Prophet Yūsuf: Part 2 — The Storehouses and the King’s Cup
Section 14 of 29 · Lives of the Prophets
Established in the Land
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ ۚ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ ۖ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
“And thus We gave Yūsuf power in the land. He could settle in it wherever he wished. We extend Our mercy to whomsoever We will, and We do not let the reward of the righteous people to go to waste.” (12:56)
Thus did We give full authority to Yūsuf in the land. Allah (swt) had now established Yūsuf firmly in the land. Yatabawwaʾu minhā ḥaythu yashāʾ — he would go wherever he wished, with authority. It is said that the king told him: do whatever you want in the kingdom. So Allah (swt) says that Yūsuf could go anywhere in Egypt, with full authority to do whatever he wanted.
Allah (swt) established Yūsuf — who had been sold as a slave, who had faced death. Now Yūsuf became the most powerful person in Egypt. He had the treasury; he had authority; everything was under his hands. But Allah (swt) says:
وَلَأَجْرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ
“And the reward of the Hereafter is surely better for those who believe and constantly observe taqwā.” (12:57)
And truly the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and used to be obedient to Allah. Allah is telling us this so that we do not think the dunyā is something worth it. Allah is telling us that the reward of Yūsuf in the Ākhirah is the true reward. Allah (swt) is saving the reward of Yūsuf for the Ākhirah; that is the place of reward.