What Was Prophet Yusuf's Prayer After His Parents Arrived in Egypt?
بمَ دعا يوسف عليه السلام بعد قدوم أبويه مصر؟
"My Lord! You have surely granted me authority and taught me the interpretation of dreams. ˹O˺ Originator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Guardian in this world and the Hereafter. Allow me to die as one who submits and join me with the righteous" (Surah Yusuf 12:101).
رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ (سورة يوسف: 101).
1. A Prayer at the Height of Success | دعاءٌ في ذروة التمكين
This prayer comes at the close of the story in Surah Yusuf, after Yusuf had risen to authority in Egypt, covered in Which Prophet Was Imprisoned, and Where?, and his family, including the brothers who had once betrayed him, had been reunited with him. Rather than dwelling on his achievements, Yusuf's first words acknowledge that both the authority and the knowledge he possessed came from Allah alone.
جاء هذا الدعاء في ختام قصة يوسف عليه السلام، بعد أن مكّن الله له في مصر، كما بيّنا في جواب: من هو النبي الذي سُجن، وأين كان سجنه؟، وبعد أن اجتمع شمله بأهله، ومنهم إخوته الذين غدروا به من قبل. ولم يقف عند ما بلغه، بل كانت أول كلماته اعترافًا بأن ما أوتيه من المُلك والعلم إنما هو من الله وحده.
2. Asking for a Good Ending, Not More Blessing | سؤال حسن الخاتمة
Having received authority and family reunion, Yusuf's prayer does not ask Allah for anything further in this world. Instead, he asks only for a righteous death and to be joined with the righteous in the Hereafter. Ibn Kathir explains that once Allah had completed His blessing on him, Yusuf asked that it continue in the Hereafter, and that he die a Muslim when death came. The same calm trust in Allah marks the peace Allah placed in him as a boy, while his brothers plotted against him.
ولما نال يوسف المُلك واجتمع بأهله لم يسأل ربه شيئًا آخر من الدنيا، بل سأله أن يتوفاه مسلمًا ويلحقه بالصالحين في الآخرة. وقد بيّن ابن كثير أن يوسف لما تمّت عليه النعمة سأل ربه أن يستمر بها عليه في الآخرة، وأن يتوفاه مسلمًا حين يتوفاه. وهي الطمأنينة نفسها التي أنزلها الله في قلبه صبيًّا وإخوته يكيدون له.
3. The Closing Note of "The Best of Stories" | خاتمة أحسن القصص
This prayer closes the narrative portion of Surah Yusuf, the surah described by Allah as containing "the best of stories," covered in Which Prophet's Name Is Repeated 25 Times in a Single Surah? A story that passes through betrayal and imprisonment ends with gratitude and a prayer for a righteous death, framing the entire account as a lesson in patience rewarded.
وبهذا الدعاء يُختم القسم القصصي من سورة يوسف، السورة التي قال الله تعالى فيها: (نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ) (يوسف 12: 3)، كما بيّنا في جواب: من هو النبي الذي ورد اسمه 25 مرة في سورة واحدة؟ فالقصة التي مرّت بالغدر والسجن انتهت بالشكر وسؤال حسن الخاتمة، فكانت كلها درسًا في الصبر الذي يُجزى صاحبه.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What did Yusuf pray for after reuniting with his family?
He thanked Allah for his authority and knowledge, and prayed to die in submission to Allah and be joined with the righteous, as recorded in Surah Yusuf 12:101.
Where in the Quran does Yusuf's prayer to die in submission and join the righteous appear?
In Surah Yusuf 12:101, after his family's reunion in Egypt.
Why is this prayer significant?
It shows Yusuf asking for a righteous ending rather than further worldly blessing, despite being at the height of his success.