Surah Yusuf Tafseer

وَاتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ ابَأيِـي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ

And I have followed the religion of my fathers, - Ibrahim, Ishaq and Yaqub,

Yusuf said, `I have avoided the way of disbelief and polytheism, and followed the way of these honorable Messengers,' may Allah's peace and blessings be on them.

This, indeed, is the way of he who seeks the path of guidance and follows the way of the Messengers, all the while shunning the path of deviation. It is he whose heart Allah will guide, teaching him what he did not know beforehand. It is he whom Allah will make an Imam who is imitated in the way of righteousness, and a caller to the path of goodness.

Yusuf said next,

مَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نُّشْرِكَ بِاللّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ذَلِكَ مِن فَضْلِ اللّهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى النَّاسِ

and never could we attribute any partners whatsoever to Allah. This is from the grace of Allah to us and to mankind,

this Tawhid -Monotheism-, affirming that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone without partners,

مِن فَضْلِ اللّهِ عَلَيْنَا

is from the grace of Allah to us,

He has revealed it to us and ordained it on us,

وَعَلَى النَّاسِ

and to mankind,

to whom He has sent us as callers to Tawhid,

وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ

but most men thank not.

they do not admit Allah's favor and blessing of sending the Messengers to them, but rather,

بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ كُفْرًا وَأَحَلُّواْ قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَارِ

Have changed the blessings of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the house of destruction. (14:28