• Joseph’s device to detain his brother (Bin-Yamin) Benjamin

Yusuf (Joseph) Verses 69 - 79

وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ آوَىٰ إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

And when they entered in unto Joseph, he lodged his (own) brother (Benjamin) with himself, said (into his ears) “I am thy brother (Joseph), therefore grieve thou not at what they do.” (12:69)

فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُمْ بِجَهَازِهِمْ جَعَلَ السِّقَايَةَ فِي رَحْلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ

“And when he1had furnished them with their provisions, (at the instance of Joseph) was placed the drinking cup in his brother’s saddle-bag; Then cried out a crier: “O’ ye (of) the caravan! Verily ye are thieves!” (12:70)

قَالُوا وَأَقْبَلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ مَاذَا تَفْقِدُونَ

Said they, while turning unto them: “What is it that ye miss?” (12:71)

قَالُوا نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ الْمَلِكِ وَلِمَنْ جَاءَ بِهِ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ وَأَنَا بِهِ زَعِيمٌ

Said they2: “We miss the king’s drinking cup and whosoever bringeth it, shall have a camel load (of corn); and I am responsible for it.” (12:72)

قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَارِقِينَ

Said they:3“By God! Ye know that we came not to make mischief in the land, and nor we are thieves.” (12:73)

قَالُوا فَمَا جَزَاؤُهُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ كَاذِبِينَ

They4said: “But what shall be the punishment for this, if ye be liars?” (12:74)

قَالُوا جَزَاؤُهُ مَنْ وُجِدَ فِي رَحْلِهِ فَهُوَ جَزَاؤُهُ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ

Said they:5“The punishment6for it shall be that he in whose bag it is found shall himself be (held as bondsman) in penalty for it; Thus do we punish the wrong-doers.” (12:75)

فَبَدَأَ بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِي دِينِ الْمَلِكِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مَنْ نَشَاءُ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ

Then he (Joseph) began (the search) with their sacks before the sack of his brother, then he drew it out from his brother’s sack; Thus did We plan7for Joseph; it was not (lawful) that he should take his brother under the king’s law unless God willed it; We raise the degrees (of wisdom and knowledge) whomsoever We will; and above every one endued with knowledge is the All-Knowing (One).” (12:76)

قَالُوا إِنْ يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَلَمْ يُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ قَالَ أَنْتُمْ شَرٌّ مَكَانًا وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ

They said: If he stealeth, indeed did steal8before, a brother9of his, but Joseph kept it a secret to himself, and disclosed it not unto them; he10said: “Ye are in an evil11condition, and God knoweth best what ye allege.” (12:77)

قَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُ أَبًا شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُ إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

Said they: “O’ 12Aziz! he hath a father, a very old (who loveth him very much), so take one of us in his place; Verily we see thee of the doers of good (to others).” (12:78)

قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَنْ نَأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَنْ وَجَدْنَا مَتَاعَنَا عِنْدَهُ إِنَّا إِذًا لَظَالِمُونَ

Said he “God protect us! (from acting a forbidden deed) that we should seize (any one) other than him13with whom found we our property, for verily then we would be of the unjust ones.” (12:79)

Commentary

Verse 69

The brothers of Joseph entered the court of Joseph and presented themselves and said they had brought with them their brother Bin-Yameen and they also wanted to return the price of the wheat which by some mistake had been left in the grains supplied to them.

Joseph ordered for six trays of food for them and desired that on each tray should sit the children of one and the same parents. On the five trays sat all the others - on the sixth Bin-Yamin was left alone who stood with tears in his eyes. Joseph asked the reason for his shedding tears. Bin-Yamin said that all the others were of one and the same parents and that he had been singled since losing his own brother Joseph. Joseph consoling Bin-Yamin, said,

“Grieve thou not, Come thou unto me, I shall be thy brother and join you in taking the food from the tray” (12:69).

Saying this Joseph took Bin-Yamin into his own chamber and there he disclosed to him as to who he actually was, and informed him of the device by which he intended to detain him and let the other brothers go. Bin-Yamin told Joseph that their father not trusting his brothers had sent him along with them, with a definite oath and if he did not return home, it might be unbearable for the old grief-stricken father.

Verse 70

The valuable cup with which the supply of the grain was measured was intentionally left in the bag of Bin-Yamin and at last when it was found in it, no amount of argument on the part of the brothers, particularly of Yahood, was of any avail. According to Jacobian Law Bin-Yamin was detained to be a slave to the owner of the stolen property.

Verse 75

According to the Egyptian Law, the penalty for theft was a very severe punishment with whipping - but here the punishment was allowed to be determined by the son of Jacob, who pledged the undertaking according to the Jacobian Law, i.e., the thief to be a slave of the owner of the stolen property for one complete year.

Verse 76

(a) Joseph’s plan was to remind his family of their misuse of the law. Once before when Joseph was a child living with his aunt who did not like to send him to Jacob in spite of Jacob’s earnest demand, she tied a belt of her own round the waist of the child Joseph and sent him to Jacob and then she claimed that the child had stolen the belt from her and as a penalty she withheld Joseph. Thus, Joseph wanted just to warn them that twisting a law and the misuse of it always results in unpleasant circumstances for those who commit it.

(b) Above every one who possesses knowledge there is one who knows more till it goes to the One whose essence is identified with knowledge, i.e., God. (A.P.).

• 1. Joseph.
• 2. The King’s servants.
• 3. Brothers of Joseph.
• 4. The King’s servants.
• 5. The King’s servants.
• 6. Refer to note on verse 12:83.
• 7. The word ‘Kidna’ indicates or means that it was the Divine plan & not of Joseph’s own.
• 8. Refer to note on verse 12:76 their selling of Joseph to the merchants.
• 9. Joseph.
• 10. Joseph.
• 11. This remark indicates Joseph’s hatred and resentment against falsehood.
• 12. The title of the Chief Officer - or the King.
• 13. By taking an unwanted person.