English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 12: Yusuf — Joseph (Revealed at Makkah: 12 sections, 111 verses)
Section 7 (Verses 12:50–12:57): Joseph Cleared of the Charges
Translation:
وَ قَالَ الۡمَلِکُ ائۡتُوۡنِیۡ بِہٖ ۚ فَلَمَّا جَآءَہُ الرَّسُوۡلُ قَالَ ارۡجِعۡ اِلٰی رَبِّکَ فَسۡـَٔلۡہُ مَا بَالُ النِّسۡوَۃِ الّٰتِیۡ قَطَّعۡنَ اَیۡدِیَہُنَّ ؕ اِنَّ رَبِّیۡ بِکَیۡدِہِنَّ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۵۰﴾
12:50 And the king said: Bring him to me. So when the messenger came to him, he said: Go back to your lord and ask him, what is the case of the women who cut their hands? Surely my Lord knows their intrigue.
قَالَ مَا خَطۡبُکُنَّ اِذۡ رَاوَدۡتُّنَّ یُوۡسُفَ عَنۡ نَّفۡسِہٖ ؕ قُلۡنَ حَاشَ لِلّٰہِ مَا عَلِمۡنَا عَلَیۡہِ مِنۡ سُوۡٓءٍ ؕ قَالَتِ امۡرَاَتُ الۡعَزِیۡزِ الۡـٰٔنَ حَصۡحَصَ الۡحَقُّ ۫ اَنَا رَاوَدۡتُّہٗ عَنۡ نَّفۡسِہٖ وَ اِنَّہٗ لَمِنَ الصّٰدِقِیۡنَ ﴿۵۱﴾
12:51 (The king) said: What was your business when you sought to seduce Joseph? They said: Holy Allah! We knew of no evil on his part. The chief’s wife said: Now has the truth come out. I sought to seduce him and he is surely truthful.
ذٰلِکَ لِیَعۡلَمَ اَنِّیۡ لَمۡ اَخُنۡہُ بِالۡغَیۡبِ وَ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ لَا یَہۡدِیۡ کَیۡدَ الۡخَآئِنِیۡنَ ﴿۵۲﴾
12:52 (Joseph said:) This is that he might know that I have not been unfaithful to him in secret, and that Allah does not guide the plan of the unfaithful.1
وَ مَاۤ اُبَرِّیُٔ نَفۡسِیۡ ۚ اِنَّ النَّفۡسَ لَاَمَّارَۃٌۢ بِالسُّوۡٓءِ اِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّیۡ ؕ اِنَّ رَبِّیۡ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۵۳﴾
Part 1312:53 And I do not call myself sinless; surely (man’s) self is apt to command evil, except those on whom my Lord has mercy. Surely my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.2
وَ قَالَ الۡمَلِکُ ائۡتُوۡنِیۡ بِہٖۤ اَسۡتَخۡلِصۡہُ لِنَفۡسِیۡ ۚ فَلَمَّا کَلَّمَہٗ قَالَ اِنَّکَ الۡیَوۡمَ لَدَیۡنَا مَکِیۡنٌ اَمِیۡنٌ ﴿۵۴﴾
12:54 And the king said: Bring him to me, I will choose him for myself. So when he talked with him, he said: Surely you are in our presence today dignified, trusted.
قَالَ اجۡعَلۡنِیۡ عَلٰی خَزَآئِنِ الۡاَرۡضِ ۚ اِنِّیۡ حَفِیۡظٌ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۵۵﴾
12:55 He said: Place me (in authority) over the treasures of the land; surely I am a good keeper, knowing well.
وَ کَذٰلِکَ مَکَّنَّا لِیُوۡسُفَ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ۚ یَتَبَوَّاُ مِنۡہَا حَیۡثُ یَشَآءُ ؕ نُصِیۡبُ بِرَحۡمَتِنَا مَنۡ نَّشَآءُ وَ لَا نُضِیۡعُ اَجۡرَ الۡمُحۡسِنِیۡنَ ﴿۵۶﴾
12:56 And thus did We give to Joseph power in the land — he had mastery in it wherever he liked. We bestow Our mercy on whom We please, and We do not waste the reward of the doers of good.
وَ لَاَجۡرُ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ خَیۡرٌ لِّلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ کَانُوۡا یَتَّقُوۡنَ ﴿٪۵۷﴾
12:57 And certainly the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and guard against evil.
Commentary:
- These are the words of Joseph, who explains his conduct in preferring to remain in prison until his innocence was established. ↩
- When a man addressed Jesus as good master, he said: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). The righteous never attribute any good to themselves, but attribute all good to the Great Source of goodness — God. Man’s self is here called ammārah, i.e. one apt to command evil. It is the lowest stage in spiritual growth. See also 75:2 and 89:30. ↩