Yusuf (Joseph): Verses 84–87

And know that when Jacob (peace be upon him) heard the words of his sons, his heart became extremely distressed, and he turned away from them, separating himself from them. Later, he called them back and returned to them.

The First Stance: Turning Away and Lamenting

This is indicated by His saying: {And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow for Joseph!"} (Yusuf: 84).

Know that when his chest tightened due to what he heard from his sons concerning Benjamin, his grief over Joseph (peace be upon him) intensified: {And he said, "Oh, my sorrow for Joseph!"}

His intense grief over the separation from Joseph upon this incident is due to several reasons:

The First Reason: A new sorrow strengthens an old, latent sorrow. When one wound is struck upon another, it is more painful. (The text cites poetry by Mutammim ibn Nuwayra and another poet illustrating how grief begets grief.)

The Second Reason: Benjamin and Joseph were from the same mother, and the resemblance between them in appearance and character was more complete. Jacob (PBUH) used to find solace in seeing Benjamin as a substitute for seeing Joseph. When what happened occurred (Benjamin's supposed theft), the source of solace was removed, thus intensifying the pain and anguish.

The Third Reason: The calamity concerning Joseph was the root of all his misfortunes, upon which all subsequent calamities and tragedies were built. Therefore, his lamentation for Joseph was a lamentation for all of them combined.

The Fourth Reason: These new calamities were caused by matters that could be investigated and known. As for the incident of Joseph, Jacob (PBUH) knew his sons were lying about the reason they gave for his absence, but the true reason was unknown to him. Furthermore, Jacob knew his other sons were alive, but he did not know if Joseph was alive or dead. For these reasons, his anguish over Joseph's separation was great, and his affliction was compounded by the uncertainty of Joseph's condition.

Second Issue: Criticizing Jacob's Lamentation

Some ignorant people criticized Jacob (PBUH) for saying, {Oh, my sorrow for Joseph!} arguing that this expressed impatience and was a complaint against God, which is impermissible.

The scholars clarified that this is not the case. His statement was followed by intense weeping ({And his eyes became white from sorrow}), and then he restrained his tongue from wailing and saying what was improper ({and he was suppressing his grief}). Moreover, he did not complain to any of creation, as evidenced by His saying: {I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah} (Yusuf: 86).

All this indicates that when his affliction was great and his trial severe, he exercised patience, swallowed his grief, and did not express complaint. Consequently, he deserved great praise and commendation.

It is narrated that Joseph (PBUH) asked Gabriel: "Do you have any knowledge of Jacob?" Gabriel replied: "Yes." Joseph asked: "How is his sorrow?" Gabriel said: "The sorrow of seventy bereaved women, who have only one child who then dies." Joseph asked: "Does he have a reward for this?" Gabriel replied: "Yes, the reward of one hundred martyrs."

If it is argued: It is narrated from Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir that Jacob, an old man, passed by someone who asked him if he was Abraham. He replied: "I am his grandson, and worries have changed me and taken away my beauty and strength." Then God revealed to him: "Until when will you complain about Me to My servants? By My Honor and Majesty, if you had not complained about Me, I would have replaced your flesh with better flesh and your blood with better blood." After this, he used to say: {I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah}.

Also, it is narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) that Jacob had a brother with whom he was close. This brother asked him: "What took away your sight and bent your back?" Jacob replied: "What took away my sight was weeping for Joseph, and what bent my back was grief for Benjamin." God revealed to him: "Are you not ashamed to complain about Me to others?" Jacob replied: {I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah}. Then he said: "O Lord, have mercy on the old man; You have bent my back and taken away my sight. Return my beloved ones, Joseph and Benjamin, to me." Gabriel brought him glad tidings, saying: "If they had been dead, I would have revived them for you. So, prepare food for the poor, for the dearest of My servants to Me are the Prophets and the poor." It is narrated that when Jacob wanted to eat lunch, his caller would announce: "Whoever wants lunch should dine with Jacob." When he was fasting, a similar announcement was made at Iftar. It is narrated that he used to hold up his eyebrows with a strip of cloth due to old age. A man asked him: "What is this I see on you?" He replied: "The length of time and the abundance of sorrows." God revealed to him: "Do you complain about Me, O Jacob?" He replied: "O Lord, a sin I committed, so forgive it for me."

We reply: We have already demonstrated that he only exhibited patience and steadfastness, refraining from wailing. It is narrated that the Angel of Death came to Jacob (PBUH) and said: "I have come to take your soul before I see my beloved." Jacob said: "No, but I have come to grieve with your grief and share your sorrow. Weeping itself is not a sin." It is narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) wept for his son Abraham (PBUH) and said: "Indeed, the heart grieves, and the eye sheds tears, but we do not say what displeases the Lord. Indeed, we are sorrowful over you, O Abraham." Furthermore, the overwhelming nature of grief is not by choice, so it is not subject to religious obligation. As for groaning and letting tears flow, this can reach a point where one cannot repel it. Regarding the narrations you mentioned, the admonishment within them is because the good deeds of the righteous are considered shortcomings for the near ones (to God).

Moreover, there is a subtle point: when a person is in a state of confusion and hesitation, they must return to God Almighty. Jacob (PBUH) did not know if Joseph remained alive or had become dead; he was suspended in uncertainty. Because of this suspension, he frequently returned to God Almighty, and his heart became detached from everything except God, except in this specific instance. His state during this event was varied; sometimes he was completely absorbed in remembering God, and at other times, the memory of this event would surface, making the remembrance of anything else burdensome. For this reason, this event became for him like Abraham's ordeal of being thrown into the fire, or like the sacrifice of his son.

If it is argued: Is it not better, upon the arrival of severe affliction, to say: {Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return} (Al-Baqarah: 156) to earn the great reward mentioned in: {Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided} (Al-Baqarah: 157)?

We reply: Some commentators said that the instruction to say Istirja' (Inna lillahi...) was given only to this Ummah, honoring them when afflicted. I find this weak because saying {Indeed, we belong to Allah} points to our servitude to God who created us, and {indeed to Him we will return} points to the necessity of resurrection. It is impossible that any nation would not know this. Whoever knows, upon facing some affliction, that the ultimate return is to God, finds complete solace in that affliction. It is impossible for a believer in God to be unaware of this.

Third Issue: The Meaning of "Oh, My Sorrow" and Weeping

{Oh, my sorrow for Joseph!} This is a call to sorrow, similar to saying, "Oh, wonder!" The implication is as if he is calling upon sorrow itself, saying: "This is the time for your arrival and the moment for your manifestation." We have established this meaning in many places, including the exegesis of {God forbid!} (Yusuf: 31). Asaf (sorrow) is grief over what has passed. Al-Layth said: If something befalls you that causes you grief which you cannot bear, you are aseef (grieved and sorrowful). Al-Zajjaj said the original form was {Ya Asafa} (Oh, my sorrow!), but the possessive ya' (my) can be replaced by alif for lightness.

Then the Almighty said: {and his eyes became white from sorrow}. There are two interpretations:

The First Interpretation: When he said, "Oh, my sorrow for Joseph," weeping overcame him. When weeping overwhelms, tears increase in the eye, making the eye appear white from the whiteness of that water. {And his eyes became white from sorrow} is a metaphor for overwhelming weeping. The evidence for this view is that the effect of sorrow here is on the intensity of weeping, not on causing blindness. If we interpret whiteness as overwhelming weeping, this explanation is sound. If we interpret it as blindness, this explanation is not sound, so our first interpretation is preferable. This interpretation, supported by evidence, is narrated by Al-Wahidi in Al-Basit from Ibn Abbas (RA).

The Second Interpretation: The meaning is literal blindness. Muqatil said: He did not see with them for six years until God revealed the cure through Joseph's shirt, as stated: {And when it came to them [the shirt], it restored their sight} (Yusuf: 93). It is said that Gabriel (PBUH) entered upon Joseph (PBUH) while he was in prison and said: "Your father's sight has gone due to his sorrow for you." Joseph placed his hand on his head and said: "I wish my mother had never given birth to me, nor had I caused sorrow for my father." Those who hold this view say that continuous sorrow leads to continuous weeping, which causes blindness. Thus, sorrow was the cause of blindness indirectly. Continuous weeping causes cloudiness in the black of the eye. Some say he was not blind but perceived things weakly. It is narrated that Jacob's eyes did not dry from the time he separated from Joseph until they met, a period of eighty years. No servant on the face of the earth was more honored by God than Jacob (PBUH).

Regarding the Almighty's saying: {from sorrow}, know that it is read in two ways: {min al-huzn} (with a damma on ha and sukūn on zay), and Al-Hasan read it as {min al-ḥazan} (with fathah on both). Al-Wahidi said they differed on huzn and ḥazan. Some said huzn means weeping, and ḥazan is the opposite of joy. Others said they are two linguistic variants, meaning intense grief. This is the view of most linguists. Yunus narrated from Abu Amr that when it is in the accusative case, they open the ha and zay (as in: {their eyes overflowing with tears out of grief} [At-Tawbah: 92]). When it is in the genitive or nominative case, they use damma on the ha, as in {from sorrow} and {I complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah} (where ḥuznī is nominative as the subject).

The Meaning of "Suppressing His Grief"

{and he was suppressing his grief} (fa huwa kaẓīm). This can mean kāẓim, one who restrains his sorrow and does not show it. Ibn Qutaybah said it can mean makẓūm, meaning filled with sorrow, with the path of his breath blocked, like a waterskin tightly sealed when full. It can also mean filled with anger towards his sons.

Know that the three noblest parts of a human are the tongue, the eye, and the heart. God indicated that these were drowned in distress: the tongue was occupied with saying, {Oh, my sorrow!}; the eye, with weeping and whiteness; and the heart, with intense grief resembling a full vessel tightly sealed, from which water cannot escape. This is an exaggeration in describing that distress.

The Sons' Admonishment

{They said, "By Allah, you will not cease mentioning Joseph until you become frail or become one of the doomed"} (Yusuf: 85). This involves several issues:

First Issue: Ibn Al-Sikkit said that mā zilta taf‘alu (you have not ceased doing) and mā fa’ta (you have not stopped) are used only with negation. Ibn Qutaybah said mā fa’ta and mā fa’itta are two variants meaning: you have forgotten him and stopped concerning yourself with him. Grammarians say the negative particle here is implied, meaning: "You will not cease." The negative particle was omitted because if affirmation were intended, it would use la and nun (e.g., Wallahi lataf‘alun—By God, you will certainly do it). Since it is without la and nun, it is known that an implied lā (not) exists. They cite the poetry of Imru' al-Qays: "I said: By God's oath, I will not cease sitting," meaning: I will not cease sitting. This structure is common. Commentators like Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Mujahid, and Qatadah interpreted it as: "You will not stop mentioning him." Mujahid also said: "You will not cease loving him," treating futtūr (ceasing) and futuww (stopping) as related.

Second Issue: Al-Wahidi narrated from the scholars of meaning that the root meaning of ḥarḍ (frailty) is the corruption of the body and mind due to grief or love. Saying ḥarraḍtu fulānan ‘alā fulān means: I corrupted him or incited him against someone. God says: {and incite the believers to fight} (Al-Anfal: 65).

Knowing this, describing a man as ḥarḍ either means he possesses ḥarḍ (omitting the possessed noun) or that he has reached such a peak of corruption and weakness that he has become the essence of corruption itself. Ḥarḍ (with a kasra on ra) is the adjective form, and both readings are attested. Commentators have several expressions:

1. Ḥarḍ and ḥāriḍ mean one whose body and mind are corrupted.
2. Nafi' ibn Al-Azraq asked Ibn Abbas about ḥarḍ, and he replied: "The corrupted, the sickly."
3. It means one who is neither truly alive nor truly dead. Abu Rawq mentioned that Anas ibn Malik read it as {ḥarḍan} (with damma on ha and sukūn on ra), meaning like the ushnān plant (dry twig). {or become one of the doomed} means one of the dead. The meaning of the verse is that they told their father: You will keep mentioning Joseph with grief and weeping until you become so ill that you cannot benefit from yourself, or you die from grief. They were essentially saying: You are already in severe affliction, and we fear something greater and stronger might befall you. They intended by this speech to stop him from excessive weeping and sorrow.

If it is argued: Why did they swear an oath ({By Allah}) when they were not certain of this outcome? We reply: They based this on outward appearances (the apparent situation).

If it is argued: Who are the speakers of this statement, {By Allah}? We reply: The most apparent view is that these were not the brothers from whom he had turned away, but rather the group present in the house—his grandchildren and servants.

Jacob's Response and Certainty

Then God recounted Jacob’s response: {He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah"} (Yusuf: 86). This means: "What I mention, I do not mention to you; rather, I mention it in the presence of God Almighty." When a person vents his complaint to God, he is among the perfected ones, as the Prophet (PBUH) said: "I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your displeasure, and in Your forgiveness from Your wrath, and in You from You." God is the granter of success.

Batth (venting) means spreading out, as God says: {and spread therein every kind of animal} (Al-Baqarah: 164). When a person conceals his grief, it is worry (hamm); when he mentions it to others, it is bathth (venting). They say bathth is the most intense form of grief, and grief is the most intense form of worry. This is because if one can restrain his tongue from mentioning it, that grief is not completely overwhelming him. But when it becomes great and the person is unable to control it, and the tongue speaks of it whether he wills or not, that is bathth, indicating that the person has become helpless against it, and it has taken complete control. Therefore, {my suffering and my grief to Allah} means: I mention great grief and small grief only to God. Al-Hasan read it as {wa ḥuznī} (with two fathas) and {wa ḥuznī} (with two ḍammas).

It is narrated that a man came to Jacob and said: "O Jacob, your body has weakened, your frame has become thin, and you have not reached an advanced age." He replied: "What afflicts me is due to the abundance of my worries." God revealed to him: "O Jacob, do you complain about Me to My creation?" He replied: "O Lord, a sin I committed, so forgive it for me." And He forgave him. After that, when asked, he would say: {I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah}. It is narrated that God revealed to him: "I was only severe with you because when a poor man came to your door, you did not feed him after you slaughtered a sheep. My dearest creation to Me are the Prophets and the poor, so prepare food and invite the poor." Another narration suggests it was because he bought a slave woman with her child, then sold the child, and the mother wept until she went blind.

Then Jacob (PBUH) said: {And I know from Allah that which you do not know} (Yusuf: 86). Meaning: I know from His Mercy and Grace what you do not know—that God brings relief from unexpected sources. This indicates that he expected Joseph's return. They mentioned several reasons for this expectation:

1. The Angel of Death came to him and asked if he had taken Joseph's soul. The Angel replied: "No, O Prophet of God," and pointed toward Egypt, saying: "Seek him there."
2. He knew Joseph's dream was true because the signs of righteousness and perfection were evident in Joseph, and the dream of someone like him (a Prophet) does not err.
3. Perhaps God revealed to him that He would reunite him with Joseph, but God did not specify the time, which is why he remained anxious.
4. Al-Suddi said: When his sons told him about the King's conduct and his perfection in speech and action, he hoped that this King was Joseph, reasoning: "It is unlikely that someone like him would appear among the disbelievers."
5. He knew for certain that Benjamin was not a thief, and he heard that the King did not harm him or strike him. Thus, it became his strong assumption that this King was Joseph. This concludes the discussion on the first stance.

The Second Stance: Returning to His Sons with Kindness

This is when he returned to his sons and spoke to them kindly: {You know, O my sons, go and search for news of Joseph and his brother} (Yusuf: 87).

Know that when he became hopeful of finding Joseph based on the aforementioned signs, he told his sons: {search for news of Joseph}. Tahassus (searching/scenting out) is seeking something using the senses, similar to hearing and sight. Abu Bakr Al-Anbari said: One says taḥassastu ‘an fulān (I sought news about so-and-so), not min fulān. It is suggested that min here replaces ‘an (about), or it could mean min for partiality—seek some news of Joseph, or learn some of Joseph's news. The word min was mentioned because it indicates partiality. The reading {tajassasū} (with a jim) is also attested, as in the verse concerning Al-Hujurat.

Then He said: {and despair not of relief from Allah} (Yusuf: 87). Al-Asma'i said Rūḥ (relief/spirit) is the gentle breeze one feels that brings comfort. The combination of ra, waw, and ha implies movement and vibration; whatever moves a person and delights him with its presence is rūḥ. Ibn Abbas said: "Do not despair of the Rūḥ of Allah," meaning the Mercy of Allah. Qatadah said: The favor of Allah. Ibn Zayd said: The deliverance of Allah. These terms are close in meaning. Al-Hasan and Qatadah read {min rūḥi Allāh} with a ḍamma (on ra), meaning from His Mercy.

Ibn Abbas (RA) said: "The believer is always in a state of good with God, hoping for it in affliction and praising Him in ease."

Know that despair of God's Mercy only occurs if a person believes that God is either incapable of perfection, or not omniscient, or not generous but stingy. Each of these three beliefs leads to disbelief (kufr). Since despair only occurs upon one of these three conditions, and each condition is disbelief, it is established that despair only occurs in one who is a disbeliever. And Allah knows best.

Several questions remain regarding this verse:

First Question: Jacob's intense love for Joseph seems incompatible with one who is truly aware of God. Whoever knows God loves Him, and whoever loves God, his heart is not free to be wholly occupied with loving anything other than God. Moreover, one heart cannot accommodate the complete love for two things. Since his heart was consumed by love for his son, it is impossible to say he was completely consumed by the love of God.

Second Question: When severe grief overwhelmed him, it was incumbent upon him to occupy himself with the remembrance of God, submission to His decree, and acceptance of His judgment. Saying {When they entered upon Joseph} is not fitting for people of religion and knowledge, let alone the greatest of Prophets.

Third Question: There is no doubt that Jacob was one of the greatest Prophets, and his father, grandfather, and uncle were all renowned great Prophets throughout the world. Given this lineage, when such a tremendous and difficult event concerning his dearest son occurred, it could not have remained hidden. It must have become widely known, especially since a long time passed while Jacob remained in intense sorrow and great grief, and Joseph was in Egypt while Jacob was in a land in Syria close to Egypt. Given the proximity, it is impossible for this event to remain concealed.

Fourth Question: Why did Joseph (PBUH) not send someone to Jacob to inform him that he was alive and safe? It cannot be argued that he feared his brothers, because after he became a powerful king, he could have sent a messenger whom his brothers could not stop.

Fifth Question: How was it permissible for Joseph (PBUH) to place the cup in his brother's vessel and then extract it, thereby implicating him in theft when he was innocent of it?

Sixth Question: Why did he desire to implicate Benjamin in this accusation and keep him close, knowing that this would increase his father's sorrow and grief?

The Answer to the First: Such severe affliction removes all other thoughts from the heart. The one experiencing such severe affliction returns frequently to God Almighty, engaging much in supplication and humility, which becomes a cause for complete absorption (in God).

The Answer to the Second: Human nature does not vanish in this transient life. At times he would say, {When they entered upon Joseph} (Yusuf: 84), and at other times he would say, {So patience is most beautiful, and Allah is the one sought for assistance against what you describe} (Yusuf: 18).

As for the remaining questions, the Judge provided a comprehensive and excellent answer: These reported incidents either can be explained by normal circumstances or cannot. If the former, there is no issue. If the latter, we say: That time was the era of the Prophets (peace be upon them), and the breaking of custom in that era is not unexpected. Thus, it is not impossible that Jacob's town, despite being close to Joseph's town, did not receive news of the other due to a disruption of the usual course of events.

The Brothers' Return and Confession

{So when they entered upon him, they said, "O exalted one, affliction has touched us and our family, and we have brought meager goods, so give us full measure and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allah rewards the charitable."} (Yusuf: 88)

{He said, "Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?"} (Yusuf: 89)

{They said, "Are you indeed Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favored us. Indeed, whoever fears Allah and is patient—indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good."} (Yusuf: 90)