وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦٓ أَسْتَخْلِصْهُ لِنَفْسِى فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٌ
“And the king said: Bring him unto me that I may attach him to my person. And when he had talked with him he said: Lo! thou art to-day in our presence established and trusted.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, when the king said to Joseph 'you are with us a person of honor and trust,' he expressed that he would make Joseph close to him in a special way, that Joseph would be capable of everything he desired, and that Joseph would be trustworthy in matters entrusted to him. Furthermore, in the transmitted reports it is narrated that the king wanted to keep Joseph close to him but was reluctant to eat with him, while Joseph, by mentioning the honor of his lineage (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), stated that it was he himself who should be concerned.
إنك يا يوسف لدينا مكين أمين، أي متمكن مما أردت، وعرض لك من حاجة قبلنا، لرفعة مكانك ومنزلتك لدينا، أمين على ما اؤتمنت عليه من شيء
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, the King's 'making Joseph special to him' means to extract and purify him; the King addresses Joseph with the titles 'truthful' and 'trustworthy,' expressing position and trust. In this section, moreover, narrative details such as Joseph's exit from prison, his prayer to his family, the words he wrote on the prison gate, his ablution and purification, his addressing the King in seventy languages, and his re-interpreting the dream in detail are also transmitted.
يقال استخلصه واستخصه ، إذا جعله خالصا لنفسه وخاصا به وشاهد منه ما لم يحتسب { قال } أيها الصديق ذو مكانة ومنزلة { أمين } مؤتمن على كل شيء
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, when the king summoned Joseph and made him special to him, this situation shows that Joseph previously belonged only to the Aziz, and now he is attached to the king who is the owner of the great kingdom. The king increased his confidence in Joseph for three reasons: his confidence in Joseph's knowledge, his patience/firmness, and the beauty of his conduct. The words 'maqin' and 'amin' express that the qualities of power, knowledge, and acting in accordance with wisdom are gathered in Joseph.
واعلم أن قوله : كلمة جامعة لكل ما يحتاج إليه من الفضائل والمناقب ، وذلك لأنه لا بد في كونه مكينا من القدرة والعلم . أما القدرة فلأن بها يحصل المكنة .
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, after the king definitely understood Joseph's innocence and trustworthiness, he wanted to take him to his side; first he ordered that he be brought, and then he requested to make him special to him. When Joseph entered the king's presence, he responded to the king who was master of seventy languages in every language, and this amazed the king who then told him his dream; Joseph interpreted the dream and informed him that after seven years of plenty, a famine would come; when the king asked who should undertake the management of these affairs, Joseph requested 'put me in charge of the treasures of the land.'
ائتوني به أستخلصه لنفسي فانظر إلى قول الملك أولا حين تحقق علمه ائتوني به فقط فلما فعل يوسف ما فعل ثانيا قال : ائتوني به أستخلصه لنفسي وروي عن وهب بن منبه قال : لما دعي يوسف وقف بالباب فقال : حسبي ربي من خلقه عز جاره وجل ثناؤه ولا إله غيره
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, this statement is the king's addressing Joseph and, after understanding his superior morals, character and maturity, and seeing his virtue and skill, announcing that he wanted to make him one of his own special men and counselors. The king told him that he now held a position of honor and trust in his presence.
أي خاطبه الملك وعرفه ورأى فضله وبراعته وعلم ماهو عليه من خلق وخلق وكمال قال له الملك أي إنك عندنا قد بقيت ذا مكانة وأمانة
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, when the king had Joseph brought to him and spoke with him, he saw the intelligence and prudence in him, whereupon he gave him a position that inspired both place/rank and trust in security. In this text, moreover, narrative details such as Joseph's exit from prison, his meeting with the king, his knowledge of many languages, and his correctly re-telling the dream are also transmitted.
قال إنك اليوم لدينا مكين ذو مكانة ومنزلة. أمين مؤتمن على كل شيء.
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes agree that the words 'maqin' and 'amin' mean the high position and trust given to Joseph. The narrative details such as Joseph's exit from prison, his meeting with the king, his speaking many languages, and his interpretation of the dream are repeated as common transmitted material.
Differences
While Taberî and Beydâvî rely predominantly on transmitted reports, Râzî takes a more analytical and rhetoric-focused approach by linking this trust to three elements such as knowledge, patience, and conduct. While Kurtubî places additional emphasis on linguistic analysis (the construct phrase, support from poetry), Ibn Kesîr offers a simpler contextual reading; these differences stem from the exegetes' method preferences (transmitted hadith school/rational reasoning school).
Historical context
Early exegetes (Taberî) place weight on chains of transmission, while in later periods (Zemahşerî, Râzî, Kurtubî, Beydâvî) linguistic analysis and rational deductions are used together with transmitted reports; the fundamental meaning (position and trust) has remained constant throughout the periods, while the depth of interpretation and methodology has diversified over time.
Modern connection
This verse presents a thought-provoking example of how a person's trust, earned through knowledge, patience, and good character, becomes recognized in society over time. In our contemporary age too, the union of knowledge and good conduct can create a foundation through which a person gains social trust and responsibility; in this context, it can be read as a sign that service performed with sincere intention receives its reward.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar