Tafsir of Yusuf 12:50

(And the King said), after the messenger—the interpreter—had returned with the interpretation and had heard from him what he had heard, down to the most minute detail, (Bring him to me), because he saw his knowledge, his excellence, and his reports regarding matters known only to the Subtle, the All-Aware.

(So when the messenger came to him), that is, Yusuf, peace be upon him—and he was his companion who had sought his interpretation and said to him: "The King wishes for you to come out to him"—(He said, "Return to your master"), meaning your lord, the King, (and ask him, "What is the case of the women who cut their hands?"). That is, investigate their affair and their state. He did not say, "Ask him to investigate," so as to urge the King to exercise diligence in the inquiry, in order that his innocence might be proven and his integrity clarified. For asking a person about something serves to stimulate and incite them to search, as one disdains ignorance. Had he said, "Ask him to investigate," it would have been an incitement for him to examine the matter, yet it would have contained a boldness toward him; he might have refused and paid no heed.

He did not mention the wife of Al-Aziz, even though she was the principal actor, out of politeness and nobility; it was precisely this that later compelled her to confess his integrity and the innocence of his character. It has also been said: he avoided mentioning her out of caution against her deceit, as he believed she remained in her old state of corruption. As for the women, he hoped they would speak the truth and testify by admitting that she had enticed him and that he had remained chaste. For this reason, he limited his description to them having "cut their hands," and did not explicitly state that they had enticed him, suffice it with the allusion to that in his saying: (Indeed, my Lord is All-Knowing of their guile.)

(Out of courtesy toward them and caution against their evil speech), and their rising up—when they were summoned to the King—to dispute on their own behalf, should they hear him attribute corruption to them. In Al-Kashshaf, it is mentioned that he, peace be upon him, meant by this that it is a great plot known only to Allah the Exalted, or that he invoked the knowledge of Allah as a witness that they had plotted against him and that he was innocent of the false accusation leveled against him, or that he intended a warning to them—that is, "He is knowing of their plot and will requite them for it."

The limitation to the first interpretation arises from the proximity of "My Lord" to the intended meaning, acknowledging His capability to inform the King, or from the requirements of the situation. For when he urges him to ask, then attributes knowledge to Allah, he demonstrates His greatness and that the core of the matter is beyond the expectation of human attainment. However, that which cannot be fully achieved should not be entirely abandoned; this is the intended direction, and it contains additional suspense and incentive to investigate the matter. The sentence, in this view, is a completion of his saying, "Ask him..." etc.

"Guile" (kayd) is the name for what they plotted against him. According to the second interpretation, it is a concluding statement as if to say: "Urge him to investigate, and his innocence will become clear to him, for Allah, Glory be to Him, knows that this was a plot from them; and if it was a plot, he is inevitably innocent." "Guile" is the event itself. Under the third, it encompasses both. The meaning is to incite the King to anger on his behalf and take revenge against them. Otherwise, the speech would not be coherent, nor would it correspond to the nobility of Yusuf, peace be upon him—a nobility which our Prophet, peace be upon him, marveled at. Many have reported from Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas’ud that the Messenger, peace be upon him, said: "I have marveled at Yusuf, his nobility, and his patience—and may Allah forgive him—when he was asked about the lean and fat cows. Had I been in his place, I would not have answered them until I had stipulated that they release me. And I marveled at him when the messenger came to him and he said, 'Return to your master.' Had I been in his place, having stayed in prison as long as I did, I would have answered quickly and rushed to the door, and I would not have sought an excuse, for he was forbearing and patient."

His prayer for him, peace be upon him, is said to be an indication of choosing the "concession" (rukhsah) over the "determined resolve" (’azimah), which is prioritizing the right of Allah, through conveying monotheism and the Message, over the vindication of his own self. The scholar Al-Tayyibi categorized it as being like when you say to someone you venerate: "May Allah be pleased with you; what is your answer to my speech?" It is also said: one may say that there is, in the vindication of his self, a right of Allah; for when his innocence is established among them, what follows his words will be received with acceptance. It has been mentioned that effort in refuting accusations is obligatory, with the same obligation as avoiding standing in the places where accusations arise. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not stand in places of accusation."

Muslim recorded from the narration of Anas that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was with one of his wives when a man passed by. He called to him and said: "This is my wife." The man said: "O Messenger of Allah, of whom else would I think ill, if not you?" The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, replied: "Verily, Satan flows through the son of Adam like blood." Perhaps it was for this reason that Al-Zamakhshari—who had a missing foot—used to prove to judges that his foot had not been cut off as a punishment for a crime or corruption, but had fallen off due to frostbite he encountered during some travels. He would display the document from the judges in every city he entered, fearing evil suspicion. Perhaps Yusuf, peace be upon him, feared leaving while silent regarding the matter of his conviction, with his innocence not yet clearly established regarding that for which he was imprisoned and falsely accused, lest the envious ones climb to vilify his affair and make it a ladder to diminish his stature, causing people to look at him with contempt. In that case, his words would not attach to their hearts, and his call would not result in their acceptance; and in that lies a removal of the fruit from his mission.

As for what the Prophet, peace be upon him, mentioned ("Had I been in his place," etc.), it was out of his own humility, peace be upon him, and not that he would have truly rushed and hurried. Otherwise, the forbearance of the Prophet, peace be upon him, his endurance, and his concern for what would result in the acceptance of people—or the commands of Allah the Exalted—is a matter known to both the elite and the common people.

Ibn Atiyyah claimed that it is possible that he, peace be upon him, meant by "Lord" the King (Al-Aziz), as in his saying, "He is my Lord; He has made my dwelling pleasant." In that, there is an invocation of him and a reproof of him, but this is not substantial. Similar is the statement that the pronoun in "their guile" does not refer to the mentioned women, but to the genus (of women). So understand.

Abu Haywah and Abu Bakr from ‘Asim, in one narration, read Al-Niswah with the nun dammah (Al-Nuswah). A group read Al-La’i with a ya’, which is like Al-La’, the plural of allati.