Tafseer of Joseph · Yusuf · 12:21
And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, "Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son." And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.
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 words of Allah the Exalted: وَقَالَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ لامْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَى أَنْ يَنْفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الأَحَادِيثِ وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ (And the one who bought him — from Egypt — said to his wife: "Honour his lodging; perhaps he will benefit us, or we shall take him as a son." And thus We established Yūsuf in the land, and that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams. And Allah is the Victor in His affair, but most people do not know.) (verse 21)
Abū Jaʿfar says: Allah the Exalted says: The one who bought Yūsuf from his seller in Egypt.
It has been related that his name was Quṭfīr.
18941. Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: his father related to him, saying: his uncle related to me, saying: his father related to him, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: the name of the one who bought him was Quṭfīr.
It has been said that his name was Iṭfīr ibn Rūḥīb — and he was the ʿAzīz (the mighty one) and was appointed over the treasuries of Egypt. The king at that time was al-Rayyān ibn al-Walīd, a man of the ʿAmāliqa. This is:
18942. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq.
It has been said that the one who sold him in Egypt was Mālik ibn Dhiʿr ibn Buway ibn ʿAfqān ibn Madyān ibn Ibrāhīm. This is:
18943. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn al-Sāʾib, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās.
(And the one who bought him from Egypt said to his wife) — her name, according to Ibn Isḥāq, was: Rāʿīl, daughter of Raʿāʾīl.
18944. This was related to us by Ibn Ḥumayd, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq.
(Honour his lodging) — that is: honour the place of his lodging, namely the place where he dwells and resides.
One says: "So-and-so lodged in that place" when he remained dwelling there.
Likewise the exegetes said.
Mention of those who said this:
18945. Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: (Honour his lodging) — his dwelling place; and she is the wife of the ʿAzīz.
18946. Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, concerning His word: (And the one who bought him from Egypt said to his wife: "Honour his lodging") — he said: his dwelling place.
18947. Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: the king bought him, and the king was a Muslim.
Concerning His word: (perhaps he will benefit us, or we shall take him as a son) — it has been related that the buyer of Yūsuf said this to his wife when he handed him over to her, because he had no children and did not approach women. He said to her: honour him, perhaps he will be of service to us in some of the matters that occupy us once he comes to know the tasks that are entrusted to him — (or we shall take him as a son), that is: or we shall adopt him.
18948. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: Iṭfīr was — so it was related to me — a man who did not approach women; his wife Rāʿīl was a beautiful, well-to-do woman who enjoyed prosperity and the world.
18949. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, on the authority of Abū al-Aḥwaṣ, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh, who said: The three people with the best discernment (firāsa) were: the ʿAzīz, who showed discernment concerning Yūsuf and said to his wife: (Honour his lodging; perhaps he will benefit us, or we shall take him as a son); Abū Bakr, who showed discernment concerning ʿUmar; and the woman who said: يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ اسْتَأْجَرْتَ الْقَوِيُّ الأَمِينُ [Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ: 26].
18950. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, who said: Yūsuf was taken to Egypt; the ʿAzīz, the ruler of Egypt, bought him, took him to his house, and said to his wife: (Honour his lodging; perhaps he will benefit us, or we shall take him as a son).
18951. Aḥmad ibn Isḥāq related to us, saying: Abū Aḥmad related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl related to us, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq, on the authority of Abū ʿUbayda, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh, who said: The three people with the best discernment (firāsa) were: the ʿAzīz, who said to his wife: (Honour his lodging), while the people were heedless of him; Abū Bakr, who showed discernment concerning ʿUmar and appointed him as successor; and the woman who said: يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ .
Concerning His word: (And thus We established Yūsuf in the land) — Allah the Almighty says: Just as We saved Yūsuf from the hands of his brothers after they wished to kill him, and brought him out of the well after he had been cast into it, and caused him to enjoy honour and an elevated position with the ʿAzīz of Egypt — so We established him in the land and appointed him over its treasuries.
Concerning His word: (and that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams) — Allah the Exalted says: And that We might teach Yūsuf the interpretation of dreams, We established him in the land. As:
18952. Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (the interpretation of dreams) — he said: the interpretation of dreams.
18953. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Shabāba related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — the like of it.
18954. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (and that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams) — he said: the interpretation of dreams.
18955. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Abū Usāma related to us, on the authority of Shubl, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (and that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams) — he said: the interpretation of dreams.
Concerning His word: (And Allah is the Victor in His affair) — Allah the Exalted says: Allah is the master over the affair of Yūsuf; He governs it, manages it, and protects it.
The "hāʾ" (he/him) in His word (in His affair) refers back to Yūsuf.
From Saʿīd ibn Jubayr it has been transmitted concerning the meaning of "Victor" the following:
18956. Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl related to us, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: (And Allah is the Victor in His affair) — he said: exalted.
Concerning His word: (but most people do not know) — he says: but most people — those who were heedless of Yūsuf and sold him for a low price, and the people of Egypt to whom he was sold — do not know what Allah will do with Yūsuf and to what Yūsuf's affair will lead.
