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Surah 12. Yusuf

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12:81
ٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمْ فَقُولُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبْنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدْنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَـٰفِظِينَ IrjiAAoo il a abeekum faqooloo y a ab a n a inna ibnaka saraqa wam a shahidn a ill a bim a AAalimn a wam a kunn a lilghaybi ha fi th een a
[And as for you others,] return to your father and say: 'O our father! Behold, thy son has stolen - but we [can] bear witness to no more than what has become known to us;83 and [although we gave you our pledge,] we could not guard against something that [lay hidden in the future and, hence,] was beyond the reach of our perception.84
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the finding of the King's cup in Benjamin's bag (Baghawi and Zamakhshari).

Lit., "We were not guardians over that which was beyond the reach of [our] perception": i.e., "at the time when we gave you our pledge regarding Benjamin, we did not know that he would steal" (Zamakhshari).

Go back to your father and tell him, "father, your son committed theft. We did not see him stealing, we testify only to what we know. How could we guard against the unforeseen?
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Return to your father and say, 'O our father! Your son committed theft. We testify only to what we know. We could not guard against the unforeseen.1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 We did not know when we gave you our solemn oath that our brother was going to steal.

Return unto your father and say: O our father! Lo! thy son hath stolen. We testify only to that which we know; we are not guardians of the unseen.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"Turn ye back to your father and say `O our father! behold! thy son committed theft: we bear witness only to what we know and we could not well guard against the unseen! 1754
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

'He stole in secret and without our knowledge. How could we in the circumstances prevent it? This may have been a good statement for the other nine brothers, but Judah was himself personally and specially pledged.

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12:82
وَسْـَٔلِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنَّا فِيهَا وَٱلْعِيرَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا ۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَـٰدِقُونَ Wa i sali alqaryata allatee kunn a feeh a wa a lAAeera allatee aqbaln a feeh a wainn a la sa diqoon a
And ask thou in the town in which we were [at the time], and of the people of the caravan with whom we travelled hither, and [thou wilt find that] we are indeed telling the truth!'"
  - Mohammad Asad
You may enquire from the people of the city where we lodged and the caravan in which we travelled that we are indeed telling the truth."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Ask 'the people of' the land where we were and the caravan we travelled with. We are certainly telling the truth.''
  - Mustafa Khattab
Ask the township where we were, and the caravan with which we travelled hither. Lo! we speak the truth.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
" `Ask at the town where we have been and the caravan in which we returned and (you will find) we are indeed telling the truth.' " 1755
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

To vouch for the truth of the story, the nine brothers are asked by Judah to appeal to their father to enquire at the place where they stayed and the caravan with which they came, and he would find that the facts were as they stated them. The nine brothers came back and told their father as they had been instructed by Judah.

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12:83
قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا ۖ فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ ۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِى بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ Q a la bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amran fa s abrun jameelun AAas a All a hu an yatiyanee bihim jameeAAan innahu huwa alAAaleemu al h akeem u
[AND WHEN they returned to their father and told him what had happened,] he exclaimed: "Nay, but it is your [own] minds that have made [so terrible] a happening seem a matter of little account to you! But [as for myself,] patience in adversity is most goodly; God may well bring them all [back] unto me:85 verily, He alone is all-knowing, truly wise!"
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., Benjamin and the eldest son (who had remained in Egypt) as well as Joseph, of whose alleged death Jacob was never fully convinced (cf. note [17]).

When they went back and told all this to their father, " No!" Cried their father, " Your souls have contrived a story for you. Well, I will bear this too with good patience. Maybe Allah will bring them all back to me; indeed He is the Knowledgeable, the Wise."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
He cried, 'No! Your souls must have tempted you to do something 'evil'. So 'I am left with nothing but' beautiful patience!1 I trust Allah will return them all to me. Surely He 'alone' is the All-Knowing, All-Wise.'
  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., patience without complaining.

(And when they came unto their father and had spoken thus to him) he said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely patience! It may be that Allah will bring them all unto me. Lo! He, only He, is the Knower, the Wise.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Jacob said: "Nay but ye have yourselves contrived a story (good enough) for you. So patience is most fitting (for me). Maybe Allah will bring them (back) all to me (in the end): for He is indeed full of knowledge and wisdom." 1756 1757
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Jacob was absolutely stunned by the story. He knew his darling little Benjamin too well to believe that he had committed theft. He flatly refused to believe it, and called it a cock-and-bull story, which indeed it was, though not in the sense in which he reproached the nine brothers. With the eye of faith he saw clearly the innocence of Benjamin, though he did not see every detail of what had happened.

With the eye of faith he clung to even a larger hope. Perhaps all three of his lost sons would come back,-Joseph, Benjamin, and Judah. His faith in Allah was unswerving, although alas! the present facts altogether unnerved him.

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12:84
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ Watawall a AAanhum waq a la y a asaf a AAal a yoosufa wa i bya dd at AAayn a hu mina al h uzni fahuwa ka th eem un
But he turned away from them and said: "O woe is me for Joseph!" - and his eyes became dim86 from the grief with which he was filled.
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "white": i.e., dim with the tears that filled them (Razi). Although Jacob was now deprived of three of his sons, his grief for Joseph was the most acute because he was the only one of the three of whom Jacob did not know whether he was dead or alive.

He turned his face away from them, crying: "Alas for Yusuf!" His eyes became white with grief, and he became sorely oppressed with grief.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
He turned away from them, lamenting, 'Alas, poor Joseph!' And his eyes turned white out of the grief he suppressed.1
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Jacob (ﷺ) cried for so long that he became very weak-sighted. Some scholars suggest that he lost his sight completely. This does not contradict Jacob’s beautiful patience because he did not complain to anyone, but expressed his sorrow only to Allah.

And he turned away from them and said: Alas, my grief for Joseph! And his eyes were whitened with the sorrow that he was suppressing.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And he turned away from them and said: "How great is my grief for Joseph!" And his eyes became white with sorrow and he fell into silent melancholy. 1758
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The old father's grief is indescribable. Yet with what master-strokes it is described here! One sorrow brings up the memory of another and a greater one. 'Benjamin is now gone! Oh but Joseph! his pretty dream of boyhood! his greatness foretold! and now how dark was the world! If he could but weep! Tears might give relief, and his red and swollen eyes might yet regain their light!' But his grief was too deep for tears. His eyes lost their colour, and became a dull white. The light became a mere blur, a white glimmer. Darkness seemed to cover everything. So it was in the outside world. So was it in his mind. His grief was unshared, unexpressed, and uncomplaining. Who could share it? Who could understand it? He bore his sorrow in silence. Yet his faith was undimmed, and he trimmed the lamp of patience, that sovereign virtue for those who have faith.

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12:85
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ تَفْتَؤُا۟ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْهَـٰلِكِينَ Q a loo ta A ll a hi taftao ta th kuru yoosufa h att a takoona h ara d an aw takoona mina alh a likeen a
Said [his sons]: "By God! Thou wilt never cease to remember Joseph till thou art broken in body and spirit or art dead!"
  - Mohammad Asad
They said: "By Allah! It appears that you will not cease to remember Yusuf until you ruin your health or kill yourself."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They said, 'By Allah! You will not cease to remember Joseph until you lose your health or 'even' your life.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
They said: By Allah, thou wilt never cease remembering Joseph till thy health is ruined or thou art of those who perish!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They said: "By Allah! (never) wilt thou cease to remember Joseph until thou reach the last extremity of illness or until thou die!" 1759
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A speech full of jealousy, taunting malice, and lack of understanding,-one that would have driven mad any one less endowed with patience and wisdom than was Jacob, the Prophet of Allah. It shows that the sons were still unregenerate, though the time of their repentance and reclamation was drawing nigh. The cruel heartlessness of their words is particularly out of place, as Jacob bore his sorrow in silence and complained to no mortal, but poured out his distraction and grief only to Allah, as stated in the next verse.

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12:86
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ Q a la innam a ashkoo baththee wa h uznee il a All a hi waaAAlamu mina All a hi m a l a taAAlamoon a
He answered: "It is only to God that I complain of my deep grief and my sorrow: for I know, from God, something that you do not know.87
  - Mohammad Asad

Namely, that "judgment as to what is to happen rests with none but God", and that "all who have trust [in His existence] must place their trust in Him alone" (verse {67}): the twin ideas which underlie the whole of this surah, and which Jacob now seeks to impress upon his sons. In addition to this, his remembrance of Joseph's prophetic dream (verse {4}) and his own conviction at the time that his beloved son would be elected by God for His special grace (verse {6}), fills Jacob with renewed hope that Joseph is still alive (Razi and Ibn Kathir): and this explains the directives which he gives his sons in the next sentence.

He said: "I complain of my distress and grief to Allah Alone and I know from Allah what you do not know.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
He replied, 'I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know.
  - Mustafa Khattab
He said: I expose my distress and anguish only unto Allah, and I know from Allah that which ye know not.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
He said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah and I know from Allah that which ye know not... 1760 1761
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Jacob's plaint to Allah is about himself, not about Allah's doings. He bewails the distraction of his mind and his occasional breaking out of those bounds of patience which he had set for himself.

He knew of Allah's merciful and beneficent dealings with man in a way his shallow sons did not. And his perfect faith in Allah also told him that all would be well. He never gave up hope for Joseph, as his directions in the next verse show. They may be supposed to have been spoken after a little silence of grief and thought. That silence I have indicated in punctuation by three dots.

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12:87
يَـٰبَنِىَّ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَا۟يْـَٔسُ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ Y a baniyya i th haboo fata h assasoo min yoosufa waakheehi wal a tayasoo min raw h i All a hi innahu l a yayasu min raw h i All a hi ill a alqawmu alk a firoon a
[Hence,] O my sons, go forth and try to obtain some tidings of Joseph and his brother; and do not lose hope of God's life-giving mercy:88 verily, none but people who deny the truth can ever lose hope of God's life-giving mercy."
  - Mohammad Asad

According to most of the commentators, especially Ibn 'Abbas (as quoted by Tabari and others), the term rawh is here synonymous with rahmah ("grace" or "mercy"). Since it is linguistically related to the noun ruh ("breath of life" or "spirit"), and has also the metonymic significance of "rest" (rahah) from grief and sadness (Taj al-'Arus), the most appropriate rendering would seem to be "life-giving mercy".

O my sons! Go and search for Yusuf and his brother. Never give up hope of Allah's mercy; in fact none despairs of Allah's mercy except the unbelieving people."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
O my sons! Go and search 'diligently' for Joseph and his brother. And do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah, for no one loses hope in Allah's mercy except those with no faith.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
Go, O my sons, and ascertain concerning Joseph and his brother, and despair not of the Spirit of Allah. Lo! none despaireth of the Spirit of Allah save disbelieving folk
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"O my sons! go ye and enquire about Joseph and his brother and never give up hope of Allah's Soothing Mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah's Soothing Mercy except those who have no faith." 1762 1763
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The word is rauh, not ruh as some translators have mistakenly construed it. Rauh includes the idea of a Mercy that stills or calms our distracted state, and is particularly appropriate here in the mouth of Jacob.

Jacob ignores and forgives the sting and malice in the speech of his sons, and like a true Prophet of Allah, still wishes them well, gives them sound advice, and sends them on an errand which is to open their eyes to the wonderful ways of Providence as much as it will bring consolation to his own distressed soul. He asks them to go again in search of Joseph and Benjamin. Perhaps by now he had an idea that they might be together in Egypt. In any case their stock of grain is again low, and they must seek its replenishment in Egypt.

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12:88
فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهْلَنَا ٱلضُّرُّ وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَـٰعَةٍ مُّزْجَىٰةٍ فَأَوْفِ لَنَا ٱلْكَيْلَ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَجْزِى ٱلْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ Falamm a dakhaloo AAalayhi q a loo y a ayyuh a alAAazeezu massan a waahlan a a l dd urru wajin a bibi da AAatin muzj a tin faawfi lan a alkayla wata s addaq AAalayn a inna All a ha yajzee almuta s addiqeen a
[AND THE SONS of Jacob went back to Egypt and to Joseph;] and when they presented themselves before him, they said: "O thou great one! Hardship has visited us and our folk, and so we have brought but scanty merchandise;89 but give us a full measure [of grain], and be charitable to us: behold, God rewards those who give in charity!"
  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., goods which they intended to barter for grain (see note [60] above).

When they went back to Egypt and entered Yusuf's office, they said: "Noble prince! We and our family are in great distress, we have hardly any money, please give us full quota and also some charity. Surely Allah rewards the charitable."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
When they entered Joseph's presence, they pleaded, 'O Chief Minister! We and our family have been touched with hardship, and we have brought only a few worthless coins, but 'please' give us our supplies in full and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allah rewards the charitable.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And when they came (again) before him (Joseph) they said: O ruler! Misfortune hath touched us and our folk, and we bring but poor merchandise, so fill for us the measure and be charitable unto us. Lo! Allah will requite the charitable.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then when they came (back) into (Joseph's) presence they said: "O exalted one! distress has seized us and our family; we have (now) brought but scanty capital: So pay us full measure (we pray thee) and treat it as charity to us: for Allah doth reward the charitable." 1764
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The nine brothers come back to Egypt according to their father's direction. Their first care is to see the Wazir. They must tell him of all their father's distress and excite his pity, if perchance he might release Benjamin. They would describe the father's special mental distress as well as the distress which was the common lot of all in famine time. They had spent a great part of their capital and stock-in-trade. They would appeal to his charity. It might please so great a man, the absolute governor of a wealthy state. And they did so. Perhaps they mentioned their father's touching faith, and that brought Joseph out of his shell, as in the next verse.

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12:89
قَالَ هَلْ عَلِمْتُم مَّا فَعَلْتُم بِيُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ إِذْ أَنتُمْ جَـٰهِلُونَ Q a la hal AAalimtum m a faAAaltum biyoosufa waakheehi i th antum j a hiloon a
Replied he: "Do you remember90 what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were still unaware [of right and wrong]?"91
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "know" (see note [81]).

By coupling his own name with that of Benjamin he possibly hinted at his brothers' early envy and hatred of the two sons of Rachel (cf. verse {8} of this surah and the corresponding note [12]); alternatively, the mention of Benjamin may have been due to the readiness with which they accepted the "evidence" of the latter's guilt (verse {77}).

Hearing this, Yusuf, who could contain himself no longer, replied: "Do you know what you did to Yusuf and his brother while acting out of ignorance?"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
He asked, 'Do you remember what you did to Joseph and his brother in your ignorance?'
  - Mustafa Khattab
He said: Know ye what ye did unto Joseph and his brother in your ignorance?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
He said: "Know ye how ye dealt with Joseph and his brother not knowing (what ye were doing)?" 1765
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Joseph now wants to reveal himself and touch their conscience. He had but to remind them of the true facts as to their treatment of their brother Joseph, whom they pretended to have lost. He had by now also learnt from Benjamin what slights and injustice he too had suffered at their hands after Joseph's protection had been removed from him in their home. Had not Jospeh himself seen them but too prone to believe the worst of Benjamin and to say the worst of Joseph? But Joseph would be charitable,-not only in the sense which they meant when they asked for a charitable grant of grain, but in a far higher sense. He would forgive them and put the most charitable construction on what they did,-that they knew not what they were doing!

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12:90
قَالُوٓا۟ أَءِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ يُوسُفُ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ يُوسُفُ وَهَـٰذَآ أَخِى ۖ قَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ Q a loo ainnaka laanta yoosufa q a la an a yoosufu wah atha akhee qad manna All a hu AAalayn a innahu man yattaqi waya s bir fainna All a ha l a yu d eeAAu ajra almu h sineen a
They exclaimed: "Why - is it indeed thou who art Joseph?" He answered: "I am Joseph, and this is my brother. God has indeed been gracious unto us. Verily, if one is92 conscious of Him and patient in adversity - behold, God does not fail to requite the doers of good!"
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "whoever is...", etc.

This took them by surprise, and they cried: "What! Are you really Yusuf?" He said: "Yes! I am Yusuf and this is my brother. Allah has indeed been gracious to us. In fact as for the righteous and patient; Allah really does not let the reward of the righteous be wasted."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They replied 'in shock', 'Are you really Joseph?' He said, 'I am Joseph, and here is my brother 'Benjamin'! Allah has truly been gracious to us. Surely whoever is mindful 'of Allah' and patient, then certainly Allah never discounts the reward of the good-doers.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
They said: Is it indeed thou who art Joseph? He said: I am Joseph and this is my brother. Allah hath shown us favor. Lo! he who wardeth off (evil) and endureth (findeth favor); for verily Allah loseth not the wages of the kindly.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They said: "Art thou indeed Joseph?" He said: "I am Joseph and this is my brother: Allah has indeed been gracious to us (all): behold he that is righteous and patient never will Allah suffer the reward to be lost of those who do right." 1766
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Their father's words, the way events were shaping themselves. Joseph's questionings, perhaps Benjamin's manner now, not a slave kept in subjection but one in perfect love and understanding with this great Wazir,-perhaps also a recollection of Joseph's boyish dream,-all these things had prepared their minds and they ask the direct question, "Art thou Joseph?" They get the direct reply, "Yes, I am Joseph; and if you have still any doubt of my identity, here is Benjamin: ask him. We have suffered much, but patience and right conduct are at last rewarded by Allah!"

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12:91
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدْ ءَاثَرَكَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا وَإِن كُنَّا لَخَـٰطِـِٔينَ Q a loo ta A ll a hi laqad a tharaka All a hu AAalayn a wain kunn a lakh at ieen a
[The brothers] said: "By God! Most certainly has God raised thee high above us, and we were indeed but sinners!"
  - Mohammad Asad
They said: "By Allah! Certainly Allah has preferred you over us. We have indeed been guilty."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They admitted, 'By Allah! Allah has truly preferred you over us, and we have surely been sinful.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
They said: By Allah, verily Allah hath preferred thee above us, and we were indeed sinful.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They said: "By Allah! indeed has Allah preferred thee above us and we certainly have been guilty of sin!" 1767
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The scales fall from the eyes of the brothers. We may suppose that they had joined Judah at this interview, and perhaps what Judah had seen when he was alone helped in the process of their enlightenment, They are convicted of sin out of their own mouths, and now there is no arrier pensee, no reserve thought, in their minds. They freely confess their wrong-doing, and the justice of Joseph's preferment.

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12:92
قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ Q a la l a tathreeba AAalaykumu alyawma yaghfiru All a hu lakum wahuwa ar h amu a l rr ah imeen a
Said he: "No reproach shall be uttered today against you. May God forgive you your sins: for He is the most merciful of the merciful!
  - Mohammad Asad
Yusuf said: "There is no blame on you today. May Allah forgive you! He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy!
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Joseph said, 'There is no blame on you today. May Allah forgive you! He is the Most Merciful of the merciful!
  - Mustafa Khattab
He said: Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
He said: "This day let no reproach be (cast) on you: Allah will forgive you and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy? 1768
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Joseph is most generous. He is glad that they have at last seen the significance of what happened. But he will not allow them at this great moment of reconciliation to dwell on their conduct with reproaches against themselves. There is more urgent work to do. An aged and beloved father is eating out his heart in far Canaan in love and longing for his Joseph, and he must be told all immediately, and "comforted in body, mind, and estate," and so he tells the brothers to hurry back immediately with his shirt as a sign of recognition, as a proof of these wonderful happenings.

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12:93
ٱذْهَبُوا۟ بِقَمِيصِى هَـٰذَا فَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِ أَبِى يَأْتِ بَصِيرًا وَأْتُونِى بِأَهْلِكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ I th haboo biqamee s ee h atha faalqoohu AAal a wajhi abee yati ba s eeran watoonee biahlikum ajmaAAeen a
[And now] go and take this tunic of mine and lay it over my father's face, and he will recover his sight.93 And thereupon come [back] to me with all your family."
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "he will become seeing [again]" - i.e., "he will cease to weep for me and the dimness of his sight caused by unhappiness and constant weeping will disappear on learning that I am alive": thus may be summed up Razi's explanation of the above sentence. According to him, there is no compelling reason to assume that Jacob had become really blind from grief. - The phrase "lay it over my father's face" could also be rendered as "lay it before my father", since the term wajh (lit., "face") is often used in classical Arabic to denote, metonymically, one's whole personality, or whole being.

Go, take this shirt of mine and cast it over the face of my father, he will recover his sight. Then come back to me with all the members of your family."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Go with this shirt of mine and cast it over my father's face, and he will regain his sight. Then come back to me with your whole family.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
Go with this shirt of mine and lay it on my father's face, he will become (again) a seer; and come to me with all your folk.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
"Go with this my shirt and cast it over the face of my father: he will come to see (clearly). Then come ye (here) to me together with all your family." 1769
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It will be remembered that they had covered their crime by taking his shirt, putting on the stains of blood, and pretending that he had been killed by a wolf: see above, xii. 17-18. Now that they have confessed their crime and been forgiven, and they have joyful news to tell Jacob about Joseph. Joseph gives them another shirt of his to prove the truth of their story. It is rich shirt, befitting a ruler of Egypt, to prove his good fortune, and yet perhaps in design and many colours (xii. 18, n. 1651) were reminiscent of the lost Joseph. The first shirt plunged Jacob into grief. This one will now restore him. See the verses following.

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12:94
وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ ٱلْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّى لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ Walamm a fa s alati alAAeeru q a la aboohum innee laajidu ree h a yoosufa lawl a an tufannidoon i
AND AS SOON as the caravan [with which Jacob's sons were travelling] was on its way,94 their father said [to the people around him]: "Behold, were it not that you might consider me a dotard, [I would say that] I truly feel the breath of Joseph [in the air]!"
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "had departed", i.e., from Egypt.

When the caravan started (from Egypt) their father (who was in Ken'an) said: "Certainly I feel the scent of Yusuf, even though you may think I am out of my mind."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
When the caravan departed 'from Egypt', their father said 'to those around him', 'You may think I am senile, but I certainly sense the smell of Joseph.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
When the caravan departed their father had said: Truly I am conscious of the breath of Joseph, though ye call me dotard.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
When the caravan left (Egypt) their father said: "I do indeed scent the presence of Joseph: nay think me not a dotard." 1770
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Literally, I feel the scent, or the air, or the atmosphere or the breath of Joseph; for rih has all these significations. Or we might translate, 'I feel the presence of Joseph in the air'. When a long-lost friend is about to be found or heard of, many people have a sort of presentiment of it, which they call telepathy. In Jacob's case it was more definite. He had always had faith that Joseph was living and that his dream would he realised. Now that faith was proved true by his own sons; they had been undutiful, and hard, and ignorant; and circumstances had converged to prove it to them by ocular demonstration. Jacob's soul was more sensitive. No wonder he knew already before the news was actually brought to him.

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12:95
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلِكَ ٱلْقَدِيمِ Q a loo ta A ll a hi innaka lafee d al a lika alqadeem i
They answered: "By God! Thou art indeed still lost in thy old aberration!"
  - Mohammad Asad
The people, who heard him, said: "By Allah! You are still suffering from your old illusion."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They replied, 'By Allah! You are definitely still in your old delusion.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
(Those around him) said: By Allah, Lo! thou art in thine old aberration.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They said: "By Allah! truly thou art in thine old wandering mind." 1771
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"They" must be the people around him, before the brothers actually arrived. These same brothers had sedulously cultivated the calumny that their father was an old dotard, and everybody around believed it, even after its authors had to give it up. Thus lies die hard, once they get a start.

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12:96
فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ فَٱرْتَدَّ بَصِيرًا ۖ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ Falamm a an j a a albasheeru alq a hu AAal a wajhihi fa i rtadda ba s eeran q a la alam aqul lakum innee aAAlamu mina All a hi m a l a taAAlamoon a
But when the bearer of good tidings came [with Joseph's tunic], he laid it over his face; and he regained his sight, [and] exclaimed: "Did I not tell you, 'Verily, I know, from God, something that you do not know'?"95
  - Mohammad Asad

See verse {86} above.

But when the bearer of the good news arrived, he cast the shirt of Yusuf over his face and he regained his sight. Then he said: "Didn't I tell you that I know from Allah what you do not know?"
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
But when the bearer of the good news arrived, he cast the shirt over Jacob's face, so he regained his sight. Jacob then said 'to his children', 'Did I not tell you that I truly know from Allah what you do not know?'
  - Mustafa Khattab
Then, when the bearer of glad tidings came, he laid it on his face and he became a seer once more. He said: Said I not unto you that I know from Allah that which ye know not?
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then when the bearer of the good news came he cast (the shirt) over his face and he forthwith regained clear sight. He said: "Did I not say to you `Know from Allah that which ye know not?' " 1772 1773 1774 1775
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

We may suppose this to have been Judah (see notes 1752 and 1753 above) who was pledged to his father for Benjamin, and who could now announce the good news not only of Benjamin but of Joseph. We can imagine him hurrying forward, to be the first to tell the news, though the plural pronoun for those whom Jacob addresses in this verse, and for those who reply in the next verse, shows that all the brothers practically arrived together.

The particle fa ("then") has here the force of "forthwith".

Jacob's sight had grown dim; his eyes had become white with much sorrow for Joseph (see xii. 84 above). Both his physical and mental vision now became clear and bright as before.

He had said this (xii. 86) when everything was against him, and his sons were scoffers. Now they themselves have come to say that his faith was justified and his vision was true.

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12:97
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَا ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا خَـٰطِـِٔينَ Q a loo y a ab a n a istaghfir lan a th unooban a inn a kunn a kh at ieen a
[His sons] answered: "O our father! Ask God to forgive us our sins, for, verily, we were sinners."
  - Mohammad Asad
They said: "Father! Pray for the forgiveness for our sins. We have indeed done wrong."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
They begged, 'O our father! Pray for the forgiveness of our sins. We have certainly been sinful.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
They said: O our father! Ask forgiveness of our sins for us, for lo! we were sinful.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
They said: "O our father! ask for us forgiveness for our sins for we were truly at fault."
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

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12:98
قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ Q a la sawfa astaghfiru lakum rabbee innahu huwa alghafooru a l rra h eem u
He said: "I shall ask my Sustainer to forgive you: He alone is truly forgiving, a true dispenser of grace!"
  - Mohammad Asad
He replied: "Soon I will ask my Rabb for your forgiveness; surely He is the One who is the Forgiving, the Merciful."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
He said, 'I will pray to my Lord for your forgiveness.1 He 'alone' is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Jacob (ﷺ) delayed the prayer for his children to be forgiven until pre-dawn, which is a blessed time for supplication.

He said: I shall ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
He said: "Soon will I ask my Lord for forgiveness for you: for He is indeed Oft-Forgiving Merciful." 1776
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

He fully intended to do this, but the most injured party was Joseph, and it was only fair that Joseph should be consulted. In fact Joseph had already forgiven his brothers all their past, and his father could confidently look forward to Joseph joining in the wish of the whole family to turn to Allah through their aged father Jacob in his prophetic office.

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12:99
فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مِصْرَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ Falamm a dakhaloo AAal a yoosufa a w a ilayhi abawayhi waq a la odkhuloo mi s ra in sh a a All a hu a mineen a
AND WHEN they [all arrived in Egypt and] presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his parents unto himself,96 saying, "Enter Egypt! If God so wills, you shall be secure [from all evil]!"
  - Mohammad Asad

According to the Biblical account - not contradicted by the Qur'an - Joseph's mother Rachel had died while giving birth to Benjamin. We may, therefore, assume that the "mother" implied in the term "parents" was another of Jacob's wives, who had brought up Joseph and Benjamin; this would be in consonance with the ancient Arabian custom of applying the designation "mother" to a foster-mother.

When they came to Yusuf, he asked his parents to lodge with himself, and said: "Now enter the city. Allah willing, you will live here in peace."
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
When they entered Joseph's presence, he received his parents 'graciously' and said, 'Enter Egypt, Allah willing, in security.'
  - Mustafa Khattab
And when they came in before Joseph, he took his parents unto him, and said: Come into Egypt safe, if Allah will!
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
Then when they entered the presence of Joseph he provided a home for his parents with himself and said: "Enter ye Egypt (all) in safety if it please Allah." 1777 1778
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

At length the whole family arrived in Egypt and were re-united with Joseph. They were all entertained and provided with homes. But the parents were treated with special honour, as was becoming both to Joseph's character and ordinary family ethics. His mother Rachel had long been dead, but he had been brought up by his mother's sister Leah, whom his father had also married. Leah was now his mother. They were lodged with Joseph himself.

This is in Arabic in the plural, not in the dual number. The welcome is for all to Egypt, and under the auspices of the Wazir or Egypt. They came, therefore, under Allah's will, to a double sense of security: Egypt was secure from the famine unlike the neighbouring countries; and they were to be cared for by the highest in the land.

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12:100
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ هَـٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَـٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِىٓ إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِى مِنَ ٱلسِّجْنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْبَدْوِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ WarafaAAa abawayhi AAal a alAAarshi wakharroo lahu sujjadan waq a la y a abati h atha taweelu ruy a ya min qablu qad jaAAalah a rabbee h aqqan waqad a h sana bee i th akhrajanee mina a l ssijni waj a a bikum mina albadwi min baAAdi an nazagha a l shshay ta nu baynee wabayna ikhwatee inna rabbee la t eefun lim a yash a o innahu huwa alAAaleemu al h akeem u
And he raised his parents to the highest place of honour;97 and they [all] fell down before Him, prostrating themselves in adoration.98 Thereupon [Joseph] said: "O my father! This is the real meaning of my dream of long ago, which my Sustainer has made come true.99 And He was indeed good to me when He freed me from the prison, and [when] He brought you [all unto me] from the desert after Satan had sown discord between me and my brothers. Verily, my Sustainer is unfathomable in [the way He brings about] whatever He wills:100 verily, He alone is all-knowing, truly wise!
  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "onto the throne (al-'arsh)", in the metaphorical sense of this word.

According to 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas (as quoted by Razi), the personal pronoun in "before Him" relates to God, since it is inconceivable that Joseph would have allowed his parents to prostrate themselves before himself.

The fulfilment of Joseph's childhood dream consisted in the high dignity with which he was now invested and in the fact that his parents and his brothers had come from Canaan to Egypt for his sake: for "no reasonable person can expect that the fulfilment of a dream should be an exact replica of the dream itself" (Razi, alluding to the symbolic prostration of the eleven stars, the sun and the moon mentioned in verse {4} of this surah).

As regards my rendering of latif as "unfathomable", see surah {6}, note [89]. In the present instance, this term supplies a further accent, as it were, on the theme "judgment as to what is to happen rests with none but God" (verse {67}).

After entering the city he helped his parents to seats on the throne, and they all fell down in prostration before him. "This," said Yusuf to his father, "is the interpretation of my dream which I dreamt long before. My Rabb has really made it come true. It was His grace that He took me out of prison and brought you all here from the desert even though Shaitan had stirred up strife between me and my brothers. For sure my Rabb fulfills His plan in mysterious ways. Surely He is the One Who is the Knowledgeable, the Wise.
  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik
Then he raised his parents to the throne, and they all fell down in prostration to Joseph,1 who then said, 'O my dear father! This is the interpretation of my old dream. My Lord has made it come true. He was truly kind to me when He freed me from prison, and brought you all from the desert after Satan had ignited rivalry between me and my siblings.2 Indeed my Lord is subtle in fulfilling what He wills. Surely He 'alone' is the All-Knowing, All-Wise.'
  - Mustafa Khattab

 Joseph’s parents and his eleven brothers prostrated before him out of respect, not as an act of worship. This was permissible in their tradition, but in Islam, Muslims prostrate only to Allah.

 Joseph (ﷺ) did not mention how Allah saved him from the well because he did not want to embarrass his brothers after forgiving them.

And he placed his parents on the dais and they fell down before him prostrate, and he said: O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream of old. My Lord hath made it true, and He hath shown me kindness, since He took me out of the prison and hath brought you from the desert after Satan had made strife between me and my brethren. Lo! my Lord is tender unto whom He will. He is the Knower, the Wise.
  - Marmaduke Pickthall
And he raised his parents high on the throne (of dignity) and they fell down in prostration (all) before him. He said: "O my father! this is the fulfillment of my vision of old! Allah hath made it come true! He was indeed good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you (all here) out of the desert (even) after Satan had sown enmity between me and my brothers. Verily my Lord understandeth best the mysteries of all that He planneth to do: for verily He is full of knowledge and wisdom. 1779 1780
  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Certainly metaphorically: probably also literally. By Eastern custom the place of honour at a ceremonial reception is on a seat on a dais, with a special cushion of honour, such as is assigned to a bridegroom at his reception. To show his high respect for his parents, Joseph made them sit on a throne of dignity. On the other hand, his parents and his brothers,-all performed the ceremony of prostration before Joseph in recognition of his supreme rank in Egypt under the Pharaoh. And thus was fulfilled the dream or vision of his youth (xii. 4 above and n. 1633). A) The ceremony of prostration for paying respect might have been allowed at the time of previous prophets, but with the advent of the complete and final revelation prostration before anyone other than Allah is a grave sin strictly prohibited.

Note how modest Joseph is throughout. The first things he thinks of among Allah's gracious favours to him are: (1) that he was brought out of prison and publicly proclaimed to be honest and virtuous; and (2) that his dear father was restored to him, as well as the brothers who had persecuted him all his life. He will say nothing against them personally. In his husn-i-zann (habit of interpreting everyone and everything in the most favourable and charitable light), he looks upon them as having been misled. It was Satan that set them against him. But now all is rectified by the grace of Allah, to Whom he renders due praise. Latif: see n. 2844 to xxii. 63; the fourth meaning mentioned there applies here, with echoes of the other meanings.

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