سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 58
وَجَآءَ إِخْوَةُ يُوسُفَ فَدَخَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ فَعَرَفَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُۥ مُنكِرُونَ ﴿58﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And Yûsuf’s (Joseph) brethren came and they entered unto him, and he recognized them, but they recognized him not.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَجَآءَ
wajāa
And came
إِخْوَةُ
ikh'watu
(the) brothers
يُوسُفَ
yūsufa
(of) Yusuf
فَدَخَلُوا۟
fadakhalū
and they entered
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
upon him
فَعَرَفَهُمْ
faʿarafahum
and he recognized them
وَهُمْ
wahum
but they
لَهُۥ
lahu
knew him not
مُنكِرُونَ
munkirūna
knew him not
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Some time later) Yusuf's brothers came to Egypt and presented themselves before him [57]. Yusuf recognized them, but they did not recognize him.
[57]
The System of General Famine and Grain Distribution in Egypt:
The brothers of Yusuf came to him at a time when he had been ruling for eight years. The first seven years were a period of great prosperity. During this period, he had stored a considerable amount of grain. After that, when the period of famine began, this famine was not only in the land of Egypt but had also spread to the neighboring countries. Now the situation was such that in Egypt, grain was cheap, while in the surrounding areas it was being sold at very high prices, and the inhabitants of those areas would head towards Egypt to obtain grain. The entire management of the supply and distribution of grain in Egypt was personally overseen by Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ, and this system can be likened to the present-day ration system. For those coming from outside regions to obtain grain, it was required that they submit an application stating how many members of their household needed grain. Their full names and addresses would be written down and entered into a register, and the application would be presented to the higher authorities for approval. After verification of the application, approval would be given for one camel-load of grain per person. In this context, the brothers of Yusuf also came to Egypt. They too submitted an application according to the rules. This application eventually reached Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ. He approved the application but at the same time summoned these applicants to his presence. Now the brothers of Yusuf were standing before Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ. He recognized them well. But it could not even occur to them that the king before whom they were presenting their request for grain was their brother Yusuf. In this way, the word of Allah was fulfilled which He had placed in the heart of Yusuf ؑ at the time his brothers threw him into the well.
[57]
The System of General Famine and Grain Distribution in Egypt:
The brothers of Yusuf came to him at a time when he had been ruling for eight years. The first seven years were a period of great prosperity. During this period, he had stored a considerable amount of grain. After that, when the period of famine began, this famine was not only in the land of Egypt but had also spread to the neighboring countries. Now the situation was such that in Egypt, grain was cheap, while in the surrounding areas it was being sold at very high prices, and the inhabitants of those areas would head towards Egypt to obtain grain. The entire management of the supply and distribution of grain in Egypt was personally overseen by Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ, and this system can be likened to the present-day ration system. For those coming from outside regions to obtain grain, it was required that they submit an application stating how many members of their household needed grain. Their full names and addresses would be written down and entered into a register, and the application would be presented to the higher authorities for approval. After verification of the application, approval would be given for one camel-load of grain per person. In this context, the brothers of Yusuf also came to Egypt. They too submitted an application according to the rules. This application eventually reached Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ. He approved the application but at the same time summoned these applicants to his presence. Now the brothers of Yusuf were standing before Sayyiduna Yusuf ؑ. He recognized them well. But it could not even occur to them that the king before whom they were presenting their request for grain was their brother Yusuf. In this way, the word of Allah was fulfilled which He had placed in the heart of Yusuf ؑ at the time his brothers threw him into the well.
