Surah 12. Yusuf, Ayah 68
| وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُمْ مَا كَانَ يُغْنِي عَنْهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا حَاجَةً فِي نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَاهَا ۚ وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ |
| Transliteration | : | wa- lammaa dakhalo min h.aythu 'amara -hum 'abo -hum maa kaana yughne can -hum min 'allaah min shay' 'illaa h.aajah fe nafs yacqob qad.aa -haa wa- 'inna -hu la- dho cilm li- maa callamnaa -hu wa- laakin akthar an- naas laa yaclamon |
| Pickthall | : | And when they entered in the manner which their father had enjoined, it would have naught availed them as against Allah; it was but a need of Jacob's soul which he thus satisfied; and lo! he was a lord of knowledge because We had taught him; but most of mankind know not. |
| Asad | : | But although66 they entered [Joseph's city] in the way their father had bidden them, this proved of no avail whatever to them against [the plan of] God.67 [His request] had served only to satisfy Jacob's heartfelt desire [to protect them]:68 for, behold, thanks to what We had imparted unto him, he was indeed endowed with the knowledge [that God's will must always prevail69 ]; but most people know it not. |
| Malik | : | When they entered the city as their father had advised them, it did not avail them against the will of Allah. Of course, Ya'qoob did his best to avert the fear he had in his heart. Indeed he possessed the knowledge which We had given him, but most people do not know. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | And when they entered in the manner their father had enjoined it did not profit them in the least against (the Plan of) Allah: it was but a necessity of Jacob's soul which he discharged. For he was by Our instruction full of knowledge (and experience): but most men know not. 1731 1732 1733 |
Note - 66Lit., "when".
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Note - 67As is shown in the sequence, they and their father were
to suffer severe distress before their adventures came to
a happy conclusion.
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Note - 68Lit., "it [i.e., his request that they should enter the
city by different gates] had been but a desire in Jacob's
heart (nais), which he [thus] satisfied". In other words,
when he gave his sons this advice, he followed only an
instinctive, humanly-understandable urge, and did not
really expect that any outward precaution would by itself
help them: for, as he himself pointed out on parting,
"judgment as to what is to happen rests with none but
God". This stress on man's utter dependence on God - a
fundamental tenet of Islam - explains why Jacob's advice
(which in itself is not relevant to the story) has been
mentioned in the above Qur'anic narrative.
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Note - 69This interpolated clause is based on Zamakhshari's
interpretation of the above reference to Jacob's having
been "endowed with knowledge".
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Note - 1731See the last verse and n. 1730. Though they scrupulously
observed their father's injunctions to the letter, their
hearts were not yet pure, and they got into trouble, as
the later story will show. They had the hardihood to cast
aspersions on Joseph, not knowing that they were in
Joseph's power. And Joseph took a noble revenge by
planning a reunion of the whole family and shaming the
ten brothers into repentance. He was the instrument for
the fulfilment of Allah's Plan.
|
Note - 1732It is a necessity of a Prophet's soul that he should
speak out and teach all that he knows, to the worthy and
unworthy alike. This, Jacob did to his unworthy sons, as
well as to his worthy sons whom he loved best. It was not
for him as Prophet to guarantee any results. In this case
he could not save his sons from getting into trouble
merely because they followed the letter of his advice in
a small matter. Apply this to the teaching of a greater
than Jacob. Men who literally observe some small
injunctions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and neglect the
greater principles which he taught cannot blame him for
their troubles and difficulties. If they examined the
matter, they would find that they brought the troubles on
themselves.
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Note - 1733The Prophets of Allah are full of knowledge,-not as men,
but as taught by the grace of Allah. For men, as such,
are (Carlyle said) mostly fools,-devoid of knowledge and
understanding.
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As is shown in the sequence, they and their father were to suffer severe distress before their adventures came to a happy conclusion. |
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Lit., "it [i.e., his request that they should enter the city by different gates] had been but a desire in Jacob's heart (nais), which he [thus] satisfied". In other words, when he gave his sons this advice, he followed only an instinctive, humanly-understandable urge, and did not really expect that any outward precaution would by itself help them: for, as he himself pointed out on parting, "judgment as to what is to happen rests with none but God". This stress on man's utter dependence on God - a fundamental tenet of Islam - explains why Jacob's advice (which in itself is not relevant to the story) has been mentioned in the above Qur'anic narrative. |
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See the last verse and n. 1730. Though they scrupulously observed their father's injunctions to the letter, their hearts were not yet pure, and they got into trouble, as the later story will show. They had the hardihood to cast aspersions on Joseph, not knowing that they were in Joseph's power. And Joseph took a noble revenge by planning a reunion of the whole family and shaming the ten brothers into repentance. He was the instrument for the fulfilment of Allah's Plan. |
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It is a necessity of a Prophet's soul that he should speak out and teach all that he knows, to the worthy and unworthy alike. This, Jacob did to his unworthy sons, as well as to his worthy sons whom he loved best. It was not for him as Prophet to guarantee any results. In this case he could not save his sons from getting into trouble merely because they followed the letter of his advice in a small matter. Apply this to the teaching of a greater than Jacob. Men who literally observe some small injunctions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad and neglect the greater principles which he taught cannot blame him for their troubles and difficulties. If they examined the matter, they would find that they brought the troubles on themselves. |
