Tafsir of Yusuf 12:66

Surah Yusuf (12:66)

{قال لن أرسله معكم حتى تؤتون موثقاً من الله لتأتنني به إلا أن يحاط بكم فلما آتوه موثقهم قال الله على ما نقول وكيل}

Translation and Exegesis:

He said, "I will not send him with you until you give me a solemn pledge (Mawthiq) from Allah that you will surely bring him back to me, unless you are completely surrounded (or encompassed)."

Analysis of Mawthiq (Solemn Pledge):

• Al-Mawthiq (الموثق) is a masdar (verbal noun) meaning "that which secures trust" or "a binding covenant."
• In this context, it functions like a passive participle (maf'ul), meaning "a pledge that is secured/trusted."
• The phrase {من الله} (from Allah) means the pledge is secured by invoking Allah's name or by swearing an oath by Him.

Analysis of {لتأتنني به} (that you will surely bring him back to me):

• The lām (لـ) is present here because we established that al-Mawthiq min Allah refers to an oath. The implied meaning is: "until you swear by Allah that you will bring him back to me."

Analysis of {إلا أن يحاط بكم} (unless you are completely surrounded):

There are two main discussions regarding this exception:

First Inquiry (Al-Kashshāf's View): The author of Al-Kashshāf considers this an attached exception (istithnā' muttaṣil).

• The phrase {إلا أن يحاط بكم} serves as the reason (maf'ūl lah) for the potential failure to bring him back.
• The positive statement {لتأتنني به} is interpreted as being in the sense of a negative command (i.e., "You must bring him back").
• The meaning becomes: "Do not refrain from bringing him back due to any excuse, except for one single excuse."

Second Inquiry (Al-Wāḥidī's View on Interpretations): Al-Wāḥidī mentions two opinions among the exegetes regarding the meaning of being "surrounded":

1. Opinion One (Destruction/Perishing):
   • This means "unless you all die." Mujāhid interpreted it this way, stating that their death would be an acceptable excuse for him.
   • The Arabs use the phrase uḥīṭa bi-fulān (he was surrounded) to mean his destruction was imminent.
   • Evidence: Allah says regarding the destruction of the garden’s fruit: {وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِ} (Al-Kahf: 42), meaning what destroyed it afflicted it. Also, {وَظَنُّوا أَنَّهُمْ أُحِيطَ بِهِمْ} (Yūnus: 22). The root meaning is that when an enemy surrounds someone and all paths of escape are blocked, their destruction is near; thus, anyone who perishes is said to have been "surrounded."

2. Opinion Two (Overwhelming Defeat):
   • Qatādah stated that it means: "unless you become overpowered and subjugated, rendering you unable to return."

Analysis of {قال الله على ما نقول وكيل} (Allah said, "Allah is a Witness over what we say"):

• {وكيل} (Wakīl - Trustee/Witness): Here, it means Witness (Shahīd).
• A witness is a trustee in the sense that this covenant is entrusted to him. If they fulfill the pledge, they will be rewarded with the best recompense. If they betray the trust, they will be punished with the greatest afflictions.

Surah Yusuf (12:67)

{وقال يا بني لا تدخلوا من باب واحد وادخلوا من أبواب متفرقة وما أغنى عنكم من الله من شيء إن الحكم إلا لله عليه توكلت وعليه فليتوكل المتوكلون}

Translation and Exegesis:

And he said, "O my sons, do not enter by one gate, but enter by separate gates. And I cannot avail you anything against [the decree of] Allah. Indeed, judgment belongs only to Allah. In Him I have placed my trust, and in Him let those who trust [in Him] place their trust."