Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 56

(Ayah 57,56) ➊ « وَ كَذٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوْسُفَ فِي الْاَرْضِ:» From this verse also it is evident that Yusuf (peace be upon him) had all kinds of authority in the kingdom of Egypt and he was not a minister or servant of a disbelieving king. It is possible that the king himself handed over the reins of government to him. Such closeness between a polytheist king and a prophet is not possible at all; if the king is assumed to be a disbeliever, then it is not possible that the greatest enemy of Allah among humans (the disbelieving king) could maintain such heartfelt love with Allah’s greatest friend (the prophet) of that time. Allah Himself has decided: «{ اِنَّ الْكٰفِرِيْنَ كَانُوْا لَكُمْ عَدُوًّا مُّبِيْنًا }» [ النساء : ۱۰۱ ] “Indeed, the disbelievers are always your open enemies.” Just look at Surah Al-Kafiroon and also at the last verse of Surah Al-Mujadila. In Surah Al-Mumtahina, verse (4), the forefather of Yusuf (peace be upon him), Ibrahim (peace be upon him), has clearly stated the eternal enmity and hatred between Muslims and disbelievers. If you want to see the scene of enmity and love between a disbelieving king and a prophet, then look at Musa (peace be upon him) and Pharaoh, even though Musa (peace be upon him) was raised in that house as a son. Let alone the king, even the disbelieving chiefs of the nation could not tolerate the prophets and Muslims for a moment, nor can they. Except for such Muslims who help them in every evil deed, or at least remain silent. Only a person who does not know that Yusuf (peace be upon him) preferred years of imprisonment over yielding to the demands of the women of Egypt, and refused to leave the prison without investigation even when the king called him, can expect such a thing from the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf (peace be upon him).

➋ To understand the authority and power that Yusuf (peace be upon him) obtained in Egypt from the word { يَتَبَوَّاُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ … :} { ’’ يَتَبَوَّاُ ‘‘}, consider this verse in which it is mentioned what the people of Paradise will say after entering Paradise: «{ وَ قَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِيْ صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهٗ وَ اَوْرَثَنَا الْاَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّاُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَآءُ }» [ الزمر : ۷۴ ] “And they will say: All praise is due to Allah, who has fulfilled His promise to us and made us inherit the land so that we may settle wherever we wish in Paradise.” Even if it is not authority like that of Paradise, this gives an idea of the breadth of this word. In some narrations, it is mentioned that Yusuf (peace be upon him) married the wife of the Aziz of Egypt, but according to the hadith scholars, these narrations are not reliable.

➌ { وَ لَا نُضِيْعُ اَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ (56) وَ لَاَجْرُ الْاٰخِرَةِ … :} That is, in both this world and the Hereafter, they receive the reward of their good deeds. Regarding this verse, Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes: “This is the answer to their questions, that the children of Ibrahim thus came from Syria to Egypt, and it is explained that the brothers threw Yusuf (peace be upon him) far from home so that he would be humiliated, but Allah gave him greater honor and more authority over the land, and the same happened with our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).” (Muwadhih)

56. 1 That is, We granted Yusuf (عليه السلام) such authority and power in the land that the king would do only what Yusuf (عليه السلام) commanded, and he would manage the land of Egypt as a person manages his own house, and he would reside wherever he wished; the entire Egypt was under his control.

56. 2 This was, in fact, the reward for his patience over the oppression and cruelty of his brothers, and for the steadfastness he showed in the face of Zulaikha’s invitation to sin, and for the determination he maintained during his life in prison. Zulaikha had made a reprehensible attempt to seduce Yusuf (عليه السلام). Some people say that the king became Muslim through the invitation and preaching of Yusuf (عليه السلام). Some have also said that when the Aziz of Egypt, whose name was Itfir, died, after that Zulaikha married Yusuf (عليه السلام) and they had two children, one named Ephraim and the other named Misha. Ephraim was the father of Yusha bin Nun and Prophet Ayyub (عليه السلام) (Tafsir Ibn Kathir). However, this is not established by any authentic narration, so the matter of marriage does not seem to be correct. Moreover, considering the character displayed by that woman, it seems highly inappropriate for her to be associated with the household of a prophet.

Thus We established Yusuf in the land, so that he could settle wherever he wished [55]. We bestow Our mercy upon whom We will, and We do not let the reward of the righteous go to waste.

[55] The words of this sentence fully support the explanation in the previous footnote. That is, now Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ could live wherever he wished and do whatever he wanted, and it is clear that if he had merely been an officer of the revenue department or the minister of finance, he would have been bound by the orders of the government. He would never have had such freedom, and this was not just freedom, but it was also necessary for him to go to various places to store grain during the years of prosperity.