Quran Universe
12:21

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِي ٱشۡتَرَىٰهُ مِن مِّصۡرَ لِٱمۡرَأَتِهِۦٓ أَكۡرِمِي مَثۡوَىٰهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوۡ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدٗاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ مِن تَأۡوِيلِ ٱلۡأَحَادِيثِۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِهِۦ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

Waqala allathee ishtarahu min misra liimraatihi akrimee mathwahu AAasa an yanfaAAana aw nattakhithahu waladan wakathalika makkanna liyoosufa fee alardi walinuAAallimahu min taweeli alahadeethi waAllahu ghalibun AAala amrihi walakinna akthara alnnasi la yaAAlamoona

And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, "Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son." And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.

Word by word
  1. وَقَالَAnd said
  2. ٱلَّذِيthe one who
  3. ٱشۡتَرَىٰهُbought him
  4. مِنof
  5. مِّصۡرَEgypt
  6. لِٱمۡرَأَتِهِۦٓto his wife
  7. أَكۡرِمِيMake comfortable
  8. مَثۡوَىٰهُhis stay
  9. عَسَىٰٓPerhaps
  10. أَنthat
  11. يَنفَعَنَآ(he) will benefit us
  12. أَوۡor
  13. نَتَّخِذَهُۥwe will take him
  14. وَلَدٗاۚ(as) a son
  15. وَكَذَٰلِكَAnd thus
  16. مَكَّنَّاWe established
  17. لِيُوسُفَYusuf
  18. فِيin
  19. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe land
  20. وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥthat We might teach him
  21. مِن(the) interpretation of
  22. تَأۡوِيلِ(the) interpretation of
  23. ٱلۡأَحَادِيثِۚthe events
  24. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  25. غَالِبٌ(is) Predominant
  26. عَلَىٰٓover
  27. أَمۡرِهِۦHis affairs
  28. وَلَٰكِنَّbut
  29. أَكۡثَرَmost
  30. ٱلنَّاسِ(of) the people
  31. لَا(do) not
  32. يَعۡلَمُونَknow
Yusuf · 12:21Makkah

Make his stay honorable. Allah prevails in His affair.

From a slave market into a minister's house

The new home
the Azizminister of Egypt
tells his wife
honor himmaybe adopt him
so
establishedin the land
Who was running this
chance and buyerswhat it looked like
Allah prevailsmost people do not know

The man who bought Yusuf was the Aziz, minister of Egypt. Ibn Masud counted him among three people with the most insight. Just as Allah saved Yusuf from his brothers, He settled him in Egypt. Allah has full control over His affairs.

You were moved to a new city for a job you did not choose, or a new school after a family split. It feels random. Allah's plan can run through other people's ordinary decisions, a boss, a landlord, a teacher who decided to be kind.

My life is shaped by whoever happens to have power over me.

Allah prevails over His affair, even through people who do not know it.

Try this

Thank one person today who made your stay somewhere easier, even in a small way.

Related28:26
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And he (the man) from Egypt who bought him, said to his wife: "Make his stay comfortable, maybe he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son." Thus did We establish Yusuf in the land, that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah has full power and control over His affairs, but most of men know not (21)And when he [Yusuf] attained his full manhood, We gave him wisdom and knowledge (the prophethood), thus We reward the doers of good (22)

Yusuf in Egypt

Allah mentions the favors that He granted Yusuf, peace be on him, by which He made the man from Egypt who bought him, take care of him and provide him with a comfortable life. He also ordered his wife to be kind to Yusuf and had good hopes for his future, because of his firm righteous behavior. He said to his wife,

أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَىٰ أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا

(Make his stay comfortable, maybe he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son.) The man who bought Yusuf was the minister of Egypt at the time, and his title was 'Aziz'. Abu Ishaq narrated that Abu 'Ubaydah said that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud said, "Three had the most insight: the 'Aziz of Egypt, who said to his wife,

أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ

(Make his stay comfortable...), the woman who said to her father,

يَا أَبَتِ اسْتَأْجِرْهُ

(O my father! Hire him...), [28:26] and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he appointed 'Umar bin Al-Khattab to be the Khalifah after him, may Allah be pleased with them both." Allah said next that just as He saved Yusuf from his brothers,

كَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ 

(Thus did We establish Yusuf in the land), in reference to Egypt,

وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ

(that We might teach him the interpretation of events.) the interpretation of dreams, according to Mujahid and As-Suddi. Allah said next,

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ 

(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) if He wills something, then there is no averting His decision, nor can it ever be stopped or contradicted. Rather, Allah has full power over everything and everyone else. Sa'id bin Jubayr said while commenting on Allah's statement,

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ 

(And Allah has full power and control over His affairs,) "He does what ever He wills." Allah said,

وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most of men know not.) meaning, have no knowledge of Allah's wisdom with regards to His creation, compassion and doing what He wills. Allah said next,

وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ

(And when he attained), in reference to Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him,

أَشُدَّهُ

(his full manhood), sound in mind and perfect in body,

آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا

(We gave him wisdom and knowledge), which is the prophethood that Allah sent him with for the people he lived among,

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ

(thus We reward the doers of good.) because Yusuf used to do good in the obedience of Allah the Exalted.