وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥٓ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
“And And when he reached his prime We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus We reward the good.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, the expression 'eşedde' refers to the age when Joseph reached the peak of his physical strength and power, when his youth was completed. Regarding how many years this age comprises, different views have been transmitted among exegetes (such as 33, 20, 18-30, 18-60). Taberî states that since there is no definitive determination in the Book and Sunnah or in the consensus of the community, the most correct approach is to be content with Allah's expression and to avoid determining a specific age. According to him, this age could have occurred at any point between 18 and 33.
وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصواب أن يقال: إن الله أخبر أنه آتى يوسف لما بلغ أشده حكما وعلما. والأشد: هو انتهاء قوته وشبابه. وجائز أن يكون آتاه ذلك وهو ابن ثماني عشرة سنة، وجائز أن يكون آتاه وهو ابن عشرين سنة، وجائز أن يكون آتاه وهو ابن ثلاث وثلاثين سنة، ولا دلالة في كتاب الله، ولا أثر عن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولا في إجماع الأمة على أي ذلك كان.
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, different views have been transmitted regarding the word 'eşidde'; according to Sîbeveyh it is the plural of the word 'şidde', and according to Kisâî its singular is 'şedd'. While Mücahid and Katâde said that eşidde is thirty-three years old, Rabîa, Zeyd b. Eslem and Mâlik b. Enes interpreted it as the age of puberty. The word 'hüküm' (judgment/authority) according to Mücahid means intellect, comprehension and prophethood, while according to some others hüküm means prophethood and ilm (knowledge) means religious knowledge; those who said that prophethood was given in childhood indicated that comprehension and knowledge were increased when eşidde was reached.
وقال مجاهد وقتادة : الأشد ثلاث وثلاثون سنة وقال ربيعة وزيد بن أسلم ومالك بن أنس : الأشد بلوغ الحلم
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, the expression 'eşüddehû' refers to the age when a person's body and strength reached their peak, that is, the period between thirty and forty; according to some others it is the youth age that begins with puberty. The 'hüküm' (judgment/authority) given to him is explained as knowledge supported by action or the authority to rule among people; 'ilm' (knowledge) is explained as knowing the interpretation of dreams/events. The expression at the end of the verse 'thus do We reward the righteous' indicates that these bestowals are a recompense for his good conduct in youth and his diligence in his works.
لغ أشده منتهى اشتداد جسمه وقوته وهو سن الوقوف ما بين الثلاثين والأربعين، وقيل سن الشباب ومبدؤه بلوغ الحلم. آتيناه حكما حكمة وهو العلم المؤيد بالعمل، أو حكما بين الناس. وعلما يعني علم تأويل الأحاديث.
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
Râzî explains the bestowal of 'hüküm and ilm' (judgment/authority and knowledge) in the verse through three possibilities: first, that this is prophethood and the knowledge and morality accompanying it; second, that hüküm is prophethood itself and ilm is religious knowledge; third, that hüküm can mean the nafs al-mutmainná (the tranquil soul) prevailing and ruling over the nafs al-ammárah (the commanding soul). According to the third view, when the carnal and wrathful powers weaken, sacred lights overflow into the essence of the soul.
فاضت الأنوار القدسية والأضواء الإلهية من عالم القدس على جوهر النفس
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the expression 'eşiddehû' means that Joseph reached the perfection of his intellect and the completion of his creation; furthermore, this also includes Allah's choosing him from among other peoples and honoring him with prophethood.
استكمل عقله وتم خلقه
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes agree that the expression 'eşidde' indicates an age when Joseph reached the pinnacle in terms of body, intellect and maturity; furthermore, there is also general agreement that the 'hüküm and ilm' (judgment/authority and knowledge) given to him is not ordinary knowledge, but a superior comprehension and a virtue related to prophethood.
Differences
While Taberî and Kurtubî address the matter largely on the basis of transmission and linguistic discussion and avoid determining a specific age, Beydâvî passes through the matter with a more concise lexical/contextual reading; Râzî, on the other hand, follows a different method by reinterpreting 'hüküm' through the stages of the soul with an allegorical and rational-philosophical interpretation. Ibn Kesîr simplifies the matter and connects it directly to an emphasis on prophethood. These differences stem from the methodological priorities of exegetical schools (transmission-based, rational, allegorical) and their periods.
Historical context
Early-period exegetes (Taberî) display a cautious stance by transmitting the multiplicity among reports, while in later periods (Kurtubî, Beydâvî) linguistic systematization comes to the foreground; with Râzî, the dimension of rational and allegorical interpretation is added, and Ibn Kesîr subsequently summarizes this accumulated knowledge and carries it to a simpler line. While the basic framework (the age of maturity, the bestowal of hüküm and ilm) remains fixed, the depth of interpretation and methodological richness have increased.
Modern connection
This verse can be read as a reminder that reaching the age of maturity is not merely a physical development but must also be supported by knowledge, patience and moral stance. In our time as well, it can be thought that spending the period of youth with conscious education and sincerity will contribute both to social benefit and to the balance of one's inner world. In this context, it can be said that the joint maturation of knowledge and morality presents an important example for a constructive approach to life.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar