Tafsir of Yusuf 12:110

This is the goal (or limit) for a deleted element indicated by the context. According to some, the implied meaning is: Let not their persistence in the ease and luxury they enjoy deceive them; for those before them were granted respite until the messengers despaired of gaining victory over them in this world, or of their belief, due to their obsession with disbelief and their persistence in tyranny without any deterrent.

Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi said: The implied meaning is, "We did not send before you except men, and they called upon their people, who belied them, and they were patient, and their calling and their people’s belying lasted long, until when the messengers despaired," etc.

Al-Qurtubi said: The meaning is, "We did not send before you except men, then We did not punish their nations until when the messengers despaired," etc.

Al-Zamakhshari said: The meaning is, "We did not send before you except men, and victory was delayed until when," etc. Perhaps the first interpretation is superior, even though it requires significant ellipsis, and the form istif’al here carries the meaning of the simple verb (mujarrad), as we have indicated.

"And thought that they had been belied" This is read with the takhfif (lightening of the lam) and passive voice (kudhibu). This is the recitation of Ali (may Allah honor his face), Ubayy, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Talha, al-A'mash, and the Kufans. There is a difference in the interpretation of the verse based on this:

It is said that the three pronouns refer to the messengers, and "thought" (zann) means imagination, not its primary meaning or its metaphorical meaning (certainty). The implied subject of "belied" is either their own selves or their hope, as hope is described as being truthful or false. That is, their selves belied them when they whispered to them that they would be victorious, or their hope for victory belied them. The meaning is that the duration of the belying and hostility from the disbelievers and the wait for victory from Allah had prolonged and persisted until they felt despair and imagined that there would be no victory for them in this world, then "Our victory came to them" suddenly.

It is also said that all the pronouns refer to the messengers, and zann is in its [original] meaning of certainty, and the subject of the implied "belied" is the one who informed them from Allah. This has been narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Al-Tabarani and others reported from Abdullah ibn Abi Mulaykah that Ibn Abbas recited kudhibu (lightened) and then said: "They had differences, and they were human beings," and he recited: "Until the messenger and those who believed with him say: 'When is the help of Allah?'" Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: Ibn Abbas held that they despaired or weakened and thought they had been failed [in the promise]. Al-Bukhari reported this from him in the Sahih.

This has been challenged because it contains what is not fitting to attribute to the prophets (peace be upon them), but rather to the righteous of the community. This is why it was narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Al-Bukhari, al-Nasa'i, and others reported from the path of Urwah that he asked Aisha about this verse, saying: "Did they disbelieve or were they belied?" Aisha said: "Rather, they were belied." I said: "Perhaps it is kudhibu (lightened)?" She said: "God forbid! The messengers would not think that of their Lord." I said: "Then what is this verse?" She said: "They were the followers of the messengers who believed in their Lord and trusted them; the tribulation became long for them and victory was delayed, so when the messengers despaired of those who belied them from their people, and the messengers thought that their followers had belied them, Our victory came to them at that moment."

Some answered that perhaps what was intended by the "thought" was what crosses the mind and stirs in the heart as a form of whisper or internal speech, as is the nature of humanity. Majd ibn Taymiyyah held that all the pronouns return to the messengers, leaning toward what was narrated from Ibn Abbas, claiming that it is the apparent meaning and that the verse is similar to His saying: "If he desired, Satan would cast into his desire, then Allah would abrogate what Satan casts..." For the casting into his heart, his tongue, and his work is from the same category, and Allah abrogates what Satan casts. He then said: Zann in the Book and the Sunnah is not intended to mean "predominant conviction" as it is in the terminology of a group of scholars; rather, it refers to the "inferior belief," both of which are zann. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Beware of suspicion (zann), for suspicion is the falsest of speech." And the Almighty said: "Indeed, suspicion does not avail against truth at all." Thus, the inferior belief is zann and it is a delusion. This can be a sin that weakens faith but does not remove it, or it can be internal speech that is pardoned, as he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah has pardoned for my nation what their souls whisper, as long as they do not speak or act upon it." It can also be of the category of whispers that are the very essence of faith, as established in the Sahih that the Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, one of us finds in himself something—that he be burned until he becomes charcoal or falls from the sky to the earth—is dearer to him than to speak of it." He said: "Have you really found it?" They said: "Yes." He said: "That is the essence of faith."

This is similar to what is proven in the Prophet's saying: "We are more entitled to doubt than Ibrahim (peace be upon him) when his Lord said to him, 'Do you not believe?' He said, 'Yes, but that my heart may be settled.'" The Prophet called the disparity between faith and tranquility "doubt" in the context of the revival of the dead. Based on this, it is said: The promise of victory in this world to a person may be something the person believes will be fulfilled, but his heart may be disturbed regarding it and not find tranquility; thus, the loss of tranquility is a zann that he was belied. Doubt and thinking that he was belied are from the same category. These matters do not damage the obligatory faith, even if some of them are sins. Prophets (peace be upon them) are protected from being confirmed in that, just as in their actions, according to what is known from the principles of the Sunnah. In such stories, there is a lesson for believers; they must be tested with more than that, so they should not despair if they are tested, knowing that those who were better than them were tested, and the outcome was for the best. Thus, the hesitant becomes certain, the sinner repents, and the believer's faith strengthens. This is how following the prophets becomes valid. Hence, the Almighty said: "There was a lesson in their stories." If the one followed were absolutely infallible, following him would not be possible, for the follower would say, "I am not of his kind," because he [the Prophet] is not mentioned as having committed a sin. If he [the follower] sins, he despairs of following and imitating because of the sin he committed, which ruins the following according to the doctrine of absolute infallibility—unlike when it is known that something occurred and was rectified by repentance; then the command to follow becomes valid. As it is said: "The first to sin and commit a crime, then repent and regret, was the father of humanity, Adam." And "Whoever resembles his father does not act unjustly." Following them is not required in what they were forbidden from and what occurred from them, then they repented of. It is achieved in what they were commanded, what they affirmed, what they were not forbidden from, and what occurred from them but they did not repent of. What was mentioned is not lesser than the abrogated acts. If what they were commanded to do and what was permitted for them was then abrogated, following it ceases; then what they were not commanded to do, which occurred from them and they repented of, is more deserving and worthy of the cessation of following.

It is not hidden that what he [Majd] mentioned implies the possibility of the occurrence of major sins by the prophets (peace be upon them)—far be it from them—without them being confirmed in it. To say this is great ignorance, and no one with a sound heart would dare to do so. Moreover, there is much in his statement that is problematic. I wish he had sufficed with attributing the pronouns to the messengers and interpreting zann as imagination, as others have done, for that is unobjectionable. Similarly, there is no harm in interpreting Ibn Abbas's statement as intending by zann what is on the path of whisper and internal speech, as that is distinct from the whisper from which the prophets (peace be upon them) are exempt, or that he intended thereby the exaggeration of the delay and the long duration by way of representational metaphor—likening the exaggeration of the delay to thinking of being belied, as each entails the lack of achieving the desired object, so he used what belongs to one for the other.

It is said that the three pronouns refer to those to whom the messengers were sent, because the mention of the messengers necessitates that. An example of this is the saying: "Does the lightning frighten you? I watch it, and it flares; and I passed the night imagining it to be a heavy, flowing cloud." The pronoun "it" (akhāluhu) refers to the thunder, though it was not explicitly mentioned, but the flashing of lightning sufficed for it. If you wish, you may say: Their mention has already passed in His saying: "Have they not traveled through the earth and observed how was the end of those who were before them?" So the pronoun is for those who were before them who belied the messengers. The meaning is that those to whom the messengers were sent thought that the messengers had belied them regarding what they claimed of prophethood and what they promised of punishment for those who did not believe. This is also narrated from Ibn Abbas. Abu Ubayd, Sa'id ibn Mansur, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Jarir, and others reported it from him through various chains that he used to recite kudhibu (lightened) and say: "Until when the messengers despaired of their people responding to them, and their people thought that the messengers had belied them in what they came with, Our victory came to the messengers." This was also narrated from Sa'id ibn Jubayr. Ibn Jarir and Abu al-Shaykh reported from Rabi'ah ibn Kulthum that his father said: Muslim ibn Yasar asked Sa'id ibn Jubayr and said: "O Abu Abdullah, a verse has reached every extent of me: 'Until when the messengers despaired and thought that they had been belied.' Does it mean the messengers thought they were belied (heavy) or that they were belied (light)?" Sa'id said: "Until the messengers despaired of their people responding to them, and their people thought that the messengers had lied to them, Our victory came to them." Muslim stood up to him, embraced him, and said: "May Allah relieve you as you have relieved me." It is narrated that he said this in the presence of al-Dahhak, who said to him: "If you had traveled to Yemen for this, it would have been little."

It is also said: The pronoun in "thought" (zannu) is for those to whom they were sent, and the pronoun in "they had been belied" is for the messengers (peace be upon them). Meaning: They thought that the messengers (peace be upon them) had failed them in what they were promised of victory, and the matter became confused for them.

Many of the seven, as well as al-Hasan, Qatadah, Muhammad ibn Ka'b, Abu Raja, Ibn Abi Mulaykah, al-A'raj, and Aisha, in the famous version, read it as kudhhibu (with the shaddah and passive voice). The pronouns in this reading are for the messengers (peace be upon them); meaning, the messengers thought that their nations had belied them in what they brought due to the long tribulation upon them, then the victory of Allah came to them at that moment. This is the interpretation of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) which was reported by al-Bukhari. Zann here is in its [original] meaning, or meaning certainty, or imagination.

From Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and al-Dahhak, it is narrated that they read kadhdhabu (lightened, active voice). Thus, the pronoun in "thought" (zannu) is for the nations, and the pronoun in "that they had been belied" is for the messengers; meaning, those to whom the messengers were sent thought that the messengers had lied to them in what they promised them of victory or punishment. It is also permitted that the pronoun in "thought" is for the messengers and the pronoun in "that they had been belied" is for those to whom they were sent, meaning the messengers (peace be upon them) thought that the nations had belied them in what they had promised them that they would believe. Zann is apparent here, as it is said, as meaning certainty.

It was also recited, as Abu al-Baqa said, as kadhdhabu (with shaddah and active voice), and he interpreted this by saying that the messengers (peace be upon them) thought that the nations had belied them in this promise. The famous challenge regarding the verse is that it contains, according to the first reading, an appearance of attributing what is not fitting—such as "thought"—to the noble prophets (peace and blessings be upon them). Some also challenged the attribution of despair to them, based on the apparent meaning that they despaired of what they were promised and informed would happen, as this is also not fitting to attribute to them. It was answered that this is not intended; rather, it is intended that they despaired of the belief of their people.

It was objected that this is weakened by the conjunction "and thought they were belied," which is apparent in that they thought they were being belied regarding what they were promised. Majd mentioned something else in this place besides what he mentioned first: that both the despair and the thought of being belied are related to what they had sought for the promised event through ijtihad. The report of their despair is absolute, and there is nothing in the verse that indicates it is restricted to what they were promised and informed would happen. If this is so, it is known that when Allah promises the messengers an absolute victory, as is the majority of His news, He does not specify its time, place, or nature. Often, people believe in the promised thing with other qualities not indicated by the discourse of the Truth (the Almighty), but rather they believed them due to other reasons—just as a group of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) believed the Prophet's news that they would enter the Sacred Mosque and circumambulate it, thinking it would be during the year of Hudaybiyyah because the Prophet went out to perform Umrah and hoped to enter Makkah that year and circumambulate and perform Sa'i. When they despaired of that that year because the polytheists blocked them until the Prophet agreed to the famous peace treaty, something remained in the hearts of some. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), even though he was among those who were spoken to [by inspiration], said: "Did you not tell us, O Messenger of Allah, that we would enter the House and circumambulate it?" He said: "Yes, did I tell you that you would enter it this year?" He said: "No." He said: "You will enter it and circumambulate it." Likewise, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him. He clarified that the promise from him (peace and blessings be upon him) was absolute and not restricted to a time. The fact that he (peace and blessings be upon him) sought that year to go to Makkah and intended it does not necessitate a specification of Allah's promise of entering in that year. Perhaps he (peace and blessings be upon him) only sought it based on the thought that the matter would be so, and there is no harm in that. It is not a condition of a prophet that everything he intends must happen; rather, it is part of the perfection of Allah's grace upon him that He diverts him from what he intends to another matter that is more beneficial than what he intended, if it were so, as was the case in the year of Hudaybiyyah. It also does not harm that the matter happens contrary to what he (peace and blessings be upon him) thought. Muslim reported in his Sahih that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said regarding the pollination of palm trees: "I only thought a thought, so do not hold me accountable for the thought, but if I tell you something from Allah, take it, for I will never lie about Allah." Among that is his saying in the Hadith of Dhu al-Yadayn: "The prayer was not shortened, nor did I forget," then forgetfulness became apparent. And in the story of al-Walid ibn Uqbah, regarding which "If there comes to you a disobedient one with information, then verify" was revealed, and the story of the sons of Ubayraq, regarding which "Indeed, We have revealed to you the Book with truth so that you may judge between people by that which Allah has shown you, and do not be an advocate for the deceitful," is sufficient knowledge that he (peace and blessings be upon him) may think of a thing, and Allah clarifies it in another way. If the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is like this, what do you think of others of the noble prophets (peace and blessings be upon them)?

What adds strength to this is that the majority of scholars of hadith and jurisprudence hold that it is permissible for the prophets (peace be upon them) to practice ijtihad in matters of Sharia, and they may be mistaken in that, but they are not confirmed in it. This is undoubtedly less than the mistake in thinking of something that is not of the Sharia matters at all. Once this is realized, it is not far-fetched to say that those (peace be upon them) were informed of the punishment of their people, but a time was not specified for them. They practiced ijtihad and specified a time for it according to what appeared to them, just as the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specified the year of Hudaybiyyah for entering Makkah. When the duration lengthened, they despaired and thought they were belied and their ijtihad was mistaken. There is no thought of lying in Allah's promise in this, nor does it necessitate it at all, so there is no harm. You know that what is most appropriate for honoring the prophets (peace be upon them) and farthest from hovering around the sanctuary of what is not fitting for them is the statement of attributing the zann to others [the people]. And Allah knows best.

The apparent meaning is that the pronoun in "came to them" (jā'ahum)—according to all recitations and interpretations—refers to the messengers. It is also said that it refers to them and the believers: "The messengers and those who believed with them, Our victory came [to them]."

"So We saved whom We willed" Meaning, We saved them, and they are the messengers and those who believed in them. They were not specified in order to indicate that they are the ones who deserve that We will their salvation, and no one else shares it with them.

'Asim, Ibn Amir, and Ya'qub read fanjuttiya with one nun and a shaddah on the jim and an open ya, as a past passive verb, and man is the deputy subject. Mujahid, al-Hasan, al-Jahdari, Talha, and Ibn Hurmuz read it the same way, except they made the ya quiescent. This is explained as the verb also being in the past, as in the previous reading, except the ya was made quiescent according to the dialect of those who find movement on the ya heavy absolutely, such as those who read mā tuṭ'imūna ahlīkum with a quiescent ya. It is said the origin is nunajji with two nuns, then the nun was assimilated into the jim. Abu Hayyan rejected this, saying it is not assimilated into it, but it was countered that some have gone to the permissibility of its assimilation. This reading is reported from al-Kisa'i and Nafi'.

A group read as the rest of the seven with two nuns, as the imperfect of anja (nunajjī), except they opened the ya. Hubayrah reported it from Hafs from 'Asim. Ibn 'Atiyyah claimed that this is a mistake by Hubayrah, as there is no basis for the opening of the ya. However, the basis is apparent; they mentioned that the conditional and the result can be followed by the imperfect verb in the subjunctive mood, with the implied an after the fa, such as the reading of those who read wa in tubdū mā fī anfusikum aw tukhfūhu yuḥāsibkum bihi-llāhu fayaghfira (with the nasb of yaghfira). There is no difference in that between the conditional particle being jazimah (jussive) or not.

Nasr ibn 'Asim, Abu Haywah, Ibn al-Sumayqa', 'Isa al-Basri, Ibn Muhaysin, and likewise al-Hasan and Mujahid in one narration, read fanajā as a past tense, lightened, and man as its subject. It is narrated from Ibn Muhaysin that he read it likewise, except he added shaddah to the jim, and the subject then is the pronoun of victory, and man is the object.

The reading of 'Asim and those with him has been preferred because the codices agree on drawing it with one nun. Makki said: "Most of the codices are upon it," which implies a disagreement in the drawing, and the narration of agreement is reported from al-Ja'bari, Ibn al-Jazari, and others. From al-Ja'bari, the reading of those who read with two nuns conforms to the drawing by implication, because the second nun is quiescent, hidden (ikhfa') at the jim, just as it is hidden at the sad and za' in lan-nansura. Ikhfa' is because it is a concealment that resembles assimilation in being a removal; just as it is dropped during assimilation, it is dropped during ikhfa'. Indeed, according to him, it is more deserving due to the connection.

From Abu Haywah, it is reported that he read fanjī man yashā'u with the ya of the third person, i.e., whoever Allah wills his salvation.

"And Our punishment is not turned back from the criminal people." When it descends upon them. This is a clarification of who the "will" relates to, because it is known from the opposition that they are those who are not criminals. Al-Hasan read ba'suhu with the third-person pronoun, meaning the punishment of Allah. It is not hidden what the sentence contains of threat and warning to the contemporaries of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).