Tafsir of Yusuf 12:5-6

Surah Yusuf (12:5-6)

Translation and Exegesis (Tafsir) based on Mafatih al-Ghayb (Fakhr al-Din al-Razi)

The verse contains several points of discussion:

Issue 1: Recitation Variant Hafs recited the word {أَوْ يُبْنَى} (or build) with a fatḥa (vowel 'a') on the yā’ (ي), while the rest of the reciters used a kasra (vowel 'i').

Issue 2: The Reason for Secrecy Ya'qub (Jacob, peace be upon him) intensely loved Yusuf (Joseph) and his brother (Benjamin). His other brothers envied them for this reason. This envy became apparent to Ya'qub through numerous signs. When Yusuf mentioned this dream—the interpretation of which was that his brothers and parents would prostrate to him—Ya'qub told him: "Do not tell them your dream, lest they plot against you with a plot." This is because they already understood the interpretation of such dreams and would be moved to malice.

Issue 3: The Meaning of Ru'yā (Dream) Al-Wahidi stated that Ru'yā (رؤيا) is a verbal noun (masdar) like bushrā (good tidings), suqyā (watering), and shūrā (consultation). However, since it became the specific name for what is perceived in sleep, it functions like a noun.

The author of Al-Kashshāf said: Ru'yā means ru'yah (vision), but it is specifically restricted to what occurs in sleep, not wakefulness. Thus, it is differentiated by the two feminine markers (the tā’ marbūṭah and the alif maqṣūrah), similar to how qirbah (waterskin) and qurbā (nearness) are distinguished.

It has also been recited as {رُؤْيَاك} (Rūyāk) by transposing the hamzah to a wāw. Al-Kisā’ī was heard reciting {رِيَاك} (Riyāk) and {رُيَاك} (Ruyāk) with idghām (assimilation) and varying the vowel on the rā’ (with ḍammah or kasrah), but these latter readings are weak.

The phrase: {فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا} (Lest they plot against you a plot) This is in the subjunctive mood (naṣb) due to the implied presence of an (that), meaning: If you narrate it to them, they will plot against you.

Inquiry: Why did he say {فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا} (plot for you a plot) instead of simply {فَيَكِيدُوكَ} (plot against you), as in the verse: {فَكِيدُونِي} (Plot against me) [Hud: 55]?

Answer: The lām (ل) here serves as an emphasis for the connection, similar to {لِلرُّؤْيَا تَعْبُرُونَ} (for the dream you interpret), or like saying "I advised you" (naṣaḥtuka) versus "I advised for you" (naṣaḥtu laka), or "I thanked you" versus "I thanked for you."

Alternatively, the lām is part of the construction of the kayd (plot), meaning: they will plot a plot for you.

The scholars of verification state that this phrasing indicates that they (the brothers) possessed knowledge of dream interpretation; otherwise, they would not have understood from this dream something that would incite hatred and anger.

The phrase: {إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ} (Indeed, Satan is to man an evident enemy) The reason for mentioning this is that if they proceeded to plot, that action would be attributed to Satan. This is analogous to Moses' statement: "This is the work of Satan."

Ya'qub (AS) intended this advice to explain the interpretation of that dream. They mentioned three matters:

First: {وَكَذَلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ} (And thus your Lord will choose you). This means: Just as He chose you with this great dream, which indicates nobility, glory, and high status, He will choose you for great matters. Al-Zajjaj said that ijtibā’ (choosing/selecting) is derived from jabaytu al-shay’ (I reserved the thing for myself), such as reserving water in a basin.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the intended meaning of this selection:

1. Al-Hasan said: Your Lord will choose you for Prophethood.
2. Others said: It means elevating his rank and magnifying his station. However, the text does not explicitly indicate the designation of Prophethood here.

Second: {وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ} (And teach you the interpretation of narratives/sayings). There are several interpretations for this:

1. It means the interpretation of dreams. It is called ta’wīl because it directs the matter (the dream) to what was seen in sleep—that is, the interpretation of people's dreams. It is said that Yusuf (AS) reached the utmost limit in the knowledge of interpretation.
2. It means the interpretation of the narratives found in God's Books and the reports transmitted from previous Prophets, just as a scholar of our time engages in interpreting the Qur'an and interpreting the Hadiths transmitted from the Prophet (PBUH).
3. Al-Aḥādīth (narratives) is the plural of ḥadīth (event/occurrence). Their ta’wīl (ultimate meaning) is their destination (ma’āl). The destination of all occurrences is God's Power, Creation, and Wisdom. Thus, the meaning is how to deduce, from the various spiritual and physical creations, God's Power, Wisdom, and Majesty.

Third: {وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى آلِ يَعْقُوبَ} (And complete His favor upon you and upon the family of Ya'qub).

Discussion on the Completion of Favor (Itmām al-Ni'mah)

If one interprets the selection (ijtibā’) as Prophethood, they cannot interpret the completion of favor (itmām al-ni'mah) here as Prophethood as well, as that would result in redundancy. Instead, they interpret the completion of favor here as the blessings of this world and the blessings of the Hereafter.

• Worldly Blessings: Abundance of children, servants, followers, expansion in wealth, status, retinue, reverence in the hearts of people, and good praise and commendation.
• Hereafter Blessings: Abundant knowledge, virtuous character traits, and deep immersion in the knowledge of God Almighty.

However, if one interprets the selection (ijtibā’) as attaining high ranks (without specifying Prophethood), then they interpret the completion of favor here as Prophethood. This is supported by two points:

1. The completion of favor refers to that by which a favor becomes perfect and complete, devoid of any deficiency. For human beings, nothing achieves this perfection except Prophethood, as all other stations of humanity are deficient compared to the station of prophethood. Thus, absolute perfection and absolute completion for humans is only Prophethood.
2. The phrase: {كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَى أَبَوَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ} (As He completed it upon your two forefathers before, Abraham and Isaac). It is known that the perfect favor that distinguished Abraham and Isaac from other humans was Prophethood. Therefore, the meaning of completing the favor must be Prophethood.

Implications of Interpreting Favor as Prophethood

If we interpret the completion of favor as Prophethood, it necessitates that all of Ya'qub's children were Prophets. This is because the verse states: {وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى آلِ يَعْقُوبَ} (And complete His favor upon you and upon the family of Ya'qub), implying that the completion of favor occurred for the family of Ya'qub. If the meaning of completing the favor is Prophethood, it must apply to his family.

This leads to a problem regarding his sons, as they committed the act against Yusuf (AS). Furthermore, Yusuf (AS) said: {إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا} (Indeed, I saw eleven stars), which was interpreted as eleven individuals possessing virtue and perfection, whose knowledge and religion the people of the earth seek guidance from—since nothing is more luminous than the stars by which one is guided. This implies that the entirety of Ya'qub's children were Prophets and Messengers.

Inquiry: How can they be Prophets when they committed what they committed against Yusuf (AS)?

Answer: That incident occurred before prophethood. In our view, infallibility (‘iṣmah) is only considered binding during the time of prophethood, not before it.

Second Opinion: The meaning of {وَيُتِمَّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ} is his deliverance from tribulations. The analogy with Abraham and Isaac is that God favored Abraham by saving him from the fire, and He favored his son Isaac by saving him from slaughter.

Third Opinion: The completion of favor is connecting God's favor upon him in this world with the favors of the Hereafter, by making them Prophets and kings in this world, and then transferring them from there to the highest degrees in Paradise.

Conclusion on the Correct View The correct view is the First Opinion, because the perfect favor for human beings is nothing other than Prophethood; everything else is deficient in comparison to it.

When God promised him these three degrees, He concluded the speech with: {إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ} (Indeed, your Lord is Knowing, Wise).

• {عَلِيمٌ} (Knowing) points to the verse: {اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ} (Allah knows best where to place His message) [Al-An'am: 124].
• {حَكِيمٌ} (Wise) indicates that God Almighty is sanctified from foolishness and frivolity; He places prophethood only in a pure soul and an enlightened, lofty essence.

Inquiry on Ya'qub's Certainty Were the glad tidings Ya'qub (AS) gave definitive proof of their occurrence, or not?

• If he was certain, how could he grieve for Yusuf, how could he be deceived that the wolf ate him, how could he fear his brothers would destroy him, and how could he say to his brothers: "I fear the wolf will eat him while you are heedless of him," if he knew God would choose him and make him a Messenger?
• If we say he was not certain of these matters, how could he affirm them with certainty and judge their occurrence decisively without hesitation?

Answer: It is not impossible that his statement {وَكَذَلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ} was conditional upon them not plotting against him, as that warning was mentioned previously.

Furthermore, even if we assume he was certain that Yusuf (AS) would reach these high stations, it is not impossible that he would pass through severe hardships first, then be saved and reach those stations. His fear would then be for this reason. The meaning of his statement: {وَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ الذِّئْبُ} (And I fear the wolf will eat him) [Yusuf: 13] would be to deter them from being negligent in guarding him, even if he knew the wolf would not actually harm him.

{لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ * إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ}

Indeed, in Joseph and his brothers there were signs for those who ask. When they said, "Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we, though we are a strong group. Indeed, our father is clearly in error."