Quran Universe
12:101

۞رَبِّ قَدۡ ءَاتَيۡتَنِي مِنَ ٱلۡمُلۡكِ وَعَلَّمۡتَنِي مِن تَأۡوِيلِ ٱلۡأَحَادِيثِۚ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّۦ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ تَوَفَّنِي مُسۡلِمٗا وَأَلۡحِقۡنِي بِٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ

Rabbi qad ataytanee mina almulki waAAallamtanee min taweeli alahadeethi fatira alssamawati waalardi anta waliyyee fee alddunya waalakhirati tawaffanee musliman waalhiqnee bialssaliheena

My Lord, You have given me [something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous."

Word by word
  1. ۞رَبِّMy Lord
  2. قَدۡindeed
  3. ءَاتَيۡتَنِيyou have given me
  4. مِنَof
  5. ٱلۡمُلۡكِthe sovereignty
  6. وَعَلَّمۡتَنِيand taught me
  7. مِنof
  8. تَأۡوِيلِthe interpretation
  9. ٱلۡأَحَادِيثِۚof the events
  10. فَاطِرَCreator
  11. ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ(of) the heavens
  12. وَٱلۡأَرۡضِand the earth
  13. أَنتَYou
  14. وَلِيِّۦ(are) my Protector
  15. فِيin
  16. ٱلدُّنۡيَاthe world
  17. وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖand the Hereafter
  18. تَوَفَّنِيCause me to die
  19. مُسۡلِمٗا(as) a Muslim
  20. وَأَلۡحِقۡنِيand join me
  21. بِٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَwith the righteous
Yusuf · 12:101Makkah

At the top of it all, he asked to die a Muslim.

Yusuf's prayer when everything was complete

His prayer
You gave meauthority, knowledge
You are my protectorhere and in the Hereafter
so
let me die a Muslimjoin me with the righteous
What he wanted most
more of thiskeep the throne
a good endingwith the righteous

With his family reunited and his authority complete, Ibn Kathir says Yusuf asked Allah to continue His favor into the Hereafter: let me die a Muslim and join me with the righteous. The Prophet ﷺ, at his own death, said three times: O Allah, to the highest companion.

The best week of your life: the new job, the new baby, the family finally at peace. That is exactly when Yusuf asked for a good ending. Not more of the good times, but to finish well.

When life is going well, I just want it to stay this way.

At the height of blessing, the wisest prayer is for a good ending.

Try this

Add Yusuf's words to your prayer today: let me die a Muslim and join me with the righteous.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

"My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me of the sovereignty, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams - the (Only) Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Wali in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim, and join me with the righteous. (101)

Yusuf begs Allah to die as A Muslim

This is the invocation of Yusuf, the truthful one, to his Lord the Exalted and Most Honored. He invoked Allah after His favor was complete on him by being reunited with his parents and brothers, after He had bestowed on him prophethood and kingship. He begged his Lord the Exalted and Ever High, that as He has perfected His bounty on him in this life, to continue it until the Hereafter. He begged Him that, when he dies, he dies as a Muslim, as Ad-Dahhak said, and to join him with the ranks of the righteous, with his brethren the Prophets and Messengers, may Allah's peace and blessings be on them all. It is possible that Yusuf, peace be upon him, said this supplication while dying. In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that while dying, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was raising his finger and said - thrice,

اللَّهُمَّ فِي الرَّفِيقِ الْأَعْلَى (ثَلَاثًا)

(O Allah to Ar-Rafiq Al-A'la [the uppermost, highest company in heaven].)It is also possible that long before he died, Yusuf begged Allah to die as a Muslim and be joined with the ranks of the righteous.