Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 55

(Ayah 55) ➊ In {قَالَ اجْعَلْنِيْ عَلٰى خَزَآىِٕنِ الْاَرْضِ … : ’’ الْاَرْضِ ‘‘}, the "al" is for specification, meaning "this land," that is, appoint me over the treasures of the land of Egypt, because I can fully protect them and I know this work well. {’’خَزَآىِٕنِ‘‘ } is the plural of {’’خِزَانَةٌ ‘‘}, by which is meant either the system of those storehouses that will be built for the years of prosperity and will store grain, and in the years of famine, grain will be distributed from them, because this requires great planning, effort, trustworthiness, and expertise in accounting, or it refers to all the sources of income and production of the kingdom. In the Qur'an, the word "treasures" is generally used in this sense, as it is said: «{ وَ لِلّٰهِ خَزَآىِٕنُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ }» [ المنافقون : ۷ ] "Even though the treasures of the heavens and the earth belong only to Allah." And see Surah Al-An'am (50), Bani Isra'il (100), Sad (9), Tur (37), and Hijr (21), and this is the correct meaning here, because the construction of storehouses in the years of prosperity, then buying surplus wheat from all the people of the country for seven years, would not have been possible without complete authority over all sources of government income, so that the country could continue to function, funds could be provided for the purchase of goods, and storehouses could be built. The point is that when Yusuf (peace be upon him) saw that his value and status had increased in the eyes of the king and that he was ready to entrust him with all kinds of authority, he considered it appropriate, trusting in his own ability, to propose that all the sources of income and production of the kingdom be handed over to him. In fact, from the following verses (100, 101), it appears that eventually Yusuf (peace be upon him) himself ascended the throne in Egypt, or at least the government was practically in his hands, and this proposal was also because Yusuf (peace be upon him) was a prophet of Allah Almighty, and it was necessary for him to have control over all the powers of this country so that he could propagate monotheism and eradicate polytheism.

➋ Here a question is raised that Yusuf (peace be upon him) himself asked for a position, whereas the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the one who seeks or desires a position: [ لاَ نَسْتَعْمِلُ عَلٰی عَمَلِنَا مَنْ أَرَادَهٗ ] [ بخاری، الإجارۃ، باب استئجار الرجل الصالح… : ۲۲۶۱ ] "We will never give a position to the one who intends it." There are several answers to this, of which the most correct and strongest is that the king had already appointed Yusuf (peace be upon him) to a position: «{ اِنَّكَ الْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِيْنٌ اَمِيْنٌ }» [یوسف : ۵۴ ] "Indeed, today you are with us, established in authority, trustworthy." Just as nowadays ministers are first chosen and then they themselves select their department, similarly, when the king declared him fully established in authority and trustworthy, Yusuf (peace be upon him) knew that the requirements of this office could not be fulfilled without complete authority over the treasury, so he had no choice but to request this authority. In summary, he did not ask for the position at all, but when he was granted the position, he presented its practical form.

The second answer is that if someone insists that he did ask for the position, then fine—whoever is at the rank of Yusuf (peace be upon him) may indeed ask for a position, whoever possesses qualities like his, who, like him, has control over all bestial forces, including the most unruly force of man (sexual desire), such as anger, betrayal, and oppression, and is also honored with prophethood, because in such a case there is neither the danger of neglecting the responsibility of the office nor of betrayal. Another person should act on the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and remain at ease, not put himself into that trial whose outcome the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has clearly explained to us. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَا مِنْ أَمِيْرِ عَشَرَةٍ إِلاَّ يُؤْتٰی بِهٖ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَغْلُوْلاً لَا يَفُكُّهٗ إِلاَّ الْعَدْلُ أَوْ يُوْبِقُهُ الْجَوْرُ ] [ مسند أحمد : 431/2، ح : ۹۵۸۶۔ سلسلۃ الأحادیث الصحیحۃ : 237/6، ح : ۲۶۲۱ ] "Whoever is made a leader over ten people will be brought with a collar around his neck; nothing will release him except justice, or oppression will destroy him."

55. 1 Khazain is the plural of Khazanah. Khazanah refers to a place where things are kept safe. By "the treasures of the earth" is meant those storehouses where grain is collected. The desire to take control of its management was expressed so that, in view of the coming days of famine (according to the interpretation of the dream), appropriate arrangements could be made to deal with it and a reasonable quantity of grain could be saved. Although, in normal circumstances, seeking office and position is not permissible, the action of Hazrat Yusuf (علیہ السلام) shows that in special circumstances, if a person thinks that the dangers facing the nation and country can be dealt with better by him than by others, and he possesses the necessary abilities, then he may seek such a specific office or position according to his competence. Moreover, Hazrat Yusuf (علیہ السلام) did not actually seek office or position at all; rather, when the king of Egypt offered it to him, he then desired such a position in which he saw a prominent aspect of serving the country and nation.

55. 2 Ḥafīẓ means that I will protect it in such a way that I will not spend it on any unnecessary expenditure. ‘Alīm means I have full knowledge of collecting, spending, storing, and distributing it.

Yusuf said, "Appoint me as the keeper of the treasures of the land [54], for I am a good guardian and knowledgeable in this matter."

[54]
What Did Sayyiduna Yusuf Request from the King of Egypt?

In response, Sayyiduna Yusufؑ said, "Then make me the master of the land's affairs," and you people have also understood that I am fully capable of managing this administration with utmost caution. There are a few points regarding his request to the king that require consideration: Some commentators have understood from the request for "khazā'in al-arḍ" that he asked for the position of chief officer of the treasury or minister of finance, which is related to the country's economy. Because the interpretation of the dream he gave was also related to this department, and the future mention of the brothers of Yusuf coming to Egypt is also related to this department. However, the objection arises whether a prophet can become a cog in the machinery of a disbelieving government? It is evident that it is not befitting for a prophet in any way to accept such a thing. Therefore, here "khazā'in al-arḍ" means complete authority or being the master of the land's affairs. Especially because these words also allow for this meaning, and also because in the next verse, these words are clearly present: ﴿وَكَذٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوْسُفَ فِي الْاَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّاُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ﴾ Therefore, it is not correct to take ﴿عَليٰ خَزَائِنِ الاَرْضِ﴾ as merely referring to the ministry of finance or the financial sector.

In What Case Is the Desire for Leadership Blameworthy?

The second point is that seeking leadership is, according to the Shariah, a prohibited and blameworthy thing, so why did Sayyiduna Yusufؑ make such a request? Especially in the case where the king was also a disbeliever? The answer is that seeking leadership is only prohibited and blameworthy when the motivating factor or objective is merely the love of status and wealth. But where the entire country's administration is in disarray or there is a danger of great corruption, and the one making the request also knows that no one else besides him is capable of bearing this burden, then the matter becomes completely the opposite, and at that time, not making the request becomes blameworthy. As for the question of why Sayyiduna Yusufؑ made the request to a disbelieving king, the answer has already been mentioned that this request was not merely for leadership, but for complete authority. That is, the entire authority of the country should be handed over to Sayyiduna Yusufؑ. Accordingly, the king consulted his courtiers regarding this request, in which it was decided that complete authority should be handed over to Sayyiduna Yusufؑ, because they saw no one else capable of controlling the seven-year famine and saving the country's economy from destruction. And after the implementation of this decision, the king remained only a nominal king. All powers were transferred to Sayyiduna Yusufؑ. Therefore, this was not a desire for leadership, but rather the victory of truth. Thus, later, the entire administration of the country was run by Sayyiduna Yusufؑ according to his own will, and after this transfer of authority, the Quran also did not use the word "king" for the king. [نيز ديكهئے سورة بني اسرائيل آيت نمبر 82 كا حاشيه]