وَقالَ الَّذي نَجا مِنهُما وَادَّكَرَ بَعدَ أُمَّةٍ أَنا أُنَبِّئُكُم بِتَأويلِهِ فَأَرسِلونِ

Said the one of the two who had been delivered, remembering [Joseph] after a long time: ‘I will inform you of its interpretation; so let me go [to meet Joseph in the prison].’

EXEGESIS

Iddakara (remembering) was originally idhtakara in the form of iftiʿāl, from the root verb dhakara which means to remember. The dh in idhtakara is contracted into t and together they are each transformed into d, resulting in iddakara for the ease of pronunciation.[1] As an iftiʿāl verb, it conveys the nuanced meaning of ‘seeking to remember’ (akin to istidhkār), implying intentional effort rather than passive recollection.[2] In context, this suggests the man actively strained his memory to recall Prophet Joseph (a), emphasising a deliberate mental exertion rather than a sudden or effortless remembrance.

Ummah (long time) in its original linguistic sense refers broadly to any group, whether large or small. However, in Quranic usage it takes on rich and nuanced meanings that vary depending on the context. Most prominently, it denotes a unified religious community bound by shared faith, as exemplified in the verse, You are the best nation (ummah) raised for mankind (3:110). It can also describe a collective belief system or creed, as seen in the verse, We found our fathers following a certain course (ummah), and we are guided in their footsteps (43:22). In other instances, the term extends to biological classifications, with references to creatures and birds (6:38), highlighting shared creation. Additionally, ummah can signify a fixed temporal period, as in the verse under review, and as in, If We delay their punishment for a definite term (ummah) (11:8). This semantic flexibility reflects the Quran’s integrated worldview, where a single term elegantly connects themes of faith, time, nature, and social unity under one conceptual framework.     

EXPOSITION

Said the one of the two who had been delivered: he was one of the two youths who had been imprisoned with Prophet Joseph (a) and who had been released from prison and delivered from death.

As we mentioned earlier, the role of the cupbearer was a significant one, because while he may not have been an official counsel of the king nor wielded notable political power, the virtue of him being constantly in the king’s presence meant he was influential. While the king was gathered with his council and brought up the dream he had seen, the cupbearer overheard his words and then recalled the man he had met in prison so many years ago.

Remembering [Joseph] after a long time: he remembered how not only Prophet Joseph (a) had interpreted their dreams correctly, but had also said that God had taught him the knowledge of interpreting all dreams of significance. The cupbearer felt confident Prophet Joseph (a) would be able to give insight into this dream as well.

I will inform you of its interpretation: he presumably told them about his encounter with a wise young man in prison and how he had correctly interpreted dreams there for them and asked to be allowed to visit him in the prison in order to inquire the meaning of the dreams from him and bring back an answer.[3]

So let me go: keep in mind that not just anyone was allowed to visit prisoners, and special dispensation had to be granted for that.[4]

It is said that the plurals unabbiʾukum and arsilūni are used out of respect here (which does not come through in the translation), even though he is speaking to the king.[5] More probably though the plural is addressing the king and his courtiers, as witnessed by what he says in the next verse, that I may return to the people so that they may know.[6]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ālūsī adds that the cupbearer did not mention exactly whom he wished to go and meet in prison, simply asking to be allowed to go, in fear that if he was more specific they would send someone other than him.[7] Of course that is entirely speculative, but it is probable that he felt guilty having forgotten his promise to Prophet Joseph (a) and felt he at least owed him to see to this matter personally.

Ṭanṭāwī suggests that the cupbearer intentionally withheld Prophet Joseph’s (a) identity when recalling him because he wished to surprise them with the news that it was in fact Prophet Joseph (a) who interpreted the dream, as this would do more to elevate the status of Prophet Joseph (a) in their eyes.[8]

Shaʿrāwī proposes that there is no need for the verse to mention the name of Joseph (a) because it is obvious to the reader of the surah whom the cupbearer intended.[9]

Speaking from a literary perspective it is of course quite eloquent how this verse does not mention Prophet Joseph’s (a) name, but ends with the verb arsilūni, only to have the next verse begin with Joseph. In this way the name Joseph acts as both the second object of the verb arsilū and as the vocative of the next sentence in the following verse, tying together two separate events in a masterful way.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Then the chief cupbearer spoke to Pharaoh, saying, ‘Today I remember my offenses. Pharaoh was angry with his servants and put me in confinement in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker. And we had a dream in the same night, he and I. We, each of us, dreamed according to the interpretation of his own dream. A young Hebrew man was with us there, a servant to the captain of the guard. We told him and he interpreted our dreams for us. To each man he interpreted according to his own dream. It happened just as he interpreted. He restored me to my position, and the baker was hanged.’[10]

[1] It is also sometimes pronounced idhdhakara (Tibyan, 6/147).
[2] Tabrisi, 5/362.
[3] See Tabrisi, 5/364.
[4] See also Munyah, 14/182.
[5] Alusi, 6/443.
[6] Mizan, 11/188.
[7] Alusi, 6/443.
[8] Tantawi, 7/369.
[9] Sharawi, p. 6972.
[10] Genesis 41:9-13.