Yusuf 12:79
Joseph · Juz 13 · Page 245
قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ أَن نَّأۡخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدۡنَا مَتَٰعَنَا عِندَهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّظَٰلِمُونَ ٧٩
He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allāh [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust."
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Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 12:77–79
According to commentators of the Quran, in his childhood Joseph quietly removed an idol from his grandmother’s house and broke it. This showed his antipathy for polytheism. But because it was a parallel to Benjamin’s act, his brothers gave it the colour of theft, and making this an excuse to blacken Benjamin’s name, they said, ‘A brother of his had [also] committed theft before him.’ Joseph’s brothers showed great humility to Joseph, who occupied a very high position in Egypt, addressing him as ‘O exalted one’, etc. But the Joseph of Canaan, who was in their eyes only a village boy, was being wrongly alleged to be a thief. Joseph knew very well that due to the drinking cup placed by him in Benjamin’s pack, his brother was unnecessarily being accused of being a thief. But for timely reasons, he kept quiet and allowed matters (i.e. what was going on between his brothers and the royal officers) to take their own course. When he was obliged to say something, he did not refer to Benjamin as ‘one who has stolen something belonging to us,’ but ‘the person on whom we found our property.’
Page 245
12:79
قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ أَن نَّأۡخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدۡنَا مَتَٰعَنَا عِندَهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّظَٰلِمُونَ ٧٩
He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allāh [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust."
12:80
فَلَمَّا ٱسۡتَيۡـَٔسُواْ مِنۡهُ خَلَصُواْ نَجِيّٗاۖ قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ أَبَاكُمۡ قَدۡ أَخَذَ عَلَيۡكُم مَّوۡثِقٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمِن قَبۡلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمۡ فِي يُوسُفَۖ فَلَنۡ أَبۡرَحَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ حَتَّىٰ يَأۡذَنَ لِيٓ أَبِيٓ أَوۡ يَحۡكُمَ ٱللَّهُ لِيۖ وَهُوَ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡحَٰكِمِينَ ٨٠
So when they had despaired of him, they secluded themselves in private consultation. The eldest of them said, "Do you not know that your father has taken upon you an oath by Allāh and [that] before you failed in [your duty to] Joseph? So I will never leave [this] land until my father permits me or Allāh decides for me,1 and He is the best of judges.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., in my favor by bringing about the release of Benjamin. ↩
12:81
ٱرۡجِعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمۡ فَقُولُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبۡنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدۡنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمۡنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلۡغَيۡبِ حَٰفِظِينَ ٨١
Return to your father and say, 'O our father, indeed your son has stolen, and we did not testify except to what we knew. And we were not witnesses of the unseen.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., We could not have known when we gave you the oath that he would steal and be apprehended. ↩
12:82
وَسۡـَٔلِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةَ ٱلَّتِي كُنَّا فِيهَا وَٱلۡعِيرَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَقۡبَلۡنَا فِيهَاۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ ٨٢
And ask the city in which we were and the caravan in which we came - and indeed, we are truthful.'"
12:83
قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرٗاۖ فَصَبۡرٞ جَمِيلٌۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأۡتِيَنِي بِهِمۡ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٨٣
[Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allāh will bring them to me all together. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise."
12:84
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبۡيَضَّتۡ عَيۡنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلۡحُزۡنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٞ ٨٤
And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph," and his eyes became white1 from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor.2
12:85
قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ تَفۡتَؤُاْ تَذۡكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوۡ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡهَٰلِكِينَ ٨٥
They said, "By Allāh, you will not cease remembering Joseph until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
12:86
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشۡكُواْ بَثِّي وَحُزۡنِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ٨٦
He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allāh, and I know from Allāh that which you do not know.