Verses 70–78
12. Yusuf · Joseph
Makkan111 verses
فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمْ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَايَةَ فِى رَحْلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا ٱلْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَٰرِقُونَ
12:70When he had furnished them with their provision, he put the drinking-cup into his brother’s saddlebag. Then a herald shouted: ‘O [men of the] caravan! You are indeed thieves!’1
قَالُوا۟ وَأَقْبَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِم مَّاذَا تَفْقِدُونَ
12:71They said, as they turned towards them, ‘What are you missing?’
قَالُوا۟ نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَآءَ بِهِۦ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍۢ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِيمٌۭ
12:72They said, ‘We miss the king’s goblet.’ ‘Whoever brings it shall have a camel-load [of grain],’ [said the steward], ‘I will guarantee that.’2
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُم مَّا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَٰرِقِينَ
12:73They said, ‘By Allah! You certainly know that we did not come to make trouble in this country, and we are not thieves.’3
قَالُوا۟ فَمَا جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُمْ كَٰذِبِينَ
12:74They said, ‘What shall be its requital if you [prove to] be lying?’
قَالُوا۟ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ مَن وُجِدَ فِى رَحْلِهِۦ فَهُوَ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
12:75They said, ‘The requital for it shall be that he in whose saddlebag it is found shall give himself over as its requital. Thus do we requite the wrongdoers.’
فَبَدَأَ بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِن وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ ۖ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِى دِينِ ٱلْمَلِكِ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ مَّن نَّشَآءُ ۗ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِى عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌۭ
12:76Then he began with their sacks, before [opening] his brother’s sack. Then he took it out from his brother’s sack. Thus did We devise for Joseph’s sake. He could not have held his brother under the king’s law unless Allah willed [otherwise]. We raise in rank whomever We please, and above every man of knowledge is One who knows best.
۞ قَالُوٓا۟ إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌۭ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِى نَفْسِهِۦ وَلَمْ يُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ أَنتُمْ شَرٌّۭ مَّكَانًۭا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ
12:77They said, ‘If he has stolen [there is no wonder]; a brother of his had stolen before.’ Thereupon Joseph kept the matter to himself and he did not disclose it to them. He said, ‘You are in a worse state! And Allah knows best what you allege.’
قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥٓ أَبًۭا شَيْخًۭا كَبِيرًۭا فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥٓ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
12:78They said, ‘O emir! Indeed, he has a father, a very old man; so take one of us in his place. Indeed we see that you are a virtuous man.’
Tafsir
Commentary on this passage
Verse 70
1.In Misr it was a rule that the punishment of a thief was to imprison him and heat him and according to the Shari at of Yaqoob (a.s.). the thief was enslaved. The servants of Yusuf (a.s.) took the promise from the children of Yaqoob (a.s.) so that the punishment would be legalized and they could keep Binyamin there. A question arises on this point that for how long the blame of theft is permissible to prevent Binyamin? Its first answer is that it is a special incident that Allah allowed Yusuf (a.s.) this action and it cannot be utilized as a general rule. Secondly it was a kind of punishment for the brothers of Yusuf (a.s.) so that they understand that they sold Yusuf (a.s.) as a slave so Yusuf (a.s.) must have felt it in his heart. Is it hard upon a rich to become a slave or for a faithful person to become a thief?
Verse 76
2.We can guess that brothers of Yusuf (a.s.) were learned men but knowledge of Yusuf (a.s.) was more than his brothers and this is not a surprising matter that learned would pursue the more learned and even go to the extent of taking their life.
Verse 77
3.In the beginning Yusuf (a.s.) was staying with his paternal aunt. When Yaqoob (a.s.) called him, his aunt tied a waistband on his waist and prevented him to go to his father on blame of stealing. His brothers had given the reference of this. Allah has announced that they were happy when Yusuf (a.s.) was blamed. Now how they must be feeling today? It is true one who digs hole for others, often falls in it himself.
Footnotes
Explanations of words and phrases in these verses
Benefit
It should be clear that the allegation of theft was not made by Yusuf (a.s.). It was issued by the servants. And their being thieves was that they had stolen Yusuf (a.s.) from his father.
- 1
Saqaya: Vessel for drinking water. Here it denotes bowl that shall be mentioned later. That bowl was used as a measure. Eer is a camel which denotes a caravan.
- 2
This announcement has the rule of guarantee of the Islamic Shariat la’a1a means to publicly announce the recompense of a particular job and the surety is the guarantee that this shall be paid.
- 3
It is said that the secret of this knowledge is that the brother returned the amount that was kept in their luggage because they thought that it was a mistake. Otherwise it is the cost of food grains. The Almighty Allah has called it His decree to save Yusuf (a.s.) from allegation because only Allah has the knowledge of His decrees and He is responsible for them. The limit is that the brothers accused Yusuf (a.s.) of theft and he did not reply. He kept it a secret in his heart so that he can expose it at the appropriate time.