Yusuf 12:6 - Linguistic Miracle

Likewise, Your Lord will single you out and teach you a part of Ta'wil Ahadith. Completing his kind favour on you and on the dynasty of Ya'qub just as he completed it on your two fathers before, Ibrahim and Ishaq. Your Lord is ever-knowing and ever-wise.

Yusuf's father carries on. What he says in this verse is included in the meaning of Yusuf's vision. His brothers, father and mother will prostrate to him. This is not a normal family. This is the family of a major Prophet with children who will became the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. If this family is prostrating to Yusuf, it highlights Yusuf's status over them. Hence, Allah will choose Yusuf and single him out even from the members of this family.

وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ

and teach you a portion of Ta'wil Ahadith.

Next is the phrase Ta'wil Ahadith commonly translated as 'interpretation of dreams.' I disagree. Lets take the first word Ta'wil, it comes from the root Alif Waw Laam which was used for

• A container in which juice or milk was poured
• Thickened and coagulated milk which starts gathering forming thick curd
• Stripped wood
• A bottle in which a drink was left overtime until its taste improved.

The central meaning is to obtain true reality or the very core or root of a substance after impurities are removed such as the stripped wood, which reveals its core substance and the curdled milk which represents the dense substance of the milk itself. (Mu'jam al Ishtiqaqi)

Next it the word Ahadith which comes from the root Ha Daal Tha which was used for

• A young man
• Polishing a sword
• An axe

The central meaning is to uncover or bring something into view by means of carving, scraping and similar acts like the young man whose youth has just emerged, a polished sword means it is ready to be employed and an axe is used cut down and expose the things that it cuts through. (Mu'jam al Ishtiqaqi)

Combining the root meanings of these two words we can see that Ta'wil means to reach the core of something and Ahadith means something that has newly emerged. This phrase hence means to reach the root and core of something that has emerged or happened. How do you reach this core? By removing the obstacles and the impurities - the things that stand in the way and have no meaning or worth. The word Ahadith implies that the emergence occurs after deliberate effort and hard work. A person reaches his youth only after deliberate care during childhood, the polishing of the sword is to indicate that it is ready to be sold or used, the axe is used with deliberate intent to cut through an object to expose its interior. So Ta'wil Ahadith means reaching the core and root of meaningful and deliberate events and emergences not just random and unimportant occurrences.

Now what is Yusuf's father saying here? Ta'wil Ahadith is a special branch of Islamic knowledge by means of which a person can uncover and unravel the mysteries. It is a branch of knowledge that allows a person to reach the very depth and core of something, to unravel and discover its secrets. Now this thing, whose depths are reached and whose secrets are unraveled can be many things, not just dreams. Interpretating dreams - reaching their depths and unraveling their secrets and meanings - is just one type of Ta'wil Ahadith. The word Ahadith is in plural; it singular is Hadith. Ta'wil Ahadith is a branch of knowledge that allows a person to unravel the secrets and reach the depths of many things, events, realities and occurences and dreams are just one type of these Ahadith, not all. This is why Yusuf's father says Allah will teach him a portion of Ta'wil Ahadith not all of it. We will come to know later that Allah will teach him the Ta'wil of dreams which is a part of the broader category of Ta'wil Ahadith.

There are many types of Ta'wil Ahadith and Allah teaches them to whom He wants as He wants. On a personal note, Allah has given me the ability to know the reality of a person by his or her face, to know what type of person he or she is, and sometimes, what that person thinks, intends, desires and even what he does in his or her privacy. This includes the gift of knowing the state of a person's heart. This is a part of Ta'wil Ahadith too. There are other types of it as well as I can also interpret dreams to an extent though I am still learning it. All of this serves as a blatant proof of the credibility and legitimacy of this religion because this is not a type of knowledge that can be learnt from books or people, it is an inspiration from Allah to the heart. You make yourself eligible to Allah to learn this field of knowledge and this is done by being steadfast on this religion and enduring the pain, suffering and trials that you will be tested with. You will be tested according to the strength of your faith, the stronger you are, the harsher the test, but greater the reward.

وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ

and complete His kindness on you and on the family of Ya'qub

This is a strange way of saying it because this is Ya'qub himself speaking. Why would he say 'and complete His kindness on you and on the family of Ya'qub rather than 'on my family?' We will answer this later when we tie in everything In sha Allah.

By teaching Yusuf Ta'wil Ahadith, Allah will complete his favor. The word Ni'mah is translated as favor. It comes from the root Nun Ein Meem which was used for:

• Ostrich
• Sole of the foot
• The membrane that covers the brain
• Shade
• A tree with soft leaves

The central meaning is softness and delicacy as opposed to hardness and thickness. (Mu'jam al Ishtiqaqi). Ostrich has a soft neck, the membrance covering the brain is soft and thin as are the soft leaves of a tree. Shade implies comfort and coolness as opposed to the harsh heat.

We normally associate the notion of softness with gentleness and kindness. We we say a person is soft, we mean to say that he is kind and gentle and such people are a source of comfort. Think of your grandmother or grandfather. So this root Nun Ein Meem means comfort, kindness, gentleness and ease. We normally translate it as favour but it implies Allah's kindness and gentleness to us. We use the same root in Surah al Fatihah when we say

صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم

The clear and easy path of those you were kind to

But what does it mean when Yusuf's father says Allah will 'complete his kindness' on Yusuf and the family of Ya'qub? We need to understand the word complete/إتمام. It's root meaning indicates completing something according to its measure. Consider you have two salaried persons. One at a higher position than the other because of which he gets a higher salary. Let's say he earns $1,000 per month verses the other person who earns $500 a month. $1,000 is the complete salary of the first person according to his measure - according to what his role and what he deserves - while $500 is the complete salary of the other person. Both have been paid their salary completely but according to their measure.

كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ ۚ

Just as He completed it on your two father from before; Ibrahim and Ishaq

There is interesting wordplay here but before that let's understand the apparent meaning. Allah will complete his kindness upon Yusuf and his family according to their status, role and according to what they deserve. Yusuf's father will mention Ibrahim and Ishaq because Allah completed his kindness on those two people according to what they both deserved. Ibrahim was tested like no other and hence made the leader of mankind as a whole. Ishaq was made the father of Children of Israel - the recipients of prophets one after another. This is what Ibrahim and Ishaq deserved according to what they did. Allah will similarly bring to full glory and maturity the kindness He will shower on Yusuf and Ya'qub's family. The reason why he mentions Ibrahim and Ishaq without Ismai'l is because these are people Yusuf can directly relate to. Remember, Yusuf is a child and he needs to be taught things kindly and gently in a way he can relate to. He can see with his very own eyes the kindness and favor of Allah on Ibrahim and Ishaq, his grandfather and great - grandfather. He is their child and is a direct recipient of their legacy whereas Ismai'l went to live in Arabia, far away from Yusuf. Yusuf has only heard of Ismai'l; not witnessed or experienced Allah's favor on him directly. This is why he says 'your two fathers from before' because Yusuf is directly descended from Ibrahim and Ishaq, not Ismai'l

The interesting wordplay is that the word family in the phrase 'family of Ya'qub' and the word Ta'wil (reaching the core and root of something) in the phrase Ta'wil Ahadith, both come from the same root. Ta'wil means to reach the root and core of something. Your family is your root and core, you are descended from your father and mother i.e, they are the root and source of your existence. The question why use this word when in Arabic and even in the Quran, many other words have been used for 'family.' Allah will teach Yusuf to reach the very core and root of things. Why? Because this kindness and favor of Allah to Yusuf, is rooted in Ya'qub himself. This is a favor of Allah to Yusuf because of Ya'qub The source and root of this all, is Ya'qub himself and his high status with Allah by virtue of which Allah blesses his children. This is incredible because you will see in this Surah Ya'qub undergoing massive grief because of what will happen to Yusuf to the extent of losing his eyesight, but this all is a blessing of Allah. We know and judge things by their apparent and simple meaning. Allah has the complete view. At the end of it all, it is precisely because of the trials Yusuf underwent - the very source of Ya'qub's grief - that this dream was fulfilled. This is a lesson to have faith in Allah, His plans and promises.

Now you might think that Ya'qub's righteousness had nothing to do with Yusuf which is true but Yusuf will prove himself as well in this Surah. Remember one thing. In the Quran, ancestry is spiritual more than physical. The one you follow in your life, that is your real father as the Quran says:

-مِلَّةَ اَبِیْكُمْ اِبْرٰهِیْمَؕ

The religion of your father, Ibrahim

(Surah al Hajj: Ayah 78)

Allah calls Ibrahim our father even though we are not directly descended from him. True ancestry is spiritual. If you follow Ibrahim, you are his child and he your father as Ibrahim himself says:

فَمَنْ تَبِعَنِیْ فَاِنَّهٗ مِنِّیْۚ

So whosoever followed me, then he is from me

(Surah Ibrahim: Ayah 36)

Ibrahim does not say that whosoever followed me then he is part of my group or faction. He says he is from me, literally. The word he uses is very literal. مني literally means from me. Such a person comes from me just as a child comes from his father. What this means is that just as the kindness Allah showed to Yusuf was rooted in Ya'qub, the kindness Allah will show to us is rooted in Ibrahim - the father of all prophets, the head and leader of all mankind. But this is not unconditional. Just as Yusuf had to prove himself to be eligible for this kindness by going and passing through trials as we will see in this Surah, so will we have to prove ourselves similarly. This is why Allah says to us Muslims in Surah al Baqarah:

وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَیْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَ الْجُوْعِ وَ نَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْاَمْوَالِ وَ الْاَنْفُسِ وَ الثَّمَرٰتِؕ-وَ بَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیْنَ

Surely We will try you with something of fear and hunger, and diminution of goods and lives and fruits; yet give you good tidings unto the patient.

(Surah al Baqarah: Ayah 155)

The placing of this ayah is quite special. It comes after a long passage where Allah directly addresses the Jews - the longest in the Quran directed directly to any group - then mentions Ibrahim himself, his religion, his trial and his legacy. Then after this, it orders the Muslims to change their prayer direction from Jerusalem to Makkah which symbolizes the shift of the the covenant of God from Jerusalem to Makkah, from the Jews to the Muslims; from one child of Ibrahim - Ishaq - to another - Ismai'l. The religion is the same - the religion of Ibrahim. It is just that the covenant of this religion has shifted from his one child to another as the Quran itself points out 25 verses earlier:

وَ مَنْ یَّرْغَبُ عَنْ مِّلَّةِ اِبْرٰهٖمَ اِلَّا مَنْ سَفِهَ نَفْسَهٗؕ-وَ لَقَدِ اصْطَفَیْنٰهُ فِی الدُّنْیَاۚ-وَ اِنَّهٗ فِی الْاٰخِرَةِ لَمِنَ الصّٰلِحِیْنَ

Who turns away from Ibrahim's religion but he who befooled his own soul? Him we chose in this lowly life; and in the hereafter, he shall truly be from the righteous.

In a nutshell, we are Ibrahim's children. Literally. Do not take this to mean that Ibrahim is symbolically our father. The Quran says that Ibrahim is literally our father. Consider what Allah said to his prophet Nuh after his son was drowned in the flood.

قَالَ یٰنُوْحُ اِنَّهٗ لَیْسَ مِنْ اَهْلِكَۚ-اِنَّهٗ عَمَلٌ غَیْرُ صَالِحٍ

He said, ' Nuh, he is not of your family; it is a deed not righteous '

Allah said that Nuh's own son was not his son because he was unrighteous. Allah had promised Nuh that He will save his family from being drowned. When Nuh's son was drowned, he complained to Allah that Allah had promised not to drown his family yet his son just got drowned to which Allah replied that he is not his son and not from his family. This is literal.

Ibrahim is literally our father. Allah has promised us kindness and love because of Ibrahim just as he promised kindness and love to Yusuf because of Ya'qub. Just as Yusuf had to undergo trials to prove himself, to make himself eligible for this kindness, so will we have to as mentioned in the verse of Surah Baqarah mentioned above. But remember, Allah promises to make this test light and easy for us. I cannot go into the linguistics of verse 155 of Surah al Baqarah, but that verse has twofold emphasis on Allah reducing the intensity of the trials and making them easy for us.

Also remember one important fact. The Jews believe that this kindness of Allah is unconditional and will be received regardless of the actions and deeds of a person; while we believe that it is not unconditional and we will have to prove ourselves. This is the main difference between us and them. The stories of Prophets attest to the fact that this love and kindness is not unconditional. The prophets, despite being descended from Ibrahim, had to undergo trials and pain and proved themselves by surpassing them yet the Jews ignore this. You will see them complaining all the time why life gets difficult. What they invented in their religion has deluded them.

Next, Ya'qub says

إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ

Your Lord is ever-knowing and ever-wise.

The word Rabb is translated as Lord. but at its very root, it means to caretake and upbring. The word Tarbiyah in Arabic which means to take care and upbring children comes from this same root. It was literally used to make a thick and condensed nectar from fruits like dates. It is quite interesting that the root meanings of the word Ta'wil mentioned above and the word Rabb mean the same thing.

Instead of the name Allah, he uses his name Rabb which contains meanings of kindness and gentleness and says Your - Yusuf's - Rabb. He is telling him that Allah will take care of him and upbring him. Allah will teach him, take care of him and watch after him Himself. He mentions two attributes of Allah, knowledge and wisdom, to say that Allah knows the best way to teach him, how to take care of him. what dangers he faces and the best solution and path for you. The next attribute he mentions - wisdom - needs explanation.

The word Hakeem is translated as ever-wise. It comes from the root Ha Kaaf Meem which was used for:

• The bridles surrounding the animals face by means of which the rider restrains and directs it
• The Jaw
• Chin bone

The central meaning is to control something to prevent it from going loose and becoming disorderly. Like the bridle that restrains the animal and prevents it from going loose. (Mu'jam al Ishtiqaqi)



When used for Allah, it means that Allah keeps order in the universe by preventing things from becoming disorderly and going loose. Allah has a plan for Yusuf and this plan will be protected from going wrong. Many times things don't go according to our plan. Things fall apart, get delayed etc. When it comes to Allah, none of that happens. The plan goes exactly as He intends it. He protects things from going out of control. He maintains a firm control on everything.

So Allah knows the best for Yusuf and what needs to be done, then He will keep things from falling away from this plan.