246 Page Notes

12 Surah Yusuf (continued)

Page 246 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

12:87

12:88

12:89

12:90

12:91

12:92

12:93

12:94

12:95

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 246 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 246 of the Quran spans Surah Yusuf (Chapter 12), Verses 87 through 95.

This page contains the long-awaited climax and structural resolution of the entire story. Driven by unshakeable faith, Prophet Ya'qub sends his sons back to Egypt, commanding them never to despair of Allah's mercy and to look for both Yusuf and Benjamin. The brothers return to the Egyptian palace, pleading for food with meager goods. Seeing their desperation, Yusuf finally breaks his cover, asking: "Do you know what you did with Yusuf and his brother when you were ignorant?" Stunned, they realize his true identity.

Instead of executing or punishing them, Yusuf utters words of absolute forgiveness: "No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you..." He gives them his shirt to cast over their blind father's face to restore his sight. The page concludes back in Canaan, where Ya'qub suddenly stops and declares to his skeptical family: "Indeed, I find the scent of Yusuf, if you did not think me senile."

The prophetic Sunnah and classical Ahadith directly connect the monumental events on this page to historic occurrences in the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, formulating core principles around the prohibition of despair, the supreme merit of forgiveness, and the physical miracles of the prophets.

1. The Severe Prohibition of Despair (Ya's)

Quranic Context (Verse 87): "O my sons, go and find out about Yusuf and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."

Ya'qub’s command establishes that letting go of hope in Allah's mercy is not a minor emotional lapse, but a profound spiritual danger. The Sunnah positions unshakeable optimism (Husn al-Dhann) as a mandatory duty of faith, even when facing absolute ruin.

• The Hadith on Despair: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ classified despair as one of the ultimate major sins (Kaba'ir). When asked about the greatest sins, he explicitly listed:
  "Associating partners with Allah, despairing of relief from Allah (al-ya'su min rawhillah), and feeling secure from the plan of Allah."
  — Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by Al-Tabarani & Musnad al-Bazzar (Verified Sahih via corroborating chains)

• The Prophetic Principle of Hope: The Sunnah teaches that Allah responds to a servant based on the expectations they maintain:
  "Allah the Almighty says: 'I am as My servant expects Me to be...'"
  — Sahih al-Bukhari (7405) & Sahih Muslim (2675)

2. Prophetic Forgiveness: The Blueprint of Conquest

Quranic Context (Verse 92): "He said, 'No blame will there be upon you today (Lā tathrība ‘alaykumu al-yawma). Allah will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful.'"

Yusuf’s absolute refusal to exact revenge against his brothers is the definitive scriptural baseline for mercy. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ directly used Yusuf's exact words on this page during the most triumphant day of his prophetic career: The Conquest of Mecca (Fath Makkah).

• The Historical Sunnah Link: After marching into Mecca as a conqueror, the Prophet ﷺ stood before the Quraysh elite who had spent twenty years boycotting, torturing, and murdering his family and companions. He asked them, "O people of Quraysh! What do you think I am going to do with you?" They replied, "You are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother."
  The Prophet ﷺ then declared: "I say to you just as Yusuf said to his brothers: 'No blame will there be upon you today.' Go, for you are all free."
  — Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi (18055) & Fath al-Bari (Synthesized legal history)

3. Fear of Allah (Taqwa) and Patience (Sabr)

Quranic Context (Verse 90): "...Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good."

Yusuf’s summary of his entire life's journey centers on two traits: Taqwa and Sabr. The Sunnah frames these two components as the structural keys to navigating any human trial, promising that they alter the spiritual outcome of a believer's life.

• The Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ explicitly connected continuous patience to a source of spiritual illumination:
  "Patience is a bright light (diyā'). And no one is granted a gift that is better and more vast than patience."
  — Sahih Muslim (223)

4. The Scent of the Prophets and Miracles (Mu'jizat)

Quranic Context (Verse 94): "And when the caravan departed [from Egypt], their father said [in Canaan], 'Indeed, I find the scent of Yusuf, if you did not think me senile.'"

The physical transmission of Yusuf’s scent across vast geographical distances to his father is a documented miracle (Mu'jizah). The Sunnah validates that the bodies of the prophets possess unique biological and spiritual traits, including distinct sweet scents and physical remnants that serve as a source of healing or blessing (Tabarruk).

• The Scent of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: The companions frequently described experiencing a similar physical phenomenon when interacting with the Prophet ﷺ:
  "I never smelled any ambergris or musk or anything as sweet as the scent of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."
  — Sahih al-Bukhari (3561) & Sahih Muslim (2330)

References

• Al-Bayhaqi, A. B. (2003). Sunan al-Kubra. Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah.

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (1997). Sahih al-Bukhari. Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Naysaburi, M. H. (2007). Sahih Muslim. Darussalam Publishers.

• Al-Tabarani, S. A. (1995). Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi.

• Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, A. A. (1997). Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari. Dar al-Salam.

• Ibn Kathir, I. (2000). Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Azim (Vol. 4). Dar-us-Salam Publications.