HISTORY OF TABARI
VOLUME 2
TARIKH WA RASUL AL MULK
Yusuf a.s
Yusuf a.s said , " No, rather it was ' she who asked of me an evil act, [378. Ibid ., 12:26.] and I refused and fled from her. But she overtook me and tore my shirt." Rail's cousin said, "The evidence for this matter is in the shirt. If it is torn in front , then she is honest and he is a liar. And if it is torn from behind, then she has lied and he is honest. " [379. Ibid., 12:26-27] The shirt was brought and Potiphar found it torn from behind. He said, "This is [typical of ] the guile of you women . Your guile is very great . Yusuf a.s, turn away from this, and you, 0 woman, ask forgiveness for your sin. Verily you are a sinful person. " [380. Ibid., 12:28-29.]
According to Muhammad b. 'Umarah--'Ubaydallah b. Musa-Shayban-Abu Ishaq-Nawf al-Sha'mi: Yusuf a.s did no want to tell Potiphar of the matter until Rill said, "How would you reward one who wishes evil to your folk, if not by imprisonment or a painful doom? " [381. Ibid ., 12:25] Then he became angry and said, " She asked of me an evil act."
There is a difference of opinion about which member of her family it was who pointed out that " if it is torn in front, then she is honest and he is a liar. [ 382. Ibid ., 12:26.] Some agree with what I have reported from al-Suddi , while others have said that it was a child in his cradle. [383. For a Jewish version , see Ginzberg, Legends , II, 57salso V, 342, n. 134.] This version has come down from the Messenger of God by way of al-Hasan b . Muhammad-'Affan b. Muslim-Hammad-'Ata' b. al-Sa'ib-Sa'id b. Jubayr-Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet said, "There were four people who spoke when they were small," and he mentioned among them this witness of Yusuf ‘s a.s.
According to Ibn Waki'-al-'Ala' b. 'Abd al-Jabbir-Hammad b. Salamah-'Ata' b. al-Sa'ib-Said b. Jubayr -Ibn 'Abbas: There were four who spoke when they were small, and they were the son of the Pharaoh's daughter Mashatah, the witness of Yusuf a.s, the companion of Jurayj, and Isa a.s, the son of Maryam.
It has also been said that the witness was the shirt itself and the tear in its back.
Concerning Some of Those Who Said That
According to Muhammad b. 'Umar-Abu 'Asim-'Isa-Ibn Abi Najih-Mujahid: Regarding God's statement, "A witness of her own folk testified," [384. Qur'an, 12:26.] it meant that his shirt was torn from behind, and that was the testimony. So when the woman's husband saw Yusuf,s a.s shirt tom from behind, he said to his wife Rail, "This is [typical of ] the guile of you women. Indeed your guile is very great." [385. Ibid., 12:28] He said to Yusuf a.s, "Refrain from talking about the evil act which she was asking of you, and do not mention it to anyone." Turning back to his wife, he said to her, "Ask forgiveness for your sin. You are indeed a sinful person. " [386. Ibid., 12:29.]
Throughout the city of Egypt women talked of what had happened between Yusuf a.s and the wife of the ruler, and of how she had asked an evil act of him; the matter could not be hidden. They said, "The ruler's wife is asking of her slave-boy an evil deed. He has smitten her to the heart with love. " [387. Ibid., 12:30.] For her love for Yusuf a.s had reached the pericardium of her heart, entered beneath it, and overpowered her heart. The pericardium is the cover and veil of the heart.
According to Ibn Waki'-'Amr b. Muhammad-Asbat-alSuddi: They said, "He has smitten her with love." [388. Id] The pericardium is a skin on the heart, which is called the tongue of the heart. Love entered the skin until it assailed the heart.
When the ruler's wife heard of this talk and came to know that they were talking among themselves about the situation between her and Yusuf a.s , she sent for them and prepared a support made of cushions on which they could recline when they came to her. They came to her and she presented them with food, drink, and citrons, and she gave each of them a knife with which to cut the citrons. [389. A similar story-usually with citrus fruit but sometimes with bread and meat-is found in old aggadic collections. See Ginzberg, Legends, V, 339, n. 1x8 . Goitein, Jews and Arabs, 194-95 , says that it does not occur in ancient Midrashic texts.]
According to Sulayman b. 'Abd al-Jabbar-Muhammad b. alSalt-Abu Kudaynah-Hain-Mujahid-Ibn `Abbas: It is said, "She prepared a couch for them and gave each of them a knife." [390. Qur'an, 12:31] She had made Yusuf a.s sit in another room, and when her guests arrived she gave them citrons [391. See Tha`labi, Qisas 107, "She prepared for them citrus, melons, bananas, pomegranates , and roses...] and gave each of them a knife. This being done she called to Yusuf a.s, "Come out here to them! " [392. Qur'an, loc. cit] And Yusuf a.s came out to them, and when they saw him they exalted him and were so distracted by his beauty that they cut themselves in the hands with their knives, thinking that they were cutting their citrons. They said, "God forbid! This is not a human being. This can only be a gracious angel. [393. Id.]
After they had cut their hands on account of their distraction at seeingYusuf a.s, and had recognized their error in saying, "The ruler's wife is asking of her slave-boy an evil deed," [394. Ibid., 12:30.] and in disapproving her action, she confirmed to them that she had indeed asked of him an ill deed. She said, "This is the one on whose account you blamed me. I asked of him an evil act, but he proved continent [395. Ibid., 12:32.] after he had loosened his trousers.
According to Ibn Waki'--'Amr b. Muhammad-Asbat-alSuddi: She said, "This is the one on whose account you blamed me. I asked of him an evil act, but he proved continent." She said, " After he had loosened his trousers , he remained continent. I do not know what appeared to him. But if he does not do what I order"-that is, have intercourse -" verily he will be imprisoned and brought low ." [ 396. Id.] But Yusuf a.s chose prison over adultery and disobedience to his Lord , saying, " 0 my Lord! Prison is more dear to me than that to which they urge me. " [ 397. Ibid., 12:33.]
According to Ibn Waki '-`Amr b. Muhammad-Asbat-alSuddi : He said, " 0 my Lord! Prison is more dear to me than the adultery to which they urge me." He asked his Lord for help, saying, "If You do not fend off their wiles from me , they will gradually win me over and I will become foolish. " [398. Id.] God told him that He would answer his prayer, and He averted their guile from him and saved him from committing abomination.
At length the ruler-even though he had seen Yusuf ' s a.s shirt torn from behind , and the scratches on his face , and the women cutting their hands, and even though he knew Yusuf a.s was innocent-grew disgusted with himself for having let Yusuf a.s go free. It is said that the reason for this was that which was related by Ibn Waki '-' Amr b. Muhammad-Asbat-al- Suddi: "It seemed good to them , after they had seen the signs [of his innocence ] to imprison him for a time . " [ 399• Ibid., 12:35] The woman said to her husband, "This Hebrew slave has disgraced me among the people, claiming by way of excuse that I asked an evil act of him. I cannot give any excuse "-that is, because he had restricted her to the house by way of punishment -" so either give me leave to go out and give my excuse, or imprison him as you have imprisoned me." That is the meaning of God ' s statement, "It seemed good to them, after they had seen the signs [of his innocence ] to imprison him for a time."
It is reported that they imprisoned him for seven years.
Concerning Those Who Said That
According to Ibn Waki'- al-Muhahbi-Dawud-`Ikrimah: To imprison him for a time meant for seven years. When his master the ruler imprisoned Yusuf a.s , two young men were sent to the prison with him . They were two of the servants of the king, the great master of Egypt , al-Walid b. alRayyan. One of them was in charage of the king's food, the other of his drink.
According to In Waki `-`Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi : The king imprisoned him and became angry at his baker , having heard that he desired to poison him. So he imprisoned him, and also imprisoned the man in charge of his drink , thinking that the latter had helped the baker. He imprisoned them together, for that is God ' s statement , " For two young men went to prison with him. " [400. Ibid., 12:36.]
According to Ibn Waki`-`Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi: When Yusuf a.s entered the prison he said, "I interpret dreams." So one of the two young men said to the other, "Come, let us test this Hebrew slave." So they pretended, asking him about dreams, when they really had not dreamed anything.
The baker said , " I dreamed that I was carrying bread on my head, and the birds were eating it." And the other said, "I dreamed that I was pressing wine ." They demanded of him, "Tell us the interpretation, for we see that you are one of those who do good." [401. Id.]
As to what this " doing good " meant, there is an account relayed through Ishaq b. Abi Isra'il-Khalaf b. Khalifah-Salamah b. Nubayt: A man asked al-Dahhak about the quotation, "we see that you are one of those who do good." He asked him, "What was his good deed?" Al-Dahhak said, "Whenever a man became ill in prison, Yusuf a.s would watch over him. When he needed something Yusuf a.s would fetch it for him, and when he found the place too confining Yusuf a.s would expand it for him."
Yusuf a.s said to them, "The food which you are given will not come to you"-on this day-"but I shall tell you the interpretation "-while waking. [402. See ibid., 12:37.] He did not want to interpret for them what they had asked, so he began with something they had not asked. This was because the interpretation of what they had asked suggested something unpleasant for one of them. So he said, "O my fellow prisoners, are many different lords better, or God the One, the Almighty? " [403. Ibid., 12:39]
One of the two young men who had been sent to prison with Yusuf a.s was named Mahlab; [404. Tha'labi, Qisas, 0o8: Mujlib ; Kisa ' i, 108 : Ghalib.] he was the one who claimed to have dreamed about bread being on his head. The other one was named Nabu, [405. Thalabi: Bayus ; Kisa 'i: Abruhah.] and he was the one who claimed to have dreamed of himself pressing wine. They refused to let avoid interpreting the dreams about which they had asked him, and at last he said, "As for one of you, he will pour out wine for his lord to drink" [406. Qur' an, 12:40.] that was the one who claimed he had dreamed of himself pressing wine. "As for the other, he will be crucified, so that the birds will eat from his head. [407. Id.] Then, when he had given them these interpretations, they said, "We did not dream anything."
According to Ibn Waki`-Ibn Fudayl-`Umarah, (that is, Ibn al-Qa`qa`)-Ibrahim-`Alqamah-'Abdallah: When the two young men told Yusuf a.s of their dreams, they were only pretending to have dreamed so as to test him. When he had explained their dreams, they said, "We were only playing." He said, "Thus is the case judged about which you asked. [408. Id.]
Then he said to Nabu-the one he had said would be saved-"Mention me in the presence of your lord" [409. Ibid., 12:42.] meaning, in the presence of the king-"and tell him that I am unjustly imprisoned." But Satan made Nabu forget to mention it to the king, which was a misfortune which befell Yusuf a.s from Satan.
According to al-Harith-'Abd al-'Aziz-Ja'far b. Sulayman al-Duba ' i-Bistam b. Muslim-Malik b. Dinar : Yusuf a.s said to the cupbearer, " Mention me in the presence of your lord." And God said, "0 Yusuf a.s! You have placed trust in one other than Me, therefore I shall lengthen your imprisonment ." And Yusuf a.s wept and said, "0 Lord! The weight of my misfortunes made my heart forget, and I said a word-woe is to my brothers! " [410. The aggadic accounts interpret Yusuf a.s ' s longer imprisonment in the same way; he should have trusted in ' God alone . See Ginzberg, Legends, V, 63.]
According to Ibn Waki'-'Amr b. Muhammad-Ibrahim b. Yazid-'Amr b. Dinar-'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet said, " If Yusuf a.s had not said that -meaning what he said [to Nazbu ]-he would not have stayed in prison as long as he did because he sought deliverance from someone other than God."
As for how long Yusuf a.s stayed in prison, it was related by alHasan b. Yahya-'Abd al-Razzaq-'Imran Abu al-Hudhayl alSan ani-Wahb: Misfortune struck job for seven years, Yusuf a.s was left in prison for seven years, and Nebuchadnezzar was punished by being turned into an animal for seven years.
Then the king of Egypt had a dream which terrified him. According to In Waki'--'Amr b. Muhammad-Asbat-al-Suddi: While the king was asleep, God showed him a dream which terrified him. He saw "seven fat kine which seven lean kine were eating, and seven green ears of com and another seven dry. " [411. Qur'an, x2 : 43. See Gen 41:17-21] The king assembled his sorcerers , soothsayers , seers, and prognosticators , and told them about the dream . They said, "Jumbled dreams ! We are not knowledgeable in the interpretation of dreams. " [412. Qur'an, 12:44.]
Then the youth who had been saved, Nabu, remembered Yusuf ’s a.s request which he had forgotten. He said, "I will tell you the interpretation, so send me forth" [413. Ibid ., 12:54] that is , " release me." So they sent him forth and he came to Yusuf a.s and said, "0 truthful one! Explain to us about the seven fat kine which seven lean kine were eating , and seven green ears of com and the others dry,414 for the king has seen that in his sleep."
According to Ibn Waki`-`Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi-Ibn `Abbas: The prison was not in the city, so the cupbearer was sent out to Yusuf a.s and said, "Explain to us about the seven fat kine, etc."
According to Bishr b. Mu'adh-Yazid-Said-Qatadah: He said, " Explain to us about the seven fat kine ." The fat oneswere seven abundant years, while the lean kine were barren, sterile years . As for the statement, " And seven green ears of corn and others dry," [414. Ibid., 12:46.] the green ears were the years of abundance, while the dry ones were the sterile , barren ones. When Yusuf a.s had given Nabu this interpretation, Nabu went to the king and repeated it to him. The king realized that Yusuf ‘s a.s interpretation was correct . He said, " Bring him to me. [415. Ibid., 12:50. See the various alternate interpretations in the aggada, Ginzberg, Legends, V, 65-66, followed by Yusuf a.s correct one, ibid., 70]
According to Ibn Waki'-'Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi: When the messenger came to the king and told him, the king said, " Bring him to me."
When the messenger came to Yusuf a.s and invited him to come to the king, Yusuf a.s refused to go with him, saying, "Go back to your lord and ask him about the case of the women who cut their hands. My lord surely knows their guile. " [416. Qur' an, 12:50.]
According to al-Suddi-Ibn `Abbas: If Yusuf a.s had gone to the king before the king knew about this affair, Potiphar would have kept after him , saying, " This is the one who sought an evil act of my wife." When the messenger came back to the king from Yusuf a.s, the king assembled those women and said to them, " What happened when you asked an evil act of Yusuf a.s? [417. Ibid., 12:51]
According to Ibn Waki`-`Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi, they answered, "God forbid! We know no evil of him ." [418. Id.] But Potiphar's wife admitted that she had asked an evil act of Yusuf a.s and that he had entered the house with her . Then she said, " Now the truth is out . I asked of him an evil act, but he is surely honest. [419. Id.] Yusuf a.s said, "This"- meaning the act of sending back the messenger with letters about the women-"was so that my master Potiphar would know that I did not secretly betray him with his wife, and that ' God surely does not guide the snares of betrayers.' [420. See ibid ., 12:52.]
When Yusuf a.s had said that, Gabriel said to him that which was mentioned in the account of Abu Kurayb-Waki'-Isra 'il-Simak -'Ikrimah-Ibn 'Abbas : When the king assembled those women and asked them , " Did you ask an evil act of Yusuf a.s?" they said, "God forbid! We know no evil of him." And Potiphar ' s wife said, " Now the truth is out. I asked of him an evil act, but he is surely honest ." Yusuf a.s said, "It was so that he [Potiphar] would know that I did not secretly betray him, and that God surely does not guide the snares of betrayers. [421. Ibid., 12:51-52.] Then Jibril a.s said to him, "Did you not desire her even for one day?" And Yusuf a.s said , " I do not excuse myself . The soul does indeed drive us to evil. " [422. Ibid ., 12-53.]
When Yusuf ’s a.s innocence and faithfulness became clear to the king, he said, " Bring him to me that I may attach him to my person" [423. Ibid., 12:54.] that is , take him into royal service. And when Yusuf a.s was brought , " and when he had talked with him, he said, 'As of today you are established and trusted.' And Yusuf a.s said, ' Set me over the storehouses of the land. [424. Ibid .,12:54-55.]
According to Yunus-Ibn Wahb-Ibn Zayd: Yusuf ‘s a.s words, "Set me over the storehouses of the land," referred to the many storehouses which the Pharaoh had for food and other things. The Pharaoh turned over all his authority to him, appointing him administrator, and his orders and judgment were valid.
According to Ibn Humayd-Ibrahim b. al-Mukhtar-Shaybah al-Dabbi: His words, "Set me over the storehouses of the land," meant watching over the food supply of Egypt. He said, "I am a skilled custodian. I will be custodian of whatever you entrust to me, knowledgeable in years of famine." So the king appointed him to that post.
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah- Ibn Ishaq: When Yusuf a.s said to the king, "Set me over the storehouses of the land, for I am a skilled custodian," the king said, "I hereby do so." It is said that he appointed Yusuf a.s to Potiphar's post, dismissing Potiphar from it. God said, "Thus We gave Yusuf a.s power in the land. He was its owner where he pleased. We reach with our mercy who We will. We do not fail to reward the good. [ 425. Ibid ., 12:56.] It is said-but God knows best-that Potiphar died around that time and that the king, al-Rayyan b. al-Walid, married Yusuf a.s to Potiphar's wife Rail. [426. The biblical acount gives Yusuf ‘s a.s wife 's name as Asenath , daughter of Potiphar. The problem of whether Potiphar, Yusuf a.s s master, is the same as Potiphar, his father- in-law, and whether Asenath could be the daughter of Potiphar who was an eunuch, is discussed in Ginzberg, Legends, V, 337-338, nn. 100-101 wife 's name as Asenath , daughter of Potiphar. The problem of whether Potiphar, Yusuf a.s 's master, is the same as Potiphar, his father- in-law, and whether Asenath could be the daughter of Potiphar who was an eunuch, is discussed in Ginzberg, Legends, V, 337-338, nn. 100-101] When she was brought to him, he said, "Is this not better than what you desired?" It is said that she answered, "0 honest one, do not blame me, for as you see I was a beautiful and graceful woman, comfortable in my possessions and worldly goods, and my master did not have intercourse with women. And you were as God made you, with your beauty and appearance, and I could not control myself, as you saw." They said that he found her to be a virgin [427. Because her husband did not have intercourse with women ; see Taban, I, 379, and n. 368, above.] and had intercourse with her, and that she bore him two sons, Ephraim b. Yusuf and Manasseh b. Yusuf .
According to Ibn Waki'--'Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi: God said, "Thus We gave Yusuf a.s power in the land. He was its owner where he pleased. [428. Qur' an, 12:56.] The king set Yusuf a.s in authority over Egypt. He was in charge of all selling and commerce. This was the meaning of God's statement, "Thus We gave Yusuf a.s power in the land. He was its owner where he pleased."
Yusuf a.s administered the storehouses of the land , and became established in his office . During the seven abundant years Yusuf a.s ordered the people to leave with him all the seeds they harvested from ears of corn ( as provision for the lean years). Then the barren years began, and the people suffered from the lack of rain. One of the countries afflicted by the drought was Palestine, and it began to hurt the family of Yakub a.s, which lived there, so Yakub a.s spoke to his sons about the problem.
According to Ibn Waki'-'Amr-Asbat -al-Suddi: Hunger became widespread until it struck the land where Yakub a.s lived. So Yakub .as sent his sons to Egypt ( because he knew there was stored grain there) but kept Yusuf a.s 's full brother Benjamin in Palestine . When Yusuf a.s received them in Egypt, "He knew them but they did not know [that is, recognize] him." [429. Ibid., 12:58 ] When he looked at them, he said, "Tell me about yourselves, for I have no knowledge of you." They said, "We are people from the land of Syria." He said, "What brought you here?" They said, "We came to seek food." He said, "You lie. You are spies . How many of you are there?" They said, "Ten." He said, "You are ten thousand. Each one of you is a thousand. Tell me your story." They said, "We are brothers, sons of an honest man. We once numbered twelve, and our father loved a brother of ours. He who was the most loved by our father went to the desert with us and died there. " [430. This interrogation of the brothers seems to be a shorter version of the one found in Ginzberg, Legends, V, 83-84. For versions similar to this one see Kisa'i, 180 - 181; a shorter version is in Tha'labi, Qisas, 114.] Yusuf a.s asked, "On whom did your father rely after him?" They said, "On a brother of ours, younger than he." Yusuf a.s said, "How can you tell me that your father is honest, and loves the youngest of you more than the oldest? Bring me this brother of yours so that I may see him. And if you do not bring him to me, then there will be no grain for you, nor shall you approach me." They said, "We will try to persuade his father to send him, indeed we will." [431. Qur'an, 12 : 60-61] Yusuf a.s said, " Leave one of yourselves here to guarantee that you will return." So they left Simeon. [432. Because he had advised the brothers to put Yusuf a.s to death. See Ginzberg, Legends, V, 86.]
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah -Ibn Ishaq : When Yusuf a.s saw the sufferings of the people he was charitable to them, and fair ; he would not give more than one camel- load to a single man. He was just with the people and generous to them . Among the people who came to him were his brothers, in search of supplies in Egypt . He recognized them, but they did not recognize him, because of what God wanted to achieve with Yusuf a.s . Yusuf a.s ordered that each one of his brothers have his camel fully loaded, and said to them, "'Bring me a brother of yours from your father, [433. Qur' an, 12:59] so that I may load another camel for you and you will go back one camel - load better off. 'Do you not see that I give you the full measure [434. Id.] and no one diminishes it , ' and Ithat ) I am the best of hosts? [435. Id.] I am the best of all those who accept guests in this land , for I am giving you hospitality. But if you do not bring me your brother from your father, I will not measure out any more food for you , and do not come back to my country." Then he said to the young men who were measuring out the food for his brothers, " Place their merchandise "-he meant the price they had paid for the food- " in their saddlebags. " [436. Ibid., 12:62.]
According to Bishr-Yazid b. Zuray`-Said -Qatadah: He said, " Place their merchandise in their saddlebags ;" that is, their papers . The workers put them in the brothers' saddlebags, but the brothers did not know it. When Yakub' s a.s sons returned to their father , they said what was related by Ibn Waki`-` Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi : When they returned to their father they said, "0 our father! The king of Egypt showed us such honor that even if he had been another son of Yakub a.s he could not have honored us more, but he took Simeon as a pledge, saying, ' Bring me that brother of yours to whom your father is most attached after your brother who perished . If you do not bring him to me , I will not measure out any more food for you, nor shall you ever come near me. [437. Ibid., 12:60.]" Yakub a.s said, " Can I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? God is better at guarding, and He is the most merciful of all those who show mercy. [438. Ibid., 12:64.] When you come to the king of Egypt, greet him for me and tell him, our father blesses you and prays for you for what you have done for us.' it
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq: They travelled until they reached their father. Some scholars have told me that their dwelling-place was in al Arabat [439. Hebrew, 'Aravah, the depression from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of 'Aqabah.] in the land of Palestine, in the Ghawr of Syria. [440. Properly, the Jordan valley; see Yaqut, Mu'jam, III, 822 : " al-Ghawr is the depression Ighawrl from the land of Damascus to the land of Jerusalem."] Others say that it was in al-Awlaj" [441. Although LeStrange, Palestine, 404, has "a place in Syria" referring to Yaqut, Mu'jam, 1, 407, the latter seem to have a place in Arabia in mind.] in the region of al-Shaghb,” [442. Yaqut, Mu'jam, II, 302 , refers to it as an estate in the vicinity of Wadi al-Qura, hence in the Hijaz] lower than the two parts of Palestine . Yakub a.s owned desert land with camels and sheep. When Yusuf’s a.s brothers returned to their father Yakub a.s, they said, "0 our father! We are denied grain beyond the load of our camels, and he measured out to each of us only one camel-load , so send our brother Benjamin so that he will be given a measure for himself-we will surely guard him well." [443. See Qur' an, 12:63.] Then Yakub a.s said to them, "Can I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? God is better at guarding, and He is the most merciful of all those who show mercy." [444. Ibid., 12:64.]
When the sons of Yakub a.s who had gone to Egypt for provisions opened their belongings which they had brought back with them, they found that the price they had paid for the food had been given back to them. They said to their father, "0 our father! What more can we desire? Here is our merchandise returned to us. We shall get provision for our folk and guard our brother, and we will have the measure of an extra camel load" [445. Ibid ., 12:65.] besides the loads of our own camels."
According to al-Harith-al-Qasim-Hajjaj-Ibn Jurayj: They said, " We will have the measure of an extra camel-load." Each one of them had a camel-load, and they said, "Send our brother with us and we will add one more camel - load." [446. Ibid., 12:66]
According to In Jurayj-Mujahid: A camel-load means the load of a donkey; it is simply an expression . According to al-Harith -al-Qasim, (that is, Mujahid): In some dialects they use the word ba'u ( camel ) to mean donkey.
Yakub a.s said, "I will not send him with you unless you promise me in the name of God that you will bring him back to me, unless you are surrounded "-meaning, unless they all were killed, which would be an excuse. "When they gave him their promise," with an oath, Yakub a.s said, "God is the Warden over what we say."'
After permitting them to take their half-brother with them, he ordered that they not all go in by the same gate of the city. He feared the eyes (of the envious) upon them, for they were handsome in appearance and comely in form . He ordered them to enter by different gates . As we have it from Muhammad b. 'Abd al-AU--Muhammad b. Thawr-Ma'mar-Qatadah: Yakub a.s said, "Go in by different gates ." [447. Ibid ., 12:67.] They had been given form and beauty, and he feared men's intentions toward them.
For God has said, "And when they had entered in the manner their father had ordered, it would not have availed them anything against God, but it was a need of Yakub a.s soul which he satisfied" [448. Ibid ., 12:68] that is, he feared for his children from people 's evil eyes because of their appearance and beauty. When Yusuf ‘s a.s brothers once again came into Yusuf a.s ' s presence, he embraced his full brother (Benjamin) to himself.
According to Ibn Wald '-Amr-Asbit_al-Suddi: And when they went in to the presence of Yusuf a.s, he took his brother to himself.'' [449. Ibid., 12:69.] He recognized his brothers, giving them a place to stay and providing them with food and drink. When night fell he brought them beds and said, "Each two of you should sleep in one bed." When only the boy remained alone, Yusuf a.s said , " This one will sleep with me in my bed ." He spent the night with him and Yusuf a.s began to smell his breath and hugged him to himself until morning came . Reuben said, "We have never seen anything like this. May we be saved from him! " [450. None of the other accounts include this. At this point ( Kiss i, 183, and Tha'labi, Qisas, 116), Yusuf a.s and Benjamin sit together at one table . Benjamin tells his brother of his own children whom he has named in memory of his brother's suffering . Kisai has three sons of Benjamin ; Tha'labi has ten sons, paralleling the account ( and the names) in Ginzberg, Legends, II, 97.]
As for lbn Ishaq, we have his account through Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq : When they-that is, Yakub’s a.s sons -entered the presence of Yusuf a.s, they said, "This is our brother whom you ordered us to bring to you. We have brought him to you. It has been reported to me that Yusuf a.s said to them, "You have done well and acted rightly, and you will find the reward for that with me." Then he said, "I think that you are men whom I have wanted to honor." He called his officer in charge of hospitality and said, "House each two men separately . Honor them and entertain them well ." Then he said to the brothers, "I see that the man whom you brought has no partner with him, so I will take him to myself and his dwelling will be with me." So he housed them two by two in different dwellings, but housed Benjamin with himself. When he was alone with Benjamin he said, " I am your brother , I am Yusuf a.s.
Do not sorrow for what they did to us in bygone days, for God has been good to us. But do not tell them anything of what I have told you." God said that when they came before Yusuf a.s, he took his brother to himself, saying, " I myself am your brother, so sorrow not for what they did" [451. Qur an, 12:69.] "sorrow not" meaning "do not be sad."
When Yusuf a.s loaded his brothers ' camels with provisions, providing for their needs and filling their measures, he placed the golden drinking - cup with which he had measured the food in his brother Benjamin ' s saddlebag.
According to al-Hasan b. Muhammad -`Affan-`Abd alWahid-Yunus-al-Hasan : The metal cup (sawd`) and the drinking cup were the same-a vessel from which one drank. It is said that Yusuf a.s placed it in Benjamin's saddlebag, without Benjamin ' s knowledge.
According to Ibn Waki `-'Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi : When he gave them their provisions , he put the drinking- cup in his brother ' s saddlebag ." [452. Ibid ., 12:70.] His brother was unaware of this. When they set out , a crier called out before the caravan had left, "You are surely thieves! [453. Id.]
According to Ibn Humayd-Salamah-Ibn Ishaq : He loaded camel after camel for them, and loaded one in his full brother's name as he had done for the others. Then he called for the king's drinking- cup, which was metal- some claim it was silver-and placed it in Benjamin's saddlebag. He granted them a respite until they had left and gone far from the city , then hegave orders about them and they were overtaken and stopped.
A caller cried out, "0 camel riders! You are surely thieves!" It is reported that Yusuf a.s' s messenger reached them and said, "Did we not entertain you honorably , give you full measure (of provisions), provide you with good housing, and do for you what we do not do for others ? We took you into our own houses and we are entitled to some respect for our property from you ." As he spoke to them , they said , " Certainly, what is the matter?" The messenger said , " We are missing the king's drinking-cup, and suspect no one but you." They said, "By God! You know that we did not come to do evil in this land, and we are not thieves. " [454. Ibid ., 12:73]
Mujahid said that the " camels" ('ayr) were donkeys. I have this by way of al- Harith-`Abd al-`Aziz -Sufyan-a man Mujahid. One of the things which Yusuf' s a.s messenger called out was, "Whoever brings the king 's metal cup shall have a camel-load of food, and I shall be responsible for it [455. See ibid ., 12:72.] meaning he would be responsible for ensuring that the reward was given.
The brothers only said , " You know that we did not come to do evil in this land, and we are not thieves ." They had given back to Yusuf a.s the price of the food which he had put in their saddlebags the first time , so they said , " If we were thieves, we would not have returned that to you." It is said that they were known for not taking anything which was not theirs, which is why they insisted upon that.
They were asked, " How should the one who has stolen it be punished ?" They answered, "In our judgment, his penalty should be to be handed over to the one from whom he stole, to be enslaved by him."
According to Ibn Waki '-` Amr-Asbat-al-Suddi: The brothers were asked, " And what should the penalty be, if you are liars? " They answered, " The penalty? He in whose bag it is found, let him be the penalty . [456. Ibid., 12:74-75.] " Take him, he is yours." Yusuf a.s began by searching the others ' packs before that of Benjamin. He went through them and finally took the cup out of Benjamin ' s pack.
According to Bishr b . Mu`adh-Yazid b. Zuray` - Sa' id-Qatadah : It was reported to us that before he looked into the packs he asked God' s pardon , eschewing the sin he accused them of committing until only Benjamin remained, being the youngest of the group. He said, " I don ' t think this one took anything ." They said, "Of course, so consider him blameless."
Except that he already knew where the drinking - cup had been put. God said , " Then he produced it from his brother's bag. Thus did We contrive for Yusuf a.s . He could not have taken his brother according to the king's law [457. Ibid ., 12:76.z] " -that is, according to the judgment and ordinance of the king of Egypt, which did not ordain that a thief be enslaved for what he stole . Instead Yusuf a.s took him through a subterfuge which God worked for him, so that his companions handed Benjamin over to him and he satisfied them that the handing over was just.
According to al-Hasan b. Muhammad-Shababah-Warga'-Ibn Abi Nail h-Mujahid: God's statement, "He could not have taken his brother according to the king' s law," means he could not have taken him except through a pretext which God contrived for him and which Yusuf a.s carried out. At that point Yusuf’s a.s brothers said, "If he steals, a brother of his stole before " [458. Ibid ., 12:77. See above, n. 332.] they meant Yusuf a.s. It has been said that Yusuf a.s stole one of the idols of his grandfather-his mother's father-and broke it. And they condemned him for that.
Concerning Those Who Said That
According to Ahmad b. `Amr al-Basri-al-Fayd b. al-FadlMis`ar-Abu Ha4zn--Said b. Jubayr: The quote, "If he steals, a brother of his stole before," means that Yusuf a.s stole one of the idols of his grandfather-his mother's father-and broke it, throwing it on the path, and his brothers shamed him for that.
According to Abu Kurayb-Ibn Idris-his father: The sons of Yukub a.s were at dinner with him when Yusuf a.s looked at a bone and hid it, and they blamed him for that, hence the quote, "If he steals, a brother of his stole before." When Yusuf a.s heard that from them he immediately said to himself, "You are in the worst case, and God knows best the truth of what you claim" [459. Id.] that is, what they said about the brother of Benjamin was a lie, but he did not say so in plain words.
According to Ibn Waki`-'Amr -Asbat-al-Suddi: When the stolen object was produced from the boy's saddlebag, they were filled with sadness and said, "0 sons of Rachel! Still we suffer tribulation from you. When did you take this cup?" Benjamin answered, "No, rather it is the sons of Rachel who are still suffering from you. You took away my brother and made him die in the desert. The one who placed the cup in my saddlebag is the one who put the dirhams in your saddlebags." They said, "Don't mention the dirhams lest we be seized for them ." When they were brought before Yusuf a.s he called for the cup, struck it, and held it to his ear. Then he said, "This cup of mine tells me that you originally numbered twelve , but you took a brother of yours and sold him ." When Benjamin heard that he arose and bowed down before Yusuf a.s and said, "0 king! Ask this cup of yours about my brother. Where is he?" Yusuf a.s struck the cup again and said, " He is alive and you will see him." [460. In Ginzberg, Legends, 11:98, in addition to the cup , Yusf a.s has a magic astrolabe by which he reveals himself to Benjamin but not to his brothers.] Benjamin said, "Then do with me what you wish, for if he knows about me, he will deliver me."
Then Yusuf a.s went into his chamber and wept, then he washed himself and came out . Benjamin said, "0 king! I would like you to strike this cup of yours, that it might tell you the truth about who stole it and put it in my saddlebag ." Yusuf a.s struck it again and said , " This cup of mine is angry and says, 'How can you ask me who my owner is? You have seen who had me in his possession."
The sons of Yakub a.s could not be controlled when they became angry . Reuben said, " 0 king! By God , leave us alone or I will give such a shout that every pregnant woman in Egypt will drop what is in her womb." Reuben was so angry that every hair on his body stood out and stuck through his clothes. So Yusuf a.s said to his son, " Stand at Reuben ' s side and touch him."
Now it was known that whenever a son of Yakub a.s was angry and another son of Yakub a.s touched him, his anger would disappear. (When Yusuf’s a.s son touched him,) Reuben said, "Who is this? Is there a sprout of the seed of Yakub a.s in this land? " [461. For a Jewish variant of this story see Ginzberg , Legends, 11:107; V:354, nn. 277, 278] Then Yusuf a.s said, "Who is Yakub a.s ?" And Reuben became angry and said, "0 king, do not mention Yakub a.s . He is Israel of God, the son of God's sacrificial victim, " [462. That is, Ishaq a.s.] who was the son of the Friend of God." [463. That is, Ibrahim a.s.] Yusuf a.s said, "Then you are honest."
When Yusuf a.s detained his brother Benjamin, his brothers themselves admitted that he had more right to keep him than they did and saw no way to free him. But they began seeking his release by exchanging one of themselves for him. They said, " 0 ruler, he has an aged father, so take one of us instead of him. We see that you are a person who does kindnesses." [464. Qur' an, 12:78.] Yusuf a.s said to them, "God forbid that we should seize anyone but him on whom we found our property; then, truly, we would be wrongdoers" [465. Ibid ., 12:79] that is, if they punished an innocent one instead of the guilty one. When his brothers despaired of getting Yusuf a.s to agree to their request to take one of them in place of Benjamin, they saved themselves by means of a secret-no one could separate them, nor could any but they associate with them [466. Although the unique qualities of Yakub a.s ' s sons ( who could not be separated and who could not associate with others ) are mentioned in the aggada, they are not given the prominent emphasis which we find here. Compare the account of Judah's reaction , after his threat to kill Yusuf a.s and Pharaoh, to Manasseh 's stamping his foot on the ground , when Judah says, " only one belonging to our family can stamp thus!" Ginzberg , Legends, 0:104 - 5. Also, Yusuf a.s tells Manasseh to lay his hand on Judah's shoulder to allay his fury, and Judah notices " that he was in contact with a kinsman of his, " ibid., 110.] The eldest of them, namely Reuben (though some say it was Simeon) said to the rest, "Do you not remember that our father made us promise by God that we would bring our brother Benjamin safely back unless we were all surrounded ? Before this, we were remiss in the case of Yusuf a.s. I shall not leave this land until my father permits me that is, permits him to depart leaving his brother Benjamin behind-"or until God judges for me, for He is the best of judges." [467. Qur' an, 12:80.] It is said that by (the words,) "or until God judges for me," he meant that he would fight anyone who tried to stop him from taking Benjamin with him, and God would judge the outcome. "Go back to our father and tell him, '0 our father, your son has stolen and we have handed him over in his guilt. We testify only to what we know, and the king's cup was found in his saddlebag . We are not guardians of the unseen [468. Ibid., 12:81.] we promised only to protect him from that against which we have means of protecting him. We could not have known that he would steal and become enslaved for his thievery. Ask the people of the town in which we were and in which your son stole, and those of the caravan with which we came from Egypt, about the story of your son. You will be told the truth about it. [469. Ibid., 12:82]
