Tafseer of Joseph · Yusuf · 12:87
O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."
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 discourse on the explanation of the saying of Allah the Exalted: يَا بَنِيَّ اذْهَبُوا فَتَحَسَّسُوا مِنْ يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلا تَيْأَسُوا مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لا يَيْئَسُ مِنْ رَوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ (O my sons, go and search for Yūsuf and his brother, and do not despair of the relief of Allah; verily, none despair of the relief of Allah except the disbelieving people) (87)
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah the Exalted says: When Yaʿqūb harbored hope concerning Yūsuf, he said to his sons: (O my sons, go) to the place from which you came and where you left your two brothers, (and search for Yūsuf) — he says: seek out Yūsuf and inquire after his news.
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The root meaning of "al-taḥassus" is the "tafaʿʿul" form of "al-ḥiss" (the perception / following of a trace).
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(and his brother) — he means Binyāmīn. (And do not despair of the relief (rawḥ) of Allah) — he says: do not despair that Allah will grant us relief from the anxiety over Yūsuf and his brother, through a deliverance from Him, so that He may let me see them both. (Verily, none ... despair of the relief of Allah) — he says: no one despairs of His deliverance and mercy and reduces his hope in Him to nothing — (except the disbelieving people) — he means: the people who deny His power to create whatever He wills.
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In accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes spoke.
Mention of who said that:
19734 - Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, he said: ʿAmr related to us, on the authority of Asbāṭ, on the authority of al-Suddī: (O my sons, go and search for Yūsuf and his brother) — in Egypt. (And do not despair of the relief of Allah) — he said: of the deliverance of Allah in sending Yūsuf back.
19735 - Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning his saying: (and do not despair of the relief of Allah) — that is: of the mercy of Allah.
19736 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, he said: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda — the like of it.
19737 - Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, he said: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: Yaʿqūb then said to his sons, while, despite the grief he bore, he maintained his good expectation of his Lord: (O my sons, go) to the lands from which you came, (and search for Yūsuf and his brother, and do not despair of the relief of Allah) — that is: of His deliverance. (Verily, none but the disbelieving people despair of the relief of Allah.)
19738 - It was related to me from al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Faraj, who said: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd ibn Sulaymān informed us, he said: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say concerning his saying: (and do not despair of the relief of Allah) — he says: of the mercy of Allah.
19739 - Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning his saying: (and do not despair of the relief of Allah) — he said: of the deliverance of Allah; He relieves you of the cares you bear.
