Tafsir of Yusuf 12:37

When they asked him to interpret their dreams and described him as a man of excellence, he seized the opportunity. He followed this by describing himself with something even greater than the knowledge of scholars: the foretelling of the unseen. He would inform them of the food that was to be brought to them in prison before it arrived, describing it to them in detail, saying: "Today, food will come to you of such-and-such a description." They would then find it exactly as he had told them.

He made this a bridge to introduce the concept of Tawhid (monotheism) to them, presenting faith, adorning it in their eyes, and making polytheism appear repulsive. This is a method that every person of knowledge should employ with the ignorant and the corrupt: when one of them asks for a legal opinion (fatwa), one should first offer guidance, instruction, exhortation, and advice, calling them to what is more important and obligatory for them than the matter they asked about, and only then provide the answer.

In this, there is also a lesson: if a scholar’s status in knowledge is unknown, and he describes himself in a way that serves his purpose—so that others may benefit from him and gain religious insight—it is not considered self-praise. It is akin to explaining a difficult matter or clarifying its meaning.

"That" (dhalikuma): A reference to the interpretation, meaning that interpretation and the foretelling of the unseen "is of what my Lord has taught me" and revealed to me; I did not say it out of soothsaying or astrology.

"Indeed, I have abandoned": This may be an independent statement, or it may be the reason for what preceded it—meaning, He taught me and revealed it to me because I rejected the creed of those people and followed the creed of the aforementioned prophets, which is the Hanifi (monotheistic) creed. By "those who do not believe," he meant the people of Egypt and those whose religion the two youths followed. The repetition is to emphasize that they, in particular, disbelieved in the Hereafter, while others were people who believed in it—those who followed the creed of Abraham. It also serves to emphasize their disbelief in the final recompense, alerting them to the injustice and major sins they committed, which only one who disbelieves in the abode of recompense would commit. It may also contain an allusion to the affliction he suffered at their hands when they imprisoned him, despite having seen the signs testifying to his innocence—a deed only one who strongly disbelieves in the recompense would dare to do.

He mentioned his forefathers to show them that he was from a house of prophecy, after having already made them aware that he was a prophet to whom revelation was sent, through his foretelling of the unseen. This was to strengthen their desire to listen to him and follow his words.

"It is not for us": It is not appropriate for us, the community of prophets, "to associate anything with Allah"—whether it be an angel, a jinn, or a human, let alone associating with Him an idol that neither hears nor sees.

Then he said, "That"—this monotheism—"is from the favor of Allah upon us and upon the people"—that is, upon the messengers and those to whom they were sent, because the messengers alerted them to it and guided them toward it. "But most of the people" to whom they were sent "do not give thanks" for the favor of Allah, so they associate partners with Him and remain heedless. It is also said: It is from the favor of Allah upon us because He set up for us the proofs which we contemplate and by which we reason. He set up the same proofs for all people without distinction, but most people do not contemplate or reason, following their own desires instead, and thus remain disbelievers, ungrateful.

"O my two companions of the prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing? You do not worship besides Him except [mere] names you have named them—you and your fathers—for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command is only for Allah. He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know."