Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 110

(Ayah110) ➊ There is exaggeration in {حَتّٰۤى اِذَا اسْتَيْـَٔسَ الرُّسُلُ …:’’ اسْتَيْـَٔسَ ‘‘ ’’ يَئِسَ‘‘}, meaning they became completely hopeless. The question arises, to what does this {’’ حَتّٰۤى ‘‘} (until) relate in the previous context? The answer is that it relates to the previous verse: «{ وَ مَاۤ اَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ اِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوْحِيْۤ اِلَيْهِمْ }», meaning We did not send before you angels or jinn, but men, who called towards Allah for long periods, but their nations did not believe in them, until when the messengers became completely hopeless of their people’s belief. The meanings of {’’ ظَنُّوْۤا ‘‘ ’’ظَنَّ‘‘} include whisper, assumption, and certainty, meaning they assumed that they had been lied to. There are three opinions regarding the subject of {’’ظَنُّوْۤا ‘‘}. One is that it refers to the disbelievers, meaning the disbelievers of their nation became certain that what the messengers had said to them—that if you do not believe, punishment will come upon you—was a lie told to them, and no punishment would come. At that time, Our help came to those messengers, and Our punishment is not averted from the criminals. This meaning is narrated from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with them). The second is that the subject of {’’ ظَنُّوْۤا ‘‘} is the believers, meaning the messengers became hopeless of the disbelievers’ belief, and the believers also began to have whispers that perhaps the promise of punishment was a lie told to them. This meaning is also correct, because having whispers is not contrary to faith; it is the work of Satan to cast whispers into people’s hearts, but there is no accountability for this. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ تَجَاوَزَ لِيْ عَنْ أُمَّتِيْ مَا وَسْوَسَتْ بِهٖ صُدُوْرُهَا مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ أَوْ تَكَلَّمْ ] [ بخاري، العتق، باب الخطأ والنسیان في العتاقۃ… : ۲۵۲۸۔ مسلم : ۱۲۷ ] “Allah has, for my sake, forgiven my ummah for what their souls whisper to them, as long as they do not act upon it or speak it.”
The third is what Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “That is, the promise of punishment was delayed until the messengers began to lose hope that perhaps it would not come in their lifetime but would come later, and their companions began to think that perhaps the promise was broken. Such a thought does not make a person a disbeliever, but he knows that this is a bad thought.” (Mawduh) If {’’ظَنَّ‘‘} means whisper, then it is not far-fetched that {’’ ظَنُّوْۤا ‘‘} refers to the messengers as well, {كَذَا قَالَ ابْنُ تَيْمِيَةَ} (Ruh al-Ma’ani), because in long trials and hardships, such thoughts do come, as Allah has said: «{ اَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ اَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَ لَمَّا يَاْتِكُمْ مَّثَلُ الَّذِيْنَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَاْسَآءُ وَ الضَّرَّآءُ وَ زُلْزِلُوْا حَتّٰى يَقُوْلَ الرَّسُوْلُ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مَعَهٗ مَتٰى نَصْرُ اللّٰهِ اَلَاۤ اِنَّ نَصْرَ اللّٰهِ قَرِيْبٌ }» [ البقرۃ : ۲۱۴ ] “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you the like of what came to those who passed on before you? They were afflicted by poverty and hardship and were shaken until the messenger and those who believed with him said, ‘When is the help of Allah?’ Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.” In light of this verse, this meaning is also reasonable. The intent of this verse is the length of the trials that came upon the messengers and the nearing of the limits of their patience, at which point Allah’s help arrived, as happened with Yusuf (peace be upon him).
➋ { جَآءَهُمْ نَصْرُنَا :} means Our help reached the prophets.
➌ { وَ لَا يُرَدُّ بَاْسُنَا عَنِ الْقَوْمِ الْمُجْرِمِيْنَ:} Therefore, if there is a delay in the coming of punishment, do not be deceived that this is merely a threat.

110. 1 This despair was due to their people not bringing faith. 110. 2 According to the recitation, several meanings of this verse have been stated. But the most appropriate meaning is that the subject of ظَنُّوا is the disbelieving people, meaning the disbelievers were initially afraid of the threat of punishment, but when it was delayed for a long time, they thought that the punishment does not come, (جیسا کہ پیغمبر کی طرف سے دعویٰ ہو رہا ہے) nor does it seem to be coming; it appears that the prophets were also given such false promises. The purpose is to console the Noble Prophet ﷺ that there is no need to be anxious about the delay in punishment upon your people. Even with previous nations, there were great delays in punishment, and according to Allah’s will and wisdom, they were given ample respite until the messengers despaired of their people’s faith and the people began to think that perhaps the threat of punishment was just an empty warning. 110. 3 In fact, this describes Allah’s law of respite, which He grants to the disobedient, even contrary to the wishes of His messengers, granting as much respite as possible and not hastening, to the extent that sometimes even the followers of the messenger despair of the punishment and begin to think that they were also given a false promise. Remember, the mere occurrence of such a thought is not contrary to faith. 110. 4 It was only the believing people who were saved.

110. (The same happened with the previous messengers) until, when the messengers despaired and the people were convinced that they had been lied to [104], Our help came to the messengers. Then We saved whom We willed. But Our punishment cannot be averted from the guilty people.

[104]
The Effect of Delay in Allah’s Help on the Believers:

For the explanation of this last sentence, consider the following hadith: Sayyiduna Urwah bin Zubair ؓ asked Sayyidah Aisha ؓ about its meaning, so she said that it means that those who believed in the prophets and affirmed them, when for a long period calamity and hardship continued to befall them and Allah’s help was delayed, and the prophets lost hope in the disbelievers bringing faith, and began to think that even those who had already believed might now consider them to be liars. At that moment, Allah’s help arrived. [بخاري، كتاب التفسير]
This verse sheds light on Allah’s law of respite (the law of granting reprieve). That is, it has often happened that the messengers thought that all those who were to believe had already believed. Yet, the divine punishment which had been promised to them through the messengers’ tongues did not descend. Now, those who had believed and were enduring the oppression and tyranny of the deniers of truth, and to whom the promise of victory and help was being made—firstly, that promise was not being fulfilled, and secondly, the deniers of truth became convinced that the prophets’ promises of punishment were all empty threats. Therefore, even the believers began to think that perhaps these prophets had lied to them, or that such promises might turn out to be false. In such despairing circumstances, sometimes even the steadfastness of the prophets might have begun to waver, as is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah: ﴿وَزُلْزِلُوْا حَتّيٰ يَقُوْلَ الرَّسُوْلُ وَالَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مَعَهٗ مَتيٰ نَصْرُ اللّٰهِ﴾ [2: 214]
At that time, Allah’s punishment arrived, and when the time for punishment comes, it cannot be postponed, and Allah surely shows the believers a way to be saved from that punishment.