Yusuf 12:72
Joseph · Juz 13 · Page 244
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."
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 12:72
The answer given by the announcers was:
قَالُوا نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ الْمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَاءَ بِهِ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ وَأَنَا بِهِ زَعِيمٌ
We are missing the measuring- bowl of the king, and whoever brings it back shall deserve a camel-load, and I stand a surety for it.
The question which emerges here is: Why did Sayyidna (علیہ السلام) opt for this excuse to detain Benyamin with him, especially when he knew that his separation was already shocking for his father. Now, how could he bear by giving him another shock by detaining his other brother?
The other question which arises here is far more important because it involves things like accusing innocent brothers of theft and concealing something in their baggage secretly to cause them disgrace later. These are impermissible acts. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was a prophet of Allah. It is difficult to visualize how would he have gone along with them.
Some commentators, such as al-Qurtubi and others, have stated: When Benyamin recognized Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) and was at peace, he requested his brother not to send him back along with his brothers. In-stead, he pleaded, he should let him stay with him. First, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) made the excuse that his staying behind will shock their father. Then, he had no way of making him stay with him other than that blame him of theft, arrest him for it and thus keep him with him. Benyamin was so disgusted with the ways of his brothers that he was ready to go through all this.
But, even if this event were taken as correct, the heart-break caused for his father, the disgrace inflicted on all his brothers and dubbing them as thieves cannot become permissible simply because of the pleasure of Benyamin. That some commentators have interpreted the charge of theft levelled on them by the announcer as being without the knowledge and permission of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) is not valid. This is a claim without any proof and, given the anatomy of the event, incoherent too. Similar is the case of another interpretation where it has been stated that these brothers stole Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) from his father, and sold him, therefore, they were called ` thieves.' This too is a long-drawn explanation.
Therefore, the correct answer to these questions is what has been given by al-Qurtubi and Mazhari. They have said: Whatever has been done and said in this connection was neither the outcome of Benyamin's wish, nor that of the initiative of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) himself. Instead of all that, all these happenings were the manifestation of the infinite wisdom of Allah alone under whose command they came to be what they were and being completed through them was the process of the trial and test of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) hint towards this answer appears in this verse (76) of the Qur'an itself which says: ذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ : ` This is how We planned for Yusuf (to detain his brother).'
In this verse, Allah Ta’ ala has very clearly attributed this excuse and plan to Himself. So, when all these things took shape as Divinely commanded, calling them impermissible becomes meaningless. They would be like the incident of the dismantling of the boat and the killing of the boy in the event relating to Sayyidna Musa and Al-Khadir (علیہما السلام) . Obviously, these were sins, therefore, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) registered his disapproval of them. But, al-Khadir was doing all this with Divine assent and permission under particularly expedient considerations, therefore, he was not committing any sin.
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." ↩