12:22 Yusuf (Joseph)

أي: { وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ } يوسف { أَشُدَّهُ } أي: كمال قوته المعنوية والحسية، وصلح لأن يتحمل الأحمال الثقيلة، من النبوة والرسالة. { آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا } أي: جعلناه نبيا رسولا، وعالما ربانيا، { وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ } في عبادة الخالق ببذل الجهد والنصح فيها، وإلى عباد الله ببذل النفع والإحسان إليهم، نؤتيهم من جملة الجزاء على إحسانهم علما نافعا. ودل هذا، على أن يوسف وفَّى مقام الإحسان، فأعطاه الله الحكم بين الناس والعلم الكثير والنبوة.

وقوله " ولما بلغ " أي يوسف عليه السلام " أشده " أي استكمل عقله وتم خلقه " آتيناه حكما وعلما " يعني النبوة أنه حباه بها بين أولئك الأقوام " وكذلك نجزي المحسنين " أي إنه كان محسنا في عمله عاملا بطاعة الله تعالى وقد اختلف في مقدار المدة التي بلغ فيها أشده فقال ابن عباس ومجاهد وقتادة: ثلاث وثلاثون سنة وعن ابن عباس بضع وثلاثون وقال الضحاك عشرون وقال الحسن أربعون سنة وقال عكرما خمس وعشرون سنة وقال السدي ثلاثون سنة وقال سعيد بن جبير ثمانية عشر سنة وقال الإمام مالك وربيعة بن زيد بن أسلم والشعبي الأشد الحلم وقيل غير دلك والله أعلم.

Yusuf in Egypt

Allah mentions the favors that He granted Yusuf, peace be on him, by which He made the man from Egypt who bought him, take care of him and provide him with a comfortable life. He also ordered his wife to be kind to Yusuf and had good hopes for his future, because of his firm righteous behavior. He said to his wife,

أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَاهُ عَسَى أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا

(Make his stay comfortable, maybe he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son.) The man who bought Yusuf was the minister of Egypt at the time, and his title was `Aziz'. Abu Ishaq narrated that Abu `Ubaydah said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "Three had the most insight: the `Aziz of Egypt, who said to his wife,

أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَاهُ

(Make his stay comfortable...), the woman who said to her father,

يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ

(O my father! Hire him...), 28:26 and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he appointed `Umar bin Al-Khattab to be the Khalifah after him, may Allah be pleased with them both." Allah said next that just as He saved Yusuf from his brothers,

كَذَلِكَمَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(Thus did We establish Yusuf in the land), in reference to Egypt,

وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الاٌّحَادِيثِ

(that We might teach him the interpretation of events.) the interpretation of dreams, according to Mujahid and As-Suddi. Allah said next,

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ

(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) if He wills something, then there is no averting His decision, nor can it ever be stopped or contradicted. Rather, Allah has full power over everything and everyone else. Sa`id bin Jubayr said while commenting on Allah's statement,

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ

(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) "He does what ever He wills." Allah said,

وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most of men know not.) meaning, have no knowledge of Allah's wisdom with regards to His creation, compassion and doing what He wills. Allah said next,

وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ

(And when he attained), in reference to Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him,

أَشُدَّهُ

(his full manhood), sound in mind and perfect in body,

آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا

(We gave him wisdom and knowledge), which is the prophethood that Allah sent him with for the people he lived among,

وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(thus We reward the doers of good.) because Yusuf used to do good in the obedience of Allah the Exalted.

And when he reached his prime — which was at 30 or 33 years of age — We gave him power of judgement wisdom and knowledge understanding in matters of religion before his call to prophethood. Thus just as We rewarded him We reward those who are virtuous to the good of their souls.

In the first sentence of the second verse (22), it is said: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا (And when he reached at the prime of his age, We gave him wisdom and knowledge ... ).

At what age did he reach the prime of his age? In this, commentators differ. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah رحمۃ اللہ علیہم say that his age was thirty three years. Dalhhak jw SII ,~ ~j puts it at twenty, and Hasan al-Basri (رح) at forty. However, all of them agree that the bestowing of wisdom and knowledge upon him referred to at this place means the bestowal of Nubuwwah, the station of prophethood. This also tells us that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was invested with Nubuwwah much later than his arrival in Egypt - and the Wahy (revelation) sent to him while he was in the depth of the well was not the Wahy (revelation) technically identified with Nubuwwah. Instead of that, it was a revelation in the literal sense which can also be sent to non-prophets - as it has appeared in the case of the mother of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) ، and about Sayyidah Maryam.

In the second sentence of the second verse (22), it was said: وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ (and this is how We reward those good in deeds). The sense is that delivering Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) from elimination and making him reach the office of power and honour was an outcome of his righteousness, fear of Allah and good deeds. This was something not restricted to his person alone. In fact, whoever acts the way he did, shall receive the blessings of Allah in the same fashion.