Yusuf 12:6 · Joseph · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"This is about how your Lord will choose you, teach you to interpret dreams, and perfect His blessing on you and the House of Jacob, just as He perfected it earlier on your forefathers Abraham and Isaac: your Lord is all knowing and wise.’"

Pickthall (classic)+

"Thus thy Lord will prefer thee and will teach thee the interpretation of events, and will perfect His grace upon thee and upon the family of Jacob as He perfected it upon thy forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. Lo! thy Lord is Knower, Wise."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

""Thus will thy Lord choose thee and teach thee the interpretation of stories (and events) and perfect His favour to thee and to the posterity of Jacob - even as He perfected it to thy fathers Abraham and Isaac aforetime! for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.""

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

Interpretation of Yusuf's Vision

Allah says that Ya`qub said to his son Yusuf, `Just as Allah chose you to see the eleven stars, the sun and the moon prostrate before you in a vision,

وَكَذلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ

(Thus will your Lord choose you) designate and assign you to be a Prophet from Him,

وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الاٌّحَادِيثِ

(and teach you the interpretation of Ahadith).' Mujahid and several other scholars said that this part of the Ayah is in reference to the interpreting of dreams. He said next,

وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ

(and perfect His favor on you), `by His Message and revelation to you.' This is why Ya`qub said afterwards,

كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَآ عَلَى أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَهِيمَ

(as He perfected it aforetime on your fathers, Ibrahim...), Allah's intimate friend,

وَإِسْحَـقَ

(and Ishaq), Ibrahim's son,

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

(Verily, your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise.) Allah knows best whom to chose for His Messages.

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Сынок! Аллах сделает тебя своим избранником, потому что ты наделен славными качествами и великолепными достоинствами. Аллах научит тебя толковать сны и разъяснять Небесные Писания и другие правдивые повествования. Он почтит тебя самой совершенной милостью как при жизни на земле, так и после смерти, и ты получишь благое вознаграждение в обоих мирах. Прежде такой милости были удостоены твои предки Ибрахим и Исхак, которых Аллах наделил огромным материальным и духовным богатством. Воистину, твой Господь объемлет своим знанием все сущее. Ему известно обо всех добрых и злых помыслах, которые кроются в человеческих сердцах, и поэтому каждый получает вознаграждение в соответствие с божественной мудростью. И благодаря этой мудрости Аллах расставляет все по своим местам. Сынок! Я истолковал тебе сновидение, но не рассказывай об этом своим братьям, потому что они могут позавидовать твоему славному положению в будущем и замыслить против тебя недоброе. Воистину, сатана является заклятым врагом человека. Он не отстает от потомков Адама ни днем, ни ночью, сражаясь с ними тайно и открыто. Поэтому людям следует воздерживаться от любых поступков, которые могут помочь сатане одержать верх над рабами Аллаха. Йусуф выполнил наставление своего отца и не стал рассказывать братьям об этом сновидении.

Expertise in the Interpretation of Dreams is Bestowed by Allah on whom He wills

In the sixth verse, Allah Ta ا ala has promised some blessings for Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) : (1) كَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَ‌بُّكَ (And in the like manner your Lord will choose you ...) that is, H-e will choose him for His blessings and favours, something which manifested itself when wealth, recognition and power came into his hands in the country of Egypt. (2) وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ - (and teach you the interpretation of events ...). The word: الْأَحَادِيثِ : 'al-ahadith' here means the dreams of people. It means that Allah Ta’ ala will teach him how to interpret dreams. This also tells us that interpreting dreams is a standing area of expertise which is bestowed by Allah Ta` ala on a chosen few - everyone is not fit to have it.

Ruling:

It appears in Tafsir al-Qurtubi that ` Abdullah ibn Shaddad ibn al-Had said that the interpretation of this dream of Sayyidna ~Yusuf actualized after forty years. This tells us that an instant actualization of an interpretation is not necessary either.

(3) As for the third promise: وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ (and will perfect His bounty upon you), it refers to the bestowal of Nubuwwah (prophethood) upon him. And this is what has been alluded to in the later sentences: كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ (as He has perfected it, earlier, upon your father, Ibrahim and Ishaq). That which has been said here also indicates that the skill of interpreting dreams as given to Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was also taught to Sayyidna Ibrahim and Ishaq (علیہما السلام) ، peace be on them both.

At the end of the verse, it was said: إِنَّ رَ‌بَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (Surely, your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing). So He is. For Him, teaching an art to someone is not difficult, nor does He, as His wisdom would have it, teach this art to just anyone. Instead of that, He elects someone, in His wisdom, and lets him have this expertise.