Tafseer of Joseph · Yusuf · 12:83
[Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together. Indeed it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise."
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 statement concerning the explanation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنْفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ (He said: Nay, but your souls have made a matter seem fair to you; so comely patience. Perhaps Allah will bring them all to me together; He is indeed the All-Knowing, the All-Wise) (83)
Abū Jaʿfar said: In the text something has been omitted, namely: The brothers of Binyāmīn returned to their father, while Rūbīl stayed behind, and they informed him of what had happened. When they informed him that he had stolen, he said: (Nay, but your souls have made a matter seem fair to you) — he says: Nay, but your souls have made fair to you a matter which you had resolved upon and which you desired. (so comely patience) — he says: my patience over what has befallen me through the loss of my sons is a comely patience, without lamentation or complaint in it. (Perhaps Allah will bring all my children together for me and return them to me.) (He is indeed the All-Knowing) of my loneliness, and of their absence, and my grief over them, and the truth of what they say concerning his lie. (the All-Wise) in His governance over His creation.
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In accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes spoke.
Mention of who said that:
19644 — Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his saying: (Nay, but your souls have made a matter seem fair to you, so comely patience) — he says: they made it fair. And his saying: (Perhaps Allah will bring them all to me together) — he says: Yūsuf, his brother, and Rūbīl.
19645 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: When they brought that to Yaʿqūb — meaning the words of Rūbīl to them — he accused them and suspected that this was a repetition of their deed against Yūsuf. Then he said: (Nay, but your souls have made a matter seem fair to you, so comely patience; perhaps Allah will bring them all to me together) — that is: Yūsuf, his brother, and Rūbīl.
