Quran Universe
12:39

يَٰصَٰحِبَيِ ٱلسِّجۡنِ ءَأَرۡبَابٞ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيۡرٌ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡوَٰحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ

Ya sahibayi alssijni aarbabun mutafarriqoona khayrun ami Allahu alwahidu alqahharu

O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?

Word by word
  1. يَٰصَٰحِبَيِO my two companions
  2. ٱلسِّجۡنِ(of) the prison
  3. ءَأَرۡبَابٞAre lords
  4. مُّتَفَرِّقُونَseparate
  5. خَيۡرٌbetter
  6. أَمِor
  7. ٱللَّهُAllah
  8. ٱلۡوَٰحِدُthe One
  9. ٱلۡقَهَّارُthe Irresistible
Yusuf · 12:39Makkah

Many scattered masters, or the One who prevails?

A simple question asked in a prison cell

The question
many lordseach pulling a different way
or
Allahthe One, the Irresistible
Which is better
please them allnever enough
serve the Oneeverything submits to Him

Yusuf kept calling his two prison companions. Their people worshipped idols. He asked them plainly: are many separate lords better, or Allah, the One, the Irresistible? Ibn Kathir says everything has submitted to His kingdom.

Your boss's approval. Your followers' likes. Your in-laws' opinion. Your bank balance. Each one is a small master with its own demands. One Lord means one set of expectations to live for.

I have to keep everyone happy at once.

Serving One Master is freedom from serving many.

Try this

Name one opinion you are living for. Today, do one thing purely for Allah instead.

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

"O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible? (39)"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged) - you and your fathers - for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him; that is the straight religion, but most men know not. (40)

Prophet Yusuf went on calling his two prison companions to worship Allah alone, without partners, and to reject whatever is being worshipped instead of Him like the idols, which were worshipped by the people of the two men, Yusuf said,

أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

(Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible?) to Whose grace and infinite kingdom everything and everyone has submitted in humiliation. Prophet Yusuf explained to them next that it is because of their ignorance that they worship false deities and give them names, for these names were forged and are being transferred from one generation to the next generation. They have no proof or authority that supports this practice, hence his statement to them,

مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ

(for which Allah has sent down no authority) or proof and evidence. He then affirmed that the judgement, decision, will and kingdom are all for Allah alone, and He has commanded all of His servants to worship none but Him. He said,

ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ

(that is the straight religion,) 'this, Tawhid of Allah and directing all acts of worship at Him alone in sincerity, that I am calling you to is the right, straight religion that Allah has ordained and for which He has revealed what He wills of proofs and evidences,'

وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most men know not.), and this is why most of them are idolators,

وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you eagerly desire it.)[12:103] When Yusuf finished calling them, he started interpreting their dreams for them,