Appearance
Verses 93–102
This section of verses presents the conclusion to the story of Joseph. It contains the verses in which Joseph instructs his brothers to convey his shirt to their father and to return to him with their entire family. Subsequently, they enter Egypt and he reunites with his parents.
اذْهَبُواْ بِقَمِيصِي هَذَا فَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَى وَجْهِ أَبِي يَأْتِ بَصِيرًا وَأْتُونِي بِأَهْلِكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ٩٣
(12:93) Take this shirt of mine, and cast it upon my father’s face; he will regain his sight, and bring me all your folks.
This is a continuation of Joseph’s speech, in which he instructs his brothers to take his shirt to their father and place it on his face so that God may heal his eyes, restoring his sight after he had become blind due to his excessive grief and crying for the loss of Joseph. This act represents the last of the miraculous interventions God displayed in favor of Joseph in this chapter, where He turned events to his advantage, contrary to their initial appearances. Despite the malicious intentions of his brothers, who envied him, belittled him, and tried to remove him from his family by casting him into the well and selling him into slavery. However, God turned these very actions into blessings for Joseph. These actions, meant to harm him, became the reason he took up residence in the house of Potiphar in Egypt, enjoyed a place of honor, and later ascended to a position of power, where his brothers would beseech him saying, ‘O mighty one! Distress has befallen our family, and us, and we have brought a meager sum. Yet grant us the full measure, and be charitable to us! Indeed Allah rewards the charitable’ ()
Furthermore, when the wife of Potiphar and other women of Egypt desired Joseph and attempted to seduce him, God preserved him, and this very incident served to establish his innocence and highlight his virtuousness. Then, when they humiliated him by imprisoning him, but this too became a means for his eventual honor and authority in the land.
When his brothers first returned to their father with Joseph’s blood-stained shirt, falsely indicating his death, it became a source of their father’s overwhelming grief. Such was the grief that it blinded him. But God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, restored his sight. In essence, while circumstances seemed to conspire to bring Joseph down, God’s will aimed to elevate him. And what God willed occurred, irrespective of what the apparent circumstances suggested.
When Joseph said, ‘and bring me all your folks,’ this was a command for the entire house of Jacob—including Jacob himself, his family, his children, and his progeny—to migrate from their pastoral life to settle in Egypt.
وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ الْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ لَوْلاَ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ٩٤
(12:94) As the caravan set off (faṣalat al-ʿīr), their father said, ‘I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard (tufannidūni).’
The term faṣl means to separate or be separated from something.
The verb tanfīd (from whence derives tufannidūn) is derived from fand, meaning to be of poor judgment or lacking in wisdom.
The meaning here is that when the caravan carrying Joseph’s shirt left Egypt and was distant from it, Jacob, speaking to those of his sons who were with him, sensed the familiar scent of Joseph, portending their forthcoming reunion. He might have been more convinced of this feeling had his sons not previously accused him of being delusional.
قَالُواْ تَاللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِي ضَلالِكَ الْقَدِيمِ ٩٥
(12:95) They said, ‘By God, you persist in your inveterate error (ḍalālika al-qadīm).’
This was Jacob’s sons’ response to him when he mentioned Joseph. The term qadīm here means the opposite of new, referring to something that has been present for a while. Some of his sons who were with him retorted with this, reflecting their persistent attitude throughout the story. At the beginning of the story, they had said, ‘Our father is indeed in manifest error’ (), and now, as it approaches its conclusion, they say again, By God, you persist in your inveterate error.
It seems that what they meant by ‘error’ (ḍalāl) on both occasions was what they saw as Jacob’s excessive love for Joseph. They felt that they, being many and strong, were more deserving of their father’s love and attention, as they took care of the household and defended it. In their eyes, Jacob had deviated from the path of wisdom by favoring his two youngest children who offered no tangible support, while neglecting his more capable elder sons. After Joseph’s apparent death, Jacob was deeply grieved, continuously mourning to the point that he lost his sight and became bent-backed—this only further frustrated his elder sons.
In referencing their father’s prior ḍalāl, they did not mean to suggest this in the sense of religious deviation, which would be tantamount to disbelief. This is for the following reasons:
Firstly, the various parts of their statements throughout the story attest to the fact that they were monotheists, following the religion of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Secondly, the reference here, as well as at the beginning of the story when they said, ‘Our father is indeed in manifest error’ does not contain anything to suggest a form of religious deviation. Rather, it refers to a practical and personal matter: the preferential love of a father for some children over others. This is what is meant by ‘error’ in this context, because they saw this love as misplaced.
فَلَمَّا أَن جَاءَ الْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَاهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فَارْتَدَّ بَصِيرًا قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ ٩٦
(12:96) When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast it on his face, and he regained his sight. He said, ‘Did I not tell you, ‘‘I know from Allah what you do not know?’’
The bearer of good news is the one who brought the shirt to Jacob. Here, Jacob reminds his sons of the statement he made earlier when they rebuked him for mentioning Joseph: ‘I complain of my anguish and grief only to Allah. I know from Allah what you do not know.’ The meaning of this verse is clear.
قَالُواْ يَا أَبَانَا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ ٩٧
(12:97) They said, ‘Father! Plead for forgiveness of our sins! We have indeed been erring.’
The ones speaking here are Jacob’s sons, as is evident from their address: ‘O our father!’ By ‘sins’ here, they are referring to their transgressions related to Joseph and his brother. As for Joseph, he had already prayed for their forgiveness before.
قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّيَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ٩٨
(12:98) He said, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you (sawfa astaghfiru la-kum); indeed He is the All-forgiving, the All-merciful.’
Jacob postponed seeking forgiveness for them, as indicated by his words, sawfa astaghfiru la-kum, in which he used the future particle sawfa. Perhaps the reason he delayed this was to fully relish the joy of reuniting with Joseph and allow his heart to completely heal from the pain of separation before seeking forgiveness on their behalf. Some traditions suggest that he postponed his supplication to a time when prayers are more likely to be answered—and we will discuss these later.
فَلَمَّا دَخَلُواْ عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ادْخُلُواْ مِصْرَ إِن شَاء اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ ٩٩
(12:99) When they entered into the presence of Joseph, he set his parents close to himself, and said, ‘Welcome to Egypt, in safety, God willing!’
Once again, we notice that parts of the story have been left implicit for the sake of brevity: The narrative implies that Jacob and his family left their land and journeyed to Egypt. Upon their arrival, the events described in the verse occurred.
… he set his parents close to himself has been explained as meaning that he embraced them. When he said, ‘Welcome to Egypt …,’ this suggests that Joseph initially left Egypt to receive them and then invited them to enter Egypt as a gesture of respect and politeness. Joseph’s statement, ‘… in safety, God willing’ is profoundly eloquent, as he simultaneously demonstrates his authority by granting them safety and imposing his rule, as is the customs of kings. However, he predicates all of this on God’s will, signifying that human intentions only manifest when aligned with divine will, underscoring the essence of pure monotheism. The narrative suggests that their entrance and settlement in Egypt was only permissible with the permission of its ruler, which is why he assured them of safety at the outset.
The Qurʾan uses the term ‘his parents,’ but commentators differ on whether this refers to his actual mother and father, or if it means Jacob and Joseph’s maternal aunt, based on the idea that his mother died when he was young. However, the Qurʾanic discourse does not provide evidence supporting either reading, though the apparent meaning suggests that they were his biological parents.
Thus the meaning of the verse is: When they—Joseph’s parents, brothers, and their households—entered into the presence of Joseph—outside of Egypt—he set his parents close to himself—and embraced them—and said—giving them a guarantee of safety—‘Welcome to Egypt, in safety, God willing!’
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّواْ لَهُ سُجَّدًا وَقَالَ يَا أَبَتِ هَذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُم مِّنَ الْبَدْوِ مِن بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَاء إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ ١٠٠
(12:100) And he raised his parents high upon the throne (ʿarsh), and they fell down prostrate before him (kharrū la-hu sujjadan). He said, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true. He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you over from the desert (badw) after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is all-attentive in bringing about what He wishes. Indeed, He is the All-knowing, the All-wise.’
An ʿarsh is an elevated seat, and the term is commonly used to denote the dais that is reserved for a king. The verb kharūr means to fall to the ground. Badw means to live the Bedouin life in the desert, as this was how Jacob lived before coming to Egypt.
And he raised his parents high upon the throne means that he seated them upon the royal throne where he sat, out of respect. The narrative suggests they were raised onto the throne by Joseph’s command, facilitated by his attendants, and not by him personally. The bowing down described by the phrase, and they fell down prostrate before him, likely occurred immediately upon seeing Joseph. It is as if they entered the room, were seated, and then when Joseph appeared, illuminated with divine light reflecting his exceptional beauty, such that they could not help but prostrate before him.
Regarding the phrase, and they fell down prostrate before him, the pronoun ‘him’ refers to Joseph, as indicated by the context, signifying that he was the one prostrated to. While some argue that this prostration was intended for God, given the prohibition of prostrating to anyone other than Him, there is no linguistic evidence to support this view. A similar instance occurs in the Qurʾan in the story of Adam and the angels, where God said, When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they prostrated, but not Iblis ().
The evidence that the prostration was not a form of worship directed to Joseph is that among those who prostrated to him was Jacob. The Qurʾan explicitly states that Jacob was devoted solely to God, associating no partners with Him. Similarly, Joseph to whom the prostration was directed, is also affirmed in the Qurʾan as someone who refrains from associating partners with God. This is evident when he said to his fellow inmates in prison, ‘It is not for us to ascribe any partner to Allah’ (), and nothing deterred them from this belief.
Thus, it is only logical to conclude that they took Joseph as a sign from God and used him as a direction for their prostration, intending to worship God through this act, similar to the way in which the Kaʿba is used as a direction for prayer in Islam, with the worship being directed toward God, not the Kaʿba itself. It is well-known that a sign, being merely symbolic, has no intrinsic divinity and thus the only deity worthy of worship remains God, the Exalted. This topic has been discussed at length in earlier parts of this book.
From this, it becomes evident that some of the justifications offered by other commentators are unfounded. For example, the claim that the customary greeting during that time was prostration, similar to how greeting in Islam is to offer peace, or the assertion that the act of prostration was a prevalent custom then and was not explicitly forbidden unless it was directed to someone other than God, similar to certain practices in Islam, or even the idea that their prostration was akin to the act of bowing as practiced by some non-Arabs. None of these find any evidence in the text or elsewhere.
He said, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true …’—When Joseph witnessed his parents and eleven brothers prostrating to him, he recalled the dream he had seen earlier in his life where eleven stars, the sun, and the moon were prostrating to him, a dream he had shared with his father when he was a child. Referring to their prostration, he remarked, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true.’
He then expressed gratitude to his Lord, saying, ‘He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison …’—He recalled the favors that God had bestowed upon him in releasing him from a trying situation, the prison, and replacing it with ease and blessings, elevating him to a position of honor and leadership.
Note that Joseph does not mention being thrown into the well, given the presence of his brothers, as he did not wish to remind them of a past event that might upset them. Out of nobility and chivalry, he alluded to it in the most graceful manner without casting blame, saying, ‘…and brought you over from the desert after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers’ Here, the phrase, ‘incited ill feeling,’ refers to the act of causing disruption or mischief. What he means to convey is that after the devil had caused division between him and his brothers, leading to certain events and their separation, God, in His mercy, brought Joseph to Egypt, blessed him with comfort, honor, and authority, and eventually reunited them all, moving them from the rural lands to a place of urbanized civilization.
In other words, Joseph is saying: ‘All the various adversities befell me are due to the devil causing division between me and my brothers. Of these troubles, particularly difficult were the estrangement from you and the ordeal of imprisonment. Yet, God treated me favorably, deflecting these hardships from me one after another. These were not ordinary tribulations, but rather massive challenges and knots that seemed impossible to untie. Nevertheless, through His kindness and immense power, God intervened, turning what were once causes of destruction and misery into sources of life and blessing.’ And that is why, following these last three points, after his statement, ‘He was certainly gracious to me …,’ he adds, ‘Indeed my Lord is all-attentive in bringing about what He wishes.’
When Joseph says, ‘Indeed my Lord is all-attentive (laṭīf) in bringing about what He wishes,’ he is explaining the reason why he was released from prison and his family came to Egypt from the desert. This phrase highlights the special care and favor God bestowed upon him. The hardships that surrounded him would not have loosened or deviated from their course by any ordinary means, but God, being attentive in His will, transformed each of these harsh circumstances into a source of comfort and ease. What were once causes of humiliation and enslavement became means of honor and authority.
Al-Laṭīf (‘the Gentle,’ ‘the Attentive,’ or ‘the Subtle’) is one of God’s exalted names. It indicates His omnipresence and encompassment of even the most far removed of circumstances. It alludes to His understanding of the innermost aspects of things. This emanates from His divine attribute of all-encompassing power and knowledge. The term ‘laṭīf’ in its essence refers to subtlety, intricacy, and the ability to permeate the finest of spaces. It is also used metaphorically for kindness, sagacity, and the act of gentleness.
When Joseph says, ‘Indeed He is the All-knowing, the All-wise,’ this provides a rationale for everything he recounted beginning from, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true …’ He ends his speech with these two names to align with his father’s description of God when discussing his dream, when Jacob said, ‘Your Lord is indeed all-knowing, all-wise.’ It is also plausible that use of the definitive article al- in the All-knowing, the All-wise (al-ʿalīm al-ḥakīm) emphasizes affirmation (that is, ‘He really is the All-knowing, the All-wise’), signifying his acknowledgment of his father’s description on the day long ago when he first recounted his dream to him.
رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الأَحَادِيثِ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ ١٠١
(12:101) ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter! Let my death be in submission, and unite me with the Righteous.’
After Joseph praised his Lord and recounted the difficulties God averted from him, he wished to mention the distinct blessings God had bestowed upon him. Overwhelmed by divine love and detached from anything else, he shifted his address from his father, to focus solely on God. Turning to his Lord, he declared, ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams.’
‘Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter!’—Joseph begins a new statement, in which he redoubles his praise of God and returns to extolling the principle of divine guardianship (wilāya) after having mentioned some of its apparent manifestations, such as his release from prison, the arrival of his family from the desert, the kingdom granted to him, and the knowledge of interpreting dreams. For surely God the Exalted is the Lord in all matters great and small and is the sole guardian in this world and the next.
God’s divine guardianship (wilāya)—by which I mean His sustaining of everything in its essence, attributes, and actions—stems from His creation and manifestation of all things, and from bringing them into manifest existence from the hiddenness of non-existence. Thus, He is the originator of the heavens and the earth. Therefore, the hearts of His chosen ones and sincere servants are directed toward Him through this name, which signifies His existence in Himself and His bringing other things into existence. As God has said, ‘‘Is there any doubt about Allah, the originator of the heavens and the earth?’ ().
In this way, Joseph, being one of those who are sincerely devoted to God, began his acknowledgment of this divine guardianship by saying, Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter! In other words, he is saying, ‘I am utterly under Your guardianship, without any agency or autonomy in myself, my attributes, my actions, or possessing any benefit, harm, life, death, or resurrection for myself.’
His statement, ‘Let my death be in submission, and unite me with the Righteous,’ reveals that, having immersed himself in a state of humility before the Lord of Majesty and acknowledged His guardianship in both this life and the next, he supplicated with the request of a subject to his master. He asked that he be as God’s guardianship entails in both lives: to be submissive as long as he lives in this world and to be among the righteous in the Hereafter. For the perfection (kamāl) of a divine servant (ʿabd) lies in his surrender to his Lord, submitting what the Lord wants from him while he lives, not exhibiting what He dislikes, and not accepting that any of his own achievements belong to him. He should also be righteous, worthy of being in the proximity of his Lord and deserving of His lofty blessings in matters that do not revert to the servant’s choice. This is his request for submission in this world and to be among the righteous in the Hereafter, which is what God, exalted be He, granted to his grandfather Abraham as stated, We certainly chose him in the (present) world, and in the Hereafter he will indeed be among the Righteous. When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit,’ he said, ‘I submit to the Lord of all the worlds’ ().
The submission which he asked God to grant him represents the utmost level of submission and the highest rank of divine servanthood, for it is the act of total surrender to God. This means that a servant should not see in himself, nor in anything that he does, any form of independence, to the extent that nothing of his own being, his attributes, or his actions should distract him from his Lord. And if attributed to God, the servant’s devotion is entirely for himself.
From the preceding, it becomes clear that his statement, ‘Let my death be in submission (tawaffanī musliman),’ is a plea by Joseph for God to continuously preserve his sincerity and devotion and cause his state of submission to endure for as long as he lives. In other words, it means to live in a state of submission until God takes his life. This indicates a request for God to keep him steadfast in submission until his death. It does not imply that he should die in the state of submission even if he had not submitted to God before that moment. Nor is it merely a request to die while being a Muslim as if to say, ‘I am a Muslim, so let me pass away now.’
This clarifies the mistaken notion presented by several early exegetes that when Joseph uttered the words, ‘Let my death be in submission,’ this was a plea asking God for death. Some even said: ‘No prophet had ever asked God for death or hoped for it except Joseph.’
ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاء الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُواْ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ ١٠٢
(12:102) These are accounts of the Unseen which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they conspired together (ajmaʿū amra-hum) and schemed.
The demonstrative pronoun ‘these’ refers to the story of Joseph. The address (‘you’) here is directed to the Prophet Muḥammad. The pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’ refer to Joseph’s brothers, with ajmaʿū being derived from ijmāʿ meaning their collective determination and intent to act.
The phrase, … and you were not with them …, serves as an adverbial qualifier for the pronoun ‘you’ in ‘reveal to you.’ The statement, … We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they conspired together and schemed, elaborates on These are accounts of the Unseen. The implication here is that the story of Joseph is one of the hidden matters, for We reveal it to you, and the circumstances were such that you were not present when Joseph’s brothers were determined on their scheme, plotting against Joseph.
Examining Narrations
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is narrated from Abū Baṣīr from Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir, in a lengthy narration: ‘Joseph told his brothers, “There shall be no reproach on you today. May Allah forgive you … Take this shirt of mine—the one stained with the tears from my eyes— and cast it upon my father’s face; he will regain his sight, and bring me all your folks.” He dispatched them back to Jacob that day and provided them with all they needed. As their caravan departed from Egypt, Jacob sensed Joseph’s scent and said to those present, including his children, “I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard.”
His sons approached quickly, holding the shirt, joyful and elated by what they had seen of Joseph’s status and the authority God had bestowed upon him. Their journey from Egypt to where Jacob resided took nine days. When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast it on his face, and he regained his sight. Jacob asked, “What happened to Benjamin?” They replied, “We left him in good condition with his brother.” Jacob praised God for this blessing, prostrated in gratitude, his sight was restored, and his back straightened. He then told his sons, “Go to Joseph with all of you today.” They journeyed to Joseph, and with them were Jacob and Joseph’s maternal aunt Yāmīl. Eagerly, they traveled for nine days to Egypt.’
Author’s comment: The woman, Jacob’s wife who traveled with him to Egypt, and who was Benjamin’s mother, was Joseph’s maternal aunt, not his actual mother. This fact is mentioned in several narrations and is apparent in the Qur’an. Some other narrations indicates that she was indeed Joseph’s mother and that Joseph and Benjamin were full brothers by the same mother. However, these narrations are not strong enough to conclusively refute the former ones.
- In Majmaʿ al-bayān, al-Ṭabrisī narrates from Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ṣādiq, regarding the verse, ‘I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard’ (): ‘Jacob sensed Joseph’s scent when the caravan departed from Egypt, while he was in Palestine, a journey of ten nights away.’
Author’s comment: It has been narrated in several traditions from both Sunnī and Shiʿi sources that the shirt Joseph sent to Jacob had, in fact, been sent down from Paradise. It was Abraham’s shirt, given to him by Gabriel when he was thrown into the fire. When Abraham wore it, he felt cool and safe. Isaac inherited it, and later Jacob. Jacob made it into an amulet, hanging it on Joseph when he was born. It remained around his neck until Joseph removed it from the amulet, releasing the scent of Paradise which Jacob recognized. These narrations are of uncertain reliability, however, especially given their weak chains of transmission.
Similarly, there are other narratives from both sects which include a letter written by Jacob to Joseph. In this letter, written while Jacob believed Joseph to be the governor of Egypt on behalf of the Pharaoh’s household, he sought the release of Benjamin. In the letter, he mentions that he is the son of Isaac, the one God commanded his grandfather, Abraham, to sacrifice, only later to ransom him with a great sacrifice. It should be noted that in an earlier part of the book, we discussed that the one to be sacrificed was actually Ishmael, not Isaac.
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, Nashīt b. Nāṣiḥ al-Bajalī says: ‘I asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh: ‘Were the brothers of Joseph prophets?’ He replied, ‘No, nor were they virtuous devout men. And how could they be when they said to their father, “By God, you persist in your inveterate error”?’
Author’s comment: There are narratives in Sunnī sources and some weak Shiʿi traditions which assert that they were indeed prophets. However, these reports are refuted by what has been conclusively established from the verses of the Qurʾan, the traditions, and rational arguments concerning the infallibility of prophets. What appears in the Qurʾan suggesting that the tribes were prophets, as in the verse, and We revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes (), contains no explicit indication that ‘the Tribes’ (al-Asbāṭ) referred to the brothers of Joseph. Rather, the term ‘Asbāṭ’ can refer to all the tribes of the Children of Israel whose lineage traces back to Jacob. As in God’s saying, “We split them up into twelve tribal communities ().
- In al-Faqīh, Shaykh al-Ṣadūq narrates via his chain from Muḥammad b. Muslim, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh about Jacob’s words to his sons, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you,’ He said: ‘Jacob deferred this until the pre-dawn hours of Friday.’
Author’s comment: There are other narratives in line with this. In Al-Durr al-manthūr, for example, al-Suyūṭī relates from Ibn Jarīr and Abū al-Shaykh, from Ibn ʿAbbās, from the Prophet: ‘The words of my brother Jacob to his sons, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you,’ mean that he delayed asking this until the eve of Friday.’
- In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates via his chain from al-Faḍl b. Abī Qurra, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh: ‘The Messenger of God stated, “The best time you supplicate to God is during the pre-dawn hours.” Then he recited the verse about Jacob saying, “I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you”, and said: “He delayed this until the pre-dawn hours.”
Author’s comment: A similar narrative is reported in Al-Durr al-manthūr from Abū al-Shaykh and Ibn Mardawayh via Ibn ʿAbbās. The Prophet was asked: ‘Why did Jacob delay asking for forgiveness for his sons?’ He said: ‘He delayed it until the pre-dawn hours, because this is the time in which prayers are answered.’
We have already discussed the reasons this delay in our commentary on the verses. Moreover, when Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, he approached them with chivalry and honor, without reproaching them for the harm they caused him. It is fitting then that he forgave them and sought forgiveness for them promptly. However, Jacob’s attitude toward them when his sight was restored by casting the shirt upon him was not of the same nature.
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, it is narrated from Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā, from Yaḥya b. Aktham, that he asked Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. Mūsā about a number of things, and he then presented these questions to Abū al-Ḥasan. One of them was: ‘Tell me about God’s saying, And he raised his parents high upon the throne, and they fell down prostrate before him (), did Jacob and his sons prostrate to Joseph even while they were prophets?
Abū al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā replied: ‘As for the prostration of Jacob and his sons to Joseph, it was not for Joseph. Rather, it was an act of obedience to God and a greeting to Joseph, just as the angels’ prostration to Adam was not for Adam, but an act of obedience to God and a greeting to Adam. So Jacob, his sons, and Joseph with them prostrated in gratitude to God for their reunion. Did you not see that he said in his gratitude at that time: ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter! Let my death be in submission, and unite me with the Righteous’ ().
Author’s comment: Some discussion has already taken place about their prostration to Joseph in the explanation of the verses, above, and the apparent meaning of the narration is that Joseph also prostrated with them as they did. This is inferred from Joseph’s words of gratitude: My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom …’ However, this inference is somewhat tentative.
- Al-ʿAyyāshī also narrates this tradition in his own Tafsīr, from Muḥammad b. Saʿīd al-Azadī, the companion of Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. al-Riḍā. He said to his brother: ‘Yaḥya b. al-Aktham wrote to him asking about some questions. One was: “Inform me about God’s saying, And he raised his parents high upon the throne, and they fell down prostrate before him …, did Jacob and his sons prostrate to Joseph?”
He said, “I asked him about that, and he said: ‘As for the prostration of Jacob and his son to Joseph, it was in gratitude to God for their reunion. Do you not see that he says in his gratitude at that time: ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams …’”
Author’s comment: What al-ʿAyyāshī narrated is closer in meaning to the wording of the verse and less ambiguous in nature than what is found in al-Qummī’s commentary.
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is narrated from Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, from some of his companions, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh, regarding God’s saying, And he raised his parents high upon the throne …, he said: ‘The throne is the dais (sarīr).’ And regarding His saying, and they fell down prostrate before him, he said: ‘Their prostration was an act of worship to God.’
- In the same source, it is narrated from Abū Baṣīr, from Imām al-Bāqir that he said in a narration: ‘They journeyed for nine days to Egypt. When they entered Joseph’s presence in the king’s house, he embraced his father, kissed him and wept. He lifted his aunt onto the king’s dais, then he entered his house where he anointed himself, applied kohl, and wore the garments of honor and kingship. Then he returned to them…’—another version reads: ‘…he went out to them’—‘And, when they saw him, they all prostrated in reverence and gratitude to God. At this, he said: “Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true. He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you over from the desert after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers.”’
He continued: ‘During those twenty years, Joseph did not anoint himself, apply kohl, wear perfume, laugh, or touch women until God reunited him with Jacob and brought together him, Jacob and his brothers.’
- In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates via his chain of narrators from al-ʿAbbās b. Hilāl al-Shāmī, the freedman of Abū al-Ḥasan, he said: ‘I asked him: “May I be your ransom, what is more wondrous to people than eating coarse food, wearing rough clothes and being humble?” He replied, “Do you not know that Joseph, a prophet and the son of a prophet, used to wear silk caps embroidered with gold? He would sit in the assemblies of Pharaoh’s family and judge. People did not need his clothes, but they needed his justice.
What is required of an Imām is that when he speaks, he speaks the truth, when he promises, he fulfills, and when he judges, he is fair—because God does not forbid any food or drink that is lawful—and forbids the unlawful, whether little or much. God has said: Say, ‘Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good things of provision?’”
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is narratred from Muḥammad b. Muslim: ‘I asked Abū Jaʿfar: “How long did Jacob live with Joseph in Egypt, after God reunited the two of them and showed him the fulfillment of Joseph’s dream?” He said: “He lived for two years.” I asked: “Who was then the divine authority (ḥujja) on earth, Jacob or Joseph?” He said: “Jacob was the divine authority and Joseph was the king. When Jacob died, Joseph carried Jacob’s bones in a coffin to the Levant and buried him in Jerusalem. Then Joseph, the son of Jacob, became the divine authority.’
Author’s comment: The narrations about his story are numerous. We have limited ourselves to those that touch on the verses of the Qurʾan, although most of them are not without confusions in their texts and weaknesses in their chains of narrators.
One report says that God Almighty placed prophethood from the family of Jacob in the loins of Levi, who was the one who prevented his brothers from killing Joseph when he said: ‘Do not kill Joseph, but throw him into the recess of some well …’ (). He is also the one who said to his brothers when Joseph took Benjamin on the accusation of theft: I will never leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah passes a judgment for me, and He is the best of judges’ (), so God granted his children prophethood in gratitude for that.
Another report says that that Joseph married the wife of Potiphar, the woman who had tried to seduce him. This was after Potiphar had died during those barren years. It is not unlikely that this was a form of grace from God to her when she confirmed Joseph’s truthfulness in her saying: ‘Now the truth has come to light! It was I who solicited him, and he is indeed telling the truth’ (), assuming the narration is authentic.
Discourse
The discussions “On the Story of Joseph”; “An Excursus on the Nature of Dreams” appear here in the printed volume. Read them in the Al-Mizan App.