Surah Yusuf (Joseph): Verses 50–52

Verse 50

When the cupbearer returned to the King and presented Joseph’s interpretation, the King approved and commanded: "Bring him to me!" This indicates the virtue of knowledge, as God made Joseph’s knowledge the means of his deliverance from worldly tribulation. How much more so should knowledge be the means of salvation from tribulations in the Hereafter!

The cupbearer returned to Joseph and told him, "Answer the King." Joseph refused to leave the prison until his case was fully investigated and the accusation completely cleared.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "I marvel at Joseph’s nobility, patience, and forbearance. May God forgive him! If I had been in his place, I would not have told them [the interpretation of the dream] until I had stipulated my release. And I marvel at him when the messenger came and said, {Return to your Lord}; if I had been in his place, after being imprisoned for so long, I would have hastened to answer and rushed to the door, offering excuses, for he was a patient and forbearing man."

What Joseph did—showing patience and waiting until the King investigated his situation—was fitting for prudence and intellect, for several reasons:

1. Clearing His Name: If he had left immediately, some trace of the accusation might have remained in the King's heart. By requesting an investigation into the incident, he demonstrated his innocence, ensuring that no one could later tarnish his reputation with that vice.
2. Demonstrating Character: For a man imprisoned for twelve years to be summoned by the King and ordered released, yet still delay his departure, showed the utmost intellect, patience, and steadfastness. This would lead the King to believe him innocent of all accusations and conclude that everything said against him was false slander.
3. Proving Purity: His request for the King to investigate the women also indicated his extreme purity. If he had been tainted in any way, he would have feared the mention of past events.
4. Correcting Past Action: When he first told the cupbearer, {Mention me to your lord}, he remained in prison for several more years due to this request. Here, when the King summoned him, he paid no heed to the summons and focused instead on establishing his innocence. Perhaps his intention was to ensure that his heart was not attached to the King's acceptance or rejection. This action served as a rectification for his previous request, showing the cupbearer—who was the intermediary in both instances—that the priority was clearing his name.

Regarding the phrase: {And the king said, "Bring him to me." So when the messenger came to him...}

Issue 1: Recitations

• Ibn Kathir and Al-Kisai recited {فاسأله} (Fas’alhu - Ask him) without the hamza (glottal stop). The rest recited it with the hamza ({فاسأله}).
• ‘Asim, via Abu Bakr’s narration, recited {النسوة} (An-Niswa) with a dammah on the noon. The rest recited it with a kasrah (An-Niswa). Both are valid linguistic forms.

Issue 2: Subtleties in the Verse

1. The meaning is that Joseph told the messenger to ask the King about the affair of those women who cut their hands to know the truth regarding the accusation. However, the text only mentions asking about the incident to avoid phrasing it as a direct command for the King to perform an action.
2. He only mentioned the other women, not the mistress (Zulaikha), even though she was the one who sought to have him imprisoned for a long time.
3. It appears those women accused him of a heinous act before the King. Joseph limited his statement to, {What is the matter with the women who cut their hands?}, without detailing their specific accusations against him.

Then Joseph added: {Indeed, my Lord is knowing of their plot.}

Regarding the meaning of {Indeed, my Lord} (Inna Rabbī):

1. First View: It refers to God Almighty, as He is the Knower of hidden matters.
2. Second View: It refers to the King, whom he called his Rabb (Lord/Sustainer) because the King was his nurturer/master in that context. This implies that the King was aware of their plot.

Their plot against him could mean several things:

1. Each woman might have desired him, and when she failed to achieve her goal, she began to slander him and attribute evil deeds to him.
2. Perhaps each woman intensely encouraged Joseph to comply with her mistress’s desire. Joseph knew that such treachery against a benefactor (the husband) was impermissible, so his statement, {Indeed, my Lord is knowing of their plot}, alluded to their intense encouragement toward that betrayal.
3. They devised various tricks and schemes to make Joseph appear ugly in the King's eyes. This meaning is also intended.

God recounts that when Joseph requested this, the King ordered the women brought and asked them: {What was your concern when you sought to seduce Joseph from himself?}

There are two interpretations for the phrase {when you sought to seduce Joseph from himself} (idh rāwad-tuna):

1. Although phrased in the plural, it refers to a single person, similar to the verse: {Those who said to the people, "Indeed, the people have gathered against you"} (Aal Imran: 173).
2. It refers to addressing the group collectively.

Furthermore, there are two possibilities regarding the seduction itself:

1. Each woman seduced Joseph for herself.
2. Each woman seduced Joseph on behalf of the wife of Al-‘Aziz (Zulaikha).

The wording allows for all these interpretations. In response to this question, they said: {Far be it from God! We know nothing bad of him.} This confirms what they had initially stated about him: {This is not a mere mortal! This is but a noble angel!} (Yusuf: 31).

Verse 51

The wife of Al-‘Aziz was present and knew that these debates and investigations occurred because of her. She then uncovered the veil and stated the truth plainly: {Now the truth has been established. I seduced him from himself, and indeed, he is of the truthful.}

Issue 1: The Significance of Her Confession This is a decisive testimony from that woman that Joseph (peace be upon him) was innocent of all sins and purified from all defects.

There is a subtle point here: Joseph had shown consideration for the wife of Al-‘Aziz by mentioning {the women who cut their hands} but omitting any mention of her. She recognized that he omitted her name out of respect for her status and to conceal the matter from her. She wished to reciprocate this good deed, so she removed all veils and confessed that the entire fault lay with her and that Joseph was completely innocent.

A related anecdote: In some books, it is mentioned that a woman brought her husband to a judge, claiming her mahr (dower). The judge ordered her face unveiled so witnesses could testify. The husband said, "There is no need for that; I confess she is truthful in her claim." The woman then said, "Since he has honored me to this extent, bear witness that I absolve him of every right I have over him."

Issue 2: Meaning of Haṣhaṣa al-Ḥaqq Linguists say that haṣhaṣa al-ḥaqq means: it became clear, it was revealed, and it became firmly established in hearts and minds. This is derived from the phrase haṣhaṣa al-ba'īr fī burūkihi (the camel settled firmly in its resting place). Al-Zajjaj said its linguistic derivation is from ḥissah (a portion), meaning the portion of truth became distinct from the portion of falsehood.

Issue 3: Whose Words are {That is so that he [the King] may know that I have not betrayed him in secret}? There are differing opinions:

• First Opinion (The Majority): These are the words of Joseph (peace be upon him). Al-Farrā’ argued that connecting the speech of one person to another is not impossible if the context indicates it, citing verses like: {Indeed, kings, when they enter a city, they ruin it...} (An-Naml: 34), which is the speech of Bilqis (the Queen of Sheba).

• Remaining Questions under this view: * Q1: Why the distant pronoun dhālika (that)? It refers to a present event. We answered this in the commentary on {That is the Book} (Al-Baqarah: 2). Alternatively, dhālika refers to his action of sending the messenger back, meaning: "That action I took (sending the messenger back) was so that he [the King] might know that I have not betrayed the master [the husband] in his absence." * Q2: When did Joseph say this? ‘Ata narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that Joseph said this upon entering the King’s presence, using the third person out of respect for the King. However, the more appropriate view is that he said it upon the messenger's return, as saying this in the King's presence might be considered impolite. * Q3: The betrayal was against the husband (‘Aziz), so why does he say, "I have not betrayed him in secret"? It is said the meaning is: "so that the King may know that I have not betrayed the ‘Aziz in his absence." Another view is that betraying the minister is, in some sense, betraying the ruler. A third view is that when the cupbearer returned to Joseph in prison, Joseph said this so the ‘Aziz would know he had not betrayed him in secret. He concluded with {And that God does not guide the plot of the treacherous}, implying that if he had been treacherous, God would not have saved him from this predicament; His salvation proves his innocence.

• Second Opinion: These are the words of the wife of Al-‘Aziz. The meaning is: "Although I blamed him in his presence, I did not blame him in his absence [while he was in prison]; meaning, I did not speak falsely about him when he was imprisoned." She strongly affirmed the truth with this statement, adding: {And that God does not guide the plot of the treacherous}, meaning: "Since I engaged in plotting and deceit, I was consequently disgraced, and since he was innocent, God purified him."
  • The proponent of this view argues that Joseph could not have been present in that assembly when the women were questioned and confessed, for him to then say, {That is so that he may know...}. This would require the messenger to return to the prison, relay the story, and then Joseph would speak. Such a connection between two unrelated speeches is unprecedented in prose or poetry, proving this statement belongs to the wife of Al-‘Aziz.

Issue 4: Proofs of Joseph’s Purity This verse indicates Joseph’s purity from sin in many ways:

1. When the King sent for Joseph, if Joseph had committed a shameful act or sin, it would be contrary to custom and reason for him to ask the King to investigate the matter. If he had sinned and then asked for an investigation, he would be seeking to expose himself and renew defects that had become hidden. A rational person would not do this, especially since he was known to be intelligent, even if his infallibility or prophethood was doubted.
2. The women testified to his purity twice: first, {This is not a mere mortal! This is but a noble angel!} (Yusuf: 31), and second, {We know nothing bad of him.}
3. The wife of Al-‘Aziz testified to his purity twice: first, {And I certainly sought to seduce him from himself, and he sought refuge in God} (Yusuf: 32), and second, in this verse.

This verse further proves his purity:

1. The woman’s statement: {I seduced him from himself}.
2. Her statement: {and indeed, he is of the truthful}, confirming his statement: {She is the one who sought to seduce me from myself} (Yusuf: 26).
3. Joseph’s statement: {That is so that he may know that I have not betrayed him in secret}. (The Hāshawiyyah [a derogatory term for certain groups] claim that Gabriel said to Joseph upon this, "When I intended to do it," but this narration is malicious, unverified in any reliable book, and they insert it here to distort the apparent meaning of the Qur'an.)
4. Her statement: {And that God does not guide the plot of the treacherous}, meaning the plotter must be exposed. If Joseph were treacherous, he should have been exposed. Since he was not exposed and God saved him, this proves he was not among the treacherous.

The Strongest Argument: At this point, the incident was forgotten, and the tribulation was over. For Joseph to say, {That is so that he may know that I have not betrayed him in secret}—when the greatest form of betrayal was committed against him—would be an act of immense impudence and a great lie, serving no benefit whatsoever. Such shamelessness is unbecoming of any rational person, let alone the master of the rational and the exemplar of the pure. Thus, this verse definitively proves his innocence from what the ignorant and the Hāshawiyyah claim.

Verse 52

(This verse is analyzed above under Issue 3 of Verse 51, depending on whether it is attributed to Joseph or the wife of Al-‘Aziz.)

Verse 53

{And I do not absolve myself; indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon whom my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.}

This statement is attributed to Joseph (peace be upon him).

Meaning: Joseph acknowledges that while he was innocent of the specific charge (the attempted seduction), the human soul (nafs) inherently inclines toward evil. He attributes his successful resistance not to his own strength or inherent purity, but solely to the mercy of God. This demonstrates profound humility, recognizing that only divine grace prevented him from succumbing to temptation, even though he was a Prophet.