وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيهِ عَلَى العَرشِ وَخَرّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقالَ يا أَبَتِ هٰذا تَأويلُ رُؤيايَ مِن قَبلُ قَد جَعَلَها رَبّي حَقًّا ۖ وَقَد أَحسَنَ بي إِذ أَخرَجَني مِنَ السِّجنِ وَجاءَ بِكُم مِنَ البَدوِ مِن بَعدِ أَن نَزَغَ الشَّيطانُ بَيني وَبَينَ إِخوَتي ۚ إِنَّ رَبّي لَطيفٌ لِما يَشاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ العَليمُ الحَكيمُ
And he lifted his parents high upon the throne, and they fell down prostrate before him. He said: ‘Father! This is the fulfilment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true. He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you over from the desert after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is all-attentive in bringing about what He wishes. Indeed, He is the all-knowing, the all-wise.’
EXEGESIS
Rafaՙa (he lifted high) denotes both physical elevation and exaltation of status. In the context of the verse, it signifies that Prophet Joseph (a) elevated his parents – literally having them ascend to his side on the royal throne – while simultaneously honouring their status as his progenitors and as righteous servants of God.
Kharrū (fell down) is the plural of the verb kharra, originally denoting a sudden, audible fall, particularly forward onto one’s face[1] with a discernible sound (kharīr).[2] When Prophet Joseph’s (a) brothers fell down (kharrū) in prostration, it carries layered meaning: physically, it depicts their full, face-down submission; and spiritually, it marks their dramatic transition from arrogance to humility, fulfilling Prophet Joseph’s (a) childhood vision (verse 4).
Sujjadan (prostrate) comes from the verb sajada, which originally means to display humility and obedience.[3] In usage, it refers to the act of placing one’s forehead upon the ground.[4]
Taʾwīl (fulfilment) was discussed in detail in verse 6. It here refers to the final outcome and manifestation of the dream that Prophet Joseph (a) had seen as a child.
Ruʾyā (dream) as discussed in verse 5, is a vision which is seen while asleep.[5]
Al-badw (the desert) derives from the verb badā, which at its core means ‘to conspicuously appear in a clear way, without any choice or intention’. It is used to refer to unsettled lands (bādiyah) because it is ‘in contrast to having a presence among people, being concealed within buildings, residing under constructed roofs, and living in an urban environment. It is as if one emerges and becomes exposed in the vast expanse of the land, in an open space where nothing casts a shadow, thereby escaping the constraints of civilisation’.[6]
Nazagha (incited ill feeling) is to engage in something or with someone in order to corrupt it.[7]
Laṭīf (all-attentive) derives from the verb laṭufa which fundamentally conveys smallness, fineness, and penetration. Laṭufa al-shayʾ means something becomes so small and fine that it permeates through narrow channels and microscopic openings. Thus, luṭf is to behave in a delicate manner paying attention to all details.[8] By paying attention to the most minute of details, God affects the outcome of things,[9] since He is ‘the one who knows all the fine details of everything’.[10]
Perhaps there is no word in English that quite fully captures what is meant here, but it can be described as ‘sophisticated’, ‘subtle’, ‘exquisite’, and suchlike.
EXPOSITION
And he lifted his parents high upon the throne: almost as a rule, thrones were generally situated on an elevated platform, or dais, that had a number of steps leading up to the actual seat upon which the sovereign or nobleman would sit. Hieroglyphical and archaeological evidence confirms that daises were also used in Ancient Egypt.[11] People were normally not allowed close to the nobleman or sovereign; going up on the dais was absolutely forbidden for commoners. As such, bringing someone up on the dais was a rare honour. The context of the verse makes it clear that throne in this verse refers to the dais, not the actual seat.
After initially ordering his servants to allow his family to approach him, Prophet Joseph (a) then welcomed them to Egypt after which he stood up from his seat and came down from the dais to help his parents up the steps so that they may stand in a position of honour in front of everyone gathered there; again displaying his humility and respect before them. Keep in mind that his parents were very old by now and may have needed assistance in going up the steps. Although some have claimed that Prophet Joseph (a) did not personally help his parents but had servants do that.
Having understood this, it becomes clear that any of the discussions and debates by the exegetes about how his parents could perform prostration after Prophet Joseph (a) lifted his parents high upon the throne, or the various arduous explanations they have adopted are moot as they were not sitting down, but rather standing on the platform next to Prophet Joseph (a). Similarly, unjustified are the opinions claiming the parents did not perform the prostration.
And they fell down prostrate before him: at this juncture, his brothers and even his parents all fell down in prostration before Prophet Joseph (a).[12]
The apparent meaning of the verse is that the prostration was done in a literal sense and that it was done to Prophet Joseph (a) – as per the earlier verse, I saw them prostrating themselves before me (verse 4) – and that such an act was not forbidden in the shariah of that time.[13]
However, their prostration was not one of worship, but rather one of honour, similar to how the angels honoured Prophet Adam (a) by prostrating to him.[14] It was done here not because God commanded it[15] like He had commanded the angels to prostrate to Prophet Adam (a), but out of awe when realising the extent of God’s favour upon Prophet Joseph (a) and their family. In this sense, while they prostrated to Prophet Joseph (a), in reality the deeper motivation was submission to God and amazement at His power and how He manifests His will. In this way it is quite comparable to the prostration of the angels.
Scholars have pointed out that the Islamic shariah has decreed that one should only prostrate to God and no one else, even with the intention of honouring someone.[16] Because of this, the actions done by prior nations and individuals, even if prophets, should not be taken as justification for something in the Islamic shariah, For each [community] among you We had appointed a code [of law] and a path (5:48). Therefore, if prostration is a form of greeting or a sign of respect in some cultures, it would not be permissible for a Muslim to do that, just like it is not permissible for a Muslim to shake hands when greeting a person of the opposite gender, even if it is common in that culture.
There are several questions that come to mind here regarding Prophet Jacob (a) prostrating to Prophet Joseph (a): why should the elder prostrate to the younger? Why should the father prostrate to the son? Why should Prophet Jacob (a), one of the great prophets, prostrate to Prophet Joseph (a), who by all accounts was of lower rank?[17]
Various answers have been suggested to these questions, but these debates also become moot when we keep in mind the context in which the prostration was done. It was done in recognition of the honour that God had bestowed upon Prophet Joseph (a) and the high station granted to him. It was in essence done out of awe for the wisdom and majesty of God and how He manifests His will, and this does not necessitate that Prophet Jacob (a) was of lower rank than Prophet Joseph (a).
Alternatively, it could be interpreted as a cultural gesture of submission to a ruler, common in ancient Near Eastern courts, rather than a religious prostration, something similar to kissing hands in certain other cultures. Both explanations agree that this did not diminish Prophet Jacob’s (a) prophetic status, as the prostration was either a submission to God’s will manifested through Prophet Joseph’s (a) kingship, or a secular act of political reverence. Thus, the act aligns with Quranic principles, distinguishing between worship (reserved for God alone) and honorific prostration (permissible in certain historical contexts).
Prophet Joseph (a) then declares, Father! This is the fulfilment of my dream of long ago. Far from being consumed by pride or a sense of superiority at this pivotal moment, Prophet Joseph (a) reacted with profound humility. Ibn Abbas narrates that ‘his skin began to crawl’ at that sight,[18] a visceral reaction demonstrating his discomfort with being the object of prostration, despite this being the fulfilment of his childhood dream-vision (Father! I saw eleven planets, and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrating themselves before me (verse 4)). This moment represented not personal glorification, but the actualisation of a divine destiny, foretold decades earlier. The fulfilment evoked not triumph but awe at God’s precise execution of His plan, as the very family members who had once cast him away now bowed in recognition of God’s favour upon him.
Which my Lord has made come true: Prophet Joseph (a) does not attribute anything that happened to his own intelligence, perseverance, or any other virtue, but humbly admits that this was only possible because it was the will of God.
He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison: pay attention to the wonderful attitude of the pious individuals. Instead of complaining that God decreed he should be imprisoned for many years, he rather highlighted how God blessed him by bringing him out of prison. The pious ones do not suffer from a feeling of entitlement and never feel that God owes them something, nor do they take His blessings for granted.
He did not mention God saving him from the well because he had earlier promised his brothers that he had forgiven them and would not reproach them anymore (verse 92); had he mentioned the event of the well it would bring shame upon his brothers.[19]
And brought you over from the desert: they presumably had cattle which they herded in that area, and we may imagine that the years of drought wreaked havoc on their livelihood, so God truly helped them by bringing them away from that.[20]
After that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers: in keeping with his characteristic compassion, Prophet Joseph (a) once again avoids direct reproach against his brothers. Rather than attributing their wrongdoing to them personally, he ascribes their actions to Satan’s influence,[21] echoing the same wisdom his father Jacob (a) had demonstrated earlier in the surah when warning: do not recount your dream to your brothers, lest they should devise schemes against you. Satan is indeed man’s manifest enemy (verse 5). This attribution should not be misunderstood as absolving human responsibility. As the Quran clarifies elsewhere (14:22),[22] Satan’s power is limited to whispering suggestions and it is ultimately the human individual who chooses whether to entertain those whispers and act upon them.
Prophet Joseph’s (a) phrasing thus serves a dual purpose: it maintains family harmony by avoiding direct accusation while simultaneously reminding his brothers of the spiritual reality that evil actions stem from yielding to Satan’s temptations. This approach reflects profound prophetic wisdom and acknowledges the reality of Satanic whisperings without diminishing human accountability; while it corrects wrongdoing it also preserves dignity.
Indeed, my Lord is all-attentive in bringing about what He wishes (laṭīfun limā yashāʾ): this is one of the most explicit restatements of the surah’s central theme.[23] God achieves His plan not by denying His servants the chance to make decisions, but rather by laying a careful plan which takes all their choices into account. Hence, when God willed that Prophet Joseph (a) should live to be a great governor of Egypt and that his brothers should prostrate themselves before him, God did not deny the brothers or the governor’s wife their freedom of choice at any juncture, but set such an intricate plan that took every decision and matter into consideration so that His will should be brought about. As discussed in the exegeses, laṭufa al-shayʾ means something becomes so small and fine that it permeates through narrow channels and microscopic openings. Thus, luṭf is to behave in a delicate manner paying attention to all details. This is the meaning of laṭīfun limā yashāʾ.
Indeed, He is the all-knowing, the all-wise: accordingly, God does not here emphasise His power by mentioning names such as al-qadīr (Powerful), al-qahhār (Compelling), al-ʿazīz (Mighty), or so forth, but rather emphasises His wisdom and knowledge, as those are the aspects that play the central role in Him realising His plan.
The statement also brings us full circle, as this was exactly what Prophet Jacob (a) said when he was informed of Prophet Joseph’s (a) dream for the first time: That is how your Lord will choose you … Your Lord is indeed all-knowing, all-wise (verse 6). This serves to further emphasise how the events that occurred were the realisation of his dream-vision.[24]
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- From Muhammad ibn ՙĪsā, that Yaḥyā ibn Aktham asked Mūsā ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mūsā some questions, who then presented those questions to Imam al-Hādī (a). One of those questions was: ‘Tell me, did Jacob and his sons prostrate to Joseph even though they were prophets?’ The Imam replied: ‘As for the prostration of Jacob and his sons, it was not to Joseph, but rather an act of obedience to God and a gesture of greeting directed at Joseph – just as the prostration of the angels to Adam was an act of obedience to God and a form of greeting Adam. Thus, Jacob and his sons, along with Joseph, prostrated in gratitude to God Almighty for their reunion. Have you not considered how he expressed his gratitude at that moment, saying: My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom [verse 101]?’[25]
Note: There is another report similar to this from Imam al-Bāqir (a), which is discussed below.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Ibn Isḥāq has reportedly suggested that he lifted his parents high upon the throne is figurative and means he praised their names from the throne.[26] Such an interpretation is unnecessary, especially if we keep in mind that throne here does not simply intend a seat, but the dais upon which the nobleman had his seat.
There is a lot of discussion amongst scholars as to what is meant by prostration in this verse. Some have claimed that they did not actually prostrate before Prophet Joseph (a) and that the term here merely means an expression of humility, but that is contrary to the apparent meaning. Rather, apparently they did in fact prostrate before Prophet Joseph (a) as an act of honouring him, not as an act of worship.[27] In this vein, Kalbī has suggested that their prostration (sajdah) was in fact merely a bow (rukūՙ), like that done in some cultures.[28] Some have similarly claimed that at that time prostration was merely a form of greeting.[29] Others have added that it was customary to greet kings at that time by prostrating to them,[30] and in their shariah it was not forbidden to do so to other than God (unlike the Islamic shariah).[31]
Another understanding, which is attributed to Imam al-Bāqir (a) in a hadith, says that the prostration was done not to Prophet Joseph (a), but rather it was a prostration of thanks given to God.[32] In this case the pronoun him would be referring to God.[33] This does not fit with the verse in the beginning of the surah though, which says the prostration was done to Prophet Joseph (a): they fell down prostrate before him, and I saw them prostrating themselves before me (lī)[34] (verse 4), where lī is referring to Prophet Joseph (a).[35]
Rāzī suggests that lī (for me) in verse 4 means li-ajlī (for my sake), meaning they prostrated to God, but for the sake of the honour bestowed to Prophet Joseph (a).[36] This is acceptable, and as we said the deeper meaning of the prostration was out of awe for the way God had manifested His will regarding Prophet Joseph (a).
Others have said that they did not prostrate to Prophet Joseph (a) but rather he was merely their qiblah.[37] In other words, they prostrated to God, but to the direction of Prophet Joseph (a), like people prostrate towards the Kaaba.[38] This meaning is not readily obvious, since the verse uses the term lahu (for him) meaning they prostrated to Prophet Joseph (a), and not ilayhi (towards him). When praying, we say someone is prostrating ilā al-kaʿbah, not lil-kaʿbah.[39]
Tabatabai argues that the family of Prophet Joseph (a) entered into the court initially and then Prophet Joseph (a) entered after them and he radiated with a divine light in a manner that overcame his family, who could not help but fall down in prostration.[40]
[1] Tibyan, 6/197.
[2] Raghib, p. 277, kh-r-r; Tahqiq, 3/45, kh-r-r.
[3] Raghib, p. 396, s-j-d. Muṣṭafawī explains that it originally means a complete submission in which there is no trace of opposition (Tahqiq, 5/61, s-j-d).
[4] Lisan, 3/204, s-j-d.
[5] Baydawi, 3/155.
[6] Tahqiq, 1/256-257, b-d-ā.
[7] Raghib, p. 798, n-z-gh.
[8] Raghib, p. 740, l-ṭ-f.
[9] See Mizan, 11/248.
[10] Related in Qurtubi, 9/267.
[11] See for example https://www.penn.museum/sites/journal/1231/ and https://arce.org/resource/virtual-malqata/.
[12] Tibyan, 6/198; Tabari, 13/45; Muhit, 6/326.
[13] Muhit, 6/327.
[14] Related in Tabari, 13/45.
[15] Although some exegetes have claimed that Prophet Jacob (a) did it because he knew that God had commanded it after Prophet Joseph (a) had revealed his dream-vision to his father. This would only apply to Prophet Jacob (a) though, and not the rest of the family.
[16] See for example Tabrisi, 5/405; Baghawi, 2/515; Munyah, 14/217.
[17] Razi, 18/510. Rāzī answers these questions by saying they prostrated in thanks to God, or that Prophet Jacob (a) was commanded to do so, or that he did so to avoid jealousy once again entering the hearts of his sons, and Rāzī also gives many other suggestions (see Razi, 18/510-512).
[18] Thalabi, 5/259; Qurtubi, 9/364; Muhit, 6/327.
[19] Razi, 18/512; Qurtubi, 9/267.
[20] See Tabrisi, 5/406.
[21] See Mizan, 11/247.
[22] See Razi, 18/513; Nemuneh, 10/83.
[23] See the Introduction.
[24] Mizan, 11/248.
[25] Tabrisi, 5/406.
[26] Related in Zamakhshari, 5/259.
[27] Tibyan, 6/95; Muhit, 6/238.
[28] Related in Tabrisi, 5/406. The same view is adopted in Thalabi, 5/259; Baghawi, 2/515; Ahkam, 3/1106, who describe it not as rukūʿ even, but a slight bow (inḥināʾ), asserting that sajdah to other than God is absolutely forbidden in all circumstances. Abū Ḥayyān even reports a claim that some have said it was merely a nod (īmāʾ bil-raʾs). See Muhit, 6/327. Such claims are obviously not at all compatible with the expression kharrū lahu sujjadan.
[29] Zamakhshari, 2/506; Qurtubi, 9/264. Related in Tabari, 13/355-356; Muhit, 6/238. This opinion is attributed to Ibn Isḥāq, Qatādah, and others. Qatādah adds that the Islamic ummah was given the salām as a greeting.
[30] Tibyan, 6/198; Tabrisi, 5/406.
[31] Tabrisi, 5/406.
[32] Qummi, 1/339; Nur, 2/468. This view is also adopted in Sharawi, p. 7077.
[33] Related in Tibyan, 6/197; Tabrisi, 5/406. Ṭabrisī attributes this opinion to Ibn Abbas as well (as does Thalabi, 5/259).
[34] The translation before me is a bit misleading here, as the Arabic is lī, meaning ‘to me’.
[35] Qurtubi, 9/264.
[36] Razi, 18/510-511. A similar argument is made in Nemuneh, 10/82. Rāzī himself prefers saying that Prophet Joseph (a) was merely the qiblah for their prostration. Although he also entertains the possibility that the parents did not prostrate (and only the brothers did), but this is in contradiction to verse 4. Rāzī is conscious of this and immediately adds that it is not necessary that the dream-vision would completely coincide with what actually happened. However, the element of the sun and the moon prostrating is too central a part of the dream to simply be waved off as unimportant.
[37] Razi, 18/511; Mizan, 11/84, 246-247.
[38] Tibyan, 6/198.
[39] See also the discussion in Munyah, 14/216, where Subḥānī strongly criticises the claim that Prophet Joseph (a) was their qiblah.
[40] Mizan, 11/246.