Translation of the meanings Ayah 91 Surah Yūsuf - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 91

قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ ءَاثَرَكَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيۡنَا وَإِن كُنَّا لَخَٰطِـِٔينَ

(91) They said: “By Allah, Allah has favoured you over us^[2816]. Indeed, we were mistaken!”

[2816] Most exegetes are of the opinion that this ‘favouring’ (īthār, of which the verb used in the aya, āthara, is the past tense) pertains to knowledge, long-suffering, sterling manners, good looks and Kingship (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Basīṭ, Ibn Kathīr). However, al-Rāzī sees that by this ‘favouring’ they somehow meant Prophethood above the aforementioned favours. This interpretation ties in with the ulterior motive behind Joseph’s grown up half-brothers burning jealousy of him (cf. note on Aya 8 above) which drove them into the desperate measure of plotting to kill him but then they threw him, young as he was, into the darkness of a well. It also relates to the prophecy his father foresaw for him that he would be the ‘chosen one’ when he told him of his vision (cf. Aya 6 above), thus he warned him not to tell his brothers of it. So when they saw the great status that he came to achieve, they gave in and admitted what he was; the ‘favoured one’.