سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 37
قَالَ لَا يَأْتِيكُمَا طَعَامٌ تُرْزَقَانِهِۦٓ إِلَّا نَبَّأْتُكُمَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتِيَكُمَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِى رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنِّى تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَهُم بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ كَـٰفِرُونَ ﴿37﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
He said: "No food will come to you (in wakefulness or in dream) as your provision, but I will inform (in wakefulness) its interpretation before it (the food) comes. This is of that which my Lord has taught me. Verily, I have abandoned the religion of a people that believe not in Allâh and are disbelievers in the Hereafter (i.e. the Kan‘anyyûn of Egypt who were polytheists and used to worship sun and other false deities).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
لَا
lā
Not
يَأْتِيكُمَا
yatīkumā
(will) come to both of you
طَعَامٌۭ
ṭaʿāmun
food
تُرْزَقَانِهِۦٓ
tur'zaqānihi
you are provided with
إِلَّا
illā
but
نَبَّأْتُكُمَا
nabbatukumā
I will inform both of you
بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦ
bitawīlihi
of its interpretation
قَبْلَ
qabla
before
أَن
an
[that]
يَأْتِيَكُمَا ۚ
yatiyakumā
[it] comes to both of you
ذَٰلِكُمَا
dhālikumā
That
مِمَّا
mimmā
(is) of what
عَلَّمَنِى
ʿallamanī
has taught me
رَبِّىٓ ۚ
rabbī
my Lord
إِنِّى
innī
Indeed, I
تَرَكْتُ
taraktu
[I] abandon
مِلَّةَ
millata
(the) religion
قَوْمٍۢ
qawmin
(of) a people
لَّا
lā
not
يُؤْمِنُونَ
yu'minūna
they believe
بِٱللَّهِ
bil-lahi
in Allah
وَهُم
wahum
and they
بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ
bil-ākhirati
in the Hereafter
هُمْ
hum
[they]
كَـٰفِرُونَ
kāfirūna
(are) disbelievers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 37) ➊ { قَالَ لَا يَاْتِيْكُمَا طَعَامٌ …:} Yusuf (peace be upon him) was already established on the religion of Allah and monotheism. In prison, Allah the Exalted placed this wisdom that he found freedom from worldly affairs and seclusion, had more opportunity for remembrance and contemplation, and his heart was emptied of attachment to the disbelievers, so the chest became even more illuminated with the light of prophetic knowledge. Now, when both of them needed to ask Yusuf (peace be upon him) for the interpretation of their dreams, Yusuf (peace be upon him) deemed it necessary to first invite them to faith in monotheism and the Hereafter, and then tell them the interpretation of the dream. For this reason, he took some time from them to talk, but at the same time reassured them so that they would not become anxious, saying that the food which is given to you, before it comes, I will surely tell you the interpretation in any case. The phrase "before the food comes" indicates that the time for food was near.
➋ For the exegesis of { ذٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِيْ رَبِّيْ … : ’’ ذٰلِكُمَا ‘‘}, see verse (32), that is, the interpretation of dreams is one of those sciences which Allah has taught me, such as Shariah, wisdom, livelihood, trustworthiness, etc. The meaning is that I will interpret not by guesswork and conjecture, but with true knowledge. The priests and court advisors of Egypt were skilled in the science of interpretation, so Allah the Exalted especially granted this knowledge to Yusuf (peace be upon him), so that when the time came, it would become clear what difference there is between the knowledge granted to the Prophet of Allah and the knowledge of any other great scholar, as if this was also a miracle granted to Yusuf (peace be upon him). Here, this question would naturally arise: how did you acquire these sciences, among which is the science of interpretation? In answer to this, Yusuf (peace be upon him) stated the reasons for this blessing upon himself in contrast to that entire society, then invited them to monotheism in a most wise manner. Thus, the first thing he said was that these sciences have been granted to me by my Lord, the Exalted, ({’’ اِنِّيْ تَرَكْتُ ‘‘ } in {’’اِنَّ‘‘} is for stating the reason), because I left the community and religion of those people, despite living among them and growing up there, I never adopted it, who do not believe in Allah and are also deniers of the Hereafter, because such people are not even worthy of these sciences.
➋ For the exegesis of { ذٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِيْ رَبِّيْ … : ’’ ذٰلِكُمَا ‘‘}, see verse (32), that is, the interpretation of dreams is one of those sciences which Allah has taught me, such as Shariah, wisdom, livelihood, trustworthiness, etc. The meaning is that I will interpret not by guesswork and conjecture, but with true knowledge. The priests and court advisors of Egypt were skilled in the science of interpretation, so Allah the Exalted especially granted this knowledge to Yusuf (peace be upon him), so that when the time came, it would become clear what difference there is between the knowledge granted to the Prophet of Allah and the knowledge of any other great scholar, as if this was also a miracle granted to Yusuf (peace be upon him). Here, this question would naturally arise: how did you acquire these sciences, among which is the science of interpretation? In answer to this, Yusuf (peace be upon him) stated the reasons for this blessing upon himself in contrast to that entire society, then invited them to monotheism in a most wise manner. Thus, the first thing he said was that these sciences have been granted to me by my Lord, the Exalted, ({’’ اِنِّيْ تَرَكْتُ ‘‘ } in {’’اِنَّ‘‘} is for stating the reason), because I left the community and religion of those people, despite living among them and growing up there, I never adopted it, who do not believe in Allah and are also deniers of the Hereafter, because such people are not even worthy of these sciences.
