Tafseer of Joseph · Yusuf · 12:101
My Lord, You have given me [something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the word of Allah, the Exalted: رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الأَحَادِيثِ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ أَنْتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ (101)
Abū Jaʿfar said: the Exalted says: Yūsuf spoke, after Allah had brought together for him his parents and his brothers and had spread him out toward the world with the honors He bestowed upon him and had granted him power in the land, while he longed for his righteous forefathers: رب قد آتيتني من الملك — that is to say: of the dominion over Egypt; وعلمتني من تأويل الأحاديث — that is to say: of the interpretation of dreams, as a counting of the favors of Allah upon him and as gratitude toward Him for that; فاطر السماوات والأرض — He says: O Originator of the heavens and the earth, O their Maker and Fashioner; أنت وليي في الدنيا والآخرة — He says: You are my Protector in my worldly life against my enemies and whoever wishes me ill, through Your support; You nourish me therein with Your grace; and You attend to my interests in the Hereafter through Your grace and Your mercy. تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا — He says: take me to You as a Muslim. وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ — He says: join me with my righteous forefathers: Ibrāhīm and Isḥāq and whoever was before them of Your prophets and Your messengers.
It has been said that no prophet before Yūsuf had ever wished for death.
*Mention of who said that:*
19940 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: رب قد آتيتني من الملك وعلمتني من تأويل الأحاديث — the Āya; Ibn ʿAbbās used to say: "The first prophet who asked Allah for death was Yūsuf."
19941 — al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said concerning His word: رب قد آتيتني من الملك — the Āya — he said: "He longed for the meeting with his Lord and wished to be with Him and with his forefathers; and he beseeched Allah to cause him to die and to join him with them. No prophet had ever asked for death except Yūsuf." Ibn Jurayj said: in a part of the Qurʾān [there stands] among the prophets [also] "cause me to die."
19942 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: توفني مسلمًا وألحقني بالصالحين — "After his household was gathered and his eye was gladdened, and he was at that moment immersed in the luxuriance of the world and its kingdom and its abundance, he longed for the righteous [people] before him. And Ibn ʿAbbās used to say: no prophet ever longed for death before Yūsuf."
19943 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq informed us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Zubayr informed us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿArūba, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: "After his household was brought together for Yūsuf and all the favors were completed for him, he asked for the meeting with his Lord and said: رب قد آتيتني من الملك وعلمتني من تأويل الأحاديث فاطر السماوات والأرض أنت وليي في الدنيا والآخرة توفّني مسلمًا وألحقني بالصالحين . Qatāda said: and never did anyone long for death — neither prophet nor other — except Yūsuf."
19944 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Hishām related to us, saying: al-Walīd ibn Muslim related to us, saying: several persons related to me, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: "The prophet Yūsuf ﷺ, after Allah had reunited him with his father and his brothers while he was at that moment the king of Egypt, longed for Allah and for his righteous forefathers Ibrāhīm and Isḥāq, and said: رب قد آتيتني من الملك وعلمتني من تأويل الأحاديث فاطر السماوات والأرض أنت وليي في الدنيا والآخرة توفني مسلمًا وألحقني بالصالحين ."
19945 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq informed us, saying: Hishām related to us, on the authority of Muslim ibn Khālid, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: وعلمتني من تأويل الأحاديث — he said: the interpretation [of dreams].
19946 — it was related to me from al-Ḥusayn, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning His word: توفني مسلمًا وألحقني بالصالحين — "He says: cause me to die in obedience to You, and forgive me when You cause me to die."
19947 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: "Yūsuf spoke, when he saw what he saw of Allah's honor and His favor toward him and toward his own when Allah had reunited his household and had returned him to his father and had united them in his kingdom and his glory: يَا أَبَتِ هَذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا up to His word: إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ . Then Yūsuf came to his senses and reflected that what he had of the world was perishable and transient, and said: رب قد آتيتني من الملك وعلمتني من تأويل الأحاديث فاطر السماوات والأرض أنت وليي في الدنيا والآخرة توفّني مسلمًا وألحقني بالصالحين ."
It has been mentioned that the sons of Yaʿqūb who had done to Yūsuf what they did to him asked their father for forgiveness for them; and Allah accepted their repentance and contrition and forgave their sin.
*Mention of who said that:*
19948 — al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ṣāliḥ al-Murrī, on the authority of Yazīd al-Raqāshī, on the authority of Anas ibn Mālik, who said: "When Allah had reunited his household for Yaʿqūb and had gladdened his eye, his children withdrew apart and consulted one another. Some said to others: do you not know what you have done, and what the old man has suffered because of you, and what Yūsuf has suffered because of you? They said: indeed. He said: do you then rely on their forgiveness of you? But then how does it stand with your Lord? They then agreed that they would go to the old man and sit before him, while Yūsuf sat beside his father. They said: O father, we have come to you concerning a matter about which we have never approached you before, and a matter has befallen us the like of which has never befallen any of our kind before! They kept moving him — and the prophets are the most merciful of creation — until he said: what is the matter with you, O children? They said: do you not know what we have done to you and what we have done to our brother Yūsuf? He said: indeed. They said: have you both then not forgiven us? He said: indeed. They said: but your forgiveness avails us nothing if Allah has not forgiven us! He said: what then do you want, O children? They said: we want you to beseech Allah for us, and if the revelation of Allah comes to you that He has forgiven what we have done, our eyes will be gladdened and our hearts set at ease; otherwise there will never be any joy for us in the world again. He said: the old man stood up and turned toward the qibla, and Yūsuf stood behind his father, and they stood behind them both in humility and submission. He said: he prayed and Yūsuf said āmīn; but no answer was received for them for twenty years" — Ṣāliḥ al-Murrī said: in order to make them fear. He said: "Until the end of the twenty years Jibrīl ﷺ descended to Yaʿqūb ﷺ and said: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has sent me to you to bring you the glad tidings that He has answered your prayer concerning your children, that He has forgiven what they have done, and that He has established their covenants after you for prophethood."
19949 — al-Muthannā related to me, saying: al-Ḥārith related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Jaʿfar ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of Abū ʿImrān al-Jawanī, who said: "By Allah, if the death of Yūsuf had gone through, Allah would have put them all into Hell; but Allah, ﷻ, held back the soul of Yūsuf in order to carry out His decree concerning him, and out of mercy toward them." Then he says: "By Allah, Allah did not relate their story in order to disgrace them thereby; for they are prophets and belong to the people of Paradise. Rather Allah related their story to us so that His servant would not fall into despair."
It has been mentioned that Yaʿqūb died before Yūsuf and had charged Yūsuf to bury him by the grave of his father Isḥāq.
*Mention of who said that:*
19950 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, on the authority of Asbāṭ, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: "When death approached Yaʿqūb, he charged Yūsuf to bury him beside Ibrāhīm and Isḥāq. When he died, myrrh was blown into him and he was carried to Syria. When they arrived at that place, ʿĪṣā, the brother of Yaʿqūb, appeared and said: he outdid me in the supplication, but by Allah, he shall not outdo me in the grave! And he refused to allow them to bury him. While they remained standing still, Hishām ibn Dān ibn Yaʿqūb — he was deaf — said to one of his brothers: why is my grandfather not being buried? They said: this is your uncle who is preventing it. He said: point him out to me, where is he? When he saw him, Hishām raised his hand and struck with his fist upon the head of ʿĪṣā; his two eyes fell upon the thigh of Yaʿqūb, and they were buried together in one grave."