Tafseer of Joseph · Yusuf · 12:69
And when they entered upon Joseph, he took his brother to himself; he said, "Indeed, I am your brother, so do not despair over what they used to do [to me]."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (69)
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah the Exalted says: When the sons of Yaʿqūb entered upon Yūsuf, آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ — that is to say: he took to himself his brother on his father's and mother's side. His taking him to himself occurred as follows:
19503 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, on the authority of Asbāṭ, on the authority of al-Suddī: وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ — he said: he recognized his brother and lodged them and provided for their food and drink. When night fell he brought them sheets and said: "Let every two brothers sleep on one sheet." When the boy was left over alone, Yūsuf said: "This one shall sleep with me on my bed." He spent the night with him; Yūsuf kept inhaling his scent and pressing him to himself until morning. And Rūbīl said: "We have never seen anything like this! Give us rest from him!"
19504 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: When they — that is to say the sons of Yaʿqūb — entered upon Yūsuf, they said: "This is our brother whom you commanded us to bring to you; we have brought him." He related to me that he said to them: "You have done well and acted rightly; you shall find that with me" — or words to that effect. Then he said: "I see that you are men, and I wish to honor you." He called his host. He said: "Let every two men lodge apart," and he treated them well and was a good host. Then he said: "I see that this man whom you have brought has no companion; I shall take him to myself, his lodging shall be with me." He had them lodge in pairs in separate places and let his brother stay with him and took him to himself. When he was alone with him he said: "I am your brother, I am Yūsuf; do not grieve over what they did to us in the past, for Allah has treated us well; tell them nothing of what I have disclosed to you." Allah says: وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ .
19505 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning the words وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ : he took him to himself and gave him lodging; he is Binyāmīn.
19506 — Al-Muthanā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn Maʿqil related to me, saying: I heard Wahb ibn Munabbih say — when he had been asked about the words of Yūsuf: وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ —: how was he afflicted when he was seized over the drinking cup (ṣuwāʿ), even though he had informed him that he was his brother — while you claim that he kept on denying himself to them and deceiving them until they returned? He answered: he did not acknowledge the blood-kinship before him, but only said: "I am your brother" — in place of your brother who had perished. فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ — that is to say: let his situation not grieve you.
His words فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ mean: do not grieve and do not be cast down; it is "lā taftaʿil" from "al-buʾs" (misery); one says for it: "ibtaʾasa yabtaʾisu ibtaʾāsan".
In accordance with what we have said, the people of interpretation also spoke.
Mention of who said that:
19507 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ — that is to say: do not grieve and do not despair.
19508 — Al-Muthanā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn ʿAbd al-Karīm related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Ṣamad related to me, who said: I heard Wahb ibn Munabbih say: فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ — that is to say: let his situation not grieve you.
19509 — Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr related to us, on the authority of Asbāṭ, on the authority of al-Suddī: فَلا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ — that is to say: do not grieve over what they used to do.
Abū Jaʿfar said: The explanation of the expression is therefore: do not grieve and do not give yourself over to something that was previously done to you by your brothers — against yourself and against your brother on the mother's side — and to what they did with you in the past.
Notes: See the explanation of "al-īwāʾ" earlier (15:422, note 1). — In the printed edition there is an incomprehensible sentence; the manuscript version has "wakalla īwāʾihi iyyāhu" without dots, which is the correct reading. — "Al-mithāl" (with kasra on the mīm), plural "mithal" (with two ḍammas), is the bed; in the tradition it is mentioned that he entered upon Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ while in the house lay an old set of furniture and an old sheet (mithāl), that is to say a worn-out upholstered reclining surface. It is also called the woven woolen blanket (namaṭ) that serves as a reclining surface. — In the printed edition there is "wa-daʿā ḍāfatahu" (he called his guests), which has no meaning; the manuscript has the version I have adopted, which is only consistent with the addition between brackets. — In both the printed edition and the manuscript there is "how did he answer him when he was seized over the drinking cup, even though his brother had informed him"; the correct version is probably what I have adopted, with this addition between brackets. — See the explanation of "ibtaʾasa" earlier (15:306-307).
