The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 251
PT. 13 YUSUF CH. 12 فَبَدَا بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ Then he began the search. 77 Balet, b with their sacks before the sack اسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ وِعَاء أَخِيهِ كَذَلِكَ of his brother; then he took it out from his brother's sack. كِدْنَا لِيُوْسُفَ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ في Thus did We plan for Joseph دِينِ الْمَلِكِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللهُ نَرْفَعُ He could not have taken his brother under the King's law دَرَجَتٍ مِّنْ نَّشَاءُ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ unless Allah had so willed. We عَليمه raise in degrees of rank whomsoever We please; and over every possessor of knowledge is One, Most-Knowing. 1576 "6:84. detain his brother, for he knew that he was not a thief. But the words which escaped the lips of his brothers were that Joseph might detain him in whose sack the measuring cup was found. Thus Joseph was able to keep back his brother without the latter being accused of theft. 1576. Commentary: The words, Thus did We plan for Joseph, make it clear beyond any shadow of doubt that the whole thing was planned by God Himself, Joseph having no hand in it. Quite inadvertently Joseph happened to place the King's measuring cup in Benjamin's luggage and his brothers happened themselves to make the suggestion which enabled Joseph to detain Benjamin. Incidentally, the verse also shows that even a Prophet living under an alien government should abide by its laws and give it his full cooperation. Joseph desired to keep his brother with him, but the law of the land forbade him to do so. A Providential combination of circumstances, however, enabled him to satisfy his heart's desire. The mistaken view held by some Muslims that a foreign Government is not entitled to their loyalty and cooperation finds no support in Islam. It tends adversely to affect their morals, and their whole attitude towards their rulers is calculated to become based on insincerity, even hypocrisy. The words, then he began the search with their sacks before the sack of his brother, do not mean that Joseph made the search personally. The pronoun "he" refers to the man who announced the loss of the measuring cup and who naturally himself came forward to make the search. The reason why he searched Benjamin's luggage last lies in the fact that, owing to Joseph's kindly attitude towards him, the proclaimer naturally desired to show the greatest possible deference to Benjamin. 1459