The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 250
CH. 12 YUSUF PT. 13 قَالُوا تَاللهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَّا جِئْنَا لِتُفْسِدَ They answered, “By Allah. 74 mötte léto you know well that we came not to act corruptly in the land, and we are not thieves. ' فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سُرِقِيْنَ قَالُوْا فَمَا جَزَاؤُةَ إِن كُنتُمْ كُذِبِينَ They said, “What then shall. 75 be the punishment for it, if you are found to have told a lie?" 76. They replied, قَالُوْا جَزَاؤُهُ مَنْ وَجِدَ فِي رَحْلِهِ فَهُوَ The punishment for it he in whose saddlebag it is found shall himself be the penalty for it. we punish do Thus wrongdoers. '1575 him as guilty not only of lying but also of great injustice to his brother. The whole story has originated with the Bible from which some commentators have unthinkingly borrowed it. See Genesis 44:2-15. seem to The Quran makes the whole matter quite clear. What Joseph is mentioned as having put into his brother's sack was a al (a drinking cup), while the vessel which was declared by the royal proclaimer to be missing was El (a measuring cup). Unlike the جَزَاؤُهُ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّلِمِينَ sack by mistake, nobody knowing how it found its way there. In search for this precious thing the luggage of the whole caravan was searched, that of Benjamin last of all. But it happened to be found in his luggage along with the (drinking cup) which Joseph had himself put there. Joseph at once understood how the mistake had occurred, but, thinking that all this was God's own plan for detaining Benjamin, he judiciously kept silent until the caravan gone. This is how Benjamin remained. behind with Joseph و has here been called صواع the سقاية i. e. the measuring cup of the King because it was Government property. Joseph had himself put a ale (a drinking cup) into his brother's sack without the latter's knowledge, that it might be of use to him on the journey. But the i. e. the royal measuring cup which seemed to have been in Joseph's hand when he was saying farewell to his brother happened to be placed in Benjamin's 1458 1575. Commentary: was It was so devised by God that Joseph's brothers in a fit of excitement themselves suggested that he in whose sack the measuring cup might be found should be detained to explain his conduct. If they had said instead that he who was proved to be the thief should be kept as a prisoner, Joseph would have had no ground to