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The Story of Joseph (Yusuf)
Imam Ibn Kathir Ad-Dimashqi
eBook: Stories of the Prophets
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"What have you lost?" his brothers inquired.
A soldier said: "The king's golden cup. Whoever can trace it we will give a beast load of grain."
Joseph's brothers said with all innocence: "We have not come here to corrupt the land and steal."
Joseph's officers said (as he had instructed them): "What punishment should you choose for the thief?" The brothers answered: "According to our law, whoever steals becomes a slave to the owner of the property."
The officers agreed: "We shall apply your law instead of the Egyptian law, which provides for imprisonment."
The chief officer ordered his soldiers to start searching the caravan. Joseph was watching the incident from high upon his throne. He had given instructions for Benjamin's bag to be the last to be searched. When they did not find the cup in the bags of the ten older brothers, the brothers sighed in relief. There remained only the bag of their youngest brother. Joseph said, intervening for the first time, that there was no need to search his saddle as he did not look like a thief.
His brothers affirmed: "We will not move an inch unless his saddle is searched as well. We are the sons of a noble man, not thieves."
The soldiers reached in their hands and pulled out the king's cup. The brothers exclaimed: "If he steals now, a brother of his has stolen before." They strayed from the present issue in order to blame a particular group of the children of Jacob.
Joseph heard their resentment with his own ears and was filled with regret. Yet, he swallowed his own resentment, keeping it within. He said to himself, "you went further and fared worse; it shall go bad with you and worse hereafter, and Allah knows your intention."
Silence fell upon them after these remarks by the brothers. Then they forgot their secret satisfaction and thought of Jacob; they had taken an oath with him that they would not betray his son. They began to beg Joseph for mercy. "Joseph, O minister! Take one of us instead. He is the son of a good man, and we can see you are a good man."
Joseph answered calmly: "How can you want to set free the man who has stolen the king's cup? It would be sinful."
The brothers went on pleading for mercy. However, the guards said that the king had spoke and his word was law. Judah, the eldest, was much worried and told the others: "We promised our father in the name of Allah not to fail him. I will, therefore, stay behind and will only return if my father permits me to do so."
Regarding this scene, Almighty Allah said: And when they entered according to their father's advice, it did not avail them in the least against (the Will of ) Allah, it was but a need of Jacob's inner self which he discharged. And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him, but most men know not. And when they went in before Joseph, he betook his brother (Benjamin) to himself and said: "Verily! I am your brother, so grieve not for what they used to do."
So when he had furnished them forth with their provisions, he put the golden bowl in his brother's bag. Then a crier cried: "O you in the caravan! Surely, you are thieves!"
They, turning towards them said: "What is that you have missed?"
They said: "We have missed the golden bowl of the king and for him who produces it is the reward of a camel load; I will be bound by it."
They said: "By Allah! Indeed you know that we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are no thieves!"
They (Joseph's brothers) said: "The penalty should be that he, in whose bag it is found, should be held for the punishment of the crime. Thus we punish the Zalimeen (wrongdoers, etc)!"
So he (Joseph) began the search in their bags before the bag of his brother. Then he brought it out of his brother's bag. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not take his brother by the law of the king (as a slave), except that Allah willed it. So Allah made the brothers to bind themselves with their way of 'punishment, i.e. enslaving of a thief.' We raise to degrees whom We please, but over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing (Allah).
They (Joseph's brothers) said: "If he steals, there was a brother of his (Joseph) who did steal before him." But these things did Joseph keep in himself, revealing not the secrets to them. He said (within himself): "You are in the worst case, and Allah knows best the truth of what you assert!"
They said : "O ruler of the land! Verily, he has an old father who will grieve for him, so take one of us in his place. Indeed we think that you are one of the good doers."
He said: "Allah forbid! That we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property. Indeed if we did so, we shall be Zalimun (wrongdoers)."
So, when they despaired of him, they held a conference in private. The eldest among them said: "Know you not that your father did take an oath from you in Allah's name, and before this did fail in your duty with Joseph? Therefore, I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah decides my case (by releasing Benjamin) and He is the Best of the judges." [Ch 12:68-80 Quran].
The brothers left enough provisions behind for Judah, who stayed at a tavern awaiting the fate of Benjamin. In the meantime, Joseph kept Benjamin in his house as his personal guest and told him how he had devised the plot to put the king's cup in his bag, in order to keep him behind, so as to protect him. He was also glad that Judah had stayed behind, as he was a good hearted brother. Joseph secretly arranged to watch over Judah's well being.
Joseph's plan in sending the others back was to test their sincerity, to see if they would come back for the two brothers they had left behind. When they arrived home, they entered upon their father calling: "O our father! Your son has stolen!"
He was puzzled, scarcely believing the news. He was overwhelmed with sorrow and his eyes wept tears. "Patience be with me; perhaps Allah will return all of them to me. He is Most Knowing, Most Wise." A pal of lonesomeness closed over him, yet he found consolation in patience and trusted in Allah.
Allah revealed to us what happened at their meeting with their father: (Judah said) "Return to your father and say: 'O our father! Verily, your son (Benjamin) has stolen, and we testify not except according to what we know, and we could not known the unseen! And ask the people of the town where we have been, and the caravan in which we returned and indeed we are telling the truth.""
He (Jacob) said: "Nay, but your ownselves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting for me. Maybe Allah will bring them back all to me. Truly He! Only He is All-Knowing, All-Wise."
And he turned away from them and said: "Alas, my grief for Joseph!" And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing. [Ch 12:81-84]
The father was deeply hurt. Only prayer could comfort him and strengthen his faith and patience. Weeping all those years for his beloved son Joseph - and now one more of his best sons had been snatched from him - Jacob almost lost his sight.
The other sons pleaded with him: "O father, you are a noble prophet and a great messenger of Allah. Unto you descended revelation and people received guidance and faith from you. Why are you destroying yourself in this way?"
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