سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 42
وَقَالَ لِلَّذِى ظَنَّ أَنَّهُۥ نَاجٍ مِّنْهُمَا ٱذْكُرْنِى عِندَ رَبِّكَ فَأَنسَىٰهُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ ذِكْرَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِى ٱلسِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ ﴿42﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And he said to the one whom he knew to be saved: "Mention me to your lord (i.e. your king, so as to get me out of the prison)." But Shaitân (Satan) made him forget to mention it to his Lord [or Satan made Yûsuf (Joseph) to forget the remembrance of his Lord (Allâh) as to ask for His Help, instead of others]. So [Yûsuf (Joseph)] stayed in prison a few (more) years.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And he said
لِلَّذِى
lilladhī
to the one whom
ظَنَّ
ẓanna
he thought
أَنَّهُۥ
annahu
that he
نَاجٍۢ
nājin
(would be) saved
مِّنْهُمَا
min'humā
of both of them
ٱذْكُرْنِى
udh'kur'nī
Mention me
عِندَ
ʿinda
to
رَبِّكَ
rabbika
your master
فَأَنسَىٰهُ
fa-ansāhu
But made him forget
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ
l-shayṭānu
the Shaitaan
ذِكْرَ
dhik'ra
(the) mention
رَبِّهِۦ
rabbihi
(to) his master
فَلَبِثَ
falabitha
so he remained
فِى
fī
in
ٱلسِّجْنِ
l-sij'ni
the prison
بِضْعَ
biḍ'ʿa
several
سِنِينَ
sinīna
years
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 42) ➊ { وَ قَالَ لِلَّذِيْ ظَنَّ اَنَّهٗ …:} From this it is understood how distressing it is to remain in prison, which, according to some, is the graveyard of the living, that a patient person like Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to the man whom he thought would be released, to mention him to his master, that how a person is imprisoned without any crime. From this it is understood that to adopt the worldly means that Allah Almighty has created for deliverance from hardship is not against reliance (tawakkul), as is evident from «{ وَ تَعَاوَنُوْا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَ التَّقْوٰى }» [ المائدۃ : ۲ ] (Help one another in righteousness and piety), and as Isa (peace be upon him) said: «{ مَنْ اَنْصَارِيْۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ }» [ آل عمران : ۵۲ ] "Who are my helpers towards Allah?" And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), after returning from Taif, sent a message to Mut‘im bin ‘Adi, then entered Makkah under his protection. Rather, a Muslim should adopt every lawful means of the world. He said: «{ وَ اَعِدُّوْا لَهُمْ مَّا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِّنْ قُوَّةٍ }» [الأنفال : ۶۰ ] That is, for these disbelievers, prepare against them whatever you are able of power. However, even after that, trust will still be upon Allah alone.
➋ Satan made that cupbearer forget to mention him to his master, that is, the king, so Yusuf (peace be upon him) remained in prison for several years. The enmity of Satan with Adam (peace be upon him) and his progeny is testified by the Qur’an: «{ اِنَّهٗ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ }» [ البقرۃ : ۱۶۸ ] "Indeed, he is your open enemy." And the Qur’an has explicitly stated that the cupbearer’s forgetting was the work of Satan. Despite this, some scholars have considered Yusuf (peace be upon him) asking the cupbearer to mention him to the king as contrary to his resolve and the dignity of prophethood, and have considered the reason for his remaining in prison for so many years to be that Allah Almighty intended that Yusuf’s heart should not settle upon means. In this regard, these people also present the narration which Ibn Jarir has narrated with his chain, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If Yusuf (peace be upon him) had not said what he said, he would not have remained in prison for such a long period, because he sought deliverance from hardship from other than Allah." Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This narration is extremely weak, because its narrator Sufyan bin Waki‘ is weak, and (his sheikh) Ibrahim bin Yazid (al-Jawzi) is even weaker than him."
➌ The word { فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِيْنَ : ’’ بِضْعَ ‘‘} is used for a number from three to nine. Neither in the Qur’an nor in the Sunnah has the duration of this period been specified. Among the Tabi‘in, some said seven years, some said less or more, but now who can ask them who told you this duration? If it came from Bani Isra’il, then it cannot be relied upon, because according to the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we can neither affirm it nor deny it. So the real thing is that the period was less than ten years, and Allah knows best how long it was.
➋ Satan made that cupbearer forget to mention him to his master, that is, the king, so Yusuf (peace be upon him) remained in prison for several years. The enmity of Satan with Adam (peace be upon him) and his progeny is testified by the Qur’an: «{ اِنَّهٗ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِيْنٌ }» [ البقرۃ : ۱۶۸ ] "Indeed, he is your open enemy." And the Qur’an has explicitly stated that the cupbearer’s forgetting was the work of Satan. Despite this, some scholars have considered Yusuf (peace be upon him) asking the cupbearer to mention him to the king as contrary to his resolve and the dignity of prophethood, and have considered the reason for his remaining in prison for so many years to be that Allah Almighty intended that Yusuf’s heart should not settle upon means. In this regard, these people also present the narration which Ibn Jarir has narrated with his chain, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If Yusuf (peace be upon him) had not said what he said, he would not have remained in prison for such a long period, because he sought deliverance from hardship from other than Allah." Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "This narration is extremely weak, because its narrator Sufyan bin Waki‘ is weak, and (his sheikh) Ibrahim bin Yazid (al-Jawzi) is even weaker than him."
➌ The word { فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِيْنَ : ’’ بِضْعَ ‘‘} is used for a number from three to nine. Neither in the Qur’an nor in the Sunnah has the duration of this period been specified. Among the Tabi‘in, some said seven years, some said less or more, but now who can ask them who told you this duration? If it came from Bani Isra’il, then it cannot be relied upon, because according to the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we can neither affirm it nor deny it. So the real thing is that the period was less than ten years, and Allah knows best how long it was.
