The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 59)
The brothers’ attempt to escape responsibility
When the brothers saw that the cup had been taken out of Benjamin’s luggage, they became ashamed, and with an ugly excuse they tried to absolve themselves. They compared their brother to Yusuf (PBUH) and said: “If he has stolen, his brother (Yusuf) also committed theft before!” This statement came from the deep hatred and envy they carried inside.
Yusuf (PBUH) concealed this accusation within himself, and to rebuke them he said: “قَالَ أَنتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ”[1] Translation: “(But inwardly) he said: You have an evil position (before Allah), for you stole your brother from your father, threw him into a well, disobeyed your father, lied to him, and even now still hold malice against him, and now you call him a thief. And Allah knows best what you describe.”
The brothers’ pleading and Yusuf’s persistence (PBUH)
The brothers, wanting to fulfill the promise they had made to their father, begged the Aziz of Egypt to release their brother and take one of them in his place.
“قَالُوا یا أَیهَا الْعَزِیزُ إِنَّ لَهُ أَبًا شَیخًا كَبِیرًا فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُ إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِینَ * قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَن نَّأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدْنَا مَتَاعَنَا عِندَهُ إِنَّا إِذًا لَّظَالِمُونَ[2] ” Translation: “They said: O Aziz (of Egypt), he has a noble elderly father; take one of us in his place, for we see you among the doers of good.
He said: I seek refuge in Allah that we should take anyone except the one with whom we found our property. If we did that, we would indeed be among the wrongdoers.”
The decision of the eldest brother to remain
When the brothers lost hope of convincing Yusuf (PBUH), they stepped aside to consult one another. Their eldest brother reminded them: “أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَیكُم مَّوْثِقًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمْ فِی یوسُفَ فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الْأَرْضَ حَتَّى یأْذَنَ لِی أَبِی أَوْ یحْكُمَ اللَّهُ لِی وَهُوَ خَیرُ الْحَاكِمِینَ[3] ” Translation: “Do you not know that your father took from you a solemn pledge by Allah, and before this you failed concerning Yusuf? So I will not leave this land until my father permits me or Allah judges for me, and He is the best of judges.”
Then he advised them: “ارْجِعُوا إِلَى أَبِیكُمْ فَقُولُوا یا أَبَانَا إِنَّ ابْنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدْنَا إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَیبِ حَافِظِینَ * وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْیةَ الَّتِی كُنَّا فِیهَا وَالْعِیرَ الَّتِی أَقْبَلْنَا فِیهَا وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ[4] ” Translation: “Return to your father and say: O our father, your son has stolen, and we testify only to what we know, and we were not guardians over the unseen.
And ask the town in which we were (Egypt) and the caravan with which we returned, and indeed, we are truthful.”
The Response of Prophet Ya‘qub (PBUH) to His Sons’ Words and His Command to Search
When Prophet Ya‘qub (PBUH) heard his sons’ words about their brother (Binyamin), along with their excuses and their claim of innocence regarding the alleged theft, he did not believe them because of their previous lies concerning Yusuf (PBUH). He said to them: “بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِیلٌ[5] “
Translation: “Rather, your souls have made a matter seem fair to you; so patience is most fitting.”
Since deep within his heart, he was certain that Yusuf (PBUH) was still alive, he turned wholeheartedly to his Lord with hope and longing and supplicated: “عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن یأْتِینِی بِهِمْ جَمِیعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِیمُ الْحَكِیمُ [6]” Translation: “It may be that Allah will bring them all back to me. Indeed, He alone is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
At this point, the severity of the crisis and the sorrow of Prophet Ya‘qub (PBUH) reached its peak.
