• Brothers of Joseph Plot

• Joseph thrown into a dry well

• Joseph picked up by a caravan and sold as a slave for a paltry price

Yusuf (Joseph) Verses 7 – 20

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ

Indeed there are in (the accounts of) Joseph and their brothers, signs for the inquirers. (12:7)

إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىٰ أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ

When said they:1“Surely Joseph and his (own) brother2are dearer to our father than we, though we are (in) a (bigger) group; Verily our father is in manifest error. (12:8)

اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ

“(So) Slay ye Joseph! or cast him out to some (other) land, (so that) unto you (exclusively) be the attention of your father, and ye may be after that a righteous people.” (12:9)

قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ لَا تَقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ السَّيَّارَةِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ

Said a speaker3among them: “Slay ye not Joseph throw him into the bottom of the well: some wayfarers may take him up; If ye must be doing it.” (12:10)

قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا مَا لَكَ لَا تَأْمَنَّا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَنَاصِحُونَ

Said4they:5“O’ Our father! What cause is with thee that thou dost not trust us with regard to Joseph? Verily, we are his well-wishers.” (12:11)

أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَدًا يَرْتَعْ وَيَلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

Send him with us tomorrow that he may enjoy6himself and play, and verily we for him shall be the guards. (12:12)

قَالَ إِنِّي لَيَحْزُنُنِي أَنْ تَذْهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَأَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ غَافِلُونَ

Said he:7“Verily it saddens me that ye should take him away, and I fear lest the wolf8devour him while ye are heedless of him.” (12:13)

قَالُوا لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّا إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ

Said they:9“If the wolf were to devour while we are (so large a group) Verily then10we should be losers.” (12:14)

فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَجْمَعُوا أَنْ يَجْعَلُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَٰذَا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

So when they had gone with him and agreed to put him in the bottom of the well, and We revealed11unto him:12“Thou wilt (one day) most surely tell them of this their deed while they recognise (thee) not”. (12:15)13

وَجَاءُوا أَبَاهُمْ عِشَاءً يَبْكُونَ

And came they unto their father at nightfall, weeping. (12:16)

قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا يُوسُفَ عِنْدَ مَتَاعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَادِقِينَ

Said they: “O’ Our father! Verily went we racing, and left we Joseph by our things; then devoured him the wolf, but thou wilt believe us not, even if we be truthful.” (12:17)

وَجَاءُوا عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنْفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ

And came they with his shirt with false blood on it. Said he14: “Nay, have beguiled you your (guilty) selves into something; But (my course is) comely15patience; and God is He Whose help is to be sought against what ye describe.” (12:18)

وَجَاءَتْ سَيَّارَةٌ فَأَرْسَلُوا وَارِدَهُمْ فَأَدْلَىٰ دَلْوَهُ قَالَ يَا بُشْرَىٰ هَٰذَا غُلَامٌ وَأَسَرُّوهُ بِضَاعَةً وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

And came there a caravan16and they sent their water drawer and he let down17his bucket; Said (cried) he18“O’ Good news!” “This is a youth!” and they concealed him as an article of merchandise; and verily God was the Knower of what all they were doing. (12:19)

وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخْسٍ دَرَاهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍ وَكَانُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الزَّاهِدِينَ

And they19sold him for a paltry20price, for a few dirhams21(silver pieces) counted out; and in him they had no interest. (12:20)

Commentary

The priests of the Jews had in a challenging way been questioning the Holy Prophet about Jacob, his sons, and particularly about Joseph and his life. The whole story with all its details was revealed so that every kind of enquiry about the various aspects of Joseph’s life-history and that of his parents could be answered.

Jacob had first married Lia - and from her were born six sons: (1) Yahada, (2) Roil, (3) Sham’son, (4) Lavi, (5) Zialoon, and (6) Yashjar. Afterwards Jacob married Rahsel the younger sister of Lia who gave birth to a daughter, Diana, and two sons named 1. Bin Yameen (Benjamin) and 2. Yusuf (Joseph). Besides these two wives, Jacob had two harems - 1. one was Zulfa, the slave-girl of his first wife Lia through whom he had two sons 1. Had, 2. Ashar and the other harem was Maleha. the slave-girl of his second wife Raheel - and she gave birth to a daughter named Dunya and two sons 1. Don, 2. Toftali.

It is clear that Jacob had more than one wife at a time and it is also obvious that having his wife he had harems also who must naturally have been young girls. When the Holy Prophet was yet in his teens he had only one wife and even that a widowed lady older in age than his own self and after her death some other wives were pressed upon him by their parents in spite of his consistent reluctance and refusal to accept the offers and the others were those far advanced in age who sought asylum under his godly roof and implored for the honour and pride of a personal connection with him.

Without the proper knowledge of the unlimited and uncontrolled polygamy practised in olden times even by the other apostles of God like Jacob, David, Solomon and the other Israelite apostles of God and even the other holy sages of the Vedantic creeds in India, attack the strictly limited and the fully controlled polygamy sanctioned by Islam.

Verse 9

It is said that the whole story of Joseph was revealed to the Holy Prophet for more than one purpose, one of which was to inform him of what happened even among the brothers, the children of one and the same father. Thus, there could be no wonder if the people behaved or dealt with him as they did. It could be to hint to the Holy Prophet that as the brothers of Joseph conspired and acted, his people would do the same with him.22

Similar was the conspiracy of the Quraysh against the Holy Prophet.

Verse 10

It is to be noted that in the mention of the events in the Bible there is no indication of what would actually happen to Joseph thereafter, but the statement in this verse gives the hint that some traders would come and take him away and that is what actually took place.

Verse 14

When the brothers of Joseph found their father unwilling to permit them to take Joseph along a with them, they went to Joseph and somehow made him go to the father and get the permission for himself.

At last Jacob ordered Joseph to be given a bath and to be clad in the best of his clothes. The shirt which Abraham wore when he was thrown by Nimrod into the fire, was tied on his side (as a talisman), and provided him with all sorts of food and a supply of refreshing syrups and fresh water, entrusted Joseph to his other sons and advised them repeatedly to take special care of Josephs’ convenience, safety and security. There was a tree outside the town called ‘Shajarat al-Wida’, (i.e., the Parting Tree). It was a custom that whenever anyone used to go on any journey, his relatives or friends used to accompany him up to the tree and then bid him goodbye. Jacob told his son to proceed to the tree and wait there for him. The party with Joseph assembled under the tree and waited for Jacob.

Joseph’s sister Dunya who was asleep dreamt that a wolf had snatched away Joseph from the lap of her father Jacob. She awoke crying and enquired about the whereabouts of Joseph. On being informed of what had happened and every one being at the tree, went running to the place and falling down at the feet of Joseph, prayed to him to take her along with him during the journey, which request could not be granted.

At last Jacob after repeatedly cautioning his sons about the safety and convenience of his beloved son Joseph, embraced Joseph and wept very much and in the end said, ‘Joseph.' My dear Remember God always; Never forget Him; Know thou that there is no other helper save He; Forget me not, I shall also not forget thee;” Jacob was shedding tears and Dunya was crying for Joseph when the party started moving into the desert. As long as they were in sight of Jacob, the brothers of Joseph pretended to avoid the least inconvenience to Joseph and no sooner they went out of his sight, than they began torturing him with all sorts of heartless cruelties.

The one who, just to show to his father, was carrying Joseph on his shoulders threw him down saying that no one was there to bear his burden. They made him run into the Sahara before them and when he pleaded for kindness, they told him to call to the Sun, the Moon and the Stars which he dreamt to be prostrating before him, to help him. When one brother kicked him, Joseph went running to another brother seeking protection but he also behaved in a similar cruel way of slapping on his face. He was made to run and when in the wild running his shoes gave way, he was made to run on the hot thorny desert, bare-footed. When he felt a killing thirst and asked for some water, one of the brothers threw water on the sand and did not give him even a drop of it and the other brother would give a slap on his face. Thus, to whichever of his brothers Joseph went seeking his mercy, he would only push him towards the other brothers to hurt him further.

All that happened in the lives of the previous apostles, did happen all together in the life of the Holy Prophet and the Holy Imams. The misfortunes which befell the Holy Prophet did not end with his departure from this physical world but continued all through in the sufferings of the divinely chosen members of his holy family up to the last one who is also called Muhammad al-Mahdi.

The same fate did the Ahl Al-Bayt, particularly the Holy Imams Hasan and Husayn, the beloved grandsons of the Holy Prophet, meet at the hands of the people who called themselves Muslims.

No sooner did the Holy Prophet shut his physical eyes, than the people deprived Ali, Fatimah and their children of their legitimate rights. The ever-victorious Lion of God had to patiently resign himself to the most humiliating miseries. The same Ali who was one with the Holy Prophet in his holiness, and who was loved by the Apostle of God as his own heart and soul, had to surrender himself without the least resistance, to be dragged by the crowds of the people, with a rope around his neck.

The very Fatimah, Lady of Light, was the only surviving issue of the Holy Prophet whom he loved the most and about her he had repeatedly issued the open declaration that ‘whosoever teased her, teased the Holy Prophet and whosoever teased the Holy Prophet, teased God and whosoever teased God is an infidel, i.e., he who teased Fatimah is an infidel.’

She was deprived of her rights to a property bequeathed to her by the Holy Prophet, and she had to leave this world with her side wounded, her ribs broken by the fall of her door caused by the kick of the one who claimed himself to be one of the staunch followers of the Prophet. Hasan the first grandson of the Holy Prophet, the Second Holy Imam, was poisoned to death and his coffin before its burial was made the target of a shower of arrows effected by the command of one of the wives of the Holy Prophet and his body could not be buried before it was wounded with several arrows pierced into it. And Husayn the

Third Holy Imam about whom the Holy Prophet had said ‘Husayn is of me and I am of Husayn,’ was butchered along with the band of seventy-two helpless ones of his faithful comrades which included old saints of about eighty and hundred years, handsome young men of thirty and boys of nine and ten years and even a baby son of six months, after suffering untold miseries and tortures of hunger and thirst, in the scorching heat under the hottest sun on the burning sands of the desert of Karbala.

The sufferings of Husayn the Holy Imam and his godly comrades did not end with their being butchered, for their holy bodies were trampled under the hooves of the horses of the brutes’ cavalry. It is related that when Joseph got thirsty and prayed to his brothers for some water, they showed him the water in the goblet and emptied it throwing the water on the sand of the desert without giving him a drop from it. Similarly, did happen at Karbala. When Husayn asked water for his baby son, Ali Asghar, who was dying of hunger and thirst, the heartless brutes showed him the water in their waterbags and flowed it down on the sand and did not allow him to hate even a drop of it even for the dying babe.

The river Euphrates was flowing in front of Husayn, nearby his camp but it was closely guarded against any drop from it being taken for Husayn or for any one in his camp. Joseph suffered getting enslaved and also being imprisoned, the whole of Husayn’s household with ladies and children led by his ailing son Ali, the Fourth Holy Imam, were taken captives, treated worse than slaves and were imprisoned at Damascus.

The history of Husayn’s sufferings has many sides and every side is far superior to that of what Joseph suffered. The sufferings of the two young innocents, the children of Muslim, who were of only five and six years are sufficient to be compared as superior to the miseries of Joseph at the hands of his brothers. These two young souls suffered everything that Joseph did suffer and something more of heart-rending tortures.

At last, when the brothers of Joseph decided to throw him into a deserted well, he prayed his brothers to allow him a little respite to offer his last prayer to God. Similarly, did happen with Husayn. When the brutes decided to affect the wholesale slaughter, he requested the brutes for respite and spent one full night before his martyrdom, in prayer, and likewise did the two young innocents of Muslim in the hands of the brute Harith - that it is reported that when he wanted to slay them at the bank of the Euphrates, they got a respite and offered their last prayers before getting beheaded.

It has been related before that Dunya, the sister of Joseph, who loved Joseph the most, prayed to Joseph to take her along with him to serve him. ‘Zainab’ the sister of Husayn, who loved her the most prayed to Husayn to take her along with him while leaving Madina and she accompanied Husayn in all his sufferings and after the happenings at Karbala she was at the head of the Holy Ladies who were taken captive, and suffered the humilities in open markets, in the streets of Kufa and Damascus and the torture worse than death was her facing the brute Ibn Ziad in his open court at Kufa and Yazid in his court at Damascus, which was full to its maximum limits. She suffered imprisonment in a torturous cell. Ultimately in her own turn suffered martyrdom maintaining the tradition of her holy family. It is reported that it was also to hint the Holy Prophet of the sufferings that awaited him and his holy family, that this Sura of Joseph was revealed to him.

When Joseph had finished his prayers and his brothers held him, tied to a rope, to send him down into the well, Joseph told his brothers: “Look, ye my brothers; I give you my last words. Be ye kind to my old father.”

When Joseph finished his prayers, his brothers began to strip him of his shirt to get it drenched in the blood of a sheep and to tell their father that a wolf had devoured Joseph. Joseph, implored and prayed not to render him naked and yet they did strip him of his shirt, and when they tied him with a rope and hung him in the well to send him down into it, Joseph again said: “Hear ye my dear brothers; I give you my last words: Be ye kind to father and let him not know what hath befallen me, lest he might feel and curse ye all.” Hearing what Joseph said, Roil cut the rope with which Joseph was hung into the well, and Joseph fell down into the well wounded and unconscious. The Messenger Angel Gabriel arrived with blessings from God and the good news about his elevation to glory and in the near future when he would be able to inform his brothers of what all they did when they would not recognize him owing to his high position and status.

Having thrown Joseph in the well, the brothers drenched Joseph’s shirt in the blood of a sheep and decided to go and report to their father that a wolf had devoured Joseph. But Lavi asked: “Are we not the children of Jacob, the Israel of God, son of Isaac, the son of Abraham who were both the Apostles of God? Do ye think God will not inform our father of the truth?” They asked as to what should be done. Lavi suggested them to stand and offer joint prayer in a congregation (i.e., Salat al-Jama’at).

But according to the tradition of the family of Abraham and Isaac, a congregational prayer could be offered with not less than eleven persons behind, but with one of them standing in the front as the Imam they were only ten. Then Lavi said: “Let ye make God as the Imam and stand all the eleven in a row and offer the prayer and seek God’s help in keeping the truth a secret.” They prayed for the truth not to be revealed to their father.

Yahooda, one of the brothers escaped from the party and went to the well to see what had happened to Joseph - and cried aloud asking Joseph as to what had happened to him - whether he was alive or dead. Joseph replied from the bottom of the well saying that his condition was of the one neither alive nor dead and said to remember his miseries, hunger and his thirst. Fearing to be detected by the other brothers, Yahooda returned to the party.

It has already been said here that the brothers of Joseph stripped Joseph of his shirt and made him naked. The same was the fact about Husayn at Karbala that his body was stripped of even the underwear. And Husayn sent the same message to his faithful followers to remember his destitution, his miseries, his hunger and thirst if any destitute, miserable or hungry or thirsty one, is seen or heard of.

It is said that the whole day Jacob was restless and had come out of the habitation, at the “Shajarat al-Wida”, the Parting Tree, and there was Joseph’s sister Dunya. Every now and then Jacob used to tell Dunya to see into the desert if the party of his sons was returning. Both the father and the daughter had stationed themselves on a mound with their eyes fixed towards the desert anxiously waiting to see the party.

At last, the party of the brothers of Joseph was sighted and Jacob anxiously told Dunya to see if Joseph was there among them. Dunya cried and said that she did not see Joseph among the brothers. Jacob gave out a loud sigh of sorrow and grief. The sons returned to their father and related the fabricated story of Joseph being devoured by a wolf. In the same way Husayn’s daughter waited at Madina for his return and similarly was she disappointed.

Verse 18

They came to their father with the shirt. The Fifth Holy Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali Al-Baqir states that the brothers of Joseph had laid a sheep upon the shirt and slew it. The blood of the animal drenched the shirt which was brought to Jacob, seeing which, Jacob swooned and Dunya began weeping. The Sixth Holy Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq says that the shirt was untorn, to which Jacob said taunting that ‘the wolf was so friendly that it did not hurt even the shirt and swallowed Joseph as a whole’.

This indicates that Jacob knew the whole truth and wept only for the separation from his beloved son. There is another point noteworthy that from the Holy Imams giving the details of the event besides what the Holy Prophet said, clearly proves that all these Holy ones, i.e., the Holy Imams were one in essence, with the Holy Prophet and in the divine gift the knowledge of the unseen. The matter of this Verse makes it further clear that Jacob knew the truth. When the sons heard this reply from their father, they felt ashamed and conferred together as to what should be done to make them believe in their story. Someone suggested to take Joseph out of the well, cut him to pieces and bring his bones and show them to their father. Yahooda reminding them of their promise not to kill Joseph, stopped them from executing the plan.

When they returned home, they found Jacob praying. Jacob after finishing the prayers told his sons that if what they reported was the truth, to bring the wolf to him who ate away Joseph and he would ask him if he had actually eaten him away. They went into the desert, caught hold of a wolf and brought the beast to Jacob saying that that was the wolf who ate away Joseph. On being asked by Jacob, the beast spoke aloud in clear language, saying, ‘O’ Apostle of God; God is my witness that I did not eat Joseph, the blood and the flesh of the apostles of God is forbidden for us. I am new to this place, on my visit to my relatives in this Sahara, your sons have unnecessarily caught me and have brought me to thee.” Jacob released the beast and let him return to the Sahara.

The Sixth Holy Imam says that while Joseph was still in the well Gabriel told him to pray to God using the following passage.23

Verse 19

A caravan of merchants from Midian lost its way and arrived at the deserted well in which Joseph was lying.24

“Then there passed by Midianite merchantmen, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.”

One of the travellers put his bucket into the well to fetch water. Gabriel told Joseph to hold fast the bucket or to get into it. Joseph came out of the well along with the bucket. The people wondered and kept him in their camp. The brothers of Joseph used to come to the well every day to know what had happened to him. When they found Joseph safe with the travellers, they claimed Joseph to be their slave who had run away from them. At last, the traders purchased Joseph as a slave. The brothers of Joseph told the merchants that Joseph their slave was a habitual runaway, hence they should keep him always bound in chains. While passing through the desert the caravan passed the cemetery in which was buried Joseph’s mother. Joseph fell upon his mother’s grave and wept remembering her. (The same did Husayn while leaving Madina).

One of the slaves in the caravan was put in charge of Joseph. Not finding Joseph in the caravan he went in search of him and finding Joseph at the grave rendered a violent slap on his face and Joseph’s face began bleeding at which a violent thunder shook the skies and a heavy lightning began to dazzle the eyes, lighting the whole desert as if it aimed to strike the caravan only. The merchants got perturbed and on enquiry came to know about the atrocity done by the slave against Joseph. The slave repented and Malik who was the purchaser of Joseph immediately relieved Joseph of the chains and provided him with a selected steed to ride along with them.

When the caravan entered Egypt the crowd that had assembled to witness the entry of the caravan, got stunned at the enchanting beauty of Joseph. Very soon the news about the wonder-striking beauty of Joseph spread in the town like wild-fire and the wealthy ones of the city flocked to the slave-market to purchase Joseph while the poor ones crowded the market to have at least a view of his radiant beauty. At last, the Vizier Qatfir or Atfir (Potiphar – Gen. 39/2). (The Chief Officer) purchased him for his wife Zulaikha and he was assigned a respectable place of service in the palace. Gabriel conveyed the glad tidings to Joseph saying that he would not be shifted from the place and all those who till then ruled over him would be enslaved to him.

• 1. Brothers of Joseph.
• 2. Bin Yamin’ i.e. Benjamin - own brother of Joseph.
• 3. The one who suggested not to kill: According to the Old Testament - ‘And Reuben said unto them Shed no blood but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him of their hands to deliver him to his father again’ Gen. 37/22 According to M.S. ‘Lavi’ - do - UB. ‘Yahooda’.
• 4. The request was with determined plot.
• 5. Brothers of Joseph.
• 6. Amuse.
• 7. Joseph.
• 8. This is what Jacob had dreamt the night before - he relates it as his apprehension.
• 9. Brothers of Joseph.
• 10. In that case.
• 11. God, through the Messenger Angel Gabriel gave Joseph the glad tidings that he would one day be raised to a very high position and his brothers would come to him and they would not recognise him. Refer to verse 12:58.
• 12. Joseph.
• 13. Refer to verse 12:58.
• 14. Jacob.
• 15. Refer to verse 12:83.
• 16. ROT. Gen: 37/28 ‘Then there passed by Midianite merchantmen, and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of Silver, and they brought Joseph into Egypt. O.T. Gen. 37/28 See Note.
• 17. Into the well in which Joseph was thrown.
• 18. The water drawer.
• 19. Brothers of Joseph.
• 20. The cheap price is reported to be 18 or 20 dirhams, even that of alloyed metal.
• 21. According to the Bible 20 pieces of Silver. Gen. 37/28.
• 22. See verse 81:30.
• 23. Umdat al-Byan (commentary by Maulvi Syed Ammar Ali) and Minhaj as-Sadiqin (Tafsir – Persian).
• 24. Gen. 37/28.