SURAH (2) YOUSOUF (AYA 51 to 70)
قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُنَّ إِذْ رَاوَدْتُنَّ يُوسُفَ
عَنْ نَفْسِهِ ۚ قُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ سُوءٍ ۚ
قَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ الْعَزِيزِ الْآنَ حَصْحَصَ الْحَقُّ أَنَا رَاوَدْتُهُ عَنْ
نَفْسِهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ {12:51}
[Q12:51] Qaala maa khatbukunna iz
raawattunna Yoosufa 'annafsih; qulna haasha lillaahi maa 'alimnaa 'alaihi min
sooo'; qaalatim ra atul 'Azeezil 'aana hashasal haqq, ana raawat tuhoo 'an
nafsihee wa innahoo laminas saadiqeen.
[Q12:51] He said: How was your affair when you sought Yusuf to yield himself (to you)? They said: Remote is ALLAH (SWT) (from imperfection), we knew of no evil on his part. The chief's wife said: Now has the truth become established: I sought him to yield himself (to me), and he is most surely of the truthful ones.
[Q12:51] He said: How was your affair when you sought Yusuf to yield himself (to you)? They said: Remote is ALLAH (SWT) (from imperfection), we knew of no evil on his part. The chief's wife said: Now has the truth become established: I sought him to yield himself (to me), and he is most surely of the truthful ones.
[Q12:51] Setelah perempuan-perempuan itu dipanggil), raja
bertanya kepada mereka: "Apahal kamu, semasa kamu memujuk Yusuf mengenai
dirinya?" Mereka menjawab: JauhNya ALLAH (SwT) dari segala cacat cela,
kami tidak mengetahui sesuatu kejahatan terhadap Yusuf". Isteri Al-Aziz
pun berkata: "Sekarang ternyatalah kebenaran (yang selama ini
tersembunyi), akulah yang memujuk Yusuf berkehendakkan dirinya (tetapi ia telah
menolak); dan sesungguhnya adalah ia dari orang-orang yang benar.
(see commentary for verse 3)
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(12:51) The
king questioned the women, *44 saying,
"What do you say about the incident when you tried to entice Joseph?"
They all cried out with one voice, "God protect us! We found no tinge of
evil in him." Then the wife of Al-`Aziz also confessed, "Now that the
truth has come to light, it was I who tried to entice him. In fact, he is
absolutley in the right." *45
*44 As regards the way in which this enquiry was
held, it is just possible that the king might have summoned the women to his
presence or got their evidence through a trusted officer of his court.
*45 The enquiry and the evidences must have helped to pave the way for Prophet Josep's rise in the land by concentrating the public attention on him, especially under the circumstances when the enquiry had been demanded by him. He had interpreted the dream of the king, when all the wise men, sooth-sayers and the magicians had failed. Then he had refused to quit prison even though the king himself had ordered that he should be brought before him, and, instead of this, demanded an enquiry of the matter which had been the cause of his imprisonment. Naturally this thing would have filled the people with wonder and they would have been looking eagerly for the result of the enquiry. Thus it can be imagined how the evidences and the result of the enquiry raised his prestige so high that the king and his courtiers declared that he was the only fit person to save the country from the coming calamity. It is no wonder, then, that Prophet Joseph proposed that all the resources of the land should be placed in his hands, and the king accepted this proposal as soon as it was made. For, had it been merely the matter of the interpretation of a dream, the most he would have deserved was some reward and Iris release from prison. But he could not have said, "Place the resources of the land in my hands" and the king would not have readily acceded to his proposal and given him all the powers in the land, as is contained in vv. 55-56, and confirmed by the Bible and the Talmud.
*45 The enquiry and the evidences must have helped to pave the way for Prophet Josep's rise in the land by concentrating the public attention on him, especially under the circumstances when the enquiry had been demanded by him. He had interpreted the dream of the king, when all the wise men, sooth-sayers and the magicians had failed. Then he had refused to quit prison even though the king himself had ordered that he should be brought before him, and, instead of this, demanded an enquiry of the matter which had been the cause of his imprisonment. Naturally this thing would have filled the people with wonder and they would have been looking eagerly for the result of the enquiry. Thus it can be imagined how the evidences and the result of the enquiry raised his prestige so high that the king and his courtiers declared that he was the only fit person to save the country from the coming calamity. It is no wonder, then, that Prophet Joseph proposed that all the resources of the land should be placed in his hands, and the king accepted this proposal as soon as it was made. For, had it been merely the matter of the interpretation of a dream, the most he would have deserved was some reward and Iris release from prison. But he could not have said, "Place the resources of the land in my hands" and the king would not have readily acceded to his proposal and given him all the powers in the land, as is contained in vv. 55-56, and confirmed by the Bible and the Talmud.
ذَٰلِكَ لِيَعْلَمَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَخُنْهُ بِالْغَيْبِ
وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي كَيْدَ الْخَائِنِينَ {12:52}
[Q12:52] Zaalika liya'lama annee lam
akhunhu bilghaibi wa annal laaha laa yahdee kaidal khaaa'ineen.
[Q12:52] This is that he might know that I have not been unfaithful to him in secret and that ALLAH (SWT) does not guide the device of the unfaithful.
[Q12:52] This is that he might know that I have not been unfaithful to him in secret and that ALLAH (SWT) does not guide the device of the unfaithful.
[Q12:52] "(Pengakuanku) yang demikian supaya ia
mengetahui, bahawa aku tidak mengkhianatinya semasa ia tidak hadir (bersama di
sini); dan bahawa ALLAH (SwT) tidak menjayakan tipu daya orang-orang yang
khianat.
[Some
commentators say that the wordings of this verse refer to Zulaykha who blames herself and accepts
Yusuf's innocence, because verses 52 and
53 are a continuation of Zulaykha's speech.]
Ammarah refers
to the urge which commands man to do evil, BUT IF HE SINCERELY BELIEVES IN ALLAH (SWT)
AND RESOLVES TO DO GOOD AT ALL EVENTS, ALLAH (SWT) GIVES HIM POWER TO CONTROL
THIS URGE AND ALWAYS KEEPS HIS CONSCIENCE AWAKE TO SAFEGUARD HIMSELF AGAINST
EVIL OF SHAYTAN. The conscience which censures and
holds in check the urge to do evil is called lawwamah (Al Qiyamah 75:2).
ß
When he controls the ammarah, and
abides by the dictates of lawwamah he is blessed with peace
of mind, joy and fulfilment AND deserves to be called nafs mutma-innah, the
ultimate destination of which is that which has been promised in verse 98:8 of
al Bayyinah.]
The king was much
impressed, and appointed Yusuf as
his confidential wazir. Yusuf wanted to do real service to the people. He undertook the
hardest task of organising reserves in times of plenty, against the lean years
to come. He was put incharge of the granaries and store-houses.
SO ALLAH (SWT)
gave Yusuf authority in the land and
bestowed His favours on him. He does not allow the reward of those who are good
to go waste.
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(12:52) (Joseph said *46) "By
this enquiry, I meant to let him (Al-`Aziz) know that I did not play him false
secretly and that Allah does not lead to success the machinations of deceivers.
*46 Prophet Joseph might have said these words in
the prison when he came to know the result of the enquiry. But some
commentators, including great scholars like Ibn Taimiyyah and Ibn Kathir,
regard this sentence to be a continuation of the preceding speech of the wife
of AI-'Aziz. They argue that this sentence has been placed contiguous to her
preceding speech without any dividing word between them to indicate that her
speech had ended at "he is absolutely in the right", and that the
succeeding words were spoken by Prophet Joseph. They construe that if two
speeches made by two different persons are placed in contiguity, they must be
separated by means of Borne definite word, or there must be some definite clue
to it. As neither of these two things exists in this case, it may rightly be
construed that the words contained in v. 52 are the continuation of her
preceding speech in v. 51. I, however, am surprised how a great scholar of Ibn
Taimiyyah's insight has missed this point that the characteristic of a speech
is in itself a clear and self-sufficient clue. Her confession in v. 51 fits in
with her low character, but obviously the succeeding dignified and grand speech
in v. 52 is too high for her. That fits in only with the noble character of
Prophet Joseph. It is obvious that this must have been uttered by one, who was
righteous, generous, humble and God-fearing. It is by itself a clear evidence
that it could not have come out of the mouth of the one, who said, "Come
here", and "What punishment does the one deserve, who shows evil
intentions towards your wife?" and "......if he will not yield to my
bidding, he shall be cast into prison." On the other hand, such a pure speech fitted in with the one who said,
"May AIlah protect me! My Lord has shown so much kindness towards me.
Should I, then, misbehave like this?" and "my Lord! I prefer
imprisonment to that to which they invite me. If Thou dost not ward off their
cunning devices from me, I might be caught in their snares." Therefore
one cannot ascribe such a pure speech to the wife of AI-'Aziz unless there is a
clear clue showing that by that time she had repented and believed and mended her
ways, but there is no such clue. Thus it is clear that this speech must have
been made by Prophet Joseph (Allah's peace be upon him).
وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِي ۚ إِنَّ النَّفْسَ
لَأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّي ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ {12:53}
[Q12:53] Wa maa ubarri'u nafsee; innan
nafsa la ammaaratum bissooo'i illaa maa rahima Rabbee; inna Rabbee Ghafoorur
Raheem.
[Q12:53] And I do not declare myself free, most surely (man's) self is wont to command (him to do) evil, except such as my Lord has had mercy on, surely my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
[Q12:53] And I do not declare myself free, most surely (man's) self is wont to command (him to do) evil, except such as my Lord has had mercy on, surely my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
[Q12:53] "Dan tiadalah aku berani membersihkan diriku;
sesungguhnya nafsu manusia itu sangat menyuruh melakukan kejahatan, kecuali
orang-orang yang telah diberi rahmat oleh Tuhanku (maka terselamatlah ia dari
hasutan nafsu itu). Sesungguhnya Tuhanku Maha Pengampun, lagi Maha
Mengasihani."
(see commentary for verse 52)
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(12:53) Yet I am not holding my soul to be immune from sin, for the soul incites
to evil, except of the one on whom my Lord shows mercy. Indeed my Lord is
Forgiving and Merciful. "
وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ ائْتُونِي بِهِ أَسْتَخْلِصْهُ
لِنَفْسِي ۖ فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُ قَالَ إِنَّكَ الْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِينٌ
أَمِينٌ {12:54}
[Q12:54] Wa qaalal maliku' toonee biheee
astakhlishu linafsee falammaa kallamahoo qaala innakal yawma ladainaa makeenun
ameen.
[Q12:54] And the king said: Bring him to me, I will choose him for myself. So when he had spoken with him, he said: Surely you are in our presence today an honorable, a faithful one.
[Q12:54] And the king said: Bring him to me, I will choose him for myself. So when he had spoken with him, he said: Surely you are in our presence today an honorable, a faithful one.
[Q12:54] Dan (setelah mendengar pengakuan
perempuan-perempuan itu), raja berkata: "Bawalah Yusuf kepadaku, aku
hendak menjadikan dia orang yang khas untuk aku bermesyuarat dengannya. Setelah
(Yusuf dibawa mengadap, dan raja) berkata-kata dengannya (serta mengetahui
kebijaksanaannya) berkatalah raja kepadanya: "Sesungguhnya engkau pada
hari ini (wahai Yusuf), seorang yang berpangkat tinggi, lagi dipercayai di
kalangan kami ".
(see
commentary for verse 3)
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(12:54) The
king said, "Bring him to me so that I may attach him exclusively to
myself."
قَالَ اجْعَلْنِي عَلَىٰ خَزَائِنِ الْأَرْضِ ۖ
إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ {12:55}
[Q12:55] Qaalaj 'alnee 'alaa khazaaa'inil
ardi innee hafeezun 'aleem.
[Q12:55] He said: Place me (in authority) over the treasures of the land, surely I am a good keeper, knowing well.
[Q12:55] He said: Place me (in authority) over the treasures of the land, surely I am a good keeper, knowing well.
[Q12:55] Yusuf berkata: "Jadikanlah daku pengurus
perbendaharaan hasil bumi (Mesir); sesungguhnya aku sedia menjaganya dengan
sebaik-baiknya, lagi mengetahui cara mentadbirkannya".
TO MANAGE THE TREASURY OF A COUNTRY A KNOWING GUARDIAN IS
NECESSARY, as per this verse, THEREFORE, for a guardian who is entrusted with the responsibility to guide the
whole mankind, in all times, unto the ultimate purpose
of creation, the highest degree of wisdom (referred to in Nisa 4:54 -the Holy
Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) and his Ahlul Bayt) is required.
µ CERTAINLY THE RECOMPENSE OF THE LIFE TO COME IS BETTER FOR THOSE WHO
BELIEVE AND FOLLOW THE RIGHT PATH.
There was a wide spread famine in all of Arabia,
Northern Africa, Syria, Iraq and Palestine. On account
of Yusuf's foresight and his able
administration bread was available in Egypt only. So the brothers of Yusuf also came to Egypt and called on
him. He recognised them, though they did not recognise him. See verse 15.
He treated them liberally. The ten brothers had come. Yusuf asked them to bring
their brother, Benjamin, whom they
said his (they did not say their) father had kept with him, so that they would
be able to get his share also.
They went back to Yaqub and asked him to send Benjamin
with them so that they could bring more grain. Yaqub said he could not trust them with Benjamin after what they did to Yusuf. Yaqub knew that Yusuf
was alive, so he said ALLAH (SWT) was the best of guardians.
NOTES FOR VERSES 54 TO 57.
THUS Joseph became the dearest, the most honoured and nearest in position to
the King--- and was placed in-charge of the treasuries of the land.
1.
Joseph ordered that all people
should start and carry on cultivation of food-grains as much as they could.
Only the grain fit to be reaped were taken away from the plants and the rest
were left in them so that the raw ones could not be wasted or get rotten. A
huge grain-store was built outside the town and all that could be produced was
gathered and secured.
2.
When the seven years of prosperity ended and the terms of famine started, the
start of the famine was marked by a violent appetite that the people began to
feel. However much one ate, yet he was not satisfied. Joseph ordered the royal
kitchen at midnight to prepare food for the King. The cook said that the King
was not used to taking anything late in the night. Joseph orederd that his
order be carried out. The food was ready and just then the King came running to
the kitchen, restless with a violent appetite. Finding the food ready to be
served, it surprised him and he asked as to how the kitchen cooks knew about
his extraordinary and unexpected demand for food at that unusual hour in the
night and that the need was forecasted. The cooks said that they were ordered
by Joseph to get the food ready for the King. When
asked by the King as to how Joseph knew about the unexpected demand for food,
he replied saying, that when famine started with a violent unsatisfiable hunger
he made the kitchen ready to meet the similar unexpected demand from the King.
3.
When the whole land of Canaan
got into the grip of famine, people flocked to the King to arrange for the
supply of grain. Joseph arranged the sale of grain in the following stages:
Firstly,
the grain was sold for cash. All the cash of the people fell into the royal
treasury.
2.
When the people spent all their cash, grain was sold for jewels.
3.
When all the people spent all their jewels, grain was they got for cattle and
other animals.
4.
When all the cattle and other animals had become the property of the state,
grain was issued for slaves--- males and female.
5.
When all the slaves had been surrendered to get the foodgarins, people were
given the supply in exchange for their houses, their household furniture and
all the other belongings.
6. In
the six stage, the lands, rivers, streams, wells all were taken to supply
foodgrains.
Lastly,
the supply was given with a pledge of the people’s body and souls.
The ultimate result was that nothing remained in
Canaan that did not become the property of Joseph. THUS the whole land of Canaan was rendered
enslaved to Joseph did to hold the people in his grip to drive the people as a
whole towards the worship of One True ALLAH (SWT) and godly life.
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(12:55) When
Joseph had a talk with the king, he said, "From now you have an honourable
place with us, and you will enjoy our full confidence" *47 Joseph said, "Please place all the
resources of the land under my trust for I know how to guard them and also
possess knowledge."47a
*47 It implied this: "We have such a high
opinion of you that we can safely entrust you with the highest office of
responsibility in the country."
47a. As this verse has given rise to some important questions, let us consider these one by one.
The first question is: "Was it an application made by Prophet Joseph to the king for some post?" In the light of the preceding Explanatory Notes, it would have become obvious that it was neither an application nor a request made by an ambitious person who had been on the look-out for an opportune moment for its submission, and no sooner did the king express his approval of him than he presented his request before him. As a matter of fact, this was a sort of proposal, giving his assent to the great desire of the king and the courtiers that he should be appointed as governor over the land. For, according to the Talmud, "the Hebrew has proved himself wise and skilful," and " ....surely there can be none more discrete than myself to whom God has made known all these things." The king, his courtiers, his princes, officers, and men of rank, had by that time, come to know and recognize his true worth and had had experience of his moral superiority during the last decade of the vicissitudes of his life. He had proved that there was none equal to him in honesty, righteousness, forbearance, selfdiscipline, generosity, intelligence and understanding. They knew and believed that he was the only one who knew how to guard and utilize the resources of the land and could be safely entrusted with them. Therefore, as soon as he showed his willingness, they heartily put these in his trust. This is also confirmed by the Bible that the king had formed a very high opinion of Prophet Joseph. He said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the spirit of God is?" Above all, he said to Prophet Joseph, "There is none so discreet and wise as thou art." (Gen. 41: 38-39). Accordingly, therefore, the king, of his own accord, set him over his house and land. (Gen. 41: 41).
Let us now take up the second question: "What was the nature of the powers that were entrusted to Prophet Joseph?" This is important because those who are not well versed in the Qur'an have been misled by the words a---a in this verse and by his subsequent work of the distribution of grain. They wrongly conclude from these that this post was like the present day posts of a "Treasury Officer" or a "Famine Commissioner" or a "Finance Minister" etc. etc. In fact, it was none of these, for, according to the Qur'an and the Bible and the Talmud, Prophet Joseph had been invested with the full powers and privileges of a ruler. That is why he sat on the throne (v. 100) and they used the title of malik (king) for him. (v. 72). He himself was grateful to Allah for bestowing the kingdom on him. (v. 101). Above all, Allah Himself testifies to this fact: "Thus We gave power to Joseph in the land, so he had every right to take possession of any piece of it, if he so desired." (v. 56). As regards the Bible, it says, "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, `Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.... and without thee shall no tnan lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt,' and called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah (saviour of the world)." (Gen. 41: 40-45). And according to the Talmud, when his brothers returned w their father, Prophet Jacob, from Egypt, they said about Prophet Joseph, "The king of Egypt is mighty potentate, over his people he is supreme; upon his word they go out and upon his word they come in; his word governs, and the voice of his master, Pharaoh, is not required."
Another pertinent question is: What was the object for which Prophet Joseph made a proposal for powers in the land? Did he offer his services for the enforcement of the laws of a non-Muslim state? Or did he intend to establish the cultural, moral and political systems of Islam by taking the powers of government in his own hands? As for its answer let us quote the comments on this verse (55) by `Allamah Zamakhshari in his °Kashshaf'. He says, "When Prophet Joseph proposed, `Please place all the resources of the country under my trust', he meant to get an opportunity for enforcing the Commandments of Allah and for establishing truth and justice, and to gain that power which is essential for fulfilling the Mission for which the Messengers are sent. He did not make this demand for the love of kingdom or for worldly desires and ambitions. He did this because he knew full well that there was none else who could perform that work.
To be frank, the above question leads to very important and basic issues. These are: Was Joseph a Prophet of Allah or not? If he was, does the Qur'an put forward such a conception of a Prophet that he himself should (as they allege Prophet Joseph did) offer his services to a system of unbelief to carry on its work on un-Godly principles? Nay, it leads to a more delicate and important question was he a righteous person or not? and, if he was, could it ever be expected that he would (according to their interpretation,) practically accept the theory that Sovereignty belongs to the king and not to Allah, whereas in the prison he preached, "Sovereignty belongs to none but AIlah (v. 40)?" for if, as they interpret, he submitted an application for service to the king, it meant that he did so against his own principles which he inculcated while in prison: " . . . . which is better: various gods or the One Omnipotent Allah?"As the king of Egypt was one of the "gods" they had set up, so to offer services to carry on the work of the unIslamic system under the existing un-Islamic law would have been tantamount to acknowledging the king as his Lord. Are they prepared to place Prophet Joseph in that position?
It is an irony that such Muslims as interpret this verse in this way, lower the character of Prophet Joseph. They have evinced the same mentality that the Jews had developed during the period of their degeneration. When they became morally and mentally depraved, they deliberately began to represent their Prophets and saints as people of low character like themselves in order to justify their own degraded characters and to make room for excuses for going still lower. Likewise, when the Muslims came under the sway of non-Muslim governments, they wanted to serve under them, but the teachings of Islam and the patterns of their worthy forefathers stood in their way and they felt ashamed of this. So, in order to pacify their consciences, they sought refuge in this verse and by its misinterpretation thought that that great Prophet had made an application for a post to serve under a non-Muslim under un-lslamic laws. Whereas the Prophet's own life taught the lesson that even a single Muslim could all by himself bring about the Islamic revolution in a whole country by his pure Islamic character, his Faith, intelligence and wisdom and that a true Believer is able to conquer, by the proper use of his moral character, a whole country without any army, ammunition or material provisions.
47a. As this verse has given rise to some important questions, let us consider these one by one.
The first question is: "Was it an application made by Prophet Joseph to the king for some post?" In the light of the preceding Explanatory Notes, it would have become obvious that it was neither an application nor a request made by an ambitious person who had been on the look-out for an opportune moment for its submission, and no sooner did the king express his approval of him than he presented his request before him. As a matter of fact, this was a sort of proposal, giving his assent to the great desire of the king and the courtiers that he should be appointed as governor over the land. For, according to the Talmud, "the Hebrew has proved himself wise and skilful," and " ....surely there can be none more discrete than myself to whom God has made known all these things." The king, his courtiers, his princes, officers, and men of rank, had by that time, come to know and recognize his true worth and had had experience of his moral superiority during the last decade of the vicissitudes of his life. He had proved that there was none equal to him in honesty, righteousness, forbearance, selfdiscipline, generosity, intelligence and understanding. They knew and believed that he was the only one who knew how to guard and utilize the resources of the land and could be safely entrusted with them. Therefore, as soon as he showed his willingness, they heartily put these in his trust. This is also confirmed by the Bible that the king had formed a very high opinion of Prophet Joseph. He said to his servants, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the spirit of God is?" Above all, he said to Prophet Joseph, "There is none so discreet and wise as thou art." (Gen. 41: 38-39). Accordingly, therefore, the king, of his own accord, set him over his house and land. (Gen. 41: 41).
Let us now take up the second question: "What was the nature of the powers that were entrusted to Prophet Joseph?" This is important because those who are not well versed in the Qur'an have been misled by the words a---a in this verse and by his subsequent work of the distribution of grain. They wrongly conclude from these that this post was like the present day posts of a "Treasury Officer" or a "Famine Commissioner" or a "Finance Minister" etc. etc. In fact, it was none of these, for, according to the Qur'an and the Bible and the Talmud, Prophet Joseph had been invested with the full powers and privileges of a ruler. That is why he sat on the throne (v. 100) and they used the title of malik (king) for him. (v. 72). He himself was grateful to Allah for bestowing the kingdom on him. (v. 101). Above all, Allah Himself testifies to this fact: "Thus We gave power to Joseph in the land, so he had every right to take possession of any piece of it, if he so desired." (v. 56). As regards the Bible, it says, "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, `Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.... and without thee shall no tnan lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt,' and called Joseph's name Zaphnath-paaneah (saviour of the world)." (Gen. 41: 40-45). And according to the Talmud, when his brothers returned w their father, Prophet Jacob, from Egypt, they said about Prophet Joseph, "The king of Egypt is mighty potentate, over his people he is supreme; upon his word they go out and upon his word they come in; his word governs, and the voice of his master, Pharaoh, is not required."
Another pertinent question is: What was the object for which Prophet Joseph made a proposal for powers in the land? Did he offer his services for the enforcement of the laws of a non-Muslim state? Or did he intend to establish the cultural, moral and political systems of Islam by taking the powers of government in his own hands? As for its answer let us quote the comments on this verse (55) by `Allamah Zamakhshari in his °Kashshaf'. He says, "When Prophet Joseph proposed, `Please place all the resources of the country under my trust', he meant to get an opportunity for enforcing the Commandments of Allah and for establishing truth and justice, and to gain that power which is essential for fulfilling the Mission for which the Messengers are sent. He did not make this demand for the love of kingdom or for worldly desires and ambitions. He did this because he knew full well that there was none else who could perform that work.
To be frank, the above question leads to very important and basic issues. These are: Was Joseph a Prophet of Allah or not? If he was, does the Qur'an put forward such a conception of a Prophet that he himself should (as they allege Prophet Joseph did) offer his services to a system of unbelief to carry on its work on un-Godly principles? Nay, it leads to a more delicate and important question was he a righteous person or not? and, if he was, could it ever be expected that he would (according to their interpretation,) practically accept the theory that Sovereignty belongs to the king and not to Allah, whereas in the prison he preached, "Sovereignty belongs to none but AIlah (v. 40)?" for if, as they interpret, he submitted an application for service to the king, it meant that he did so against his own principles which he inculcated while in prison: " . . . . which is better: various gods or the One Omnipotent Allah?"As the king of Egypt was one of the "gods" they had set up, so to offer services to carry on the work of the unIslamic system under the existing un-Islamic law would have been tantamount to acknowledging the king as his Lord. Are they prepared to place Prophet Joseph in that position?
It is an irony that such Muslims as interpret this verse in this way, lower the character of Prophet Joseph. They have evinced the same mentality that the Jews had developed during the period of their degeneration. When they became morally and mentally depraved, they deliberately began to represent their Prophets and saints as people of low character like themselves in order to justify their own degraded characters and to make room for excuses for going still lower. Likewise, when the Muslims came under the sway of non-Muslim governments, they wanted to serve under them, but the teachings of Islam and the patterns of their worthy forefathers stood in their way and they felt ashamed of this. So, in order to pacify their consciences, they sought refuge in this verse and by its misinterpretation thought that that great Prophet had made an application for a post to serve under a non-Muslim under un-lslamic laws. Whereas the Prophet's own life taught the lesson that even a single Muslim could all by himself bring about the Islamic revolution in a whole country by his pure Islamic character, his Faith, intelligence and wisdom and that a true Believer is able to conquer, by the proper use of his moral character, a whole country without any army, ammunition or material provisions.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ
يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَاءُ ۚ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَنْ نَشَاءُ ۖ وَلَا
نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ {12:56}
[Q12:56] Wa kazaalika makkannaa li
Yoosufa fil ardi yatabawwa'u minhaa haisu yashaaaa'; nuseebu birahmatinaa man
nashaaa'u wa laa nudee'u ajral muhsineen.
[Q12:56] And thus did We give to Yusuf power in the land-- he had mastery in it wherever he liked; We send down Our mercy on whom We please, and We do not waste the reward of those who do good.
[Q12:56] And thus did We give to Yusuf power in the land-- he had mastery in it wherever he liked; We send down Our mercy on whom We please, and We do not waste the reward of those who do good.
[Q12:56]Dan demikianlah caranya, Kami tetapkan kedudukan
Yusuf memegang kuasa di bumi Mesir; ia bebas tinggal di negeri itu di mana
sahaja yang disukainya. Kami limpahkan rahmat Kami kepada sesiapa sahaja yang
Kami kehendaki, dan Kami tidak menghilangkan balasan baik orang-orang yang
berbuat kebaikan.
(see commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:56) Thus
did We give power to Joseph in the land: he had every right to take possession
of any piece of it that he desired. *48 We bestow Our bounty upon anyone We will. We do
not let go waste the reward of the righteous people;
*48 This is to show that the whole land of Egypt
was under his complete control, as if it belonged to him and he could claim any
piece of it as his, and there was no piece of it that could be withheld from
him. The early commentators have also made the same comment on this verse. For
instance, 'Allamah Ibn Jarir Tabari, on the authority of Ibn Zaid, says that
this verse means: "We made Joseph the owner of alI those things that were
in Egypt, and in this part of the world he could do whatever he liked and
wherever he liked for he had been given complete authority over this land. So much
so that he could bring Pharaoh under his sway and become his master, if he so
desired". He has quoted another thing from Mujahid, who is one of the most
learned commentators, to the effect that the King of Egypt had embraced Islam
through Prophet Joseph.
وَلَأَجْرُ الْآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ {12:57}
[Q12:57] Wa la ajrul Aakhirati khairul
lillazeena aamanoo wa kaanoo yattaqoon.
[Q12:57] And certainly the reward of the hereafter is much better for those who believe and guard (against evil).
[Q12:57] And certainly the reward of the hereafter is much better for those who believe and guard (against evil).
[Q12:57] Dan sesungguhnya pahala hari akhirat lebih baik
bagi orang-orang yang beriman serta mereka pula sentiasa bertaqwa.
(see commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:57) yet
the reward of the life in the Hereafter is much better for those who believed
and behaved in a God-fearing manner. *49 (Ayah:58-62)
*49 This is a warning against a misunderstanding
that one might have had from the preceding verse that kingdom and power were
the real ultimate rewards for virtue and righteousness, for the best reward
that a Believer should desire and strive for will be the one that Allah will
bestow upon Believers in the Hereafter.
SECTION
8
Joseph measures out corn to his
Brothers
Joseph
measures out corn to his Brothers and asks them to bring with them their other
brother---And causes silver pieces to be placed along with their provision so
that they may return.
وَجَاءَ إِخْوَةُ يُوسُفَ فَدَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ
فَعَرَفَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ {12:58}
[Q12:58] Wa jaaa'a ikhwatu Yoosufa
fadakhaloo 'alaihi fa'arafahum wa hum lahoo munkiroon.
[Q12:58] And Yusuf's brothers came and went in to him, and he knew them, while they did not recognize him.
[Q12:58] And Yusuf's brothers came and went in to him, and he knew them, while they did not recognize him.
[Q12:58] Dan (setelah tiba musim kemarau) datanglah
saudara-saudara Yusuf (ke Mesir), lalu masuklah mereka mendapatkannya; Yusuf
dengan serta merta kenal mereka, sedang mereka tidak mengenalnya.
(see commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:58) Joseph's brothers came to Egypt and presented
themselves before him. *50 He
recognized them but they did not. *51
*50 The events of several years after his coming
into power have been left out for the sake of brevity, and the story has been
resumed from the time when the brothers of Prophet Joseph came to Egypt, and
paved the way for the eventual settlement of the Israelites in Egypt. It will,
however, be worthwhile to have a glimpse of those events. During the first
seven years of his reign, there was abundance of corn as he had predicted while
interpreting the dream of the king. Accordingly he adopted all the measures he
had put before the king concerning the years of plenty. Then the seven years of
scarcity began and famine reigned not only over Egypt but all over the
adjoining countries. Accordingly, Syria, Palestine, Trans-Jordan and the
Northern part of Arabia began to suffer from the scarcity of food, but there
was plenty of it in Egypt in spite of famine because of the wise steps Prophet
Joseph had taken as a safeguard. That was why his brothers, like other
neighbouring people, were forced by circumstances to go to Egypt and present
themselves before him. It appears that Prophet Joseph had so arranged things
that no foreigner was allowed to buy corn without a special permit from him.
Therefore when the brothers reached Egypt, they might have had to present
themselves before him for obtaining the special permit for buying the fixed
quantity allowed under the famine regulations.
*51 It is no wonder that his brothers could not recognize Prophet Joseph, for, when they cast him into the well, he was merely a lad of seventeen and at the time of their meeting, he was a grown up man of thirty-eight years or so. Naturally, he must have changed in form during this long period. Besides, they could never have imagined that the brother whom they had cast into the well had become the ruler of Egypt.
*51 It is no wonder that his brothers could not recognize Prophet Joseph, for, when they cast him into the well, he was merely a lad of seventeen and at the time of their meeting, he was a grown up man of thirty-eight years or so. Naturally, he must have changed in form during this long period. Besides, they could never have imagined that the brother whom they had cast into the well had become the ruler of Egypt.
وَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُمْ بِجَهَازِهِمْ قَالَ ائْتُونِي
بِأَخٍ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَبِيكُمْ ۚ أَلَا تَرَوْنَ أَنِّي أُوفِي الْكَيْلَ وَأَنَا
خَيْرُ الْمُنْزِلِينَ {12:59}
[Q12:59] Wa lammaa jahhazahum
bijahaazihim qaala' toonee bi akhil lakum min abeekum; alaa tarawna anneee
oofil kaila wa ana khairul munzileen.
[Q12:59] And when he furnished them with their provision, he said: Bring to me a brother of yours from your father; do you not see that I give full measure and that I am the best of hosts?
[Q12:59] And when he furnished them with their provision, he said: Bring to me a brother of yours from your father; do you not see that I give full measure and that I am the best of hosts?
[Q12:59] Dan ketika Yusuf menyediakan untuk mereka bekalan
mereka, berkatalah ia:" (Pada kali yang lain) bawalah kepadaku saudara
kamu yang sebapa. Tidakkah kamu melihat, bahawa aku menyempurnakan bekalan
makanan kamu, dan bahawa aku sebaik-baik penerima tetamu?
Bin-Yameen
(Benjamin) was
detained by Jacob to remain with him
and the ten brothers had brought a camel to carry his share of the grain. Joseph said
that the supply would accord the number of the men that came demanding it and
not according to the number of camels that people come with and thus they were told to bring their
brother (Bin-Yameen) next time along with them.
v ‘Khairul-Munzileen’--- i.e., I am such a good host that I am
never worried in the least by any number of guests.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:59) When he had them given
the provisions due to them and they were leaving, he said, "Bring your
step brother to me. Do you not see that I give full measure and am the best of
hosts?
فَإِنْ لَمْ تَأْتُونِي بِهِ فَلَا كَيْلَ لَكُمْ
عِنْدِي وَلَا تَقْرَبُونِ {12:60}
[Q12:60] Fa il lam taatoonee bihee falaa
kaila lakum 'indee wa laa taqraboon.
[Q12:60] But if you do not bring him to me, you shall have no measure (of corn) from me, nor shall you come near me.
[Q12:60] But if you do not bring him to me, you shall have no measure (of corn) from me, nor shall you come near me.
[Q12:60] Oleh itu, kalau kamu tidak membawanya kepadaku,
maka tidak ada hak bagi kamu mendapat bekalan makanan di sisiku, dan janganlah
kamu menghampiriku lagi".
(see commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:60) But
if you do not bring him to me you shall have no grain from me: nay you should
not even come near me.” *52
*52 As the Qur'an has omitted the details, someone
might be at a loss to know as to how he brought Benjamin into the conversation
with his brothers, and why he insisted on them to bring him with them, when he
intended to keep his own identity secret from them. For, obviously these things
might have led to the revelation of that secret. But a little thinking will
show that he could have very easily and naturally led the conversation up to
Benjamin without arousing their curiosity. As there were strict restrictions on
the purchase of corn, everyone was permitted to buy only a fixed quantity of
it. Most probably the ten brothers had applied for corn for their father and
the eleventh brother as well. At this Prophet Joseph might have asked the reason
why their father and brother had not personally come for it. Then he might have
accepted the excuse for their father that he was old and blind but he would
have expressed his doubts about their excuse for their brother that he was
their step-brother and the father would not send him with them and so forth.
Then he might have declared, "Well, this time we give you as much corn as
you have asked for, but the next time you come here you should bring your
step-brother with you; otherwise you will not get any corn at all because of
this false statement of yours." Along with this threat, he tried to win
them over by reminding them of his liberal and generous treatment with them,
because he yearned for the sight of his younger brother, and was anxious to know
how his family had fared during his absence.
The above is a simple and natural explanation of the matter. Thus this part of the story as given in the Bible (Gen. chapters 42 and 43) appears to be farfetched, exaggerated, unreal and, therefore, un-reliable.
The above is a simple and natural explanation of the matter. Thus this part of the story as given in the Bible (Gen. chapters 42 and 43) appears to be farfetched, exaggerated, unreal and, therefore, un-reliable.
قَالُوا سَنُرَاوِدُ عَنْهُ أَبَاهُ وَإِنَّا
لَفَاعِلُونَ {12:61}
[Q12:61] Qaaloo sanuraawidu 'anhu abaahu
wa innaa lafaa'iloon.
[Q12:61] They said: We will strive to make his father yield in respect of him, and we are sure to do (it).
[Q12:61] They said: We will strive to make his father yield in respect of him, and we are sure to do (it).
[Q12:61] Mereka menjawab: "Kami akan memujuk bapanya
melepaskan dia bersama-sama kami, dan sesungguhnya kami akan
melakukannya".
(see
commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:61) They replied "We will try our very best to
persuade his father to send him with us. This we will surely do."
وَقَالَ لِفِتْيَانِهِ اجْعَلُوا بِضَاعَتَهُمْ فِي
رِحَالِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَهَا إِذَا انْقَلَبُوا إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهِمْ
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ {12:62}
[Q12:62]
Wa qaala
lifityaanihij 'aloo bidaa'atahum fee rihaalihim la'allahum ya'rifoonahaaa izan
qalabooo ilaaa ahlihim la'allahum yarji'oon
[Q12:62] And he said to his servants: Put their money into their bags that they may recognize it when they go back to their family, so that they may come back.
[Q12:62] And he said to his servants: Put their money into their bags that they may recognize it when they go back to their family, so that they may come back.
[Q12:62] Dan (selepas itu) berkatalah Yusuf kepada
orang-orang suruhannya. "Masukkanlah barang-barang dagangan mereka pada
tempat simpanan barang di kenderaan mereka, supaya mereka mengetahuinya kelak
ketika mereka kembali kepada keluarga mereka, dan supaya mereka datang lagi (ke
negeri ini)".
Joseph ordered
the slaves who measured the grain to the people to place the things which
Joseph’s brothers had given as the price of the wheat in their own bags,
without their knowledge, SO THAT when after reaching their destination
they would see the price of the grain had somehow been returned to them along with
the supply and they would surely return.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:62) Joseph spoke aside to his
slaves. "Place secretly in their saddle bags the goods they have bartered
for corn." Joseph did this in the hope that when they would return home to
their people, they would come to know of it; maybe they should come back again.
فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا إِلَىٰ أَبِيهِمْ قَالُوا يَا
أَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا الْكَيْلُ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا أَخَانَا نَكْتَلْ وَإِنَّا
لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ {12:63}
[Q12:63] Falammaa raja'ooo ilaaa abeehim
qaaloo yaaa abaanaa muni'a minnal kailu fa arsil ma'anaaa akhaanaa naktal wa
innaa lahoo lahaafizoon.
[Q12:63] So when they returned to their father, they said: O our father, the measure is withheld from us, therefore send with us our brother, (so that) we may get the measure, and we will most surely guard him.
[Q12:63] So when they returned to their father, they said: O our father, the measure is withheld from us, therefore send with us our brother, (so that) we may get the measure, and we will most surely guard him.
[Q12:63] Maka ketika mereka kembali kepada bapa mereka,
berkatalah mereka: "Wahai ayah kami! Kami (tetap diberi amaran bahawa
kami) tidak akan mendapat lagi bekalan makanan (kiranya Bunyamin tidak pergi
bersama). Oleh itu, hantarkanlah dia bersama-sama kami, supaya kami dapat lagi
bekalan makanan; dan sesungguhnya kami akan menjaganya dengan
sebaik-baiknya".
(see
commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:63) When they returned to their father, they said
"Dear father now that corn has henceforth been denied to us, please send
our brother with us so that we may fetch corn, and we take full responsibility
for his safety."
قَالَ هَلْ آمَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا كَمَا
أَمِنْتُكُمْ عَلَىٰ أَخِيهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖ فَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَافِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ
أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ {12:64}
[Q12:64] Qaala hal aamanukum 'alihi illaa
kamaa amintukum 'alaaa akheehimin qabl; fal laahu khairun haafizanw wa Huwa
arhamur Raahimeen.
[Q12:64] He said: I cannot trust in you with respect to him, except as I trusted in you with respect to his brother before; but ALLAH (SWT) is the best Keeper, and He is the most Merciful of the merciful ones.
[Q12:64] He said: I cannot trust in you with respect to him, except as I trusted in you with respect to his brother before; but ALLAH (SWT) is the best Keeper, and He is the most Merciful of the merciful ones.
[Q12:64] Bapa mereka berkata: "(Jika aku lepaskan dia
pergi bersama-sama kamu), aku tidak menaruh kepercayaan kepada kamu menjaganya
melainkan seperti kepercayaanku kepada kamu menjaga saudaranya dahulu (yang
telah kamu hampakan. Oleh itu aku hanya menaruh kepercayaan kepada ALLAH (SwT)),
kerana ALLAH (SwT) jualah Penjaga yang sebaik-baiknya, dan Dia lah jua Yang
Maha Mengasihani dari sesiapa sahaja yang menaruh belas kasihan".
Yaqub wanted his sons
to know that their undertaking to guard Benjamin
had no credibility in his opinion, as was in the case of Yusuf aforetime. On both occasions Yaqub did not trust his sons; he put his faith in ALLAH (SWT) alone.
When they
unpacked their goods they found the money which the servants of Yusuf had put
there on his orders, so that greed might bring them back again with Benjamin.
Yaqub, a man of wisdom and experience, aware of the
possible suspicions the people of Egypt might have about eleven strangers
parading in the city, advised them to enter from different gates. Although they did as advised
by Yaqub but it did not profit them against the plan of ALLAH (SWT) - reunion of the whole family and shaming the ten brothers
into repentance. The men of ALLAH
(SWT) are full of knowledge, not as men, but as taught by the grace of ALLAH
(SWT).
Yusuf was delighted to see Benjamin, his own brother. He told him
not to worry as he was going to keep Benjamin with himself. After taking the
provisions, when they were departing Yusuf asked a steward to put his own
drinking silver cup in Benjamin's saddle-bag; AND THEN it was announced that
Yusuf’s silver cup had been stolen. AS they were about to leave a steward
stopped them and searched their bags, and found the silver cup in Benjamin's
bag. So he was
detained. It was ALLAH (SWT)'s plan to allow Yusuf to keep his brother with
himself BECAUSE under the law of the land he could not detain his brother.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:64) The
father replied "Should I entrust him to you as I entrusted his brother to
you before? Allah is the best Guardian and He is the most Merciful. "
وَلَمَّا فَتَحُوا مَتَاعَهُمْ وَجَدُوا
بِضَاعَتَهُمْ رُدَّتْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا مَا نَبْغِي ۖ هَٰذِهِ
بِضَاعَتُنَا رُدَّتْ إِلَيْنَا ۖ وَنَمِيرُ أَهْلَنَا وَنَحْفَظُ أَخَانَا
وَنَزْدَادُ كَيْلَ بَعِيرٍ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ كَيْلٌ يَسِيرٌ {12:65}
[Q12:65] Wa lammaa fatahoo mataa 'ahum
wajadoo bidaa'atahum ruddat ilaihim qaaloo yaaa abaanaa maa nabghee; haazihee
bida 'atunaa ruddat ilainaa wa nameeru ahlanaa wa nahfazu akhaanaa wa nazdaadu
kaila ba'eer; zaalika kailuny yaseer.
[Q12:65] And when they opened their goods, they found their money returned to them. They said: O our father! What (more) can we desire? This is our property returned to us, and we will bring corn for our family and guard our brother, and will have in addition the measure of a camel (load); this is an easy measure.
[Q12:65] And when they opened their goods, they found their money returned to them. They said: O our father! What (more) can we desire? This is our property returned to us, and we will bring corn for our family and guard our brother, and will have in addition the measure of a camel (load); this is an easy measure.
[Q12:65] Dan semasa mereka membuka barang-barang mereka,
mereka dapati barang-barang dagangan mereka telah dikembalikan kepada mereka.
Mereka berkata dengan gembiranya: "Wahai ayah kami! Apa yang kita
kehendaki lagi? Ini dia barang-barang dagangan yang kita jadikan tukaran (bagi
mendapat gandum) itu telah dikembalikan kepada kita. Dan (dengan kemurahan hati
menteri yang berbudi itu) akan dapatlah kami membawa lagi bekalan makanan
kepada keluarga kami, dan kami pula akan dapat menjaga saudara kami, serta akan
dapat tambahan benda-benda makanan sebanyak muatan seekor unta lagi. Pemberian
tambahan yang sebanyak itu mudah sekali ditunaikannya".
(see commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:65) When
they opened their saddle-bags they found that their merchandise had also been
returned to them. Seeing this, they cried with joy, "Dear father, look
here! What more do we desire? Here is our merchandise returned to us. Therefore
we will go back and bring provisions of food for our family; we will take good
care of our brother and obtain an extra camel load of corn. Such an addition
will be made easily."
قَالَ لَنْ أُرْسِلَهُ مَعَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ تُؤْتُونِ
مَوْثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ لَتَأْتُنَّنِي بِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يُحَاطَ بِكُمْ ۖ
فَلَمَّا آتَوْهُ مَوْثِقَهُمْ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٌ {12:66}
[Q12:66] Qaala lan ursilahoo ma'akum
hattaa tu'tooni mawsiqam minal laahis lataa tunnanee biheee illaaa nay yuhaata
bikum falammaaa aatawhu mawsiqahum qaalal laahu 'alaa maa naqoolu Wakeel.
[Q12:66] He said: I will by no means send him with you until you give me a firm covenant in ALLAH (SWT)'s name that you will most certainly bring him back to me, unless you are completely surrounded. And when they gave him their covenant, he said: ALLAH (SWT) is the One in Whom trust is placed as regards what we say.
[Q12:66] He said: I will by no means send him with you until you give me a firm covenant in ALLAH (SWT)'s name that you will most certainly bring him back to me, unless you are completely surrounded. And when they gave him their covenant, he said: ALLAH (SWT) is the One in Whom trust is placed as regards what we say.
[Q12:66] Bapa mereka berkata:" Aku tidak sekali-kali
akan melepaskan dia (Bunyamin) pergi bersama-sama kamu, sehingga kamu memberi
kepadaku satu perjanjian yang teguh (bersumpah) dengan nama ALLAH (SwT), bahawa
kamu akan membawanya kembali kepadaku dengan selamat, kecuali jika kamu semua
dikepong dan dikalahkan oleh musuh". Maka ketika mereka memberikan
perjanjian yang teguh (bersumpah) kepadanya, berkatalah ia: "ALLAH (SwT)
jualah yang menjadi Saksi dan Pengawas atas apa yang kita semua katakan
itu."
(see commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:66) Their
father replied, "I will never send him with you until you give me a pledge
in Allah's name that you shall bring him back to me unless it be that you are
rendered helpless by circumstances." When they had given him their solemn
pledges he said, "Note it well that Allah is guarding and watching over
this pledge of ours."
وَقَالَ يَا بَنِيَّ لَا تَدْخُلُوا مِنْ بَابٍ
وَاحِدٍ وَادْخُلُوا مِنْ أَبْوَابٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ ۖ وَمَا أُغْنِي عَنْكُمْ مِنَ
اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ۖ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ
وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ {12:67}
[Q12:67] Wa qaala yaa baniyya laa
tadkhuloo mim baabinw waa hidinw wadkhuloo min abwaabim mutafarriqah; wa maaa
ughnee 'ankum minal laahi min shai'in; inil hukmu illaa lillaahi 'alaihi
tawakkaltu wa 'alaihi fal yatawakkalil Mutawakkiloon.
[Q12:67] And he said: O my sons! Do not (all) enter by one gate and enter by different gates and I cannot avail you aught against ALLAH (SWT); judgment is only ALLAH (SWT)'s; on Him do I rely, and on Him let those who are reliant rely.
[Q12:67] And he said: O my sons! Do not (all) enter by one gate and enter by different gates and I cannot avail you aught against ALLAH (SWT); judgment is only ALLAH (SWT)'s; on Him do I rely, and on Him let those who are reliant rely.
[Q12:67] Dan ia berkata lagi: "Wahai anak-anakku!
Janganlah kamu masuk (ke bandar Mesir) dari sebuah pintu sahaja, tetapi
masuklah dari beberapa buah pintu yang berlainan. Dan aku (dengan nasihatku
ini), tidak dapat menyelamatkan kamu dari sesuatu takdir yang telah ditetapkan
oleh ALLAH (SwT). Kuasa menetapkan sesuatu (sebab dan musabab) itu hanya
tertentu bagi ALLAH (SwT). KepadaNyalah aku berserah diri, dan kepadaNyalah
hendaknya berserah orang-orang yang mahu berserah diri".
Yaqub, a man of wisdom and
experience, aware of the possible suspicions the people of Egypt might have
about eleven strangers parading in the city, advised them to enter from different gates.
ì
Although
they did as advised by Yaqub BUT it did not profit them against the plan of ALLAH
(SWT) - reunion of the whole family and shaming the ten
brothers into repentance.
he men of ALLAH (SWT) are full of knowledge, not as
men, but as taught by the grace of ALLAH (SWT).
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:67) Then
he said "O my children, do not enter the capital of Egypt by one gate but
go into it by different gates. *53
*53 Prophet Jacob's great concern over this journey
of his sons was due to the fact that his youngest son, Benjamin, was to
accompany them. He was anxious about his safety because he had already had a
sad experience of his son, Joseph. Naturally his heart must have been full of
such misgivings that that might be his last meeting with his other beloved son.
Though he had full trust in Allah and was patiently resigned to His will, he,
as a human being, advised his sons to take certain precautionary measures. In
order to understand the significance of this precautionary measure of entering
the capital by different gates, we should have a glimpse of the political
conditions of that period. As the Israelites lived on the Eastern frontier of
Egypt as independent clans, they were looked at with suspicion like all frontier
people. Therefore Prophet Jacob feared that if they entered the city in a
group, they might be taken for a gang of suspects, especially during that time
of famine. Thus there was an apprehension of some severe action being taken
against them as if they had come there for organized robbery. That was why he
gave them this allowance that if under such adverse circumstances there was any
trouble, he would not accuse them of breach of the pledge for the safety of
Benjamin.
وَلَمَّا
دَخَلُوا مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ
أَبُوهُمْ مَا كَانَ يُغْنِي
عَنْهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا
حَاجَةً فِي نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ
قَضَاهَا ۚ وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ
أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ
لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {12:68}
[Q12:68] Wa lammaa dakhaloo min haisu
amarahum aboohum maa kaana yughnee 'anhum minal laahi min shai'in illaa
haajatan fee nafsi Ya'qooba qadaahaa; wa innahoo lazoo 'ilmil limaa 'allamnaahu
wa laakinna aksaran naasi laa ya'lamoon.
[Q12:68] And when they had entered as their father had bidden them, it did not avail them aught against ALLAH (SWT), but (it was only) a desire in the soul of Yaqoub which he satisfied; and surely he was possessed of knowledge because We had given him knowledge, but most people do not know.
[Q12:68] And when they had entered as their father had bidden them, it did not avail them aught against ALLAH (SWT), but (it was only) a desire in the soul of Yaqoub which he satisfied; and surely he was possessed of knowledge because We had given him knowledge, but most people do not know.
[Q12:68] Dan ketika mereka masuk menurut arah yang
diperintahkan oleh bapa mereka, tidaklah perintahnya itu dapat menyelamatkan
mereka dari apa yang telah ditakdirkan oleh ALLAH (SwT) sedikitpun, tetapi yang
demikian itu hanyalah melahirkan hajat yang terpendam dalam hati Nabi Yaakub.
Dan sesungguhnya ia orang yang berilmu, kerana kami telah mengajarnya (dengan
perantaraan wahyu); tetapi kebanyakan manusia tidak mengetahui (akan rahsia
takdir Tuhan).
(see commentary for verse 3)
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:68) However
know it well that I cannot ward off from you Allah's will for none other than
He has any authority whatsoever. In Him I have put my trust and all who want to
rely upon anyone should put their trust in Him alone." And it so happened
that when they entered the city by different gates as their father had advised
them the precautionary measure proved ineffective against Allah's will. Of
course Jacob had done his best to avert the fear he had in his heart. Indeed he
possessed knowledge because of what We had taught him: but most people do not
understand the reality of the matter. *54
*54 "Most people do not understand. . . .
" how Prophet Jacob was able to hold the balance between "trust in
Allah" and adoption of precautionary measures. This was because Allah had
favoured him with the real knowledge. That was why he took all those measures
which were dictated by common sense, deep thinking and experience. He
admonished them for their ill treatment with their brother Joseph so that they
should not dare repeat it in the case of Benjamin. He took a solemn pledge from
them in the name of AIlah that they would take good care of the safety of their
step-brother. Then he advised them to be on their guard against the dangerous
political situation and to enter the capital by different gates so as not to
give cause for alarm and suspicion. In short, as far as it was humanly
possible, he took all the precautionary measures to avoid every possible risk.
On the other hand, he always kept this thing in view (and expressed it) that no
human precautionary measure could avert the enforcement of Allah's will, and
that the real protection was Allah's protection: and that one should not rely
on the precautionary measures but on the favour of AIlah. Obviously only that
person who has the real knowledge can keep such a balance in his words and
deeds, who knows what kind of efforts are demanded of his human faculties
bestowed by Allah for the solution of worldly problems, who also realizes that
it is Allah alone Who has the power to make them a success or a failure. This
is "what most people do not understand". Some of them rely merely on
their efforts and measures and discard trust in Allah; while there are others
who rely merely on "trust in AIlah" and do not adopt any practical
measure to solve their proble
SECTION
9
Joseph meets his Brother
Joseph
device to detain his bother (Bin-Yameen) Benjamin
وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ آوَىٰ إِلَيْهِ
أَخَاهُ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا
يَعْمَلُونَ {12:69}
[Q12:69] Wa lammaa dakhaloo 'alaa Yoosufa
aawaaa ilaihi akhaahu qaala inneee ana akhooka falaa tabta'is bimaa kaanoo
ya'maloon.
[Q12:69] And when they went in to Yusuf, he lodged his brother with himself, saying: I am your brother, therefore grieve not at what they do.
[Q12:69] And when they went in to Yusuf, he lodged his brother with himself, saying: I am your brother, therefore grieve not at what they do.
[Q12:69] Dan semasa mereka masuk mendapatkan Yusuf, ia
menempatkan saudara kandungnya (Bunyamin) bersama-samanya, sambil berkata
kepadanya:" Akulah saudara engkau Yusuf), oleh itu janganlah engkau
berdukacita lagi disebabkan apa yang mereka lakukan".
The brothers of Joseph
entered the court of Joseph and presented themselves and said they had brought
with them their brother Bin-Yameen AND
THEY ALSO wanted to return the price of the wheat which by some mistake had
been left in the grains supplied to them.
î
Joseph ordered for six trays of food for them
and desired that on each tray should sit the children of one and the same
parents.
î
On the five trays sat all the
others--- one the sixth Bin-Yameen was left alone who stood with tears in his
eyes. Joseph asked the reason for his shedding tears.
Bin-Yameen said that all the other were of one and the same parents and that he
had been singled since losing his own brother Joseph.
î
Joseph consoling Bin-Yameen, said, “Grieve thou not, come thou unto me, I shall be thy
brother and join you in taking the food from the tray.” Saying this
Joseph took Bin-Yameen into his own chamber and there he disclosed to him as to
who he actually was, and informed him of the device by which he intended to
detain him and let the other brothers go.
î
Bin-Yameen told Joseph that their
father not trusting his brothers had sent him along with them, with a definite
oath and if he did not return home, it might be unbearable for the old
grief-stricken father.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:69) When they presented themselves before Joseph he called his brother alone
to himself and said to him "I am the same brother of yours (who was lost).
Now you need not grieve for what they have been doing." *55
*55 The whole story of their reunion after a
separation of twenty years or so has been summed up in this brief sentence. In
all probability Prophet Joseph aught have told him the story of the vicissitudes
that ultimately had led to his high rank, and Benjamin in his turn might have
related the story of the iII-treatment of the heartless step-brothers. Then
Prophet Joseph might have reassured him that Ire would not be allowed to go
back with them but remain with him. It is also possible that the plan to retain
him there, without disclosing the secret of Prophet Joseph's identity, would
have then been thought out and decided upon.
فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُمْ بِجَهَازِهِمْ جَعَلَ
السِّقَايَةَ فِي رَحْلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ
إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ {12:70}
[Q12:70] Falammaa jahhazahum bijahaazihim
ja'alas siqaayata fee rahli akheehi summa azzana mu'azzinun ayyatuhal'eeru
innakum lasaariqoon.
[Q12:70] So when he furnished them with their provisions, (someone) placed the drinking cup in his brother's bag. Then a crier cried out: O caravan! You are most surely thieves.
[Q12:70] So when he furnished them with their provisions, (someone) placed the drinking cup in his brother's bag. Then a crier cried out: O caravan! You are most surely thieves.
[Q12:70] Maka ketika ia membekalkan mereka dengan bekalan
makan (yang mencukupi keperluan) mereka, lalu ia meletakkan bejana minuman raja
di kenderaan saudaranya (Bunyamin), kemudian menyeru seorang penyeru:"
Wahai orang-orang kafilah ini, sesungguhnya kamu adalah pencuri ".
The valuable cup with
which the supply of the grain was measured WAS INTENTIONALLY left in the bag of
Bin-Yameen AND AT LAST when it was found in it, NO AMOUNT OF ARGUMENT on the
part of the brothers, particularly of Yahood, was of no avail. According to Jacobian Law Bin-Yameen was detained to be a slave to the owner of the stolen
property.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
(12:70) While
Joseph was arranging for the loading of the packs of his brothers, he put his
cup in the pack of his own brother. *56 Afterwards a herald shouted, "Ho,
cameleers! You are thieves. *57
*56 In all probability, Prophet Joseph put the cup
in his brother's pack with his knowledge and consent, as may be inferred from
the preceding verse. Obviously. Prophet Joseph desired to free his brother from
the oppression of the cruel step-brothers and he himself was reluctant to go
back with them. But this could not be done directly and openly without
disclosing his own identity, which was not then expedient under the
circumstances. Therefore both the brothers might have thought out this plan,
though this would have put the younger brother in an embarrassing situation for
the time being because of his involvement in a case of theft. But they had
adopted this plan because afterwards both the brothers could clear it easily by
disclosing the real matter.
*57 There is nothing in this verse nor in the succeeding verses to show that Prophet Joseph took his servants in his confidence in regard to this matter, and instructed them to bring a false accusation against the travellers. The simple explanation of the incident may be this. The cup might have been quietly and secretly put in the pack. Afterwards when the servants did not find it, they might have come to the inevitable conclusion that it must have been stolen by the travellers who were staying there.
*57 There is nothing in this verse nor in the succeeding verses to show that Prophet Joseph took his servants in his confidence in regard to this matter, and instructed them to bring a false accusation against the travellers. The simple explanation of the incident may be this. The cup might have been quietly and secretly put in the pack. Afterwards when the servants did not find it, they might have come to the inevitable conclusion that it must have been stolen by the travellers who were staying there.
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