Surah 12

They said: "We shall try to get permission (for him) from his father, and verily, we shall do it."

And [Yûsuf (Joseph)] told his servants to put their money (with which they had bought the corn) into their bags, so that they might know it when they go back to their people; in order they might come again.

So, when they returned to their father, they said: "O our father! No more measure of grain shall we get (unless we take our brother). So send our brother with us, and we shall get our measure and truly we will guard him."

He said: "Can I entrust him to you except as I entrusted his brother [Yûsuf (Joseph)] to you aforetime? But Allâh is the Best to guard, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."

And when they opened their bags, they found their money had been returned to them. They said: "O our father! What (more) can we desire? This, our money has been returned to us; so we shall get (more) food for our family, and we shall guard our brother and add one more measure of a camel’s load. This quantity is easy (for the king to give)."

He [Ya‘qûb (Jacob)] said: "I will not send him with you until you swear a solemn oath to me in Allâh’s Name, that you will bring him back to me unless you are yourselves surrounded (by enemies)," And when they had sworn their solemn oath, he said: "Allâh is the Witness to what we have said."

And he said: "O my sons! Do not enter by one gate, but enter by different gates, and I cannot avail you against Allâh at all. Verily! The decision rests only with Allâh. In Him, I put my trust and let all those that trust, put their trust in Him."[3]

And when they entered according to their father’s advice, it did not avail them in the least against (the Will of) Allâh; it was but a need of Ya‘qûb’s (Jacob) inner-self which he discharged. And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him, but most men know not.

And when they went in before Yûsuf (Joseph), he took his brother (Benjamin) to himself and said: "Verily! I am your brother, so grieve not for what they used to do."

So when he had furnished them forth with their provisions, he put the (golden) bowl in his brother’s bag. Then a crier cried: "O you (in) the caravan! Surely, you are thieves!"

They, turning towards them, said: "What is it that you have lost?"

They said: "We have lost the (golden) bowl of the king and for him who produces it is (the reward of) a camel load; and I will be bound by it."

They said: "By Allâh! Indeed you know that we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are no thieves!"

They [Yûsuf’s (Joseph) men] said: "What then shall be the penalty of him, if you are (proved to be) liars."

They [Yûsuf’s (Joseph) brothers] said: "His penalty should be that he, in whose bag it is found, should be held for the punishment (of the crime). Thus we punish the Zâlimûn (wrong-doers)!"

So he [Yûsuf (Joseph)] began (the search) in their bags before the bag of his brother. Then he brought it out of his brother’s bag. Thus did We plan for Yûsuf (Joseph). He could not take his brother by the law of the king (as a slave), except that Allâh willed it. (So Allâh made the brothers to bind themselves with their way of "punishment, i.e. enslaving of a thief.") We raise to degrees whom We will, but over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing (Allâh).

They [(Yûsuf’s (Joseph) brothers] said: "If he steals, there was a brother of his [Yûsuf (Joseph)] who did steal before (him)." But these things did Yûsuf (Joseph) keep in himself, revealing not the secrets to them. He said (within himself): "You are in worst case, and Allâh is the Best Knower of that which you describe!"

They said: "O ruler of the land! Verily, he has an old father (who will grieve for him); so take one of us in his place. Indeed we think that you are one of the Muhsinûn (good-doers - see the footnote of V.9:120)."

He said: "Allâh forbid, that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property. Indeed (if we did so), we should be Zâlimûn (wrong-doers)."

So, when they despaired of him, they held a conference in private. The eldest among them said: "Know you not that your father did take an oath from you in Allâh’s Name, and before this you did fail in your duty with Yûsuf (Joseph)? Therefore I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allâh decides my case (by releasing Benjamin) and He is the Best of the judges.