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
وَإِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
But if his shirt is torn from the back, then she has lied, and he is of the truthful."
ثُمَّ يَأْتِى مِنۢ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ سَبْعٌ شِدَادٌ يَأْكُلْنَ مَا قَدَّمْتُمْ لَهُنَّ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّا تُحْصِنُونَ
Then will come after that seven difficult [years] which will consume what you advanced [i.e., saved] for them, except a little from which you will store.
فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيهِمْ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا ٱلْكَيْلُ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَآ أَخَانَا نَكْتَلْ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ
So when they returned to their father, they said, "O our father, [further] measure has been denied to us, so send with us our brother [that] we will be given measure. And indeed, we will be his guardians."
أَفَأَمِنُوٓا۟ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ غَـٰشِيَةٌ مِّنْ عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Then do they feel secure that there will not come to them an overwhelming [aspect] of the punishment of Allāh or that the Hour will not come upon them suddenly while they do not perceive?