impression concerning a matter he does not want disclosed, he should use indirect words and actions that prevent him from lying. Joseph did this when he placed the king’s cup in his brother’s baggage and then had it taken out, giving the impression that his brother was a thief. There was nothing more than circumstantial evidence that gave his brothers this impression. He later said, “Allah forbid that we should take anyone other than the one with whom we found our property.” He did not say, “the one who stole our property.” Nor did he say, “We found our property with him.” Instead, he used general words applicable both to him and to others. There was nothing objectionable in this. It merely gave the impression that the brother was a thief so that the immediate objective could be achieved and his brother could remain with him (2). This impression was dispelled from the brother once the true situation became clear.
Another is that a person may testify only to what he knows and has verified, whether by direct observation or through the report of someone he trusts and whose report reassures him. They said, “We testify only to what we know.”
Another is the immense trial with which Allah tested His prophet and chosen servant Jacob (peace be upon him). Allah decreed separation between him and his son Joseph, from whom he could hardly bear to be apart for even an hour and whose absence caused him the most intense sorrow. They remained separated for a long period of no less than fifteen years, throughout which sorrow never left Jacob’s heart: “His eyes turned white from grief, and he suppressed his sorrow.” His ordeal then grew even more severe when he was also separated from his second son, Joseph’s full brother. Throughout this, he patiently submitted to Allah’s command, sought his reward from Allah, and pledged himself to beautiful patience. There is no doubt that he fulfilled his pledge. This is not contradicted by his words, “I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah,” for complaining to Allah does not contradict patience; only complaining to created beings does.
Another is that relief accompanies distress and ease accompanies hardship. When Jacob’s sorrow had lasted so long and reached its utmost severity, and the family of Jacob became desperate and were afflicted by hardship, Allah then permitted relief. They were reunited at the very moment when their need and desperation were greatest. Their reward was thereby completed and joy was attained. This teaches that Allah tests His allies through hardship and prosperity, difficulty and ease, in order to test their patience and gratitude and thereby increase their faith, certainty, and knowledge of Him.
Another is that a person may speak of what he is experiencing, such as illness, poverty, or the like, provided he does not do so out of discontent. Joseph’s brothers said, “O governor, hardship has afflicted us and our family,” and Joseph did not rebuke them.
Another is the virtue of piety and patience. Every good in this world and the Hereafter is among their effects, and those who possess them enjoy the finest outcome. Joseph said, “Allah has certainly shown us favor. Whoever fears Allah and remains patient should know that Allah never causes the reward of those who do good to be lost.”
Another is that when Allah blesses someone after hardship, poverty, and difficult circumstances, he should acknowledge Allah’s blessing and continue remembering his former condition so that each remembrance renews his gratitude. Joseph (peace be upon him) said, “He was truly good to me when He released me from prison and brought you from the desert.”
⦗412⦘ Another is Allah’s immense kindness toward Joseph: He moved him through those various circumstances and brought him through hardships and trials in order to deliver him, by their means, to the loftiest ends and highest ranks.
Another is that a servant should constantly and earnestly entreat Allah to keep his faith firm, adopt the means that lead to this, and ask Allah for a good end and the completion of His blessing. Joseph (peace be upon him) said, “My Lord, You have granted me authority and taught me the interpretation of events. Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my Protector in this world and the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous.”
These are the benefits and lessons from this blessed story that Allah has enabled us to mention. Those who contemplate and reflect upon it will inevitably discover still more.
We ask Allah Most High for beneficial knowledge and accepted deeds. He is indeed Munificent and Generous.
The commentary on Surah Joseph—and on his father and brothers, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them—has been completed. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.