The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَقَالَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لاِمْرَأَتِهِ ...

12: 21. The man in Egypt who bought him said to his wife:

C1659. Joseph is now clear of his jealous brethren in the land of Canaan. The merchants take him to Egypt. In the city of Memphis (or whatever was the Egyptian capital then) he was exposed for sale by the merchants.

The merchants had not miscalculated. There was a ready market for him; his handsome presence, his winning ways, his purity and innocence, his intelligence and integrity, combined with his courtesy and noble manliness, attracted all eyes to him. There was the keenest competition to purchase him, and in the highest Court circles. Every competitor was outbid by a high court official, who is called in verse 30 below "the 'Aziz"- (the Exalted in rank). (R).

... أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ...

"Make his stay (among us) honorable:

C1660. See last note.

The 'Aziz's motive was perhaps worldly. Such a handsome, attractive, intelligent son would get him more honour, dignity, power and wealth. (R).

...عَسَى أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا...

maybe he will bring us much good, or we shall adopt him as a son."

...وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنِّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الأَرْضِ...

Thus did we establish Joseph in the land,

C1661. How unerringly Allah's plan works!

To teach Joseph wisdom and power, he had to be tested and proved in righteousness, and advanced and established in Egypt, and the way prepared for Israel and his posterity to proclaim Allah's truth to the world and to make possible the subsequent missions of Moses and Al Mustafa. (R).

...وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الأَحَادِيثِ...

that We might teach him the interpretation of stories (and events).

C1662. Ahadith might be stories, things imagined or related, things that happened, in life or in true dreams.

To suppose that phenomenal events are the only reality is a mark of one-sided materialism. As Hamlet said to Horatio, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

External events have their own limited reality, but there are bigger realities behind them, that sometimes appear darkly in the visions of ordinary men, but more clearly in the visions of poets, seers, sages and prophets.

Joseph had to be trained in seeing the realities behind events and visions. He was hated by his brothers and sold by them into slavery; they were sending him into the land of Egypt, where he was to rule men. He loved his father dearly and was separated from him, and his mother had died early; but his affection was not blunted, but drawn to a keener edge when his benevolent work benefited millions in Egypt, and in the world. His own visions of stars, sun, and moon prostrating themselves before him, was no idle dream of a selfish fool, but the prefigurement of a power, which, used rightly, was to make his own honour an instrument of service to millions he had not seen, through men and women whose own power and dignity were sanctified through him.

He was to understand the hidden meaning of what seemed futilities, blunderings, snares, evil-plottings, love gone wrong, and power used tyrannically. He was to interpret truth to those who would never have reached it otherwise.

...وَاللّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢١﴾

And Allah hath full power and control over His affairs;

but most among mankind know it not.

C1663.

Cf. "There is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them as we will." Only, in Shakespeare, (Hamlet, V. 2), we have a vague and distant ideal, an irresolute striving, an unsuccessful attempt at getting beyond "this too, too solid flesh"!

In Joseph we have the Prophet of Allah, sure in faith, above all carnal motives, and advancing the destiny of mankind with a conscious purpose, as the scroll of knowledge, wisdom, and power, unfolds itself before him by the grace of Allah, All-Good and All-Powerful.

Other Versions:

12: 21

Asad and the man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: ”Make his stay honorable: he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son.” And thus We gave unto Joseph a firm place on earth; and so that We might impart unto him some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings. For, God always prevails in whatever be His purpose: but most people know it not.

Pickthall And he of Egypt who purchased him said unto his wife: Receive him honorably. Perchance he may prove useful to us or we may adopt him as a son. Thus We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah was predominant in his career, but most of mankind know not.

Yuksel The one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: "Make his stay generous, perhaps he will benefit us or we may take him as a son." It was thus that We established Joseph in the land and to teach him the interpretation of dreams. God has full power over matters, but most of the people do not know.*

Transliteration Wa qa_lal lazi-sytara_hu mim misra li-mra'atihi akrimi maswa_hu 'asa_ ay yanfa'ana_ au nattakhizahu_ walada_(n), wa kaza_lika makkanna_ liyu_sufa fil ard(i), wa linu'allimahu_ min ta'wilil aha_dis(i), walla_hu ga_libun 'ala_ amrihi wa la_kinna aksaran na_si la_ ya'lamu_n(a).