Commentary :
The brothers told three consecutive lies to justify their fault. They said they had gone tracing; they left Yusuf with their things and a wolf devoured him.
Waiting impatiently to receive his beloved son, the father was struck with fear and concern on seeing them return without Yusuf, he was afraid that his worst fears had been realized. Naturally, Ya'qoub asked them why Yusuf had not returned with them. They said that they had gone racing(horse riding and the like)and since Yusuf was too young and could not participate, they left him with their belongings. They were so occupied with racing that they forgot about everything else, even their younger brother whom they had left looking after their things. It was at that time that the vicious wolf came and tore him apart. The verse says:
" They said: 'O' our father! Verily we went off racing and left Yusuf with our things; then the wolf devoured him. ..."
This was the truth of the matter they said, but, they told their father that he would never believe them, because Jacob had already predicted such a thing would happen, and thus he might regard their claims as a pretext. The verse says:
"... But thou will never believe us even though we be truthful'. "
To explain Yusuf's absence, as it was referred at the beginning, the brothers told three consecutive lies: They left Yusuf with their belongings, they went off to race with each other, and the wolf came and ate him.
Traditions upon Lie:
There are numerous Islamic traditions about lying, a few of which are listed below:
1) Imam Rid a(a.s.) said: "Keep away from major sins, which consist of: Killing someone the shedding of whose blood is forbidden, fornication, theft, lying, arrogance and extravagance. "(1)
2) It is narrated from Allah's Prophet(p.b.u.h.) who said: "Abstain from lying for it seduces(man)to commit sins which in turn lead him to Hellfire. "(2)
3) Imam Hasan 'Askari(a.s.) has been quoted to have said: "All corruptions are assembled in one house, the key of which is lying"(3) . That is, man's lying leads him to commit other sins.
4) The sublime Prophet told Abouthar Ghaffari: "O' Abouthar! Woe be unto him who tells lies in order to make others laugh! Woe be unto him! Woe be unto him! Woe be unto him! Woe be unto him! "(4)
5) Imam Sadiq(a.s.) has been narrated who said: "Allah's Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: 'The worst type of quotation is quoting a lie'. "(5)
6) Ali(a.s.) has said: "The end of telling a lie is self blame and feeling sorry for oneself. "(6)
(1) Uyun 'Akhbar ul- Riza, vol. 2, p. 137.
(2) Mustdrak- ul- wasael, vol. 2, p. 100.
(3) Bihar ul 'Anwar, vol. 72, p. 263.
(4) Makarim al Akhlaq, p. 47.
(5) Bihar ul Anwar, vol. 72, p. 259.
(6) Qurar- ul- H ikam, vol. 4, p. 363.
7)The sublime Prophet(p.b.u.h.) said to Ali(a.s.) : "O Ali! abstain from lying, for it brings shame. Then one would be reported as a liar to Allah. "(1)
8)The holy Prophet(p.b.u.h.) remarked: "He who bears false witness against a Muslim or the person sheltered by Islam, or an individual in the society, would be hanged by his tongue on the Day of Resurrection, and would be cast along with the hypocrites into the lowest level of Hell. "(2)
9)Ali(a.s.) said: "The consequence of lying is meanness in this world and torment in the Hereafter. "(3)
10)The sublime Prophet(p.b.u.h.) said: "Lying is one of the gateways to hypocrisy. "(4)
* * * *
(1) Bihar al Anwar, vol. 77, p. 67.
(2) Wasa`il al Shia, vol. 18, p. 237, hadith 6.
(3) Qurar- ul- H ikam, vol. 3, p. 332
(4) Majmou'at ul- Warram, vol. 1, p. 113.
(18) وَ جاؤُ عَلى قَميصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنْفُسُكُمْ أَمْراً فَصَبْرٌ جَميلٌ وَ اللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعانُ عَلى ما تَصِفُونَ
18. " And they brought his shirt with false blood on it. He said: 'No, your (guilty)selves have made a matter light for you.(For me)patience is good; and Allah is He Whose help is to be sought against what you describe'. "
Commentary :
Patience for Allah's determinations is good. But how is it good that one has to keep his patience in a situation where cruelty has been inflicted upon an innocent child, when Jacob says: "for me patience is good"?
An Answer to the Question:
First, Ya'qoub knew that Yusuf was still alive, because he knew this fact through revelation. Secondly, if he behaved differently, he might have made them more suspicious and they might then rush back to the hiding place, the well, and kill the little boy. The third point is that one should not act in such a way as to obstruct another's way to repentance, even if that person is as cruel as those brothers were.
They brought Yusuf's shirt to him, stained with false blood to prove that he was killed.
However, as liars have poor memories, they had been neglectful to tear the shirt apart in several places at least as would have been the case if he had been really attacked by a wolf. They had simply taken it off and brought it to him. Ya'qoub was quite a perceptive and experienced man; he took one look at the shirt and understood that the whole story had been made up. He bluntly told them that they were lying, that
their selfish and egoistic passions had put them up to doing such a satanic and dreadful deed. The verse says:
" And they brought his shirt with false blood on it. He said: 'No, your(guilty )selves have made a matter light for you. ..."
In some narrations we read that he took the shirt and turned it inside out and asked: "Why is it that I do not see any traces of the wolf's teeth and claws on it " According to another narration, he took the shirt and covered his face with it and while he was weeping, he said: "What kind of wolf was it that had eaten up my son but did not do any damage to his shirt " Then he lost consciousness and fell to the ground like a dry piece of wood. Until late at night when the cold breeze of midnight caused him to recover his senses.
Although he felt the burning anguish of the loss of his son at the bottom of his heart, he never uttered a single word of ingratitude towards Allah. Instead he said he would wait patiently, with the kind of patience that was beautiful and rely upon Allah. The verse continues saying:
"... (For me)patience is good; ..."
The hearts of the men of Allah are centers of compassion and it is not surprising that when he separated from his son Ya'qoub shed abundant tears for him which is natural. Nevertheless, despite his emotional distress, he did not lose his self control, and did not say anything against the consent of Allah.
Then Jacob remarked that he would ask Allah to help him for what they said and he would seek Him to give him more ability so that he could stand firm in front of that terrible storm and not to lose his self- control and not to pollute his tongue with any improper word. The verse in this regard says:
"... and Allah is He Whose help is to be sought against what you describe'. "
Explanations:
1- The best type of patience is that in which, despite one's profound sorrow and ardent yearning, one does not forget Allah and relies upon Divine assistance.
2- Satan, as well as the despotic soul, may present sin as something attractive to man and provide a justification for him to commit that sin.
3- Do not be duped by the deceptive pretensions of people. Ya'qoub did not let himself be fooled by Yusuf's blood stained shirt and his brothers' tears, rather he said: "No, your(guilty)selves have made a matter light for you. "
4- Imam S adiq(a.s.) has been quoted as saying that when Yusuf was thrown down the well, Gabriel came to him and said: "What are you doing here " He answered: "My brothers have thrown me down this well. " Gabriel asked: "Do you want to be saved from the well " He answered: "It is Allah Who will take me out if He wishes. " He said: "Your Lord has commanded that you recite this prayer, and you get out. " He asked: "What prayer " He answered:
"Say: O' Allah: I ask You Whose is all praise, and there is no god but You; You are the bestower of blessings( upon Your servants), the Creator of the heavens and the earth and the Owner of Glory and Benevolence. I ask You to send Your blessings upon Muhammad and his descendents and appoint the wherewithal for me to be saved from the plight I am in. "
However, as soon as a caravan of camels arrived, Yusuf was rescued from the well.
* * * *
(19) وَ جاءَتْ سَيَّارَةٌ فَأَرْسَلُوا وارِدَهُمْ فَأَدْلى دَلْوَهُ قالَ يا بُشْرى هذا غُلامٌ وَ أَسَرُّوهُ بِضاعَةً وَ اللَّهُ عَليمٌ بِما يَعْمَلُونَ
19. " Then there came a caravan(of travelers). They sent their water- drawer( for water)and he let down his bucket. He said: 'O' good news! This is a youth. ' So they hid him as a merchandise; while Allah is aware of what they do. "
Commentary :
Allah never leaves his sincere servants alone and saves them whenever they are entangled in hardships. He guided Noah to safety on the surface of water, he rescued Yunus from underneath the water, and He rescued Yusuf from the bottom of the well, the same way He saved 'Ibrahim from within the fire. He guided Moses to safety through the middle of the sea, He protected Muhammad(p.b.u.h.) in the cave, and Ali(a.s.) during the night fixed for the execution of the conspiracy(Laylat- ul- Mabit), when he slept in place of the Prophet(p.b.u.h.) . Whenever Allah wills, He acts and it is without the consent of man.
For instance, Had rat Mousa(a.s.) went to fetch a fire, and returned with prophetic revelations. The caravan also went to draw water to replenish their supply, in the process they saved Yusuf and returned with him.
Due to Allah's will, the ropes became a means for Yusuf to climb up from the bottom of the well and ascend the throne. From this one should heed the things that can happen through the rope of Allah. When those near to one do not provide the support needed, Allah provides that support using others. His brothers abandoned him, but a caravan of strangers arrived and gave him help. Yusuf had a hard time down there at the bottom of the well in that terrible darkness, but his faith in Allah and the peace and comfort, which that faith provided,
gave him a ray of hope that made him tolerate that awful loneliness and thus remain unshaken throughout the ordeal.
Allah knows how many days passed after this event, however, a caravan arrived and stopped there to draw water, a primary need for the caravan in that arid climate. They sent the man responsible for maintaining their water supplies to get the water and he let his bucket down the well with a rope. From the bottom of the well Yusuf saw the bucket with the rope coming down rapidly towards him, he seized this Divine opportunity and clung to the rope. The verse says:
" Then there came a caravan(of travelers). They sent their water- drawer(for water)and he let down his bucket. ..."
The water carrier felt his bucket over weighted and quickly hauled it up. As soon as he brought it up, his eyes fell upon a handsome little boy. He exclaimed: "Good tidings, " instead of water, it was a beautiful boy. Some members of the caravan also took note but hid the news from the others in order to sell the boy as a slave in Egypt. They said that that beautiful boy was given by the owner of the well in order that they could sell him as a merchandise in Egypt. But Allah was well aware of what they were doing. The verse continues saying:
"... He said: 'O' good news! This is a youth. ' So they hid him as a merchandise; while Allah is aware of what they do. "
* * * *
(20) وَ شَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخْسٍ دَراهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍ وَ كانُوا فيهِ مِنَ الزَّاهِدينَ
20. " And they sold him for a small price, of a few dirhams counted out, and in him they had no interest. "
Commentary :
They sold Yusuf cheap, for a few dirhams. This is not so surprising, for a common rule among thieves, or those who underhandedly acquire a valuable property, is to promptly sell their easily gotten merchandise usually quickly, for the fear that others may become aware and apprehend them. The verse says:
" And they sold him for a small price, of a few dirhams counted out, "
Naturally, when someone intends to sell something in a hurry, he cannot obtain a fair price for his goods. At the end of the verse Allah says:
" and in him they had no interest. "
* * * *
Section 3
Yusuf's firmness in piety
against the Great Temptation
Joseph purchased in Egypt - Joseph's firmness in piety against the tempting attraction from his Mistress - Joseph's innocence proved by an argument
(21) وَ قالَ الَّذِي اشْتَراهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ لاِمْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمي مَثْواهُ عَسى أَنْ يَنْفَعَنا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَداً وَ كَذلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَ لِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِنْ تَأْويلِ الْأَحاديثِ وَ اللَّهُ غالِبٌ عَلى أَمْرِهِ وَ لكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لا يَعْلَمُونَ
21. " And he of Egypt who bought him said to his wife: 'Receive him honorably, maybe he will profit us, or we shall adopt him as a son. ' Thus did We establish Yusuf in the land, and that We might teach him the interpretation of tales(dreams). And Allah is predominant over His affair; but most people do not know. "
Commentary :
The adventurous story of Yusuf and his brothers, which culminated in them throwing him down the bottom of the well, came to an end and a new chapter in the life of this small boy began in Egypt.
Yusuf was eventually taken to Egypt and, according to the usual procedure, he was put up for sale. Evidently he was seen as a valuable piece of property and was sold to the 'Aziz(the Great One)of Egypt who enjoyed a high rank in the Pharaoh's court, very much like the position of Prime Minister today.
The holy Qur'an implies that the 'Aziz of Egypt, who had bought him, told his wife to receive Yusuf honorably and not treat him as a slave for he might be useful to them or else they could adopt him as their son. It says:
" And he of Egypt who bought him said to his wife: 'Receive him honorably, maybe he will profit us, or we shall adopt him as a son. ' ..."
One can conclude from this sentence that the 'Aziz had no children and aspired to have one. As soon as his eyes fell upon the beautiful and dignified boy, he was immediately attracted to him and thought that he could fill the role of a son for him.
Then the Qur'an in this holy verse continues saying:
"... Thus did We establish Yusuf in the land, ..."
After that, the verse also adds that this opportunity was made available in order to teach him the interpretation of tales. It says:
"... and that We might teach him the interpretation of tales(dreams). ..."
The "interpretation of tales" here signifies the art of interpreting dreams through which Yusuf could have access to any important secret of the future.
At the end of the verse, the Qur'an says:
"... And Allah is predominant over His affair; but most people do not know. "
* * * *
(22) وَ لَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ آتَيْناهُ حُكْماً وَ عِلْماً وَ كَذلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنينَ
22. " And when he reached his prime(maturity), We gave him wisdom and knowledge. And thus do We reward the doers of good. "
Commentary :
The Arabic term/ a udda/ is derived from/ add/ meaning a firm knot which, in this verse, denotes bodily and spiritual development. This word is also sometimes used in the Qur'an to mean maturity, as in verse 43 of the Sura Al 'Isra', No. 71 which says: "Do not approach the orphan's property until he attains his maturity the ". Sometimes, the term is used to mean attaining the age of forty as in verse 51 of the Sura Al Ahqaf No. 64 where it says: " until when he attains his maturity and reaches forty years " Sometimes it refers to the peak of one's development and strength before old age as in verse 76 in Sura Ghafir No. 04 The Qur'an says: " then He brings you forth as a child, then that you may attain your maturity, then that you may be old " Gradually Yusuf became acquainted with the problems besetting this new environment which was in fact an important political center of Egypt. On the one hand, he would notice the fabulous palaces of the Egyptian aristocracy with their unlimited wealth, and on the other, the misery of the slave market and the suffering imposed upon the common people. At the same time he was engaged in self actualization and purification of his soul. The Qur'an implies that Allah gave Yusuf wisdom and knowledge. The verse says:
" And when he reached his prime(maturity), We gave him wisdom and knowledge. ..."
The purpose of employing the words/ hukman wa 'ilma/(wisdom and knowledge), in the above verse, is that Allah had bestowed the rank of prophecy upon Yusuf as soon as he had developed physically and spiritually. His physical maturity was crowned by the gift of/ hukm/ wisdom, understanding, and the power of correct discrimination which is free of egoistic influences and mistakes. The term 'knowledge' is employed here to mean the awareness which is associated with wisdom. The gifts of "hukm" and "'ilm" were two valuable Divine favors which were bestowed upon Yusuf for his virtue, patience, righteousness, and trust, since those sincere believers who can control their restive desires in the field of struggle of soul are divinely given some merits out of knowledge and sciences which are far beyond any material criteria.
The verse continues saying:
"... And thus do We reward the doers of good. "
* * * *
(23) وَ راوَدَتْهُ الَّتي هُوَ في بَيْتِها عَنْ نَفْسِهِ وَ غَلَّقَتِ الْأَبْوابَ وَ قالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ قالَ مَعاذَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ رَبِّي أَحْسَنَ مَثْوايَ إِنَّهُ لا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ
23. " And the woman, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him from his self and she closed the doors and said: 'Come here'. He said 'I seek refuge in Allah! Verily He is my Lord. He made good my abode. Verily the unjust do not prosper'. "
