12. Yusuf

And, along with it, he gave them a warning as well:

فَإِن لَّمْ تَأْتُونِي بِهِ فَلَا كَيْلَ لَكُمْ عِندِي وَلَا تَقْرَ‌بُونِ

Still, if you do not bring him to me, then you deserve no measure from me [ because it will prove that you have lied to me, and thus ], nor shall you come even close to me. - 60

Then, he made a secret arrangement as well. He ordered his young workers on the job to collect the cash, jewelry and any other articles paid by his brothers as the cost of the grains, and tie it up secretly with their supplies in the camel-packs in a way that they should remain unaware of it while there - so that, when they open their packs after having arrived home, and find their cash and jewelry back in their hands, they may have a reason to return for grains once again.

Ibn Kathir has described several possibilities as to why Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) acted the way he did: (1) It occurred to him that, perhaps they may not have anything other than the cash and jewelry they had brought. If so, they would be unable to come for the grains again. (2) Perhaps, he could not bear by the idea of taking the price of foodstuff from his father and brothers, therefore, he paid the amount due from his pocket and had it deposited in the royal treasury, and returned their cash and jewelry back to them. (3) He knew when their cash and jewelry is found in their supplies back home and his father learns about it, then he, being a prophet of Allah, would consider what has been thus found to be a trust of the Egyptian Treasury and would certainly have it returned, therefore, the return of their brothers would become more assured.

However, it can be said briefly that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) made all these arrangements so that his brothers could keep coming to him in the future and that he could also meet his younger real brother.

A Ruling:

From this event relating to Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، we learn that, should the economic condition of a country worsen to the limit that the failure of the government to check the decline may cause people to be-come deprived of the basic necessities of life, then, the government is justified in taking over the regulation and control of such supplies and it could also fix an appropriate price of food grains. Muslim jurists have explained this provision in details.

A Special Note:

There is something which strikes as unusual in this story of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) . We see that his exalted father, the prophet of Allah, Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) was so affected by his separation that constant weeping made him lose his eyesight. Then, on the other hand, we have Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، a prophet and messenger of Allah like him, one who naturally loved his father and knew his rights on him fully well. But, during this long period of forty years, how was it that it did not occur to him even once that his father must be missing him miserably and that it would be nice to let him know about his wellbeing through some source. The sending of such information was not too far out a proposition even when he had reached Egypt as a slave. Then, once he was in the home of the ` Aziz of Misr, he had the freedom, comfort and time to do that. It was not so difficult to send a message to his home through some source. For that matter, this could have been done when he was in the prison as well. Who does not know that messages from inside those walls can be delivered anywhere, near or far? Then, came the time when Allah Ta’ ala took him out of the prison with all honours and the authority over the land of Egypt became his own. That was a time when he should have presented himself before his father as his primary task. And had it been against some state consideration, he could have at the least sent an emissary to comfort his father, something ordinary given the status he had.

But, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) has not been reported to have even intended to do that. Not to say much …

Commentary

The verses appearing above carry the remaining segment of the event, that is, when the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام) returned home with food-grains from Egypt, they told their father about what had happened there, specially about the condition imposed by the ` Aziz of Misr that they would receive food grains in the future only if they would bring their younger brother with them. So they requested their father to let Benyamin also accompany them in order that they may receive food grains in the future as well. Then, they would be there to protect this brother of theirs at its best with assurance that they would see to it that he faces no inconvenience during the trip.

Their father asked them if they wanted him to trust them with Benyamin as he had done before with their brother, Yusuf (علیہ السلام) . The drive of his remark makes it obvious that he did not trust their word. He had trusted them once, and suffered - for they had promised in the same words spoken earlier that they would guard him.

This much was an answer to what they had said. But, he had the need of the family in sight, and because he was blessed with the quality of trust in the Divine dispension of matters, he talked about the reality as he knew it saying, in effect, that man has no control over his gain or loss unless Allah Ta ala Himself so wills. And when He wills it, it cannot be diverted or averted by anyone. Therefore, it is incorrect to place one's trust in the created beings of Allah in this matter and equally inappropriate is the dependence on their complaints to settle it.

Therefore, he said: فَاللَّـهُ خَيْرٌ‌ حَافِظًا (Well, Allah is the best guardian - 64), that is, he had already seen the outcome of their guardianship earlier, now he was placing his trust in Allah Ta` ala alone as his guardian. Then, he added: وَهُوَ أَرْ‌حَمُ الرَّ‌احِمِينَ (and He is the most merciful of all the merciful - 64), that is, only from Him, he could hope that He would look at his old age and the sorrows he was surrounded with and would not let more shocks shake him.

In short, Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) did not rely on apparent conditions and on the pledges given by his sons, but did agree to send his youngest son with his brothers solely because he had now placed his trust in Allah Ta` ala.

At this stage, verse 65 opens with the words:

وَلَمَّا فَتَحُوا مَتَاعَهُمْ وَجَدُوا بِضَاعَتَهُمْ رُ‌دَّتْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا مَا نَبْغِي ۖ هَـٰذِهِ بِضَاعَتُنَا رُ‌دَّتْ إِلَيْنَا ۖ وَنَمِيرُ‌ أَهْلَنَا وَنَحْفَظُ أَخَانَا وَنَزْدَادُ كَيْلَ بَعِيرٍ‌ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ كَيْلٌ يَسِيرٌ‌

And when they opened their baggage, they found their capital given back to them. They said, "Our father, what else do we want? Here is our capital given back to us, and we shall bring food to our family, protect our brother and add the measure of one camel more. That is an easy measure."

It will be noticed that, prior to this verse, the brothers of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) were talking about what had happened to them on their journey, before they had opened their baggage. After that, when they opened the baggage and saw that their entire capital with which they had paid for the food grains was present inside the baggage, they realized that this was not done by mistake, in fact, their capital had been returned to them. Therefore, they said: رُ‌دَّتْ إِلَيْنَا (given back to us). Then, to their father they said: مَا نَبْغِي (what else do we want?) that is, ` the grains are here and what we paid for it has also been returned to us. Now we should definitely go back there in peace with our brother because the way we have been treated shows that the ` Aziz of Misr is kind to us. We should have no apprehensions. It is the time that we go and bring food-grains for the family and take care of our brother too. That we shall get an additional load of grains in the name of our brother will help - because, whatever we have brought in the present trip is much less than our needs and is likely to be consumed soon.

One sense of the sentence: مَا نَبْغِي (ma nabghi) spoken by the brothers of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) is practically the same as given immediately above, that is, ` what else do we want?' And if, in this sentence, the letter: مَا (ma : not) is taken in the sense of negation, it could also mean that the sons of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) told their father: Now that we have the price of the grain with us, we do not want anything from you. You just send our brother with us.

Commentary

In the present verses, the second visit of the brothers of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، this time accompanied by their younger brother, has been mentioned. On that occasion, Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) had told them to keep in mind that they were eleven of them going there, so they should not enter Egypt collectively from one single gate of the city of their destination. Instead of that, once they have reached the outer wall of the city, they should disperse and enter there from different gates.

The reason for this advice was his apprehension that all of them were young and, masha'Allah, healthy, tall, handsome and impressive. He was concerned about them lest people find out that they were sons of the same father, and brothers to each other. May be they are affected by someone's evil eye which may bring them some harm. Or, their coming in all together may make some people envy them, or may even cause some pain to them.

Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) did not give them this advice the first time they went to Egypt. He did so on the occasion of their second trip. The reason for this, perhaps, is that they had entered Egypt on their first visit as common travellers and in a broken down condition. No one knew them, nor was there any danger that someone would take any special notice of their general condition. But, it so happened that, during their very first trip, the master of Egypt gave them an unusual welcome which introduced them to state functionaries and city people. Now there did exist the danger that someone may cast an evil eye on them, or that some people start envying them for being an imposing group of visitors. Apart from it, the fact that the younger son, Benyamin, was with them this time, became the cause of the father's added attention.

The Effect of the Evil Eye is True

This tells us that human beings affected by the evil eye, or its causing pain or loss to another human being, animal etc., is true. It cannot be dismissed as ignorance, superstition or fancy. Therefore, Sayyidna Ya` qub was concerned about it.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ has also confirmed its truth. It appears in a Hadith: ` The evil eye makes a human being enter the grave, and a camel enter a petty pot.' Therefore, things from which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has sought refuge, and from which he has directed his Ummah to seek refuge, include: مِن کُلِّ عین لامّۃ that is, ` I seek refuge from the evil eye.' (Qurtubi)

Well-known is the event related to Sayyidna Sahl ibn Hunayf ؓ ، one of the noble Companions. It is said that there was an occasion when he took off his shirt to get ready to go for a bath. ` Amir ibn Rabi` ah happened to cast a glance at the bright tint and healthy look of his body. The spontaneous remark he made was: ` Until this day, I have never seen a body as handsome as this!' No sooner did these words escape his mouth, an instant high temperature seized Sayyidna Sahl ibn Hunayf. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ was informed about it, the treatment he suggested was that ` Amir ibn Rabi'ah should make Wudu', collect the water from Wudu' in some utensil, and let this water be poured on the body of Sahl ibn Hunayf. When it was done as ordered, the …

This subject has been taken up in the succeeding verse where it is said that the sons carried out the instructions of their father and entered the city from different gates. When they did so, the desire of their father stood fulfilled - though, this measure taken by him could not avert anything already destined by Allah. But, as for the paternal love and concern of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) for his sons, this he did demonstrate to his heart's content.

Towards the end of the verse, Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) has been praised in the following words: وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِّمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ‌ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (He was a man of knowledge, because We had taught him, but most of the people do not know - 68). It means that his knowledge was not acquired. It did not come from books. Instead, it was directly a Divine gift. Therefore, he did employ physical means, something legally required, and commendable. But, he did not place his total trust in it. However, the truth is that most of the people do not know the reality behind it. Thus unaware, they would fall in doubts about Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) thinking that the employment of these means did not match the station of a prophet.

Some commentators have said that the first word: عِلم : knowledge) means acting in accordance with the dictate of ` ilm (knowledge). The translation in this case will be: "He was a man of action according to the knowledge We gave him". Therefore, he did not place his trust in material means, in fact, it was Allah alone he relied on and trusted in.'

Onwards from here, it was said in verse 69:

وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ آوَىٰ إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

And when they came to Yusuf, he lodged his brother [ Benyamin ] with himself. He said, "Behold, I am your [ lost ] brother! So do not grieve for what they have been doing.".

According to Tafsir authority, Qatadah, the arrangement made by Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was that two brothers were lodged in one room. This left Benyamin alone. He was asked to stay with him. When alone with him, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) disclosed his identity to his younger brother and told him that he was his real brother, Yusuf. He comforted him and asked him not to worry about what their brothers have been doing until that time.

Rulings and Points of Guidance

Some injunctions and rulings come out from verses 67 and 68. These are given below:

1. The effect of the evil eye is true. To try to stay safe from it is permissible in Shari` ah, and is commendable, just as one tries to stay safe from harmful foods and actions.

2. To stay safe from being envied by people, it is correct to conceal from them any special personal blessings and attributes one may have.

3. To employ physical and material means to stay safe from harmful effects is neither against Tawakkul (trust in Allah), nor against the status of prophets.

4. If one person apprehends likely harm or hurt coming to the other person, it is better to let him know about the danger and suggest how to stay safe from it - as done by Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) .

5. When someone finds some personal excellence or blessing enjoyed by another person appear unusual to him and there be the danger that he may be affected by the evil eye, then, it becomes obligatory (wajib) on the beholder that he should, after noticing it, say: بَارکَ اللہ (barakallah: may Allah bless) or: مَا شَاء اللہ (masha'Allah : whatever Allah will), so that the other person remains safe from any possible harm.

6. Employing all possible means to stay safe from the evil eye is permissible. One of them is to seek its treatment through a dua' (prayer) or تَعویز ta` widh (spoken or written words seeking the protection of Allah) - as was done by the Holy Prophet ﷺ who, seeing the weakness of the two sons of Sayyidna Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, allowed him to have them be treated through ta` widh etc.

7. The ideal approach of a wise Muslim to whatever he does is that he must place his real trust in Allah Ta’ ala to begin with but, at the same time, he should not ignore physical and material means. Let him not fall short in employing whatever permissible means he can possibly assemble together to achieve his purpose, - as was done by Sayyidna Yaqub (علیہ السلام) . And the Holy Prophet ﷺ too has taught us to do so. The Sage Rumi has expressed this prophetic teaching in the following line: بر توکَّل زانوۓ اشتر بہ بند that is, 'Tie the leg of your camel and trust in Allah'. This is how prophets place their trust in Allah, and this was the blessed way of our Rasu1 ﷺ .

8. A question arises here that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) made efforts to call his younger brother, even …

Commentary

The present verses describe how Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) arranged to have his real brother, Benyamin, stay on with him. All brothers were given grains according to rules. The grains for each brother was loaded on his camel, separately and by name.

In the supply of grain loaded on the camel for Benyamin, a bowl was concealed. This bowl has been called: سِقَایَہ (siqayah) at one place, and: صُوَاعَ الْمَلِكِ (suwa' al-malik) at another. The word: سِقَایَہ (siqayah) means a bowl used to drink water from, and: صُوَاعَ (suwa' ) too is a utensil similar to it. That it has been attributed to ` malik' or king shows the additional feature that this bowl had some special value or status. According to some narrations, it was made of a precious stone similar to emerald. Others say that it was made of gold, or silver. However, this bowl hidden in Benyamin's baggage was fairly precious besides having some special connection with the king of Egypt - whether he used it himself, or had it de-clared to be the official measure of grains.

In the second sentence of verse 70, it is said:

ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ‌ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِ‌قُونَ

Then, an announcer shouted out, "0 people of the caravan, you are thieves."

Here, the word: (thumma ثُمَّ : translated as ` then' ) shows that this public announcement was not made instantly. Instead, a temporary delay was allowed for the caravan to leave. The announcement was made after that to offset the likelihood of anyone sensing a foul play. After all, this proclaimer identified the caravan of the brothers of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) as the thieves.