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Surah Yusuf, Ayah 21 (12:21)

يُوسُف

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِى ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓ أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَىٰهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ …

Quran 12:21 is ayah 21 of Surah Yusuf (“Joseph”), a Meccan surah of 111 ayahs. It is in Juz 12, on page 237 of the Madani Mushaf.

12:21
وَقَالَٱلَّذِىٱشْتَرَىٰهُمِنمِّصْرَلِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓأَكْرِمِىمَثْوَىٰهُعَسَىٰٓأَنيَنفَعَنَآأَوْنَتَّخِذَهُۥوَلَدًا ۚوَكَذَٰلِكَمَكَّنَّالِيُوسُفَفِىٱلْأَرْضِوَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥمِنتَأْوِيلِٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚوَٱللَّهُغَالِبٌعَلَىٰٓأَمْرِهِۦوَلَٰكِنَّأَكْثَرَٱلنَّاسِلَايَعْلَمُونَ٢١
waqāla alladhī ish'tarāhu min miṣ'ra li-im'ra-atihi akrimī mathwāhu ʿasā an yanfaʿanā aw nattakhidhahu waladan wakadhālika makkannā liyūsufa fī l-arḍi walinuʿallimahu min tawīli l-aḥādīthi wal-lahu ghālibun ʿalā amrihi walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna

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 [i.e., dreams]. And Allāh is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.(21)

Word by word

  1. وَقَالَwaqālaAnd said
  2. ٱلَّذِىalladhīthe one who
  3. ٱشْتَرَىٰهُish'tarāhubought him
  4. مِنminof
  5. مِّصْرَmiṣ'raEgypt
  6. لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓli-im'ra-atihito his wife
  7. أَكْرِمِىakrimīMake comfortable
  8. مَثْوَىٰهُmathwāhuhis stay
  9. عَسَىٰٓʿasāPerhaps
  10. أَنanthat
  11. يَنفَعَنَآyanfaʿanā(he) will benefit us
  12. أَوْawor
  13. نَتَّخِذَهُۥnattakhidhahuwe will take him
  14. وَلَدًا ۚwaladan(as) a son
  15. وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālikaAnd thus
  16. مَكَّنَّاmakkannāWe established
  17. لِيُوسُفَliyūsufaYusuf
  18. فِىfīin
  19. ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe land
  20. وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥwalinuʿallimahuthat We might teach him
  21. مِنmin(the) interpretation of
  22. تَأْوِيلِtawīli(the) interpretation of
  23. ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚl-aḥādīthithe events
  24. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuAnd Allah
  25. غَالِبٌghālibun(is) Predominant
  26. عَلَىٰٓʿalāover
  27. أَمْرِهِۦamrihiHis affairs
  28. وَلَٰكِنَّwalākinnabut
  29. أَكْثَرَaktharamost
  30. ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi(of) the people
  31. لَاlā(do) not
  32. يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūnaknow

Tafsir (commentary) of 12:21

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

This commentary explains ayahs 12:21–22 together.

Yusuf in Egypt

Allah mentions the favors that He granted Yusuf, peace be on him, by which He made the man from Egypt who bought him, take care of him and provide him with a comfortable life. He also ordered his wife to be kind to Yusuf and had good hopes for his future, because of his firm righteous behavior. He said to his wife,

أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَاهُ عَسَى أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا

(Make his stay comfortable, maybe he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son.) The man who bought Yusuf was the minister of Egypt at the time, and his title was `Aziz'. Abu Ishaq narrated that Abu `Ubaydah said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "Three had the most insight: the `Aziz of Egypt, who said to his wife,

أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَاهُ

(Make his stay comfortable...), the woman who said to her father,

يأَبَتِ اسْتَـْجِرْهُ

(O my father! Hire him...), 28:26 and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he appointed `Umar bin Al-Khattab to be the Khalifah after him, may Allah be pleased with them both." Allah said next that just as He saved Yusuf from his brothers,

كَذَلِكَمَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(Thus did We establish Yusuf in the land), in reference to Egypt,

وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الاٌّحَادِيثِ

(that We might teach him the interpretation of events.) the interpretation of dreams, according to Mujahid and As-Suddi. Allah said next,

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ

(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) if He wills something, then there is no averting His decision, nor can it ever be stopped or contradicted. Rather, Allah has full power over everything and everyone else. Sa`id bin Jubayr said while commenting on Allah's statement,

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ

(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) "He does what ever He wills." Allah said,

وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most of men know not.) meaning, have no knowledge of Allah's wisdom with regards to His creation, compassion and doing what He wills. Allah said next,

وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ

(And when he attained), in reference to Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him,

أَشُدَّهُ

(his full manhood), sound in mind and perfect in body,

آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا

(We gave him wisdom and knowledge), which is the prophethood that Allah sent him with for the people he lived among,

وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(thus We reward the doers of good.) because Yusuf used to do good in the obedience of Allah the Exalted.

Read the full Surah Yusuf