Surah Yusuf 12:6
سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ · Meccan · Verse 6 of 111
وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ
Translation
This is about how your Lord will choose you, teach you to interpret dreams, and perfect His blessing on you and the House of Jacob, just as He perfected it earlier on your forefathers Abraham and Isaac: your Lord is all knowing and wise.’
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Here, Prophet Ya'qub (Jacob), addressing his young son Yusuf (Joseph), offers a profound prophecy that is both a consolation and a glimpse into his destined future. Following Yusuf's remarkable dream, Ya'qub reassures him that this vision is a sign of immense divine favor to come.
A Special Divine Selection
The verse begins with "وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ" (And thus will your Lord choose you). The word "كَذَٰلِكَ" (and thus) acts as a link, signaling that just as Allah honored Yusuf with a significant dream, He will similarly choose him for even greater matters. The verb "يَجْتَبِيكَ" (yajtabika) comes from a root meaning to collect or gather something for oneself, like collecting water in a basin. This isn't a casual choice, but a deliberate, personal selection by Allah, setting Yusuf apart from others, even his brothers, as scholars like Ibn Ashur point out. It's a promise of a high station, signifying divine favor and elevation.
Gift of Profound Understanding
Next, Ya'qub tells Yusuf, "وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ" (and teach you the interpretation of narratives). The phrase "تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ" (ta'wil al-ahadith) most commonly refers to the interpretation of dreams, a gift Yusuf would later famously employ. However, scholars like al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur suggest it can also encompass a broader wisdom: understanding the deeper meanings of God's scriptures, the teachings of prophets, and even discerning the true nature and causes of events in the world. The particle "مِن" (min, meaning 'from' or 'a part of') indicates a special, divinely bestowed portion of this profound knowledge, not necessarily every single thing, but a unique and powerful ability.
A Legacy of Complete Favor
The verse continues, "وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ" (and complete His favor upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He completed it upon your fathers before, Abraham and Isaac). "إتمام النعمة" (completion of favor) is understood by many scholars, including al-Razi, to refer primarily to prophethood, seeing it as the highest and most complete blessing a human can receive. This divine favor would extend not only to Yusuf but also to his "آلِ يَعْقُوبَ" (family of Jacob), his descendants. The comparison to his "أَبَوَيْكَ" (fathers) Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ishaq (Isaac), who were both great prophets, emphasizes that Yusuf's destiny is part of a grand, ancestral lineage of divine selection and prophetic honor. Here, "fathers" includes his grandfather and great-grandfather, acknowledging the extended lineage.
All-Knowing, All-Wise
The verse concludes with the powerful statement, "إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ" (Indeed, your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise). The emphatic particle "إِنَّ" (inna, indeed) highlights the certainty of these promises. These two Divine Names are specifically chosen to affirm the truth behind Yusuf's future. "عَلِيمٌ" (All-Knowing) assures us that Allah's choice of Yusuf is not random, but based on His perfect knowledge of who is best suited for His message, as al-Razi explains. "حَكِيمٌ" (All-Wise) confirms that Allah's actions are always purposeful and just, placing His favors and prophethood exactly where they belong, with perfect wisdom and without flaw. This closing statement provides both comfort and conviction in the divine plan revealed to young Yusuf.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Yusuf 12:6 is discussed in 3 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
- Prophet Joseph (Yusuf) (key verse)
- Visions (Ru'ya) (key verse)
- Brotherhood (Ukhuwwah)
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Yusuf 12:6 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.