His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "He said, 'No food will come to you that you are both given, except that I will inform you of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is from what my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have abandoned the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers.'" "And I have followed the religion of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with Allah. That is from the favor of Allah upon us and upon the people, but most of the people do not give thanks.'"

It has been narrated from Al-Suddi and Ibn Ishaq that when Yusuf, peace be upon him, realized the severity of the interpretation of the dream of the one who saw the bread, and that it indicated his killing, he went to another matter in the conversation, hoping that they would not ask him about the interpretation. So he said to them - informing them of his great knowledge of interpretation -: "Indeed, no food will come to you in your sleep that you see that you have been provided with, except that I will inform you of the interpretation of that food," meaning: of what its matter will lead to in wakefulness before that interpretation appears which I will inform you of. It has been narrated that they said: 'And from where do you claim this knowledge when you are neither a soothsayer nor an astrologer?' He said to them: "That is from what my Lord has taught me." Then he stood up, reproaching them for their disbelief and encouraging them to believe in Allah. It has been narrated that he intended in that two matters: one of them was to make them forget the matter of interpreting what they asked about; as in that is a warning of the killing of one of them, and the other was the desire for their faith; so that the killed one may take his share of faith and his Hereafter may be safe. Ibn Jurayj said: Yusuf, peace be upon him, meant: 'No food will come to you in wakefulness that you are both given, except that I will inform you of it with knowledge, and of what your matter will lead to before that outcome comes to you.'

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: So according to this, he only informed them that he knows of the unseen matters that have no relation to dreams, and he intended by that one of the two previous matters. This is based on what has been narrated that he was informed in the prison, so his informing is like the informing of Isa, peace be upon him. Ibn Jurayj said: It was the habit of that king, when he wanted to kill someone from among those in his prison, to send him food as a sign of his killing.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: And all of this is not necessitated by the wording nor is it supported by a chain of narration.

And his saying: "I have abandoned" although he did not cling to it - is permissible and correct, and that is because he expressed his avoidance from the beginning by abandonment, and he used the term abandonment to draw them in, hoping that the true abandonment which is after taking something would be supported. And the people whose religion he abandoned are the king and his followers, and he repeated his saying: "And they" for the purpose of emphasis, and that was good for the separation that is between them.

And His saying: "And I followed" is a continuation from Yusuf, peace be upon him, in his calling them to the straight religion. It is a departure from confronting (the majlis) what his vision necessitates. And he read "ءاباءِي?" with the 'sakin' (silent) in the 'ya', as did Al-Ashhab Al-Aqili and Abu Amr. The majority read: "آبائِيَ" with an open 'ya'. Abu Hatim said: Both are good, so read as you wish. As for dropping the hamzah, it is not permissible, but lightening it is good, so it becomes a broken 'ya' after a silent or open 'ya'.

And His saying: "That" refers to their religion and their law. The fact that this is a favor upon them is evident; for Allah, glorified and exalted is He, has specially chosen them for this, and made them prophets. The fact that it is a favor over the people is when they call to the religion and are led to safety from the punishment of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "From anything" is the "min" that is an additional confirming particle that occurs with denial. And His saying: ﴿They do not thank﴾ means the complete thankfulness in which there is faith.