Tafsir of Surah Yusuf - Verse 58

Yusuf's Brothers travel to Egypt

As-Suddi, Muhammad bin Ishaq and several others said that the reason why Yusuf's brothers went to Egypt, is that after Yusuf became minister of Egypt and the seven years of abundance passed, then came the seven years of drought that struck all areas of Egypt. The drought also reached the area of Kana`an (Canaan), where Prophet Ya`qub, peace be upon him, and his children resided. Prophet Yusuf efficiently guarded the people's harvest and collected it, and what he collected became a great fortune for the people. This also permitted Yusuf to give gifts to the people who sought his aid from various areas who came to buy food and provisions for their families. Yusuf would not give a family man more than whatever a camel could carry, as annual provisions for them. Yusuf himself did not fill his stomach from this food, nor did the king and his aids eat except one meal a day. By doing so, the people could sustain themselves with what they had for the remainder of the seven years. Indeed, Yusuf was a mercy from Allah sent to the people of Egypt. Yusuf's brothers were among those who came to Egypt to buy food supplies, by the order of their father. They knew that the `Aziz of Egypt was selling food to people who need it for a low price, so they took some merchandise from their land with them to exchange it for food. They were ten, because Ya`qub peace be upon him kept his son and Yusuf's brother Binyamin with him. Binyamin was the dearest of his sons to him after Yusuf. When Prophet Yusuf's brothers entered on him in his court and the center of his authority, he knew them the minute he saw them. However, they did not recognize him because they got rid of him when he was still young, and sold him to a caravan of travelers while unaware of their destination. They could not have imagined that Yusuf would end up being a minister, and this is why they did not recognize him, while he did recognize them. As-Suddi said that Yusuf started talking to his brothers and asked them, "What brought you to my land" They said, "O, `Aziz, we came to buy provisions." He asked them, "You might be spies." They said, "Allah forbids." He asked them, "Where are you from" They said, "From the area of Kana`an, and our father is Allah's Prophet Ya`qub." He asked them, "Does he have other children besides you" They said, "Yes, we were twelve brothers. Our youngest died in the desert, and he used to be the dearest to his father. His full brother is alive and his father kept him, so that his closeness compensates him for losing our youngest brother who died." Yusuf ordered that his brothers be honored and allowed to remain,

وَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمْ

(And when he furnished them with their provisions,) according to their needs and gave them what they wanted to buy, he said to them, "Bring me your brother from your father's side whom you mentioned, so that I know that you have told me the truth." He continued,

أَلاَ تَرَوْنَ أَنِّى أُوفِى الْكَيْلَ وَأَنَاْ خَيْرُ الْمُنْزِلِينَ

(See you not that I give full measure, and that I am the best of the hosts) encouraging them to return to him. He then threatened them,

فَإِن لَّمْ تَأْتُونِى بِهِ فَلاَ كَيْلَ لَكُمْ عِندِى

(But if you bring him not to me, there shall be no measure (of corn) for you with me. ) He threatened them that if the next time they come without Binyamin with them, they will not be allowed to buy the food that they need,

فَإِن لَّمْ تَأْتُونِى بِهِ فَلاَ كَيْلَ لَكُمْ عِندِى وَلاَ تَقْرَبُونِ - قَالُواْ سَنُرَوِدُ عَنْهُ أَبَاهُ وَإِنَّا لَفَـعِلُونَ

("...nor shall you come near me." They said: "We shall try to get permission (for him) from his father, and verily, we shall do it.") They said, `We will try our best to bring him with us, so that we spare no effort to prove to you that we are truthful in what we told you about ourselves.' Allah said,

وَقَالَ لِفِتْيَانِهِ

(And Yusuf told his servants), or his slaves,

اجْعَلُواْ بِضَـعَتَهُمْ

(to put their money), or the merchandise they brought with them to exchange for food,

فِى رِحَالِهِمْ

(into their bags,), while they were unaware,

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

(in order that they might come again.) It was said that Yusuf did this because he feared that his brothers might not have any more merchandise they could bring with them to exchange for food.

Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verses was how Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was blessed by Allah Ta ala with full control over the country of Egypt. Described in the verses cited above is the coming of the brother of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) to procure food grains. As a corollary, it was also mentioned that the brothers who came to Egypt were ten in number. The younger brother, the real brother of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was not with them on this trip.

The details of the story in between were not given by the Qur'an since they can be understood contextually.

The details described by Ibn Kathir with reference to Tafsir authorities, Suddiyy, Muhammad ibn Ishaq and others, even if borrowed from historical and Israelite reports, may be acceptable in a certain measure since indicators in this direction are available in the sequential arrangement of the Qur’ an itself.

The authorities cited above have said that following the ministerial authority of Egypt having come into the hands of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، the first seven years were, true to the interpretation of the dream, years of great prosperity and well-being for the entire country. Crops were abundant and matching were the efforts to produce and conserve. After that, the second part of this very dream unfolded itself. Came the famine which continued for full seven years. Since, at that time, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) knew in advance that this famine will continue for seven years without any break, therefore, he made arrangements to have the stock of grains present in the country stored very carefully during the initial year of the famine and saw to it that it remained preserved and protected fully and satisfactorily.

As for the local people of Egypt, food grain sufficient for their need was stored with them well ahead of the time. When famine spread and people living in areas around Egypt started coming there, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) set up a working system of selling grains to them according to which he would not give to one person more than one camel-load of grain. Its quantity, according to al-Qurtubi, was one Wasaq, that is, sixty Sa` which, according to our weight, comes to approximately 1, 953 grams.

Such was his concern for this responsibility that he himself used to oversee the sale of foodgrains. As said earlier, this famine was not limited to Egypt only. It was spread out to areas far away. The land of Can'aan, a part of Palestine - the homeland of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) with one of its cities still surviving by the name Khalil, known for the resting places of blessed prophets Ibrahim, Ishaq, Yaqub and Yusuf (علیہم السلام) - even this could not escape the ravages of the famine. Naturally, the family of Sayyidna Ya'qab (علیہ السلام) became anxious. That was a time when news had gone around that Egypt was the place where food grains could be procured on payment. Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) had also come to know that the king of Egypt was a man of mercy and would let those who needed it have it. So, he asked his sons too to go and get some grains from Egypt.

And as they had also come to know that one person is not given more than a camel-load of grains, it was decided to send all sons on the trip. But, the youngest brother, Benyamin, the real brother of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) with whom Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) had become very attached since the disappearance of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was held back by the father for his comfort and care.

Traveling from Can'aan, the ten brothers reached Egypt. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) appeared in his royal robe as the master of the land before his brothers who had sold him as a seven year old child to the people of the caravan - an event over which, at that time, according to Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas, forty years had passed. (Qurtubi, Mazhari)

It is obvious that the passage of such a long time would cause great changes in the looks of a person. It could have never occurred to them that a child once sold as a slave could become the king or minister of some country. Therefore, the brothers of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) did not recognize him. But, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) did. Therefore, this is what the expression: فَعَرَ‌فَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ مُنكِرُ‌ونَ (He recognized them, while they were not to recognize him - 58) appearing in the opening verse means - for in the Arabic language, the real meaning of the word: اِنکَار (inkar) is ` to take as stranger.' Therefore, the word: مُنکِرُون (munkirun) in the text comes to mean ` unable to recognize.'

About the recognizing of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، Ibn Kathir has said, on the authority of Suddiyy: When these ten brothers reached the court, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) interrogated them as is done with suspicious people so that they would state the truth clearly. First of all, he asked them: You are not residents of Egypt. You speak Hebrew. How did you get here? They said: There is a great famine in our country. We have heard about you, therefore, we are here to get some grain. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) asked again: How do we know that you are telling the truth, and that you are not an enemy spy? Then, all brothers said: God forbid, we can never do that. We are the sons of the Prophet of Allah Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) who lives in Canaan.

There were bumper crops during the first seven years of Joseph’s power. He had big granaries constructed throughout the whole country in which he stored surplus corn bought from the farmers every year. Thereafter when the years of famine commenced, he arranged to have this corn stored in the capital and started selling it at a fair price. This famine prevailed not only in Egypt but also in the surrounding areas, that is, in Syria, Palestine. Transjordan, etc. When the news spread far and wide that corn was being sold at a fair price in Egypt, Joseph’s brothers also came to Egypt to purchase corn. Although they were seeing Joseph after twenty years, they saw a resemblance to their brother in him. But immediately this thought vanished from their minds, because they could not understand how someone whom they had pushed into a dry well could assume the highest office of Egypt. Joseph arranged one camel-load of corn per head for his brothers. Now they wanted to have one more camel-load of corn in Benjamin’s name too. They said that one of their brothers had been detained by their old father to be with him, therefore they said that it would be very kind of him if Benjamin’s share could also be given to them. Joseph said that it was against his principles to hand over the share of an absentee. He also said that when they came again, they should bring their brother with them and then only could they have his share. Joseph added, ‘You have experienced my generosity. Even after this, are you reluctant to bring your brother with you? If you are unable to bring this brother the next time, it will be presumed that you were telling a lie and only wanted to get one more camel-load of corn by deceit. The punishment for this will be that in future you will be deprived of even your own share of corn.’