Tafsir of Yusuf 12:80

Surah Yusuf (12:80)

{فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْأَسُوا مِنْهُ خَلَصُوا نَجِيًّا} (So when they despaired of him, they withdrew and conferred in private.)

When they presented their ultimate offer—"Take one of us in his place" (Yusuf: 78)—and Joseph responded by refusing to take anyone but the one who possessed his property (Yusuf: 79), their hope of him releasing Benjamin was completely cut off.

At this point, the Almighty stated: {فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْأَسُوا مِنْهُ خَلَصُوا نَجِيًّا} (So when they despaired of him, they withdrew and conferred in private).

• {خَلَصُوا نَجِيًّا} (withdrew and conferred in private) signifies an intensification of their despair.
• {وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيًّا} (And We brought him near as one to whom We speak privately) means they separated themselves from the rest of the people to whisper secrets (i.e., to consult and devise a plan regarding their predicament).

They were in a difficult situation because:

1. They had taken Benjamin from their father after solemn oaths and having already been suspected regarding Joseph. If they returned without Benjamin, many calamities would ensue:
   • Their elderly father would be left alone without any of his sons, which is a great tribulation for him.
   • The rest of their household was in dire need of food.
   • Jacob might assume his sons were completely lost, causing him intense grief.
2. If they returned without Benjamin, their shame would be immense, as the outward appearance would suggest they had betrayed their father concerning this son, just as they had betrayed him regarding Joseph. It would also suggest they did not value the solemn oaths they had taken.

This situation demanded deep thought and consultation to find the most appropriate and sound course of action. This is the meaning of {فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْأَسُوا مِنْهُ خَلَصُوا نَجِيًّا}.

1. {اسْتَيْأَسُوا} (Despaired):
   • Al-Wahidi reported that Ibn Kathir recited this word without the hamza (as istāsu), similar to the variation in {حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتَيْأَسَ الرُّسُلُ} (Yusuf: 110).
   • There are two forms for the root verb: ya’isa and yiy’asa, similar to hasiba and yuḥasibu.
   • The form istay’asu involves the transposition of the ayn (the middle radical) to the position of the fa’ (the first radical), resulting in ista‘fala, which was originally istay’asa, and then the hamza was lightened.
   • The author of Al-Kashshaf states that istay’asu means ya’isu (they despaired), and the addition of the sin and ta’ is for emphasis, as in {اسْتَعْصَمَ} (Yusuf: 32).

2. {خَلَصُوا} (Withdrew/Separated):
   • Al-Wahidi said that khalasa means something became pure (khuluṣan) by removing the impurity from it.
   • There are two interpretations:
     • Al-Zajjaj: They separated, meaning they were alone, without their brother.
     • The Majority: They distinguished themselves from strangers. This is the more apparent meaning.

3. {نَجِيًّا} (In private/Conferring):
   • The author of Al-Kashshaf notes that najiy has two meanings:
     • It can mean one who is conversing privately (munāji), like ashīr (companion) or samīr (one who converses at night). This is supported by {وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيًّا} (Maryam: 52).
     • It can mean the verbal noun, which is the act of conversing privately (tanājī), just as najwā can mean those who are conversing privately.
   • Under this interpretation, {خَلَصُوا نَجِيًّا} means they withdrew and separated from the people, being pure (sincere) with no one else mixing with them, as najiy (conversing privately).
   • It is narrated that it was read as {نَجْوَى} (a group/company) or {نَجِيًّا} (conversing privately with one another).
   • The best interpretation is that they became entirely dedicated to private conversation (tamahhadū tanājiyan). When an action reaches its peak intensity, the subject is described as having become that action itself. Since they engaged in consultation with the utmost seriousness, they metaphorically became the very essence of private consultation.

{قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمْ} (Their elder said...)

It is said that "their elder" refers to the eldest in age, who was Reuben. Others say it refers to the wisest among them, who was Judah, as he was the one who forbade them from killing Joseph.

The Almighty then recounts what this elder said: {أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَوْثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمِنْ قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطْتُمْ فِي يُوسُفَ} (Did you not know that your father had taken from you a solemn pledge to Allah, and before this, how you failed concerning Joseph?).

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that when Joseph said, {مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَنْ نَأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَنْ وَجَدْنَا مَتَاعَنَا عِنْدَهُ} (Yusuf: 79), Judah became enraged. When he became angry and shouted, no pregnant woman could remain stable in her pregnancy, and the hair on his body would stand up, and he would not calm down until someone from Jacob’s family placed a hand on him.

Judah said to some of his brothers: "You handle the markets of the people of Egypt, and I will handle the King." Joseph said to a young boy who had been afflicted (by Judah’s anger), "Touch him." The boy touched him, and the anger left Judah. As he was about to shout again, Joseph stamped his foot on the ground, grabbed his garments, and pulled him, causing him to fall.

At that point, Judah said, "O esteemed one [Al-Aziz]..." When they despaired of their intercession being accepted, they consulted among themselves and said: "Our father took a great solemn pledge from us to Allah. Furthermore, we are already suspected regarding the incident of Joseph. How can we escape this predicament?"

There are several interpretations for the word mā in {وَمِنْ قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطْتُمْ}:

1. It is an adverbial phrase meaning: "Before this, you failed concerning Joseph and did not uphold your father's covenant."
2. It is a verbal noun (maṣdarīyyah), in the nominative case as the subject, with the adverbial phrase (min qablu) serving as the predicate. The meaning is: "What happened before was your failure concerning Joseph."
3. It is in the accusative case, coordinated with the object of {أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا} (Did you not know...). The implied meaning is: "Did you not know your father's taking of your pledge and your prior failure concerning Joseph?"
4. It is a relative pronoun meaning "that which." The implied meaning is: "Before this, that which you committed concerning Joseph—the great treachery—[was known]." This can be in the nominative or accusative case based on the two interpretations mentioned above.

Then he said: {فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الْأَرْضَ} (So I will not leave this land [Egypt]).

This means: I will not depart from the land of Egypt until my father permits me to return to him, or until Allah decrees my release from here, or grants me retribution against the one who took my brother, or secures his release from his hand by some means. He is the best of judges, as He judges only with justice and truth. In summary, the intent is that a justification will become clear, removing his shame and embarrassment before his father or others, as he has fully committed himself to Allah to reveal his excuse in some manner.

{ارْجِعُوا إِلَى أَبِيكُمْ فَقُولُوا يَا أَبَانَا إِنَّ ابْنَكَ سُرِقَ وَمَا شَهِدْنَا إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَافِظِينَ * وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْيَةَ الَّتِي كُنَّا فِيهَا وَالْعِيرَ الَّتِي أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ}

(Return to your father and say, "O our father, indeed your son has been robbed, and we testify only to what we know, and we were not guardians of the unseen. * And ask the town in which we were, and the caravan with which we arrived, and indeed, we are truthful.")