Tafsir

This Story is a Revelation from Allah

Allah narrated to Muhammad ﷺ, the story of Yusuf and his brothers and how Allah raised him over them, giving him the better end, triumph, the sovereignty and wisdom (i.e., prophethood), even though they tried to harm and kill him. Allah said, `This and similar stories are part of the unseen incidents of the past, O Muhammad,نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ(which We reveal to you.) and inform you of, O Muhammad, because it carries a lesson, for you to draw from and a reminder to those who defy you.' Allah said next,وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ`(You were not (present) with them), you did not witness their conference nor saw them,إِذْ أَجْمَعُواْ أَمْرَهُمْ(when they arranged their plan together,) to throw Yusuf into the well,وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ(and (while) they were plotting) against him.

We taught you all this through Our Revelation which We sent down to you.' Allah said in other Ayat,وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُون أَقْلَـمَهُمْ(You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens..) and,وَمَا كُنتَ بِجَانِبِ الْغَرْبِىِّ إِذْ قَضَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى الاٌّمْرَ(And you were not on the western side, when We made clear to Musa the commandment...) 28:44 until,وَمَا كُنْتَ بِجَانِبِ الطُّورِ إِذْ نَادَيْنَا(And you were not at the side of the Tur when We did call.)28:46 Allah also said,وَمَا كُنتَ ثَاوِياً فِى أَهْلِ مَدْيَنَ تَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتِنَا(And you were not a dweller among the people of Madyan, reciting Our verses to them.) 28:45 Allah states that Muhammad is His Messenger and that He has taught him the news of what occurred in the past, which carry lessons for people to draw from, so that they acquire their safety in their religious affairs as well as their worldly affairs.

Yet, most people did not and will not believe, so Allah said,وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ(And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly.) Allah said in similar Ayat,وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ(And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path) 6:116, and,إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لأَيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ مُّؤْمِنِينَ(Verily, in this is an Ayah, yet most of them are not believers.) 26:8 Allah said next,وَمَا تَسْأَلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ(And no reward you ask of them for it;) Allah says, `You, O Muhammad, do not ask them in return for this advice and your call to all that is good and righteous, for any price or compensation for delivering it. Rather, you do so seeking Allah's Face and to deliver good and sincere advice to His creatures,إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ(it (the Qur'an) is no less than a Reminder unto the `Alamin (men and Jinn)) with which they remember, receive guidance and save themselves in this life and the Hereafter.'

After that it was said: وَمَا تَسْأَلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ‌ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ‌ لِّلْعَالَمِين ، that is, ` your mission is to tell them the truth and call 'them to the straight path. For this you do not ask them to give you something in return - which could have caused them to find it difficult to listen to him or follow him. In fact, what you are telling them is for their own good. It is only an advice to heed to and a lesson to learn from. And it is for everyone. The text here also carries a hint to the effect: When the purpose behind your effort is no worldly gain, in fact it is nothing but the reward of the Hereafter and the betterment of your people, then, that purpose of yours already stands achieved. Why would you then grieve over it?

وما تطلب من قومك أجرة على إرشادهم للإيمان، إن الذي أُرسلتَ به من القرآن والهدى عظة للناس أجمعين يتذكرون به ويهتدون.

وقوله : ( وما تسألهم عليه من أجر ) أي : وما تسألهم يا محمد على هذا النصح والدعاء إلى الخير والرشد من أجر ، أي : من جعالة ولا أجرة على ذلك ، بل تفعله ابتغاء وجه الله ، ونصحا لخلقه .( إن هو إلا ذكر للعالمين ) أي : يتذكرون به ويهتدون ، وينجون به في الدنيا والآخرة .