Surah Yusuf Ayah 39

Yusuf · Ayah 39 · Juz 12 · Page 240

يَٰصَٰحِبَيِ ٱلسِّجۡنِ ءَأَرۡبَابٞ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيۡرٌ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡوَٰحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ ٣٩

Yāṣāḥibayis-sijni aʾarbābum mutafarriqūna khayrun amillāhul-wāḥidul-qahhār.

O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allāh, the One,1 the Prevailing?2

Translation: Sahih International

Footnotes (2)
  1. Single, individual and unique in His attributes and His deeds.
  2. He who subdues doubts and false arguments with clear evidences and who subdues and imposes His will upon all creation.

This verse is discussed in

Tafsir

Tafsir of ayahs 39–40

"O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible? (39)"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) - you and your fathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him; that is the straight religion, but most men know not. (40)

Prophet Yusuf went on calling his two prison companions to worship Allah alone, without partners, and to reject whatever is being worshipped instead of Him like the idols, which were worshipped by the people of the two men, Yusuf said,

أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

(Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible?) to Whose grace and infinite kingdom everything and everyone has submitted in humiliation. Prophet Yusuf explained to them next that it is because of their ignorance that they worship false deities and give them names, for these names were forged and are being transferred from one generation to the next generation. They have no proof or authority that supports this practice, hence his statement to them,

مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ

(for which Allah has sent down no authority) or proof and evidence. He then affirmed that the judgement, decision, will and kingdom are all for Allah alone, and He has commanded all of His servants to worship none but Him. He said,

ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ

(that is the straight religion,) 'this, Tawhid of Allah and directing all acts of worship at Him alone in sincerity, that I am calling you to is the right, straight religion that Allah has ordained and for which He has revealed what He wills of proofs and evidences,'

وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most men know not.), and this is why most of them are idolators,

وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you eagerly desire it.)[12:103] When Yusuf finished calling them, he started interpreting their dreams for them,

Word by word9 words

  • يَٰصَٰحِبَيِO my two companions
  • ٱلسِّجۡنِ(of) the prison
  • ءَأَرۡبَابٞAre lords
  • مُّتَفَرِّقُونَseparate
  • خَيۡرٌbetter
  • أَمِor
  • ٱللَّهُAllah
  • ٱلۡوَٰحِدُthe One
  • ٱلۡقَهَّارُthe Irresistible

Read Surah Yusuf from ayah 39Open in the mushaf, page 240

Yusufيوسف

Joseph · Meccan · 111 ayahs

Juz
12
Page
240
Hizb
24