Commentary on Tafsir al-Jalalayn: “And indeed, Yusuf came to you before” meaning before Musa, and he is Yusuf ibn Ya’qub, according to the view that he lived until the time of Musa.
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Then Allah the Exalted said: [Ghafir 40:34] Who is the speaker of this? It is the speech of the believing man who is warning. He said: The sentence here is affirmed by three affirmers:
The lam, qad, and the oath. Whenever a form like this comes to you, it is affirmed by three affirmers: the lam, qad, and the oath, because the implied meaning of the speech is: By Allah, indeed He has come to you.
And His saying: The intended meaning is Yusuf ibn Ya’qub. If a person asks: How does He address them saying “He came to you,” when Yusuf ibn Ya’qub was before them by many ages?
It is said: What happened to the predecessors is for the successors, meaning that whoever came to their predecessors is like one who came to them. The evidence for this is that Allah addresses the Children of Israel in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with what happened to their predecessors in the time of Musa, and there were many generations between them:[Al-Baqarah 2:55-57] It is known that all of this did not happen to the Jews in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but it happened to their predecessors. So what was of the community from its beginning is established for the community at its end. Therefore, there is no problem with this verse as long as we say that He came to their predecessors, and that what happened to their predecessors in the past is attributed to all of them, provided they do not deviate from this methodology.
“[Ghafir 40:34] Meaning before Musa, and he is Yusuf ibn Ya’qub ” to the end of it.
His saying: Why was it declined with a dammah, when it is known that when the preposition min enters a word, it declines it with a kasrah? You say: min Zayd. So here it says: min qabla? Well, sometimes it is built and sometimes it is declined. When is it built and when is it declined? If it is not made possessive, it is built. Well, and if it is made possessive? Absolutely.
The possessed is omitted and its meaning is intended, because either the possessed exists, or it is omitted and its meaning is intended, or it is omitted and its word is intended, or it is omitted and neither its word nor its meaning is intended. So the categories are four. It is built in one of them, and the rest are declined. It is built when the possessed is omitted and its meaning is intended.
If someone asks: What is the evidence? We say: The evidence is that it becomes with a dammah because it is built on the dammah. So if we address someone who is knowledgeable in Arabic and he builds it on the dammah, we know that he omitted the possessed and intended its meaning.
He says: Meaning before the coming of Musa (peace and blessings be upon him) “ and he is Yusuf ibn Ya’qub, according to the view of 'Amir, until the time of Yusuf, or Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn Yusuf ibn Ya’qub, according to the view ” meaning the author (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated two views regarding the intended Yusuf. It was said that he is Yusuf ibn Ya’qub and that he lived until the time of Musa. This is a false view, there is no doubt in it. It is not correct, but it is false, because if that were the case, Musa would have come and connected with him, because both of them were messengers.
The second view is that he is Yusuf, the grandfather of Yusuf ibn Ya’qub, Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn Yusuf. And this also has no evidence. The correct view is that the intended one is Yusuf ibn Ya’qub, and that he did not live until the time of Musa, and that he died in his time. But he came to their predecessors, because as you know, Yusuf (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Sham to Egypt. In fact, he did not migrate; the travelers who passed by the well in which he was thrown took him to Egypt. The story is known in a complete surah.
And His saying: Bayyinat (clear proofs) is from bana yabunu if it became apparent. It is known that it is a description of a described thing that is omitted. This is because it is permissible to omit the description and to omit the described if there is an indication. So what is the described thing here that is omitted? The omitted thing is implied to be the signs (ayat), as is expressed in the Qur'an often, with clear signs and the like.
As for his saying: “ with miracles ”, this is a later expression that was not known in the time of the Salaf. It is an incomplete expression, because the word miracle includes the extraordinary matters done by sorcerers and magicians, as it baffles those who are not among them. But if it is said sign (ayah) in the sense of a mark, it becomes clearer and more evident and more in accordance with its conformity to the Qur'anic expression. Also, it is not possible for a sign to be for a messenger unless people are baffled by it. Why? Because if they were able to bring something like it, it would not be a sign for the Prophet, since everyone would bring it. Well, so the implied meaning of the speech is with the clear signs, but the described is omitted due to the indication of the context. From this is His saying the Exalted:[Saba 34:11] meaning make comprehensive coats of mail, well.
[Ghafir 40:34] Meaning from the time of Yusuf to the time of Musa and the family of Pharaoh, and if you wish, express it as the Copts, in doubt about what Yusuf brought, so they did not believe in him with the obligatory belief free from doubt.
“ Without any proof [Ghafir 40:34] ” meaning they were in doubt about what Yusuf brought and did not believe in him. And when he died, their souls said to them: Now you are at rest, so Allah will not send a messenger after him. You are relieved. The one who was sent has died and you denied him, so be at ease. Allah will not send a messenger after him. So they said that based on a false wish, because they said: This messenger who came to us and threatened us if we opposed him has died. So no messenger will come after him, and at that time we will be at rest from the messengers and their problems, according to their claim.
“[Ghafir 40:34] Meaning: So you will remain disbelievers in Yusuf and others ” because if they decide in their hearts that Allah will not send a messenger, they will deny everyone who comes of the messengers after Yusuf based on this corrupt belief that they established.
And Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs, but you remained in doubt of that which he brought to you
ولقد جاءكم يوسف من قبل بالبينات فما زلتم في شك مما جاءكم بهIndeed, He has come to you
لقد جاءكمThe lam, qad, and the oath. Whenever a form like this comes to you, it is affirmed by three affirmers: the lam, qad, and the oath, because the implied meaning of the speech is: By Allah, indeed He has come to you.
And His saying:
Yusuf
يوسفIt is said: What happened to the predecessors is for the successors, meaning that whoever came to their predecessors is like one who came to them. The evidence for this is that Allah addresses the Children of Israel in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with what happened to their predecessors in the time of Musa, and there were many generations between them:
(55) And [recall] when you said, "O Moses, we will never believe you until we see Allah outright"; so the thunderbolt took you while you were looking on. (56) Then We revived you after your death that perhaps you would be grateful. (57) And We shaded you with clouds
وإذ قلتم يا موسى لن نؤمن لك حتى نرى الله جهرة فأخذتكم الصاعقة وأنتم تنظرون ثم بعثناكم من بعد موتكم لعلكم تشكرون وظللنا عليكم الغمام“
And Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs
ولقد جاءكم يوسف من قبل بالبيناتHis saying:
from before
من قبلThe possessed is omitted and its meaning is intended, because either the possessed exists, or it is omitted and its meaning is intended, or it is omitted and its word is intended, or it is omitted and neither its word nor its meaning is intended. So the categories are four. It is built in one of them, and the rest are declined. It is built when the possessed is omitted and its meaning is intended.
If someone asks: What is the evidence? We say: The evidence is that it becomes with a dammah because it is built on the dammah. So if we address someone who is knowledgeable in Arabic and he builds it on the dammah, we know that he omitted the possessed and intended its meaning.
He says:
from before
من قبلThe second view is that he is Yusuf, the grandfather of Yusuf ibn Ya’qub, Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn Yusuf. And this also has no evidence. The correct view is that the intended one is Yusuf ibn Ya’qub, and that he did not live until the time of Musa, and that he died in his time. But he came to their predecessors, because as you know, Yusuf (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Sham to Egypt. In fact, he did not migrate; the travelers who passed by the well in which he was thrown took him to Egypt. The story is known in a complete surah.
And His saying:
with clear proofs
بالبيناتAs for his saying: “ with miracles ”, this is a later expression that was not known in the time of the Salaf. It is an incomplete expression, because the word miracle includes the extraordinary matters done by sorcerers and magicians, as it baffles those who are not among them. But if it is said sign (ayah) in the sense of a mark, it becomes clearer and more evident and more in accordance with its conformity to the Qur'anic expression. Also, it is not possible for a sign to be for a messenger unless people are baffled by it. Why? Because if they were able to bring something like it, it would not be a sign for the Prophet, since everyone would bring it. Well, so the implied meaning of the speech is with the clear signs, but the described is omitted due to the indication of the context. From this is His saying the Exalted:
Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links
أن اعمل سابغات وقدر في السردwith clear proofs, but you remained in doubt of that which he brought to you
بالبينات فما زلتم في شك مما جاءكم به“
until when he died, you said
حتى إذا هلك قلتمNever will Allah send a messenger after him
لن يبعث الله من بعده رسولا“