The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 245
PT. 13 YUSUF CH. 12 وَقَالَ لِفِتْيُنِهِ اجْعَلُوا بِضَاعَتَهُمْ فِي ,And he said to his servants. 63 'Put their money also into their رِحَالِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَهَا إِذَا انْقَلَبُوا they may إِلَى أَهْلِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ saddlebags that recognize it when they return to their family; haply they may come back. '1564 فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا إِلَى أَبِيهِمْ قَالُوايَا بَا نَا مُنِعَ And when they returned to. 64 مِنَّا الكَيْلُ فَأَرْسِلْ مَعَنَا أَخَانَا نَكُتَل وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَفِظُونَ their father, they said, 'O our father, further measure of corn has been denied us, so send with us our brother that we may obtain our measure, and we will surely be able to take care of him. '1565 First, they speak of the Prophet Jacob not as our father, but as his (Benjamin's) father and, secondly, they express their intention of making a fool of him. 1564. Commentary: Although Joseph exercised great patience and self-control and did not exhibit any such feeling or emotion as must have risen in his compassionate heart on seeing his brothers, his natural affection for them did make him return to them the money they had paid as the price of the grain. This does not mean that by doing so he defrauded the public treasury, for he could easily pay so small an amount to the treasury from his own pocket. The words, that they may recognize it, mean that his brothers might appreciate the favour that was shown to them and might thereby be induced to return. Here we have another point of resemblance between Joseph and the Holy Prophet. Just as these verses throw light on the great love of Joseph for his brothers so that, notwithstanding their cruel treatment of him, he was kind to them and desired their return, so the Holy Prophet, notwithstanding the deep- rooted enmity of the Meccans against him, always wished them well. How great was the Prophet's love for his people and how great his anxiety that they might see the truth and accept it, words of the Quran: Haply, thou wilt it may be judged from the following kill thyself by over exertion in thy work because they believe not (26:4). 1565. Commentary: 1453 Mark the audacity of Joseph's brothers revealed in the words, we will surely be able to take care of him. The former spirit of boastfulness still seems to cling to them.