Yusuf 12:57

Yusuf's Reign in Egypt

Allah said next,

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

(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,

(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,

(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,

("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.

Shun Sin, Have Faith, Keep Fearing Allah: The Reward of the Hereafter is Yours Too

At the end, verse 57 declares:

لَأَجْرُ‌ الْآخِرَ‌ةِ خَيْرٌ‌ لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ

And the reward of the Hereafter is surely better for those who keep fearing Allah.

It means that Allah had already blessed Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) with temporal power, wealth and an ideal state - waiting for him were the high ranks of the 'Akhirah as well. Then, it has also been made clear that the rewards and ranks of the present world and the world-to-come were not restricted to Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) . This was an open invitation to everyone who elects to believe, abstain from evil and keep fearing Allah.

During his tenure of rule, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) had accomplished great projects designed to bring peace and comfort to the masses of his people. Their parallel would be hard to find. When, according to his interpretation of the dream, seven years of prosperity passed by and the famine set in, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) abandoned eating to his fill. People said: You have the treasures of the land of Egypt in your possession, yet you go hungry? He said: I do this so that the feeling for the hunger of my common people does not disappear from my heart. He even took an administrative step in this matter. The royal cooks were ordered to prepare only one meal a day, at lunch time, so that the residents of the royal pa-lace too could somehow share in the mass hunger of their people!