The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 259
PT. 13 YUSUF CH. 12 قَالُواءَ إِنَّكَ لَاَنْتَ يُوْسُفُ قَالَ أَنَا They replied, Art thou. 91 Joseph?' He said, 'Yes, I am يُوْسُفُ وَهُذَا أَخِي قَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا. Joseph and this is my brother إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ Allah has indeed been gracious أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ to us. Verily, whoso is righteous and is steadfast "Allah will never suffer the reward of the good to be lost. '1590 Surely has Allah preferred thee قَالُوا تَاللهِ لَقَدْ تَرَكَ اللهُ عَلَيْنَا وَ اِنْ كُنَّا !They replied, By Allah. 92 لَخْطِيْنَ above us and we have indeed been sinners. '1591 قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيْبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ اللهُ He said, “No blame shall lie. 93 on you this day; may Allah "12:57. approaching the subject. He therefore here reminds them of what they did with Joseph and his brother and thus disclosed indirectly his identity, at the same time comforting them by saying that they should worry no more about their past misdeeds because what they had done was the result of ignorance as they did not realize the full implication of their deeds. It is the exhibition of such good manners on such difficult occasions that shows the great moral heights to which man can rise. 1590. Commentary: The way in which Joseph referred to the past behaviour of his brothers, coupled with the repeated assurance of their father that Joseph was alive, did not take long in suggesting to them the idea that the high dignitary standing before them was no other than Joseph himself. So they asked in surprise, "Art thou Joseph?", upon which Joseph, not desiring to keep them in suspense any longer, at once revealed his identity to them. After having disclosed himself to them, he gently told them that one could not overcome difficulties by merely begging and suffering oneself to be degraded, but that the secret of all success lay in piety and patience, in hard work and in trusting in God Who was ever the Protecting Friend of the righteous. 1467 1591. Commentary: At long last the good nature of Joseph's brothers manifested itself. They admitted that, in spite of all their opposition to Joseph, God had exalted him over them and he deserved it; for it is they who had been the sinners.