12:56 Yusuf (Joseph)

{ وَكَذَلِكَ } أي: بهذه الأسباب والمقدمات المذكورة، { مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ } في عيش رغد، ونعمة واسعة، وجاه عريض، { نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَنْ نَشَاءُ } أي: هذا من رحمة الله بيوسف التي أصابه بها وقدرها له، وليست مقصورة على نعمة الدنيا.{ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ } ويوسف عليه السلام من سادات المحسنين، فله في الدنيا حسنة وفي الآخرة حسنة

أي أرض مصر " يتبوأ منها حيث يشاء " قال السدي وعبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم: يتصرف فيها كيف يشاء وقال ابن جرير: يتخذ منها منزلا حيث يشاء بعد الضيق والحبس والإسار " نصيب برحمتنا من نشاء ولا نضيع أجر المحسنين " أي وما أضعنا صبر يوسف على أذى إخوته وصبره على الحبس بسبب امرأة العزيز فلهذا أعقبه الله عز وجل السلام النصر والتأييد " ولا نضيع أجر المحسنين ولأجر الآخرة خير للذين أمنوا وكانوا يتقون " يخبر تعالى أن ما ادخره الله تعالى لنبيه يوسف عليه السلام في الدار الآخرة أعظم وأكثر وأجل مما خوله من التصرف والنفوذ في الدنيا كقوله في حق سليمان عليه السلام " هذا عطائنا فامنن أو أمسك بغير حساب وإن له عندنا لزلفى وحسن مآب " والغرض أن يوسف عليه السلام ولاه ملك مصر الريان بن الوليد الوزارة في بلاد مصر مكان الذي اشتراه من مصر زوج التي راودته وأسلم الملك على يدي يوسف عليه السلام قال مجاهد وقال محمد بن إسحاق: لما قال يوسف للملك " اجعلني على خزائن الأرض إني حفيظ عليم " قال الملك قد فعلت فولاه فيما ذكروا عمل اطفير وعزل اطفير عما كان عليه يقول الله عز وجل " وكذلك مكنا ليوسف في الأرض يتبوأ منها حيث يشاء نصيب برحمتنا من نشاء ولا نضيع أجر المحسنين " قال فذكر لي والله أعلم أن اطفير هلك في تلك الليالي وأن الملك الريان بن الوليد زوج يوسف امرأه اطفير راعيل وأنها حين دخلت عليه قال لها: أليس هذا خيرا مما كنت تردين؟ قال فيزعمون أنها قالت أيها الصديق لا تلمني فإني كنت امرأة كما نرى حسناء جميلة ناعمة في ملك وديا وكان صاحبي لا يأتي النساء وكنت كما جعلك الله في حسنك وهيئتك على ما رأيت فيزعمون أنه وجدها عذراء فأصابها فولدت له رجلين أفرايثيم بن يوسف وميشا بن يوسف وولد لأفرايثيم نون والد يوشع بن نون ورحمة امرأه أيوب عليه السلام وقال الفضيل بن عياض وقفت امرأة العزيز على ظهر الطريق حتى مر يوسف فقالت: الحمد لله الذي جعل العبيد ملوكا بطاعته والملوك عبيدا بمعصيته.

Yusuf's Reign in Egypt

Allah said next,

وَكَذلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(Thus did We give full authority to Yusuf in the land), in Egypt,

يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ

(to take possession therein, when or where he likes.) As-Suddi and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that this part of the Ayah means, "To do whatever he wants therein." Ibn Jarir at Tabari said that it means, "He used to move about freely in the land after being imprisoned, suffering from hardship and the disgrace of slavery." Allah said next,

نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ وَلاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(We bestow of Our mercy on whom We will, and We make not to be lost the reward of the good doers.) Allah says here, We did not let the patience of Yusuf, from the harm his brothers exerted on him and being imprisoned because of the wife of the `Aziz, to be lost. Instead, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored rewarded him with His aid and victory,

وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ وَلاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ - وَلاّجْرُ الاٌّخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ

(And We make not to be lost the reward of the good doers. And verily, the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believed and had Taqwa.) Allah states that what He has prepared for His Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him, in the Hereafter is much greater, subs- tantial and honored than the authority He gave him in this life. Allah said about His Prophet Sulayman (Solomon), peace be upon him,

هَـذَا عَطَآؤُنَا فَامْنُنْ أَوْ أَمْسِكْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ - وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِندَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَـَابٍ

("This is Our gift, so spend or withhold, no account will be asked of you." And verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good (final) return (Paradise).) 38:39-40 Yusuf, peace be upon him, was appointed minister of finance by Ar-Rayyan bin Al-Walid, king of Egypt at the time, instead of the `Aziz who bought him and the husband of she who tried to seduce him. The king of Egypt embraced Islam at the hands of Yusuf, peace be upon him, according to Mujahid.

Thus in the same way that We were graceful towards Him by delivering him from prison We established Joseph in the land the land of Egypt that he may settle in it wherever he wished after having suffered hardship and imprisonment. According to the story the king crowned him gave him a signet-ring to wear and appointed him in place of the Court officer whom he removed from his position and who later died; and so he the king made him Joseph take the latter’s spouse as a wife. He Joseph discovered that she was still a virgin and she bore him two children. He Joseph established justice in Egypt and people became subject to him. We confer Our mercy on whomever We will and We do not waste the wage of the virtuous.

The Objective of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was to Establish the Din of Allah.

Said in verse 55 was:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ ۚ نُصِيبُ بِرَ‌حْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَاءُ ۖ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ‌ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

And thus We gave Yusuf (علیہ السلام) power in the land. He could settle there wherever he wished. We extend Our mercy to whomsoever We will, and We do not waste the reward of those who are good in deeds.

For details, it can be said that, after an experimental period of one year, the king of Egypt arranged a special celebration in his court to which he invited all officials and dignitaries of the state. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was brought into the gathering with a crown on his head. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was given, not simply the charge of the state treasury, but the charge of virtually the whole state. Having done this, the king him-self retired from active involvement with the affairs of the state. (Qurtubi, Mazhari and others)

Sayyidna Yusuf علیہ السلام managed the affairs of the state with such ability that no one had any reason to complain. The whole country loved him. Peace and prosperity prevailed all over. Even Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) himself faced no problems or pains in executing the many responsibilities of the government.

Tafsir authority, Mujahid, has said: Since Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) under the surface grandeur of his rule over the country, aimed at nothing but that the command of Allah Ta ala be carried out there and that the faith given by Him becomes firmly established. Therefore, he never lost sight of his basic objective, that is, inviting the king of Egypt to faith and Islam. As time passed, his efforts bore fruits by the grace of Allah and the king of Egypt too became a believing Muslim.