Surah 12. Yusuf

[Thereupon the King sent for those women; and when they came,] he asked: "What was it that you hoped to achieve when you sought to make Joseph yield himself unto you?"⁴⁹ The women answered: "God save us! We did not perceive the least evil [intention] on his part!" [And] the wife of Joseph's former master⁵⁰ exclaimed: "Now has the truth come to light! It was I who sought to make him yield himself unto me - whereas he, behold, was indeed speaking the truth!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Evidently, the King wanted to find out whether they had previously been encouraged by Joseph, or whether he was truly innocent. The noun khatb denotes "something that one has in view" or "desires" or "seeks to obtain"; and so the expression ma khatbukunna (lit., "what was it that you [really] had in view") may be suitably rendered as above.

Lit., "the wife of the great one (al-'aziz)".

The king questioned those women, saying: "What do you say about the incident when you attempted to seduce Yusuf?" They replied: "God forbid! We know of no evil on his part." The `Aziz's wife said: "Now that the truth has come to light, it was I who attempted to seduce him. In fact he is absolutely truthful."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The King asked 'the women', 'What did you get when you tried to seduce Joseph?' They replied, 'Allah forbid! We know nothing indecent about him.' Then the Chief Minister's wife admitted, 'Now the truth has come to light. It was I who tried to seduce him, and he is surely truthful.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He (the king) (then sent for those women and) said: What happened when ye asked an evil act of Joseph? They answered : Allah Blameless! We know no evil of him. Said the wife of the ruler: Now the truth is out. I asked of him an evil act, and he is surely of the truthful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(The king) said (to the ladies): "What was your affair when ye did seek to seduce Joseph from his (true) self?" The ladies said: "Allah preserve us! no evil know we against him!" Said the `Aziz's wife: "Now is the truth manifest (to all): it was I who sought to seduce him from his (true) self: he is indeed of those who are (ever) true (and virtuous). ^{1710 1711}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Joseph's message was conveyed by the messenger to the king, who sent for the ladies concerned. Among them came the wife of the 'Aziz. "What was this affair?" said the king: "Tell me the whole truth".

The wife of the 'Aziz stood by, while the other ladies answered. Their answer acknowledged the truth of Joseph's innocence and high principles. When they had done, she began. She did not mince matters. She acknowledged her own guilt, freely and frankly.

[When Joseph learned what had happened, he said:⁵¹ "I asked for] this, so that [my former master] might know that I did not betray him behind his back,⁵² and that God does not bless with His guidance the artful schemes of those who betray their trust.

  - Mohammad Asad

Some of the commentators (e.g., Ibn Kathir and, among the moderns, Rashid Rida' in Manar XII, 323 f.) regard this and the next verse as a continuation of the woman's confession; but the great majority of the classical authorities, including Tabari, Baghawi and Zamakhshari attribute the speech that follows unequivocally - and, in my opinion, most convincingly - to Joseph: hence my interpolation at the beginning of this verse.

Lit., "in [his] absence" or "in secret" (bi'l-ghayb).

Yusuf said, "By this inquiry I meant to let him (Al-Aziz) know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that Allah does not let the snare of the treacherous succeed."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

From this, Joseph should know that I did not speak dishonestly about him in his absence, for Allah certainly does not guide the scheming of the dishonest.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Then Joseph said: I asked for) this, that he (my lord) may know that I betrayed him not in secret, and that surely Allah guideth not the snare of the betrayers.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"This (say I) in order that he may know that I have never been false to him in his absence and that Allah will never guide the snare of the false ones. ¹⁷¹²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

I construe verses 52 and 53 to be a continuation of the speech of the 'Aziz's wife and have translated accordingly. There is both good reason and authority (e.g., Ibn Kathir) for this. But the majority of Commentators construe verses 52-53 to be spoken by Joseph, in which case they would mean that Joseph was referring to his fidelity to the 'Aziz, that he had never taken advantage of his absence to play false with his wife, although he (Joseph) was human and liable to err. In my view the 'Aziz's wife while fully reprobating her own guilty conduct, claims that she has at least been constant, and that she hopes for mercy, forgiveness, and the capacity to understand at last what true love is. Whatever false charge she made, she made it in a moment of passion and to his face, (never in cold blood, or behind his back). Guide the snare of the false ones, i.e. allow such snare to attain its goal. A) Ammara: prone, impelling, headstrong, passionate. See n. 5810 to lxxv. 2.

And yet, I am not trying to absolve myself: for, verily, man's inner self does incite [him] to evil,⁵³ and saved are only they upon whom my Sustainer bestows His grace.⁵⁴ Behold, my Sustainer is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "is indeed wont to command [the doing of] evil" - i.e., is filled with impulses which often conflict with what the mind regards as a moral good. This is obviously a reference to the statement in verse {24} above - "she desired him, and he desired her; [and he would have succumbed,] had he not seen [in this temptation] an evidence of his Sustainer's truth" - as well as to Joseph's prayer in verse {33}, "unless Thou turn away their guile from me, I might yet yield to their allure". (See also note [23] above.) Joseph's stress on the weakness inherent in human nature is a sublime expression of humility on the part of one who himself had overcome that very weakness: for, as the sequence shows, he attributes his moral victory not to himself but solely to the grace and mercy of God.

Lit., "except those upon whom...", etc. According to most of the commentators, the pronoun ma (lit., "that which") is here synonymous with man ("he who" or "those who").

"Not that I am free from sin - man's soul is prone to evil, except the one to whom my Rabb has shown mercy, certainly my Rabb is Forgiving, Merciful".

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And I do not seek to free myself from blame, for indeed the soul is ever inclined to evil, except those shown mercy by my Lord. Surely my Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

I do not exculpate myself. Lo! the (human) soul enjoineth unto evil, save that whereon my Lord hath mercy. My Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame): the (human soul) is certainly prone to evil unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy: but surely certainly my Lord is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful." ¹⁷¹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

See n. 1712. I construe this verse to be a continuation of the speech of the wife of the 'Aziz. It is more appropriate to her than to Joseph.

And the King said: "Bring him unto me, so that I may attach him to my own person." And when he had spoken with him, [the King] said: "Behold, [from] this day thou shalt be of high standing with us, invested with all trust!"

  - Mohammad Asad

The king said: "Bring him to me; I will take him for my special service." When Yusuf had a talk with the King, he said: "From now on, you have an honorable place with us, and you will enjoy our full confidence."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The King said, 'Bring him to me. I will employ him exclusively in my service.' And when Joseph spoke to him, the King said, 'Today you are highly esteemed and fully trusted by us.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And the king said: Bring him unto me that I may attach him to my person. And when he had talked with him he said: Lo! thou art today our presence established and trusted.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So the king said: "Bring him unto me; I will take him specially to serve about my own person." Therefore when he had spoken to him he said: "Be assured this day thou art before our own Presence with rank firmly established and fidelity fully proved!" ^{1714 1715}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Joseph had not yet appeared before the king. The king's order in the same terms in verse 50 above had led to a message from Joseph and the subsequent public proceedings with the ladies. Now that Joseph's innocence, wisdom, truth, and trustworthiness had been Proved, and confirmed by the splendid tribute of the courtier's wife, and Joseph's own manly bearing before the king, the king was much impressed, and took him specially to serve about his own person as his trusty and confidential Wazir. If, as is probable, the 'Aziz had by this time died (for he is never mentioned again) Joseph succeeded to his office, and he is addressed as 'Aziz in verse 78 below. But Joseph got more than his rank and powers, as specially selected to carry out a great emergency policy to meet the very difficult times of depression that were foretold. He was given plenary powers and the fullest confidence that a king could give to his most trusted and best-proved Wazir or Prime Minister, with special access to his Person, like a Grand Chamberlain.

Who was this Pharaoh, and what approximate date could we assign to him? He was probably a king of the Hyksos Dynasty, somewhere between the 19th and the 17th century B.C.

[Joseph] replied: "Place in my charge the store-houses of the land; behold, I shall be a good and knowing keeper."⁵⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

By making this request, Joseph wanted to assure an efficient build-up of grain reserves during the coming years of plenty, knowing well that they would be followed by seven years of scarcity. It is obvious from the sequence that his request was granted, and that he was able to fulfil the task which he had set himself.

Yusuf said: "Place me over all the resources of the land. Certainly I know how to manage; I have the necessary knowledge."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Joseph proposed, 'Put me in charge of the store-houses of the land, for I am truly reliable and adept.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Set me over the storehouses of the land. Lo! I am a skilled custodian.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(Joseph) said: "Set me over the storehouses of the land: I will indeed guard them as one that knows (their importance)." ¹⁷¹⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Joseph had been given plenary authority by the king. He could have enjoyed his dignity, drawn his emoluments, put the hard and perhaps unpopular work on the shoulders of others, and kept to himself the glitter and the kudos. But that was not his way, nor can it indeed be the way of any one who wants to do real service. He undertook the hardest and most unpopular task himself. Such a task was that of organising reserves in times of plenty, against the lean years to come. He deliberately asked to be put in charge of the granaries and store-houses, and the drudgery of establishing them and guarding them, for the simple reason that he understood that need better than any one else, and was prepared to take upon himself rather than throw on to another the obloquy of restricting supplies in times of plenty.

And thus We established Joseph securely in the land [of Egypt]: he had full mastery over it [doing] whatever he willed. [Thus do] We cause Our grace to alight upon whomever We will; and We do not fail to requite the doers of good.⁵⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., sometimes in this world as well, but invariably in the hereafter, as the sequence shows.

Thus We established Yusuf in the land to live therein in any way he wished. We bestow Our mercy on whom We please and We do not let the reward of good people go to waste.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

This is how We established Joseph in the land to settle wherever he pleased. We shower Our mercy on whoever We will, and We never discount the reward of the good-doers.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Thus gave We power to Joseph in the land. He was the owner of it where he pleased. We reach with our mercy whom We will. We lose not the reward of the good.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Thus did We give established power to Joseph in the land to take possession therein as when or where he pleased. We bestow of Our mercy on whom We please and We suffer not to be lost the reward of those who do good. ¹⁷¹⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

What a wonderful example of the working of divine Providence! The boy whom his jealous brothers got rid of by selling him into slavery for a miserable price becomes the most trusted dignitary in a foreign land, chief minister in one of the greatest empires of the world of that day. And this not for himself only, but for his family, and for that noble example of righteousness and strenuous service, which he was to set for all time. According to tradition, Joseph's age was barely 30 at that time! As when, or where he pleased: haithu refers to manner, time, or place. He had almost absolute powers, but as his fidelity was fully proved (xii. 53) these powers were for service rather than for self.

But in the eyes of those who have attained to faith and have always been conscious of Us, a reward in the life to come is a far greater good [than any reward in this world].⁵⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "for those who have attained to faith...", etc.

Yet the reward in the hereafter will be even better for those who believe and are righteous.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the reward of the Hereafter is far better for those who are faithful and are mindful 'of Allah'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And the reward of the Hereafter is better, for those who believe and ward off (evil).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But verily the reward of the Hereafter is the best for those who believe and are constant in righteousness. ¹⁷¹⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To the righteous, whatever rewards (if any) that come in this world are welcome for the opportunities of service which they open out. But the true and best reward is in the Hereafter.

AND [after some years,] Joseph's brothers came [to Egypt]⁵⁸ and presented themselves before him: and he knew them [at once], whereas they did not recognize him.

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., to buy wheat from the stores which Joseph had accumulated during the seven years of plenty: for all the countries in the vicinity of Egypt were by now affected by the famine which he had predicted, and Egypt alone had a surplus, the distribution of which he supervised personally (cf. Genesis xii, 54-57).

Several years later when the famine started and there was no food available outside of Egypt, Yusuf's brothers came to Egypt for food and entered his office. He recognized them but they did not recognize him.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And Joseph's brothers came and entered his presence. He recognized them but they were unaware of who he really was.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And Joseph's brethren came and presented themselves before him, and he knew them but they knew him not.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then came Joseph's brethren: they entered his presence and he knew them but they knew him not. ¹⁷¹⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Years pass; the times of prosperity go by: famine holds the land in its grip; and it extends to neighbouring countries. Joseph's preparations are complete. His reserves are ample to meet the calamity. Not only does Egypt bless him, but neighbouring countries send to Egypt to purchase corn. All are received with hospitality, and corn is sold to them according to judicious measure. Now there has been one sorrow gnawing at Joseph's heart. His poor father Jacob! How he must have wept, as indeed he did, at the loss of his beloved Joseph! And Joseph's little brother Benjamin, born of the same mother as himself; would the other ten brothers, not by the same mother, have any affection for him, or would they treat him, as they treated Joseph? How would the whole family be in these hard times? A sort of answer came when the ten selfish brothers, driven by famine, came from Canaan to buy corn. Joseph, though so great a man, kept the details of the famine department in his own hands, otherwise there might have been waste. But to the public he was a mighty Egyptian administrator, probably in Egyptian dress, and with all the paraphernalia of his rank about him. When his brothers came, he knew them, but they did not know he was Joseph. In their thoughts was probably some menial slave in a remote household, perhaps already starved to death in these hard times!

And when he had provided them with their provisions, he said: "[When you come here next,] bring unto me that brother of yours from your father's side.⁵⁹ Do you not see that I have given [you] full measure and have been the best of hosts?

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "a brother of yours from your father" - i.e., their half-brother Benjamin, who was Joseph's full brother (their mother having been Rachel, Jacob's favourite wife), whereas the other ten had different mothers. Benjamin, the youngest of Jacob's children, had not accompanied his brothers on their first journey to Egypt, but they had presumably mentioned him in the course of their conversation with Joseph.

When he had given them their due provisions and they were about to leave, he said: "Bring your half brother to me next time. Do you not see that I give full measure and provide the best hospitality?

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When he had provided them with their supplies, he demanded, 'Bring me your brother on your father's side.¹ Do you not see that I give full measure and I am the best of hosts?

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., Benjamin. When Joseph hosted his half-brothers, they told him the number of people in their household for future supplies.

And when he provided them with their provision he said: Bring unto me a brother of yours from your father. See ye not that I fill up the measure and I am the best of hosts?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And when he had furnished them forth with provisions (suitable) for them he said: "Bring unto me a brother ye have of the same father as yourselves (but a different mother): see ye not that I pay out full measure and that I do provide the best hospitality? ¹⁷²⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Joseph treated his brothers liberally. Perhaps he condescended to enter into conversation with these strangers, and enquired about their family. The ten brothers had come. Had they left a father behind them? What sort of a person was he? Very aged? Well, of course he could not come. Had they any other brothers? Doubtless the ten brothers said nothing about their lost Joseph, or told some lie about him. But perhaps their host's kindly insistence brought Benjamin into the conversation. How old was he? Why had they not brought him? Would they bring him next time? Indeed they must, or they would get no more corn, and he-the great Egyptian Wazir-would not even see them.

But if you do not bring him unto me, you shall never again receive a single measure [of grain] from me, nor shall you [be allowed to] come near me!"

  - Mohammad Asad

But if you do not bring him, you shall have no grain, nor shall you even come near me again."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But if you do not bring him to me 'next time', I will have no grain for you, nor will you ever come close to me again.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And if ye bring him not unto me, then there shall be no measure for you with me, nor shall ye draw near.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"Now if ye bring him not to me ye shall have no measure (of corn) from me nor shall be ye (even) come near me."

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They answered: "We shall try to persuade his father to part with him, and, verily, we shall do [our utmost]!"

  - Mohammad Asad

They replied: "We shall certainly try our best to bring him from his father. This we will surely do."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They promised, 'We will try to convince his father to let him come. We will certainly do 'our best'.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

They said: We will try to win him from his father: that we will surely do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They said: "We shall certainly seek to get our wish about him from his father: indeed we shall do it." ¹⁷²¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The brothers said: "Certainly, we shall try to beg him of our father, and bring him away with us; we shall certainly comply with your desire." In reality they probably loved Benjamin no more than they loved Joseph. But they must get food when the present supply was exhausted, and they must humour the great Egyptian Wazir. Note that they do not call Jacob "our father" but "his father"; how little they loved their aged father, whom they identified with Joseph and Benjamin! Their trial and their instruction in their duties is now being undertaken by Joseph.

And [Joseph] said to his servants: "Place their merchandise⁶⁰ in their camel-packs, so that they may find it there when they come home, and hence be the more eager to return."⁶¹

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the goods which they had bartered for wheat (Ibn Kathir): a very plausible explanation in view of the fact that barter was the most common form of trade in those ancient times.

Lit., "so that they may perceive them when they come back to their family, [and] that they may return".

Yusuf told his servants to put his brother's money into their saddlebags secretly so that they should know about it only when they reach their family, so that they may come back again."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Joseph ordered his servants to put his brothers' money back into their saddlebags so that they would find it when they returned to their family and perhaps they would come back.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said unto his young men: Place their merchandise in their saddlebags, so that they may know it when they go back to their folk, and so will come again.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And (Joseph) told his servants to put their stock in trade (with which they had bartered) into their saddlebags so they should know it only when they returned to their people in order that they might come back. ^{1722 1723}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Bidha'at: stock in trade; capital with which business is carried on; money-when it is used as capital for trade. It is better here to suppose that they were bartering goods for grain. Cf. xii. 19.

It was most important for Joseph's plan that they should come back. If they came back at all, they could not come without Benjamin after what he had told them. As an additional incentive to their coming back, he returns the price of the grain in such a way that they should find it in their saddle-bags when they reach home.

And so, when they returned to their father, [Joseph's brothers] said: "O our father! All grain⁶² is [to be] withheld from us [in the future unless we bring Benjamin with us]: send, therefore, our brother with us, so that we may obtain our measure [of grain]; and, verily, we shall guard him well!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "measure [of grain]", here used metonymically in an allusion to Joseph's words (verse {60}).

When Yusuf's brothers returned to their father, they said: "Father! Grain is henceforth denied us unless we take our stepbrother with us; please send our brother with us so that we may get our measure; we take full responsibility for his safety."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When Joseph's brothers returned to their father, they pleaded, 'O our father! We have been denied 'further' supplies. So send our brother with us so that we may receive our measure, and we will definitely watch over him.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

So when they went back to their father they said: O our father! The measure is denied us, so send with us our brother that we may obtain the measure, surely we will guard him well.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Now when they returned to their father they said: "O our father! no more measure of grain shall we get (unless we take our brother): so send our brother with us that we may get our measure; and we will indeed take every care of him." ¹⁷²⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

On their return they no doubt told Jacob all that had transpired. But to beg Benjamin of him was no easy matter, as Jacob did not trust them and had no cause to trust them after their treatment of Joseph, So they use the argument of urgent necessity for all it is worth.

[Jacob] replied: "Shall I trust you with him in the same way⁶³ as I trusted you with his brother [Joseph] aforetime? [Nay,] but God's guardianship is better [than yours], for He is the most merciful of the merciful!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "not otherwise than".

He said: "Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? Allah is the best protector and He is the Most Merciful of the mercy-givers."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He responded, 'Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother 'Joseph'? But 'only' Allah is the best Protector, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Can I entrust him to you save as I entrusted his brother to you aforetime? Allah is better at guarding, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He said: "Shall I trust you with him with any result other than when I trusted you with his brother aforetime? But Allah is the best to take care (of him) and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!" ¹⁷²⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

I construe Jacob's answer to be a flat refusal to let Benjamin go with them. It would be like the former occasion when he trusted Joseph with them and they lost him. Did they talk of taking care of him? The only protection that he trusted was that of Allah. He at least showed mercy to old and young alike. Did man show such mercy? Witness his sad old age and his lost little Joseph! Would they bring down "his grey hairs with sorrow to the grave?"

Thereupon, when they opened their packs, they discovered that their merchandise had been returned to them; [and] they said: "O our father! What more could we desire? Here is our merchandise: it has been returned to us! [If thou send Benjamin with us,] we shall [again] be able to bring food for our family, and shall guard our brother [well], and receive in addition another camel-load of grain.⁶⁴ That [which we have brought the first time] was but a scanty measure."

  - Mohammad Asad

It would seem that Joseph used to allot to foreign buyers of grain one camel-load per person.

When they opened their baggage, they discovered that their money had been returned to them. "Father!" They cried with joy, "What more can we ask for? Here is our money returned back to us. We will buy more food for our family, we will take good care of our brother and obtain an extra camel load of grain. This way, it will be easy to add another camel load of grain."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When they opened their bags, they discovered that their money had been returned to them. They argued, 'O our father! What more can we ask for? Here is our money, fully returned to us. Now we can buy more food for our family. We will watch over our brother, and obtain an extra camel-load of grain. That load can be easily secured.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And when they opened their belongings they discovered that their merchandise had been returned to them. They said: O our father! What (more) can we ask? Here is our merchandise returned to us. We shall get provision for our folk and guard our brother, and we shall have the extra measure of a camel (load). This (that we bring now) is a light measure.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then when they opened their baggage they found their stock in trade had been returned to them. They said: "O our father! what (more) can we desire? This our stock in trade has been returned to us: so we shall get (more) food for our family; we shall take care of our brother; and add (at the same time) a full camel's load (of grain to our provisions): this is but a small quantity." ^{1726 1727}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The ten brothers did not take their father's refusal as final. They opened their saddle-bags, and found that the price they had paid for their provisions had been returned to them. They had got the grain free! What more could they desire? The spell which Joseph had woven now worked. If they only went back, this kind Wazir would give more grain if they pleased him. And the only way to please him was to take back their younger brother with them. It would cost them nothing. Judging by past experience they would get a whole camel's load of grain now. And so they stated their case to the aged father.

Two meanings are possible,-either or perhaps both. 'What we have brought now is nothing compared to what we shall get if we humour the whim of the Egyptian Wazir. And, moreover, Egypt seems to have plenty of grain stored up. What is a camel-load to her Wazir to give away?'