The Religion of My Fathers

Fifth, he said: and I have followed the religion of my fathers, Ibrāhīm, Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb. Why did he tell them that he followed the religion of his fathers? Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) was the caller to the truth of tawḥīd in his time. He was a believer, and belief in Allah (swt) continued among his children, though it was not widespread. So the family of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) was famous as the family of Islam. The people in Egypt had heard the news of Ibrāhīm, Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb and the religion of tawḥīd, and so Yūsuf was telling them about it: this is the religion that I follow. I follow the religion of my fathers Ibrāhīm, Isḥāq and Yaʿqūb, because they were the representatives of tawḥīd — the representatives of the Oneness of Allah (swt) — which lived on in this blessed family of Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him).

Sixth: never could we attribute any partners whatsoever to Allah. The people in Egypt at that time knew the concept of Allah, but they knew it in a form of shirk. We find throughout the story of Yūsuf that they knew about Allah: al-ʿAzīz told his wife, ask forgiveness for your sin. So they knew about Allah (swt), but they attributed other gods to Him, like the people of Quraysh. The Quraysh knew about Allah (swt), but they also believed in other idols and gods.

Seventh: this is from the grace of Allah upon us and upon mankind — but most people do not give thanks. Yūsuf was saying that this message of tawḥīd is a blessing of Allah upon us, and a blessing of Allah upon all mankind, because Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) called everyone to Islam, so it is a blessing for everyone. The religion of Allah (swt) is a blessing for everyone. This was an introduction. And then he came to interpret the dream — but he gave them another introduction before he interpreted it.