Verses 64–69
12. Yusuf · Joseph
Makkan111 verses
قَالَ هَلْ ءَامَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَٰفِظًۭا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ
12:64He said, ‘Should I not trust you with him just as I trusted you with his brother before? Yet Allah is the best of protectors, and He is the most merciful of merciful ones.’
وَلَمَّا فَتَحُوا۟ مَتَٰعَهُمْ وَجَدُوا۟ بِضَٰعَتَهُمْ رُدَّتْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَبَانَا مَا نَبْغِى ۖ هَٰذِهِۦ بِضَٰعَتُنَا رُدَّتْ إِلَيْنَا ۖ وَنَمِيرُ أَهْلَنَا وَنَحْفَظُ أَخَانَا وَنَزْدَادُ كَيْلَ بَعِيرٍۢ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ كَيْلٌۭ يَسِيرٌۭ
12:65And when they opened their baggage, they found their money restored to them. They said, ‘Father, what [more] do we want?! This is our money, restored to us! We will get provisions for our family and take care of our brother, and add another camel-load of rations. These are meagre rations.’1
قَالَ لَنْ أُرْسِلَهُۥ مَعَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ تُؤْتُونِ مَوْثِقًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لَتَأْتُنَّنِى بِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن يُحَاطَ بِكُمْ ۖ فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَوْهُ مَوْثِقَهُمْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٌۭ
12:66He said, ‘I will not let him go with you until you give me a [solemn] pledge by Allah that you will surely bring him back to me, unless you are made to perish.’ When they had given him their [solemn] pledge, he said, ‘Allah is witness over what we say.’
وَقَالَ يَٰبَنِىَّ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ مِنۢ بَابٍۢ وَٰحِدٍۢ وَٱدْخُلُوا۟ مِنْ أَبْوَٰبٍۢ مُّتَفَرِّقَةٍۢ ۖ وَمَآ أُغْنِى عَنكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۖ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
12:67And he said, ‘My sons, do not enter by one gate, but enter by separate gates, though I cannot avail you anything against Allah. Sovereignty belongs only to Allah. In Him I have put my trust; and in Him let all the trusting put their trust.’2
وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُم مَّا كَانَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا حَاجَةًۭ فِى نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَىٰهَا ۚ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَذُو عِلْمٍۢ لِّمَا عَلَّمْنَٰهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
12:68When they entered whence their father had bidden them, it did not avail them anything against Allah, but only fulfilled a wish in Jacob’s heart. Indeed, he had the knowledge of what We had taught him, but most people do not know.3
وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَنَا۠ أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
12:69When they entered into the presence of Joseph, he set his brother close to himself, and said, ‘Indeed I am your brother, so do not sorrow for what they used to do.’
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 66
1.Yaqoob (a.s.) took an oath from his sons but owing to Prophethood he was giving reference of Allah’s safety because his trust was only in Allah and not on his sons. First he made Allah surety for the oath and then announced his faith and then announced generally that faithful people trust and depend on Allah and not on anyone else. Then he clarified that the Prophet is only a Prophet and not god and he depends on Allah’s decision and cannot change it. Faith should be on Allah’s command and everything is useless in comparison.
Verse 68
2.This is a clear argument that the Prophet’s knowledge is quite different from that of common people and it is not his knowledge that instructs people, but it is instruction of divinity. I wish people who criticize the knowledge of Prophet (s.a.w.s.) would note this point and also the difference between the perfection of Yaqoob (a.s.) and the last messenger of Allah.
Verse 69
3.When Yusuf (a.s.) made his brothers sit in pairs and Binyamin was left alone, he made him sit beside him and asked: Can I be your brother? Binyamin replied this is my grea1 desire but you are not the son of Yaqoob and Rahil (a.s.). Yusuf (a.s.) said, “I am the son of Yaqoob (a.s.) and Rahil (a.s.) and 1 am your brother Yusuf (a.s.). Thousands of coincidences caused us to reach till here and Allah arranged that we meet again. Allah grants His mercy to whom He likes.”
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
The question arises how Yaqoob (a.s.) agreed to send Binyamin with the step brothers whose jealousy had become evident? And who were jealous of Binyamin like they were with Yusuf (a.s.)? Apparently it is so that this journey was not of recreation. It was for acquiring the livelihood and hence there was a lesser chance of conspiracy. Another thing was that the brothers had also expressed their regret. In spite of all this Yaqoob (a.s.) allowed them to take Binyamin only when they had guaranteed his safety.
- 1
It is said that there was some leather and slippers which they had manufactured to exchange for food grains. Some commentators have derived the meaning that Yusuf (a.s.) returned the amount and did not give them food grain so that they come back with the brother. Such a notion is against the apparent meanings of the Quran and also against the dignity of a prophet.
- 2
Some say that the philosophy behind this was that the eleven of them may not fall to the evil eye of the people. Other think that this was to know different routes and the surrounding areas. In any case Allah and His prophet are aware of the hidden wisdom.
- 3
Different commentators have presented different interpretation of the demand but apparently the aim was to protect Yusuf (a.s.) and Binyamin, which was achieved in any case, even if the caravan was accused of theft.