Transliteration:( Wa raf'a abawaihi 'alal 'arshi wa kharroo lahoo sujjadaa; wa qaala yaaa abati haaza taaweelu ru'yaaya min qablu qad ja'alahaa Rabbee haqqaa; wa qad ahsana beee iz akhrajanee minas sijni wa jaaa'a bikum minal badwi mim ba'di an nazaghash Shaitaanu bainee wa baina ikhwatee; inna Rabbee lateeful limaa yashaaa'; innahoo Huwal 'Aleemul Hakeem )
He placed his parents on the throne [210], and they all fell prostrate to him [211]. Yusuf said, "O my father, this is the interpretation of my earlier vision [212]. My Lord has made it true. He has indeed shown me favor by bringing me out of prison [213] and bringing you here from the desert after Satan had caused discord between me and my brothers [214]. Surely my Lord is Subtle in His decree [215], and He is the All-Knowing, the Wise."
This refers to his parents and eleven brothers. The sajdah (prostration) mentioned here was of the kind practiced in Egypt, where it was a gesture of honor and not of worship. This prostration was to Hazrat Yusuf (عليه السلام), as the wording “for him” indicates.
Some argue that this verse allows Sajdah of Respect, but if so, then the spiritual guides should prostrate to their followers, as Hazrat Yaqub (عليه السلام) prostrated to Hazrat Yusuf (عليه السلام). However, this was not a command of religion, rather a unique event in fulfillment of a prophetic dream. Similar to how Hazrat Ibrahim (عليه السلام) tried to sacrifice his son to fulfill his vision, but that was not a universal ruling.
Detailed discussion on Sajdah of Respect appears in Tafsir on the verse of the angels’ prostration to Hazrat Adam (عليه السلام).
This incident does not prove permissibility of Sajdah of Respect in the religion of Hazrat Yaqub (عليه السلام), as this occurred only to fulfill the dream. There is no evidence of such a practice before or after this event.
While some Ahadith suggest Sajdah of Respect was allowed in past nations, the Holy Prophet ﷺ abolished it. A Hadith may abrogate another Hadith but cannot abrogate a Qur’anic verse. Hence, this was a Sajdah of salutation, not of reverence.
Had it been out of respect, Hazrat Yusuf (عليه السلام) would have been the one prostrating, not his father.
The dream mentioned at the beginning of the Surah was fulfilled after 40 or 80 years, showing the precision of Allah’s decrees and His promise.
Hazrat Yusuf (عليه السلام) does not mention the well, to avoid shaming his brothers. He instead refers to release from prison, which was a direct act of Allah’s mercy, unlike the well, from where he was saved by human effort.
This teaches us that after forgiving someone, one should not remind them of past wrongs.
Hazrat Yusuf (عليه السلام) blames Shaytan for the discord between him and his brothers, maintaining the bond of brotherhood. Similarly, Hazrat Ali (رضي الله عنه) referred to Amir Muawiya’s group as brothers even during conflict.
Even after harsh treatment, Yusuf (عليه السلام) acknowledges them as his brothers.
According to Tafseer Roohul Bayaan, Hazrat Yusuf (عليه السلام) had two sons, Ifrasheem and Mancisha, from Bibi Zuleikha, and a daughter named Rahmah, who married Hazrat Ayub (عليه السلام).
All of them came with Hazrat Yaqub (عليه السلام) and honored him. He was overjoyed and prayed for their well-being. This highlights the family unity and prophetic legacy.
The tafsir of Surah Yusuf verse 100 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yusuf ayat 99 which provides the complete commentary from verse 99 through 100.
(12:100) And after they had entered the city, Joseph raised his parents to the throne[69] beside himself, and they (involuntarily) bowed in prostration before him.[70] Joseph said: “Father! This is the fulfilment of the vision I had before – one that My Lord has caused to come true. He was kind to me when He rescued me from the prison, and brought you from the desert after Satan had stirred discord between me and my brothers. Certainly my Lord is Subtle in the fulfilment of His will; He is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
69. According to the Talmud, “when Joseph learned that his father was upon the way, he gathered together his friends and officers, and soldiers of the realm, attired in rich garments,….and formed a great company to meet Prophet Jacob on the way and escort him to Egypt. Music and gladness filled the land, and all the people, the women and the children, assembled on the house tops to view the magnificent display.” (H. Polano, p. 111).
70. The interpretation of this verse has given rise to some serious misunderstandings, which are against the very fundamentals of the divine guidance. So much so that some people have gone to the extreme of making it lawful to prostrate before kings and saints as a mark of respect. Others more strict on this point have explained it away, saying, “In the former divine laws, it was unlawful only to prostrate in worship before others than Allah, though it was permissible to prostrate before others if it was done without the intention of worship, but now in the divine law given to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) it has been made absolutely unlawful.
Such misunderstandings as these have resulted from taking the words in this verse to mean “to perform sajadah” in the technical sense in which it is now used in the Islamic code, that is, “lying flat in such a way that the hands, the knees and the forehead touch the ground,” whereas the word sujjadan has been used here in its literal meaning of sajud “to bow down”. The parents and brothers of Prophet Joseph bowed down before him in accordance with the ancient custom among the people of the age, (and the custom is still in vogue among some people), who used to bow down before others to show their gratitude, or welcome them, or merely to salute them by placing their hand on the breast. There are many instances of this in the Bible. “….and when he (Abraham) saw them (the three men) corning towards him, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself towards the ground.” (Please refer to Arabic translation: Gen. 18: 32). Further on it says that when the children of Heth gave a field and a cave as a burying place for Sarah, Prophet Abraham was so grateful to them that “he stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth,” (Gen. 23: 7) and “Abraham bowed down himself before the people of the land.” (Gen. 23: 12). In both cases the words `bowed down’ have been translated into (Sajada).
These and other like instances in the Bible are a conclusive proof of the fact that in this (Surah Yusuf, ayat 100), the Quran has not used the word in its technical Islamic sense but in its literal sense.
Besides, those commentators are absolutely wrong who suppose that in the former laws, sajadah in the present Islamic sense was allowed as a mark of respect laws. For instance, during the Babylonian captivity of the Children of Israel, king Ahasuerus promoted Haman above all the princes and commanded all his servants to bow and reverence him, but Mordecai, who was a holy and righteous man among the Jews, bowed not, nor did him reverence. (Esther3: 1-2). The Talmud has elaborated this point in a way that is worth reading:
The servants of the king said to Mordecai: “Why wilt thou refuse to bow before Haman, transgressing thus the wishes of the king? Do we not bow before him?” “Yea are foolish,” answered Mordecai, “aye, wanting in reason. Listen to me. Shall a mortal, who must return to dust be glorified? Shall I bow down before one born of woman, whose days are short? When he is small he cries and weeps as a child; when he grows older sorrow and sighing are his portion; his days are full of wrath and anger, and at the end he returns to dust. Shall I bow to one like to him? No, I prostrate myself before the Eternal God, who lives forever. To Him the great Creator and Ruler of the Universe, and to no other will I bow.” (The Talmud Selections by H. Polano, p. 172).
This speech which was made by a believer from among the Israelites a thousand years before the revelation of the Quran, is conclusive on the point. Thus there is absolutely no room for the performance of sajadah before any other than Allah.
[618]- That of greeting and respect, which was lawful until the time of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ). Prostration to any person or object other than Allāh was then prohibited conclusively. [619]- Perceptive of unapparent matters within which is benefit to His servants.
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