Yusuf 12:63
Joseph · Juz 13 · Page 242
فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيهِمۡ قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا ٱلۡكَيۡلُ فَأَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَآ أَخَانَا نَكۡتَلۡ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ ٦٣
So when they returned to their father, they said, "O our father, [further] measure has been denied to us, so send with us our brother [that] we will be given measure. And indeed, we will be his guardians."
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 12:63–64
Yusuf's Brothers ask Ya`qub's Permission to send Their Brother Binyamin with Them to Egypt
Allah says that when they went back to their father,
قَالُواْ يأَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا الْكَيْلُ
(they said: "O our father! No more measure of grain shall we get...") `after this time, unless you send our brother Binyamin with us. So send him with us, and we shall get our measure and we shall certainly guard him.' Some scholars read this Ayah in a way that means, `and he shall get his ration.' They said,
وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَفِظُونَ
(and truly, we will guard him.), `do not fear for his safety, for he will be returned back to you.' This is what they said to Ya`qub about their brother Yusuf,
أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَداً يَرْتَعْ وَيَلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَفِظُونَ
("Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and verily, we will take care of him.") 12:12 This is why Prophet Ya`qub said to them,
هَلْ آمَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ
(Can I entrust him to you except as I entrusted his brother Yusuf to you aforetime) He asked them, `Will you do to him except what you did to his brother Yusuf before, when you took him away from me and separated me from him'
فَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَفِظًا
وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَحِمِينَ
(But Allah is the Best to guard, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.) Ya`qub said, `Allah has the most mercy with me among all those who show mercy, He is compassionate with me for my old age, feebleness and eagerness for my son. I invoke Allah to return him to me, and to allow him and I to be together; for surely, He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.'
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12:53
۞ وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفۡسِيٓۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفۡسَ لَأَمَّارَةُۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّيٓۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٥٣
And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful."1
1 translator’s note
- Although Ibn Katheer attributes the words of verses 52-53 to the wife of al-ʿAzeez, others have concluded that they were spoken by Joseph, thereby justifying his request for an inquiry and acknowledging Allāh's mercy to him. ↩
12:54
وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱئۡتُونِي بِهِۦٓ أَسۡتَخۡلِصۡهُ لِنَفۡسِيۖ فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ لَدَيۡنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٞ ٥٤
And the king said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted."
12:55
قَالَ ٱجۡعَلۡنِي عَلَىٰ خَزَآئِنِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٞ ٥٥
[Joseph] said, "Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian."
12:56
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنۡهَا حَيۡثُ يَشَآءُۚ نُصِيبُ بِرَحۡمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُۖ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ٥٦
And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.
12:57
وَلَأَجۡرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ خَيۡرٞ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ ٥٧
And the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believed and were fearing Allāh.
12:58
وَجَآءَ إِخۡوَةُ يُوسُفَ فَدَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ فَعَرَفَهُمۡ وَهُمۡ لَهُۥ مُنكِرُونَ ٥٨
And the brothers of Joseph came [seeking food], and they entered upon him; and he recognized them, but he was to them unknown.1
1 translator’s note
- Due to the change in his appearance over the years. ↩
12:59
وَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمۡ قَالَ ٱئۡتُونِي بِأَخٖ لَّكُم مِّنۡ أَبِيكُمۡۚ أَلَا تَرَوۡنَ أَنِّيٓ أُوفِي ٱلۡكَيۡلَ وَأَنَا۠ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمُنزِلِينَ ٥٩
And when he had furnished them with their supplies, he said, "Bring me a brother of yours from your father.1 Do you not see that I give full measure and that I am the best of accommodators?
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Benjamin, who had been kept at home by his father Jacob. ↩
12:60
فَإِن لَّمۡ تَأۡتُونِي بِهِۦ فَلَا كَيۡلَ لَكُمۡ عِندِي وَلَا تَقۡرَبُونِ ٦٠
But if you do not bring him to me, no measure will there be [hereafter] for you from me, nor will you approach me."
12:61
قَالُواْ سَنُرَٰوِدُ عَنۡهُ أَبَاهُ وَإِنَّا لَفَٰعِلُونَ ٦١
They said, "We will attempt to dissuade his father from [keeping] him, and indeed, we will do [it]."
12:62
وَقَالَ لِفِتۡيَٰنِهِ ٱجۡعَلُواْ بِضَٰعَتَهُمۡ فِي رِحَالِهِمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَعۡرِفُونَهَآ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمۡ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٦٢
And [Joseph] said to his servants, "Put their merchandise1 into their saddlebags so they might recognize it when they have gone back to their people that perhaps they will [again] return."
1 translator’s note
- The goods which they had brought to trade for food supplies. ↩
12:63
فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيهِمۡ قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا ٱلۡكَيۡلُ فَأَرۡسِلۡ مَعَنَآ أَخَانَا نَكۡتَلۡ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ ٦٣
So when they returned to their father, they said, "O our father, [further] measure has been denied to us, so send with us our brother [that] we will be given measure. And indeed, we will be his guardians."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy