وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ ٱلرَّسُولُ قَالَ ٱرْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَسْـَٔلْهُ مَا بَالُ ٱلنِّسْوَةِ ٱلَّـٰتِى قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌ 50
Translations
And the king said, "Bring him to me." But when the messenger came to him, [Joseph] said, "Return to your master and ask him what is the case of the women who cut their hands. Indeed, my Lord is Knowing of their plan."
Transliteration
Wa qala al-maliku itu ni bi hi, fa lamma ja'a hu ar-rasulu qala irji' ila rabbi ka fa sal hu ma balu an-niswa tu al-lati qatta' na aydi ya hunna, inna rabbi bi kaydi hin 'alim.
Tafsir (Explanation)
The king commands that Yusuf be brought before him, but when the messenger arrives, Yusuf asks him to return and inquire of the king about the incident of the women who cut their hands, demonstrating Yusuf's wisdom and desire to clear his name completely before entering the king's service. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, Yusuf's request shows his prudence in seeking to establish his innocence through official testimony rather than rely solely on the king's favor, as the truth of the matter (the women's deception and their admission of his innocence) was crucial to his honor and reputation.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Yusuf's eventual ascension to power in Egypt. The broader context involves Yusuf's years of imprisonment and his interpretation of the king's dream, which led to his summons from prison. The reference to the women cutting their hands alludes to the incident with Potiphar's wife (Zulaikha) and the women of Egypt who witnessed her false accusation against Yusuf (mentioned in 12:31).
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly addresses this specific incident, the principle relates to Hadith Qudsi about truth and innocence: 'Verily, Allah does not judge between people based on assumptions, but rather on clear evidence.' This reflects the Islamic principle of establishing innocence through testimony rather than assumption.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers the importance of actively seeking to clear one's name through legitimate means and truth rather than passively accepting favor—Yusuf's insistence on having the truth established demonstrates that integrity and honor are worth more than immediate advancement. It also reminds us that Allah knows all hidden schemes and deceptions, so truthfulness ultimately serves us better than any compromise with falsehood.
Related Ayahs
وَسْـَٔلِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنَّا فِيهَا وَٱلْعِيرَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا ۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَـٰدِقُونَ
And ask the city in which we were and the caravan in which we came - and indeed, we are truthful.'"
قُلْ هَـٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِى ۖ وَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ
Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allāh with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allāh; and I am not of those who associate others with Him."
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِى نَجَا مِنْهُمَا وَٱدَّكَرَ بَعْدَ أُمَّةٍ أَنَا۠ أُنَبِّئُكُم بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦ فَأَرْسِلُونِ
But the one who was freed and remembered after a time said, "I will inform you of its interpretation, so send me forth."
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ هَـٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَـٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِىٓ إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِى مِنَ ٱلسِّجْنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْبَدْوِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration. And he said, "O my father, this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality. And He was certainly good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you [here] from bedouin life after Satan had induced [estrangement] between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise.