Jacob's Brothers

Joseph’s brothers came and entered his presence, but he recognized them while they did not recognize him.

12:58And Joseph's brethren came and presented themselves before him, and he knew them but they knew him not.

When he had provided them with their supplies, he said, “Bring me your brother from your father’s side. Do you not see that I give full measure and am the best of hosts?”

12:59And when he provided them with their provision he said: Bring unto me a brother of yours from your father. See ye not that I fill up the measure and I am the best of hosts?

“If you do not bring him to me, you will receive no more provisions, nor will you be allowed near me.”

12:60And if ye bring him not unto me, then there shall be no measure for you with me, nor shall ye draw near.

They said, “We will try to persuade his father to send him, and we will do our best.”

12:61They said: We will try to win him from his father: that we will surely do.

Joseph told his servants to secretly place their goods back into their saddlebags, so they would discover them upon returning home and be encouraged to return.

12:62He said unto his young men: Place their merchandise in their saddlebags, so that they may know it when they go back to their folk, and so will come again.

When they returned to their father, they said, “O father, we have been denied further provisions. Send our brother with us so we may receive our share. We will watch over him.”

12:63So when they went back to their father they said: O our father! The measure is denied us, so send with us our brother that we may obtain the measure, surely we will guard him well.

He said, “Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? But Allah is the best protector, and He is the Most Merciful.”

12:64He said: Can I entrust him to you save as I entrusted his brother to you aforetime? Allah is better at guarding, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

When they opened their bags, they found their goods returned to them. They said, “O father, what more could we ask for? Our goods have been returned. We will bring food for our family, protect our brother, and receive an extra camel-load. This is an easy trade.”

12:65And when they opened their belongings they discovered that their merchandise had been returned to them. They said: O our father! What (more) can we ask? Here is our merchandise returned to us. We shall get provision for our folk and guard our brother, and we shall have the extra measure of a camel (load). This (that we bring now) is a light measure.

He said, “I will not send him with you unless you swear by Allah that you will bring him back unless you are overwhelmed.” When they swore, he said, “Allah is witness to what we say.”

12:66He said: I will not send him with you till ye give me an undertaking in the name of Allah that ye will bring him back to me, unless ye are surrounded. And when they gave him their undertaking he said: Allah is the Warden over what we say.

He said, “O my sons, do not enter the city through one gate, enter through different gates. But I cannot protect you from Allah’s decree. Judgment belongs only to Him. In Him I place my trust, and in Him should the faithful place their trust.”

12:67And he said: O my sons! Go not in by one gate; go in by different gates. I can naught avail you as against Allah. Lo! the decision rests with Allah only. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him let all the trusting put their trust.

When they entered as their father instructed, it did not change Allah’s decree, but it fulfilled Jacob’s inner concern. He had knowledge from Allah that they did not understand.

12:68And when they entered in the manner which their father had enjoined, it would have naught availed them as against Allah; it was but a need of Jacob's soul which he thus satisfied; and lo! he was a lord of knowledge because We had taught him; but most of mankind know not.

When they entered Joseph’s presence, he drew his brother close and said, “I am your brother, so do not grieve over what they have done.”

12:69And when they went in before Joseph, he took his brother unto him, saying: Lo! I, even I, am thy brother, therefore sorrow not for what they did.

When he had provided them with their supplies, he placed the king’s cup in his brother’s bag. Then a caller announced, “O caravan, you are thieves!”

12:70And when he provided them with their provision, he put the drinking-cup in his brother's saddlebag, and then a crier cried: O camel-riders! Lo! ye are surely thieves!

They turned and asked, “What have you lost?”

12:71They cried, coming toward them: What is it ye have lost?

They said, “We have lost the king’s cup, and whoever returns it will receive a camel-load of grain, I guarantee it.”

12:72They said: We have lost the king's cup, and he who bringeth it shall have a camel-load, and I (said Joseph) am answerable for it.

They said, “By Allah, you know we did not come to cause corruption in the land, nor are we thieves.”

12:73They said: By Allah, well ye know we came not to do evil in the land, and are no thieves.

They asked, “What should be the penalty if you are lying?”

12:74They said: And what shall be the penalty for it, if ye prove liars?

They replied, “The penalty for theft is that the thief himself will be taken as compensation. This is how we enforce justice.”

12:75They said: The penalty for it! He in whose bag (the cup) is found, he is the penalty for it. Thus we requite wrong-doers.

So he began searching their bags before his brother’s, then finally pulled it from his brother’s sack. Thus, We devised a plan for Joseph, he could not have taken his brother under the king’s law unless Allah had willed. We elevate in rank whom We choose, and above every possessor of knowledge is One who knows all.

12:76Then he (Joseph) began the search with their bags before his brother's bag, then he produced it from his brother's bag. Thus did We contrive for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother according to the king's law unless Allah willed. We raise by grades (of mercy) whom We will, and over every lord of knowledge there is one more knowing.

They exclaimed, “If he has stolen, then his brother before him also stole!” But Joseph kept his thoughts to himself and did not reveal them, saying inwardly, “You are in a worse position, and Allah knows best what you claim.”

12:77They said: If he stealeth, a brother of his stole before. But Joseph kept it secret in his soul and revealed it not unto them. He said (within himself): Ye are in worse case, and Allah knoweth best (the truth of) that which ye allege.

They pleaded, “O noble one, he has an elderly father, take one of us in his place. We see you as a man of kindness.”

12:78They said: O ruler of the land! Lo! he hath a very aged father, so take one of us instead of him. Lo! we behold thee of those who do kindness.

He replied, “Allah forbid that we take anyone except the one in whose bag we found the item. Otherwise, we would be unjust.”

12:79He said: Allah forbid that we should seize save him with whom we found our property; then truly we should be wrong-doers.

When they lost hope, they withdrew to confer privately. The eldest among them said, “Do you not recall your father’s oath and how you failed Joseph before? I will not leave this land until my father permits or Allah decides for me.”

12:80So, When they despaired of (moving) him, they conferred together apart. The eldest of them said: Know ye not how your father took an undertaking from you in Allah's name and how ye failed in the case of Joseph aforetime? Therefore I shall not go forth from the land until my father giveth leave or Allah judgeth for me. He is the Best of Judges.