Yusuf 12:71
Joseph · Juz 13 · Page 244
قَالُواْ وَأَقۡبَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِم مَّاذَا تَفۡقِدُونَ ٧١
They said while approaching them, "What is it you are missing?"
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 12:70–72
Yusuf had His Golden Bowl placed in Binyamin's Bag; a Plot to keep Him in Egypt
After Yusuf supplied them with their provisions, he ordered some of his servants to place his silver bowl (in Binyamin's bag), according to the majority of scholars. Some scholars said that the king's bowl was made from gold. Ibn Zayd added that the king used it to drink from, and later, measured food grains with it since food became scarce in that time, according to Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd. Shu`bah said that Abu Bishr narrated that Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said that the king's bowl was made from silver and he used it to drink with. Yusuf had the bowl placed in Binyamin's bag while they were unaware, and then had someone herald,
أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ
(O you (in) the caravan! Surely, you are thieves!) They looked at the man who was heralding this statement and asked him,
مَّاذَا تَفْقِدُونَقَالُواْ نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ الْمَلِكِ
("What is it that you have lost" They said: "We have lost the bowl of the king..."), which he used to measure food grains,
وَلِمَن جَآءَ بِهِ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ
(and for him who produces it is a camel load), as a reward,
وَأَنَاْ بِهِ زَعِيمٌ
(and I will be bound by it.), as assurance of delivery of the reward.
Page 244
12:70
فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمۡ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَايَةَ فِي رَحۡلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا ٱلۡعِيرُ إِنَّكُمۡ لَسَٰرِقُونَ ٧٠
So when he had furnished them with their supplies, he put the [gold measuring] bowl into the bag of his brother. Then an announcer called out, "O caravan, indeed you are thieves."
12:71
قَالُواْ وَأَقۡبَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِم مَّاذَا تَفۡقِدُونَ ٧١
They said while approaching them, "What is it you are missing?"
12:72
قَالُواْ نَفۡقِدُ صُوَاعَ ٱلۡمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَآءَ بِهِۦ حِمۡلُ بَعِيرٖ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِيمٞ ٧٢
They said, "We are missing the measure of the king. And for he who produces it is [the reward of] a camel's load, and I am responsible for it."
12:73
قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتُم مَّا جِئۡنَا لِنُفۡسِدَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَٰرِقِينَ ٧٣
They said, "By Allāh, you have certainly known that we did not come to cause corruption in the land, and we have not been thieves."
12:74
قَالُواْ فَمَا جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُمۡ كَٰذِبِينَ ٧٤
They [the accusers] said, "Then what would be its recompense1 if you should be liars?"
1 translator’s note
- The punishment for theft. ↩
12:75
قَالُواْ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ مَن وُجِدَ فِي رَحۡلِهِۦ فَهُوَ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٧٥
[The brothers] said, "Its recompense is that he in whose bag it is found - he [himself] will be its recompense.1 Thus do we recompense the wrongdoers."
1 translator’s note
- According to their law, a convicted thief was made a slave of the one from whom he had stolen. ↩
12:76
فَبَدَأَ بِأَوۡعِيَتِهِمۡ قَبۡلَ وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَخۡرَجَهَا مِن وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدۡنَا لِيُوسُفَۖ مَا كَانَ لِيَأۡخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِي دِينِ ٱلۡمَلِكِ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ نَرۡفَعُ دَرَجَٰتٖ مَّن نَّشَآءُۗ وَفَوۡقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلۡمٍ عَلِيمٞ ٧٦
So he began [the search] with their bags before the bag of his brother; then he extracted it from the bag of his brother. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother within the religion [i.e., law] of the king except that Allāh willed. We raise in degrees whom We will, but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing.1
1 translator’s note
- Ending with the ultimate knowledge of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā). ↩
12:77
۞ قَالُوٓاْ إِن يَسۡرِقۡ فَقَدۡ سَرَقَ أَخٞ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ وَلَمۡ يُبۡدِهَا لَهُمۡۚ قَالَ أَنتُمۡ شَرّٞ مَّكَانٗاۖ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ ٧٧
They said, "If he steals - a brother of his has stolen before." But Joseph kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them.1 He said, "You are worse in position, and Allāh is most knowing of what you describe."
1 translator’s note
- He did not answer that he himself had been stolen by them from his father. ↩
12:78
قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥٓ أَبٗا شَيۡخٗا كَبِيرٗا فَخُذۡ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥٓۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ٧٨
They said, "O ʿAzeez,1 indeed he has a father [who is] an old man, so take one of us in place of him. Indeed, we see you as a doer of good."
1 translator’s note
- Addressing Joseph, who now held the title of "al-ʿAzeez." ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy