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Surah Yusuf, Ayah 56 (12:56)

يُوسُف

وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ ۚ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا …

Quran 12:56 is ayah 56 of Surah Yusuf (“Joseph”), a Meccan surah of 111 ayahs. It is in Juz 13, on page 242 of the Madani Mushaf.

12:56
وَكَذَٰلِكَمَكَّنَّالِيُوسُفَفِىٱلْأَرْضِيَتَبَوَّأُمِنْهَاحَيْثُيَشَآءُ ۚنُصِيبُبِرَحْمَتِنَامَننَّشَآءُ ۖوَلَانُضِيعُأَجْرَٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ٥٦
wakadhālika makkannā liyūsufa fī l-arḍi yatabawwa-u min'hā ḥaythu yashāu nuṣību biraḥmatinā man nashāu walā nuḍīʿu ajra l-muḥ'sinīna

And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.(56)

Word by word

  1. وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālikaAnd thus
  2. مَكَّنَّاmakkannāWe established
  3. لِيُوسُفَliyūsufa[to] Yusuf
  4. فِىfīin
  5. ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe land
  6. يَتَبَوَّأُyatabawwa-uto settle
  7. مِنْهَاmin'hātherein
  8. حَيْثُḥaythuwhere ever
  9. يَشَآءُ ۚyashāuhe willed
  10. نُصِيبُnuṣībuWe bestow
  11. بِرَحْمَتِنَاbiraḥmatināOur Mercy
  12. مَنman(on) whom
  13. نَّشَآءُ ۖnashāuWe will
  14. وَلَاwalāAnd not
  15. نُضِيعُnuḍīʿuWe let go waste
  16. أَجْرَajra(the) reward
  17. ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَl-muḥ'sinīna(of) the good-doers

Tafsir (commentary) of 12:56

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

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

This commentary explains ayahs 12:56–57 together.

Yusuf's Reign in Egypt

Allah said next,

وَكَذلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ

(Thus did We give full authority to Yusuf in the land), in Egypt,

يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ

(to take possession therein, when or where he likes.) As-Suddi and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that this part of the Ayah means, "To do whatever he wants therein." Ibn Jarir at Tabari said that it means, "He used to move about freely in the land after being imprisoned, suffering from hardship and the disgrace of slavery." Allah said next,

نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ وَلاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(We bestow of Our mercy on whom We will, and We make not to be lost the reward of the good doers.) Allah says here, We did not let the patience of Yusuf, from the harm his brothers exerted on him and being imprisoned because of the wife of the `Aziz, to be lost. Instead, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored rewarded him with His aid and victory,

وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ وَلاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ - وَلاّجْرُ الاٌّخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ

(And We make not to be lost the reward of the good doers. And verily, the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believed and had Taqwa.) Allah states that what He has prepared for His Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him, in the Hereafter is much greater, subs- tantial and honored than the authority He gave him in this life. Allah said about His Prophet Sulayman (Solomon), peace be upon him,

هَـذَا عَطَآؤُنَا فَامْنُنْ أَوْ أَمْسِكْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ - وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِندَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَـَابٍ

("This is Our gift, so spend or withhold, no account will be asked of you." And verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good (final) return (Paradise).) 38:39-40 Yusuf, peace be upon him, was appointed minister of finance by Ar-Rayyan bin Al-Walid, king of Egypt at the time, instead of the `Aziz who bought him and the husband of she who tried to seduce him. The king of Egypt embraced Islam at the hands of Yusuf, peace be upon him, according to Mujahid.

Read the full Surah Yusuf