Quran Universe
12:67

وَقَالَ يَٰبَنِيَّ لَا تَدۡخُلُواْ مِنۢ بَابٖ وَٰحِدٖ وَٱدۡخُلُواْ مِنۡ أَبۡوَٰبٖ مُّتَفَرِّقَةٖۖ وَمَآ أُغۡنِي عَنكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَيۡءٍۖ إِنِ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِۖ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُۖ وَعَلَيۡهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُتَوَكِّلُونَ

Waqala ya baniyya la tadkhuloo min babin wahidin waodkhuloo min abwabin mutafarriqatin wama oghnee AAankum mina Allahi min shayin ini alhukmu illa lillahi AAalayhi tawakkaltu waAAalayhi falyatawakkali almutawakkiloona

And he said, "O my sons, do not enter from one gate but enter from different gates; and I cannot avail you against [the decree of] Allah at all. The decision is only for Allah; upon Him I have relied, and upon Him let those who would rely [indeed] rely."

Word by word
  1. وَقَالَAnd he said
  2. يَٰبَنِيَّO my sons
  3. لَا(Do) not
  4. تَدۡخُلُواْenter
  5. مِنۢfrom
  6. بَابٖone gate
  7. وَٰحِدٖone gate
  8. وَٱدۡخُلُواْbut enter
  9. مِنۡfrom
  10. أَبۡوَٰبٖgates
  11. مُّتَفَرِّقَةٖۖdifferent
  12. وَمَآAnd not
  13. أُغۡنِيI can avail
  14. عَنكُمyou
  15. مِّنَagainst
  16. ٱللَّهِAllah
  17. مِنany
  18. شَيۡءٍۖthing
  19. إِنِNot
  20. ٱلۡحُكۡمُ(is) the decision
  21. إِلَّاexcept
  22. لِلَّهِۖwith Allah
  23. عَلَيۡهِupon Him
  24. تَوَكَّلۡتُۖI put my trust
  25. وَعَلَيۡهِand upon Him
  26. فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِlet put (their) trust
  27. ٱلۡمُتَوَكِّلُونَthe ones who put trust
Yusuf · 12:67Makkah

Enter by different gates, and trust in Allah.

Taking precautions while knowing they are not the cause

A father's advice
different gatesa precaution
but
I cannot avail youagainst Allah
so
trust Himthe decision is His
Precaution and trust
only planor only trust
plan, then trustboth at once

Ya'qub told his sons to enter Egypt by different gates. Ibn 'Abbas and others said he feared the evil eye for them. Yet he added: this cannot help you against Allah. The decision is only His; in Him I put my trust.

You lock the door, check the tyres, set the reminder, back up the files. Then the worry still sits on your chest. Do the sensible thing, then hand the outcome to Allah.

If I plan well enough, nothing can go wrong.

I take my precautions, and the result is still in Allah's hands.

Try this

After you take a precaution today, say: I put my trust in Allah, and let it go.

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

And he said: "O my sons! Do not enter by one gate, but enter by different gates, and I cannot avail you against Allah at all. Verily, the decision rests only with Allah. In Him, I put my trust and let all those that trust, put their trust in Him. (67)And when they entered according to their father's advice, it did not avail them in the least against (the will of) Allah; it was but a need of Ya'qub's inner self which he discharged. And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him, but most men know not (68)

Ya'qub orders His Children to enter Egypt from Different Gates

Allah says that Ya'qub, peace be upon him, ordered his children, when he sent Binyamin with them to Egypt, to enter from different gates rather than all of them entering from one gate. Ibn 'Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka'b, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak Qatadah, As-Suddi and several others said that he feared the evil eye for them, because they were handsome and looked beautiful and graceful. He feared that people might direct the evil eye at them, because the evil eye truly harms, by Allah's decree, and brings down the mighty warrior-rider from his horse. He next said,

وَمَا أُغْنِي عَنكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ

(and I cannot avail you against Allah at all.) this precaution will not resist Allah's decision and appointed decree. Verily, whatever Allah wills, cannot be resisted or stopped,

إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ - وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُم مَّا كَانَ يُغْنِي عَنْهُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا حَاجَةً فِي نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَاهَا

("Verily, the decision rests only with Allah. In Him, I put my trust and let all those that trust, put their trust in Him." And when they entered according to their father's advice, it did not avail them in the least against (the will of) Allah; it was but a need of Ya'qub's inner self which he discharged.), as a precaution against the evil eye,

وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِّمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ

(And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him,) he had knowledge that he implemented, according to Qatadah and Ath-Thawri. Ibn Jarir said that this part of the Ayah means, he has knowledge that We taught him,

وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

(but most men know not.)