Tafseer Ibn Kathir of YUSUF [80]

80. So, when they despaired of him, they consulted 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 you did fail in your duty with Yusuf Therefore I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah decides my case and He is the Best of the judges. 81. ”Return to your father and say, `O our father! Verily, your son has stolen, and we testify not except according to what we know, and we could not know the Unseen! 82. 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. Allah's Prophet Ya`qub repeated to his children the same words he said to them when they brought false blood on Yusuf' shirt,

(Nay, but your own selves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me).) Muhammad bin Ishaq said, ”When they went back to Ya`qub and told him what happened, he did not believe them and thought that this was a repetition of what they did to Yusuf. So he said,

(Nay, but your own selves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me).) Some said that since this new development came after what they did before ï´¿to Yusufï´¾, they were given the same judgement to this later incident that was given to them when they did what they did ï´¿to Yusufï´¾. Therefore, Ya`qub's statement here is befitting,

(Nay, but your own selves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me).) He then begged Allah to bring back his three sons: Yusuf, Binyamin and Rubil to him.'' Rubil had remained in Egypt awaiting Allah's decision about his case, either his father's permission ordering him to go back home, or to secure the release of his brother in confidence. This is why Ya`qub said,

(May be Allah will bring them (back) all to me. Truly, He! Only He is All-Knowing,), in my distress,

(the All-Wise), in His decisions and the decree and preordainment He appoints. Allah said next,

(And he turned away from them and said: ”Alas, my grief for Yusuf!'') He turned away from his children and remembered his old grief for Yusuf,

(Alas, my grief for Yusuf!) The new grief, losing Binyamin and Rubil, renewed his old sadness that he kept to himself. `Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ath-Thawri said that Sufyan Al-`Usfuri said that Sa`id bin Jubayr said, ”Only this nation ﴿the following of Prophet Muhammad ﴾ were given Al-Istirja'. Have you not heard the statement of Ya`qub, peace be upon him,

(”Alas, my grief for Yusuf !'' And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing. )'' Ya`qub suppressed his sorrow and did not complain to a created being, according to Qatadah and other scholars. Ad-Dahhak also commented, ”Ya`qub was aggrieved, sorrowful and sad.'' Ya`qub's children felt pity for him and said, while feeling sorrow and compassion,

(By Allah! You will never cease remembering Yusuf), `you will keep remembering Yusuf,

(until you become weak with old age,), until your strength leaves you,'

(or until you be of the dead.) They said, `if you continue like this, we fear for you that you might die of grief,'

(He said: ”I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah.'') When they said these words to him, Ya`qub said,

`(I only complain of my grief and sorrow) for the afflictions that struck me,

(to Allah, ) alone,

(and I know from Allah that which you know not.) I anticipate from Allah each and every type of goodness.' Ibn `Abbas commented on the meaning of,

(and I know from Allah that which you know not.) ”The vision that Yusuf saw is truthful and Allah will certainly make it come true.''