Tafsir of Yusuf 12:15

Surah Yusuf (12): Verse 15

{فلما ذهبوا به...} (So when they took him away...)

It must be noted that there are two necessary implied elements (omissions) in this verse:

1. The preceding statement: The implied context is their agreement, as if they said: "If the wolf eats him while we are a strong group, then indeed we are losers." (This is based on the preceding verse, 14). After this, permission was granted, and they were sent with him. Then follows: {فلما ذهبوا به} (So when they took him away...).
2. The response to Falammā (When): The phrase {فلما ذهبوا به وأجمعوا أن يجعلوه فى غيابة الجب} (So when they took him away and agreed to put him in the bottom of the well) requires a response (the jawāb), but the response is omitted. Omission of the response to Falammā is common in the Qur'an, provided the context makes the result clear. Here, the context clearly implies the result: "...so they put him in it."

Narrative Detail (According to Al-Suddī):

When Joseph (peace be upon him) went out with his brothers, they showed him intense hostility. One brother would strike him, and when he cried out to another, that one would strike him too, finding no mercy among them. They beat him until they nearly killed him, while he kept saying, "O Jacob, if only you knew what is being done to your son!"

Judah reminded them, "Did you not give me an oath that you would not kill him?"

So they took him to the well, lowering him down while he clung to the edge. They pulled off his shirt. Their intention was to stain it with blood and present it to Jacob. Joseph asked them, "Give me back my shirt so I can cover myself." They replied mockingly, "Call the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars to keep you company!"

They lowered him into the well until he reached the middle, then they let him fall so he would die. (Page V18 P079)

There was water in the well, so he fell into it. He took refuge on a rock while weeping. They called out to him, and he thought mercy had overtaken them, so he answered. They intended to crush him with a stone, but Judah stood up and prevented them. Judah used to bring him food.

It is narrated that when Joseph was thrown into the well, he supplicated: "O Witness who is not absent, O Near One who is not far, O Victor who is not overcome, grant me relief and a way out of my affair!"

It is also narrated that when Abraham (peace be upon him) was thrown into the fire, he was stripped of his clothes. Gabriel (peace be upon him) brought him a garment of the silk of Paradise and clothed him in it. Abraham gave it to Isaac, Isaac gave it to Jacob, and Jacob placed it in an amulet and hung it around Joseph's neck. Then Gabriel came and took it out and clothed Joseph in it.

{وأوحينا إليه لتنبئنهم بأمرهم هاذا وهم لا يشعرون} (And We inspired him: "You will surely inform them of this deed of theirs while they are unaware.")

There are several issues concerning this verse:

Issue 1: The Meaning of "We inspired him" (وأوحينا إليه)

There are two main opinions:

1. Prophethood and Message: This is the view of a great number of verified scholars. Those who hold this view differ on whether Joseph (PBUH) was an adult or a child at that time.
   • Some say he was an adult, around seventeen years old.
   • Others say he was young, but God Almighty perfected his intellect and made him fit to receive revelation and prophethood, similar to the case of Jesus (peace be upon him).
2. Inspiration (Ilhām): This refers to divine suggestion, as in the verse: {وأوحينا إلى أم موسى} (And We inspired the mother of Moses) (Al-Qasas: 7) and {وأوحى ربك إلى النحل} (And your Lord inspired the bee) (Al-Nahl: 68). The first opinion (Prophethood) is preferred because the apparent meaning of Wahy (revelation) suggests it.

A Question Raised: How could God make him a Prophet at that time when there was no one to whom he could deliver the message?

The Answer: It is not impossible for God to honor him with revelation and revelation of scripture, commanding him to deliver the message at a later time. The benefit of sending the revelation early was to comfort him, calm his soul, and remove grief and loneliness from his heart.

Issue 2: The Meaning of "While they are unaware" (وهم لا يشعرون)

There are two opinions:

1. Unaware of His Identity: God inspired Joseph that he would surely inform his brothers of their actions on this day, but they would not realize at that time that he was Joseph. The purpose was to strengthen his heart, assuring him that he would be saved from this tribulation, become dominant over them, and they would be under his power and control. It is narrated that when they came to him seeking grain and recognized him while he did not recognize them, he called for a thunderbolt (or a sign) and placed it on his hand, then tapped it. He said: "This instrument informs me that you had a brother from your father named Joseph, whom you threw into the well and told your father a wolf ate him."
2. Unaware of the Revelation: God inspired Joseph while he was in the well that he would inform his brothers of these deeds, but they were unaware that the revelation was descending upon him. The benefit of concealing the revelation from them was that if they had known, their envy might have increased, leading them to intend to kill him.

Issue 3: Implications for Jacob (PBUH)

If we adopt the first interpretation of {وهم لا يشعرون} (they are unaware), this verse implies a command from God to Joseph to conceal his situation from his father and not inform him of his condition. This is why Joseph kept his news hidden from his father for that long period, despite knowing his father's distress over him. He did this out of fear of disobeying God's command, enduring that bitterness.

God Almighty had decreed that Jacob (peace be upon him) should experience those intense sorrows and great worries so that his return to God would increase, and his focus on worldly matters would be severed, allowing him to reach a high station in servitude that could not be attained except through enduring severe tribulations. And God knows best. (Page V18 P080)

{وجآءوا أباهم عشآء يبكون * قالوا ياأبانا إنا ذهبنا نستبق وتركنا يوسف عند متاعنا فأكله الذئب ومآ أنت بمؤمن لنا ولو كنا صادقين * وجآءوا على قميصه بدم كذب قال بل سولت لكم أنفسكم أمرا فصبر جميل والله المستعان على ما تصفون}

(And they came to their father in the evening, weeping. They said, "O our father, indeed we went to race and left Joseph with our belongings, and the wolf ate him. But you will not believe us, even if we are truthful." And they brought upon his shirt a false blood. He said, "Nay, but your souls have made fair seeming to you an affair. So [for me is] patience in a beautiful manner, and Allah is the one sought for help against what you describe.")