Tafsir of Yusuf 12:94-96

{فَصَلَتِ الْعِيرُ} It departed from the outskirts of Egypt. It is said: "He separated (faṣala) from the land," meaning he departed from it and passed beyond its walls. Ibn Abbas recited: "When the caravan separated (infaṣala)."

{قَالَ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ} He said to his children, his grandchildren, and those around him from his people: "I truly perceive the scent of Yusuf." God enabled him to perceive the scent of the shirt while it was approaching from a distance of eight days' journey.

{لَوْلَا أَنْ تُفَنِّدُونِ} Tafnīd is to attribute fanad to someone, which is senility and the loss of reason due to old age. It is said: "An old man is mufannad (senile)," but it is not said of an old woman, because she did not possess sound judgment in her youth to lose it in her old age. The meaning is: "Were it not for your accusing me of senility, you would have believed me."

{لَفِي ضَلَالِكَ الْقَدِيمِ} "You are still in your old error," meaning your deviation from what is correct, due to your excessive love for Yusuf, your constant mention of him, and your hope for meeting him—for they believed he had died.

{فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَ الْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَاهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ فَارْتَدَّ بَصِيرًا} The bearer of glad tidings cast the shirt upon his face, or Yaʿqūb cast it upon himself. "He became seeing again" (fartadda baṣīran), meaning he returned to being sighted. It is said: "He returned it (raddahu), so it returned (fartadda)," and irtaddahu means he took it back.

{أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ} Meaning his previous statement: "I truly perceive the scent of Yusuf," or his statement: "And do not despair of the mercy of God." The phrase "I know" is a new sentence not governed by the verb "said." However, you may connect it to his previous words: "I only complain of my anguish and my sorrow to God, and I know from God what you do not know."

It is narrated that he asked the bearer of glad tidings, "How is Yusuf?" He replied, "He is the King of Egypt." He said, "What use is kingship to me? In what religion did you leave him?" He replied, "Upon the religion of Islam." He said, "Now the blessing is complete."

{قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ * قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ}