Tafsir of Yusuf 12:77

Surah Yusuf (12:77)

{قالوا إن يسرق . . . . .}

It is known that when the cup was found in the baggage of Joseph's brother (Benjamin), his brothers hung their heads in shame. They said:

The apparent meaning of the verse suggests that they told the King (Al-Aziz): "This matter is not strange for him, for his brother who perished was also a thief." Their goal in saying this was to imply: "We are not like him in character or conduct; he and his brother are unique in this behavior because they are from another mother."

They differed regarding the theft they attributed to Joseph (peace be upon him) based on several accounts:

1. First Opinion: Sa'id ibn Jubayr narrated that Joseph's maternal grandfather was an idol worshipper. His mother commanded him to steal those idols and break them, hoping he would abandon idol worship. This is what they referred to as the theft.
2. Second Opinion: He used to steal food from his father's table and give it to the poor. It is also said he stole a ewe from his father and gave it to a needy person, or a chicken.
3. Third Opinion: His aunt loved him intensely and wanted to keep him with her. She still possessed a girdle belonging to Isaac (peace be upon him), which they revered. She tied it around Joseph's waist and then claimed he had stolen it. This was a stratagem based on their custom that whoever steals becomes a slave, allowing her to keep him with her.
4. Fourth Opinion: They were lying and slandering him. Their hearts were filled with anger towards Joseph after those previous events and the long passage of time. This incident shows that the heart of a jealous person is never cleansed of malice.

{فأسرها يوسف فى نفسه ولم يبدها لهم} (So Joseph kept it secret within himself and did not reveal it to them.)

Scholars differed on what the pronoun in {فأسرها} (So he kept it secret) refers to:

Two main views exist:

1. Al-Zajjaj's View: The pronoun refers to the statement they made: {أنتم شر مكانا} (You are worse in position). He argued that the feminine pronoun is used because the phrase they uttered is considered a sentence or a word (as they sometimes refer to a segment of speech as a word). It is as if he said: "He kept secret the sentence or the word which is 'You are worse in position.'" Ibn Mas'ud's recitation uses the masculine form {فأسر}, intending the saying or the speech.

• Al-Farisi's Critique of Al-Zajjaj: Al-Farisi challenged this view on two grounds: * First Point: The construction of pronoun based on subsequent explanation (إضمار على شريطة التفسير) occurs in two forms: either the explanation is a single word (like Ni'ma rajulan Zayd—"Excellent is Zayd as a man," where the pronoun in Ni'ma is explained by rajulan), or it is a full sentence (like in Fa-idha hiya shakhisa basar alladhina kafarū—"Then behold, their eyes will be fixed [in horror]"). In these cases, the pronoun is intrinsically linked to the explaining clause. Here, the explanation ({أنتم شر مكانا}) is separate from the clause where the pronoun originates, making the construction inappropriate. * Second Point: Since God stated {أنتم شر مكانا}, it implies Joseph did say this. If we assume he only intended to say it secretly, then the verse stating that he said it would be a lie.

• Rebuttal to Al-Farisi's Critique: This critique is weak for two reasons: * The validity of the first two forms does not necessitate the invalidity of a third form. * We interpret that Joseph said this secretly (on the sly), which resolves the question.

2. Second View: The pronoun in {فأسرها} refers to their response (their accusation). They said: {إن يسرق فقد سرق أخ له من قبل} (If he steals, then a brother of his has stolen before). Joseph kept their response secret within himself at that moment and did not reveal it to them until a later time. Alternatively, it could be an implicit reference to their utterance. Meaning: Joseph kept their statement secret, and the intended meaning of the statement is the subject matter of that statement (just as creation implies the created thing, and knowledge implies the known thing). Thus, Joseph kept secret within himself the manner of that alleged theft, without revealing to them how it occurred or that it contained nothing worthy of blame.

• It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may God be pleased with him) that Joseph (peace be upon him) was afflicted three times because of his concern over this matter: He was afflicted with imprisonment because of his saying, {اذكرني عند ربك} (Mention me to your lord) [Yusuf: 42]; he was afflicted with long imprisonment because of his saying, {إنكم لسارقون} (Indeed, you are thieves) [Yusuf: 7]; and he was afflicted because of their saying, {فقد سرق أخ له من قبل} (a brother of his has stolen before).

• Then God recounted Joseph saying: {أنتم شر مكانا} (You are worse in position), meaning you are lower in standing before God due to the injustice you committed against your brother: throwing him into the well, then telling your father a wolf ate him while you were lying, then selling him for twenty dirhams. After a long time, the malice and anger did not leave your hearts, so you accused him of theft.

{والله أعلم بما تصفون} (And Allah knows best what you describe.)

This means that Joseph's alleged theft was pleasing to God (i.e., not a sin). In summary, none of the mentioned reasons for the alleged theft warrant blame or reproach upon him. The meaning is: Allah knows best whether what you have described truly warrants blame upon him or not.

Surah Yusuf (12:78)

{قالوا ياأيها العزيز إن له أبا شيخا كبيرا فخذ أحدنا مكانه إنا نراك من المحسنين * قال معاذ الله أن نأخذ إلا من وجدنا متاعنا عنده إنآ إذا لظالمون}

They said: "O exalted one (Al-Aziz), indeed he has an old, great father. So take one of us in his place. Indeed, we see that you are among the doers of good."

He said: "May Allah forbid that we should take except the one with whom we found our property. Indeed, in that case, we would surely be wrongdoers."