Vertaling van de betekenissen Surah Joesoef - Engelse vertaling - Dr. Walid Bleysh Al-Omari - Wordt momenteel aan gewerkt. - Pagina nummer 246 - The Heilige Qur'an Encyclopedie

87 : 12

يَٰبَنِيَّ ٱذۡهَبُواْ فَتَحَسَّسُواْ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَاْيۡـَٔسُواْ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَاْيۡـَٔسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ

(87) ^[2809]“O my sons, go and feel out for^[2810] Yūsuf and his brother. Do not give up on Allah’s relief; none gives up on Allah’s relief except the Denying folks!”^[2811]

[2809] He thus acted upon this knowledge and hope (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar).
[2810] Taḥassasū (lit. grope) is to tune up one’s senses and be extra vigilant in search for something (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Alūsī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2811] The more Believing the spirit is, the more rightly hopeful of God’s relief it is (cf. al-Saʿdī).

88 : 12

فَلَمَّا دَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهۡلَنَا ٱلضُّرُّ وَجِئۡنَا بِبِضَٰعَةٖ مُّزۡجَىٰةٖ فَأَوۡفِ لَنَا ٱلۡكَيۡلَ وَتَصَدَّقۡ عَلَيۡنَآۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُتَصَدِّقِينَ

(88) ^[2812]When they entered upon him, they said: “O Chief Minister, we, and our households, have been touched by adversity and we have come with ˹some˺ paltry commodity so give us full measure ˹of provisions˺ and show us benefaction^[2813]; indeed Allah rewards the benefactors”.

[2812] Although their main aim was not to obtain more supplies and provisions, they started off by a heart tendering appeal by describing how badly-off they were. This so that Joseph (عليه السلام) would empathetically engage with them making it opportune for them to reveal their purpose (cf. al-Rāzī, al-Qāsimī). This had the desired effect indeed! (cf. al-Saʿdī)
[2813] Taṣaddaq ʿalaynā (lit. give us charity) by giving them full measure of goodly provisions in lieu of their ‘paltry commodity’ (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar, al-Tafsīr al-Muḥarrar).

89 : 12

قَالَ هَلۡ عَلِمۡتُم مَّا فَعَلۡتُم بِيُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ إِذۡ أَنتُمۡ جَٰهِلُونَ

(89) He said: “Do you know what you did to Yūsuf and his brother when you were ˹still˺ ignorant?^[2814]”

[2814] This beautifully brings to light the magnanimous nature of Prophet Joseph (عليه السلام). Nasty as the brothers were to him and his brother, he provided them with a face-saving excuse by saying that they were jāhilūn (lit. ignorant) when they did what they did (cf. al-Saʿdī). The extent of Joseph’s spirit of forgiveness is shown in full colour in this passage.

90 : 12

قَالُوٓاْ أَءِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ يُوسُفُۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ يُوسُفُ وَهَٰذَآ أَخِيۖ قَدۡ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡنَآۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصۡبِرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

(90) They said: “˹But˺ Indeed, it is you, Yūsuf!” He said: “˹Yes˺ I am Yūsuf and this ˹indeed˺ is my brother^[2815]. Allah has done us kindness. Indeed whoever is Mindful and shows patience, then Allah wastes not the reward of the well-doers”.

[2815] Although they knew who his brother was, Joseph wanted to make the point that he also underwent a good turn of fortune after oppression (cf. al-Rāzī). Which is evidence enough for the point he wanted to make next.

91 : 12

قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ ءَاثَرَكَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡنَا وَإِن كُنَّا لَخَٰطِـِٔينَ

(91) They said: “By Allah, Allah has favoured you over us^[2816]. Indeed, we were mistaken!”

[2816] Most exegetes are of the opinion that this ‘favouring’ (īthār, of which the verb used in the aya, āthara, is the past tense) pertains to knowledge, long-suffering, sterling manners, good looks and Kingship (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, Ibn Kathīr). However, al-Rāzī sees that by this ‘favouring’ they somehow meant Prophethood above the aforementioned favours. This interpretation ties in with the ulterior motive behind Joseph’s grown up half-brothers burning jealousy of him (cf. note on Aya 8 above) which drove them into the desperate measure of plotting to kill him but then they threw him, young as he was, into the darkness of a well. It also relates to the prophecy his father foresaw for him that he would be the ‘chosen one’ when he told him of his vision (cf. Aya 6 above), thus he warned him not to tell his brothers of it. So when they saw the great status that he came to achieve, they gave in and admitted what he was; the ‘favoured one’.

92 : 12

قَالَ لَا تَثۡرِيبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ يَغۡفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۖ وَهُوَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ

(92) He said: “There is no reprimanding you today. May Allah forgive you; He is the Most Merciful of all the merciful!”

93 : 12

ٱذۡهَبُواْ بِقَمِيصِي هَٰذَا فَأَلۡقُوهُ عَلَىٰ وَجۡهِ أَبِي يَأۡتِ بَصِيرٗا وَأۡتُونِي بِأَهۡلِكُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ

(93) “Take this tunic of mine, cast it on my father’s face and he will regain his sight. And bring to me all ˹members of˺ your households.”

94 : 12

وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ ٱلۡعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمۡ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَۖ لَوۡلَآ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ

(94) When the caravan pulled ahead, their father said^[2817]: “Certainly, I perceive Yūsuf’s smell; if only you would not think me senile^[2818]!”

[2817] As his sons left Egypt heading towards the Levant, Prophet Jacob (عليه السلام) sensed his long lost son’s smell from a distance (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, Ibn ʿĀshūr). God Almighty inspired him so indicating thus that the difficult times were over (cf. al-Rāzī, Ibn ʿĀshūr).
[2818] Tufannidūn derives from fanad which means dotage or weakness of mind due to old age (cf. Ibn Qutaybah, Gharīb al-Qur’ān, Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-Lughah, al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt).

95 : 12

قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِي ضَلَٰلِكَ ٱلۡقَدِيمِ

(95) ^[2819]They said: “By Allah, you are still in your error of old!”

[2819] Those who were around him, but not his sons who were still on their way back, judging according to mere human calculations, reproached him as he anticipated for his ‘error of old’ (ḍalālika al-qadīm), that of anticipating the return of his long-lost son (cf. al-Samʿānī, al-Shinqīṭī, Aḍwā’ al-Bayān, Ibn ʿĀshūr).