Story Of Prophet Yusuf ✔

PART 38:NO BLAME ON YOU ON THIS DAY [Surah Yusuf 12: 92]

92. He said, “No blame on you on this day, may Allah forgive you, and He is the most Merciful of those who have mercy.”

In this ayah, Allah reveals to us the absolute perfection of the character of Yusuf (AS). This was the same character that the Prophet (PBUH) had. This was the character that Allah described as a “tremendous character.” The most salient feature of Allah, the One Name that He (swt) mentions again and again in the Quran, is His (swt)’s Mercy. Of course, there is no one who can be as merciful as Allah (swt). But if there is one creature among all of the creation of Allah who can come close to this attribute of Allah, it is the human being. Allah has placed within the human being the ability to rise above this world, to rise above the passions and the desires, to be one who is truly selfless. To be one who can love, and forgive and show mercy like Him (swt). This was the Prophet (PBUH), this was Yusuf (AS), and this is how we should try to be.

Now that the brothers realized that this man in Egypt was really Yusuf (AS), they were probably expecting him to punish them in some way. He could have easily denied them the grain that they were begging for. He could even have had them arrested and tortured. He could have done whatever he wanted with them. They were completely at his mercy. So they were expecting some form of punishment from him. Would they deserve anything less after what they had done to him? But not only does Yusuf (AS) not punish them in any way, but he does not even criticize or rebuke them. He does not say anything negative about them whatsoever. In fact, he even explicitly says that there is to be no blame on them that day. This is to emphasize and acknowledge that *there is to be nothing said against them and nothing done against them. They will receive no punishment and not even any form of criticism whatsoever*. See here how forgiving Yusuf (AS) to a people who had done so much wrong to him.

Also notice how Yusuf (AS) says that there will be no blame on them on “this day”. By mentioning “this day”, Yusuf (AS) is also acknowledging that they have now changed. He acknowledges the fact that they are not the same people today who threw him into the well all those years ago. They are different now. They have changed. So there is to be no blame on them whatsoever. See here how not only does Yusuf (AS) not blame his brothers for what they did, but he even compliments them and praises them for the fact that they have changed. Despite all that they did to him, he has nothing but love for them.

Then Allah (swt) tells us how Yusuf (AS) said: “may Allah forgive you.” Not only does Yusuf (AS) not punish his brothers. Not only does he not blame them in any way. Not only does he compliment them and remind them of the good in them, but as we see from this ayah he even prays for Allah (swt) to forgive them. This shows us once again the Ihsan of Yusuf (AS). He wanted nothing else except to please His Lord.

This prayer was indeed the best that Yusuf (AS) could do for his brothers. Because what is better than forgiveness from Allah? This was better than the grain. Better than the merchandise. Better than anything that this world has to offer. For Allah to forgive you. For Allah to be pleased with you. For Allah to wipe away the wrong and the sin that you have done. When you realize that there is so Magnificent and Perfect a Being as Allah what then can you desire more than His Pleasure? What could you desire more than for Him to not be angry with you? So we see the perfection of Yusuf (AS)’s character here as well. Not only did he not have any hatred or anger for his brothers at all but he gave them the best that he could give them. He prayed to Allah for Him (swt) to forgive them.

Finally, in the last part of ayah, Yusuf reminds them that Allah is the most Merciful of those who have mercy. He says this so that they never think that are beyond the Mercy of Allah. As great as the sins they have done. As numerous as their sins are. As distant as they have gone from their Lord. They should never for one second think that they are beyond His (swt)’s Mercy.