Surah Yusuf • Ayah 88

Ya`qub orders His Children to inquire about Yusuf and His BrotherAllah states that Ya`qub, peace be upon him, ordered his children to go back and inquire about the news of Yusuf and his brother Binyamin, in a good manner, not as spies. He encouraged them, delivered to them the good news and ordered them not to despair of Allah's mercy. He ordered them to never give up hope in Allah, nor to ever discontinue trusting in Him for what they seek to accomplish. He said to them that only the disbelieving people despair of Allah's mercy. Yusuf's Brothers stand before HimAllah said next, فَلَمَّا دَخَلُواْ عَلَيْهِ(Then, when they entered unto him), when they went back to Egypt and entered upon Yusuf, قَالُواْ يأَيُّهَا الْعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهْلَنَا الضُّرُّ(they said: "O Aziz! A hard time has hit us and our family..."), because of severe droughts and the scarcity of food, وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَاعَةٍ مُّزْجَاةٍ(and we have brought but poor capital,) means, `we brought money for the food we want to buy, but it is not substantial,' according to Mujahid, Al-Hasan and several others. Allah said that they said next, فَأَوْفِ لَنَا الْكَيْلَ(so pay us full measure) meaning, `in return for the little money we brought, give us the full measure that you gave us before.' Ibn Mas`ud read this Ayah in a way that means, "So give the full load on our animals and be charitable with us." Ibn Jurayj commented, "So be charitable to us by returning our brother to us." And when Sufyan bin `Uyaynah was asked if the Sadaqah (charity) was prohibited for any Prophet before our Prophet , he said, "Have you not heard the Ayah, فَأَوْفِ لَنَا الْكَيْلَ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَآ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْزِى الْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ(so pay us full measure and be charitable to us. Truly, Allah does reward the charitable.)" Ibn Jarir At-Tabari collected this statement.

بابحضرت یعقوب علیہ السلام اپنے بیٹوں کو حکم فرما رہے ہیں کہ تم ادھر ادھر جاؤ اور یوسف علیہ السلام اور بنیامین کی تلاش کرو۔ عربی میں «‏تَحَسُّ» کا لفظ بھلائی کی جستجو کے لیے بولا جاتا ہے اور برائی کی ٹٹول کے لئے «‏تَجَسّسُ» کا لفظ بولا جاتا ہے۔ ساتھ میں فرماتے ہیں کہ اللہ کی ذات سے مایوس نہ ہونا چاہیئے اس کی رحمت سے مایوس وہی ہوتے ہیں جن کے دلوں میں کفر ہوتا ہے۔ تم تلاش بند نہ کرو، اللہ سے نیک امید رکھو اور اپنی کوشش جاری رکھو۔ چنانچہ یہ لوگ چلے، پھر مصر پہنچے، یوسف علیہ السلام کے دربار میں حاضر ہوئے، وہاں اپنی خستہ حالی ظاہر کی کہ قحط سالی نے ہمارے خاندان کو ستا رکھا ہے، ہمارے پاس کچھ نہیں رہا، جس سے غلہ خریدتے اب ردی، واہی، ناقص، بیکار، کھوٹی اور قیمت نہ بننے والی کچھ یونہی سی رکھی رکھائی چیزیں لے کر آپ کے پاس آئے ہیں گویہ بدلہ نہیں کہا جا سکتا نہ قیمت بنتی ہے لیکن تاہم ہماری خواہش ہے کہ آپ ہمیں وہی دیجئیے جو سچی صحیح اور پوری قیمت پر دیا کرتے ہیں۔ ہمارے بوجھ بھر دیجئیے، ہماری خورجیاں پر کر دیجئیے، سیدنا ابن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہما کی قرأت میں «فَأَوْفِ لَنَا الْكَيْلَ» کے بدلے «‏فَأَوْقِرْ رِكَابنَا وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَا» ہے یعنی ہمارے اونٹ غلے سے لاد دیجئیے۔ اور ہم پر صدقہ کیجئے ہمارے بھائی کو رہائی دیجئیے، یا یہ مطلب ہے کہ یہ غلہ ہمیں ہمارے اس مال کے بدلے نہیں بلکہ بطور خیرات دیجئیے۔صفحہ نمبر4065حضرت سفیان بن عیینہ رحمہ اللہ سے سوال ہوتا ہے کہ ہمارے نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم سے پہلے بھی کسی نبی پر صدقہ حرام ہوا ہے؟ تو آپ رحمہ اللہ نے یہی آیت پڑھ کر استدلال کیا کہ نہیں ہوا۔ مجاہد رحمہ اللہ سے سوال ہوا کہ کیا کسی شخص کا اپنی دعا میں یہ کہنا مکروہ ہے کہ یا اللہ مجھ پر صدقہ کر۔ فرمایا ہاں اس لیے کہ صدقہ وہ کرتا ہے جو طالب ثواب ہو۔صفحہ نمبر4066

آیت 88 فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوْا عَلَيْهِ اگلے سال جب وہ لوگ اپنے والد کے حکم کے مطابق مصر پہنچے اور پھر حضرت یوسف کے سامنے پیش ہوئے۔قَالُوْا يٰٓاَيُّهَا الْعَزِيْزُ مَسَّنَا وَاَهْلَنَا الضُّرُّ کئی سال سے لگاتار قحط کا سماں تھا۔ آہستہ آہستہ اس کے اثرات زیادہ شدت کے ساتھ ظاہر ہو رہے ہوں گے۔ بھیڑبکریاں بھی ختم ہوچکی ہوں گی۔ اب تو ان کی اون بھی نہیں ہوگی جو اناج کی قیمت کے عوض دے سکیں۔وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَاعَةٍ مُّزْجٰىةٍ فَاَوْفِ لَنَا الْكَيْلَ اس دفعہ ہم جو چیزیں غلے کی قیمت ادا کرنے کے لیے لے کر آئے ہیں وہ بہت کم اور ناقص ہیں۔ ہم جانتے ہیں کہ ان سے غلے کی قیمت پوری نہیں ہوسکتی۔وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَا اپنے انتہائی خراب حالات کی وجہ سے ہم چونکہ خیرات کے مستحق ہوچکے ہیں ‘ اس لیے آپ سے درخواست ہے کہ اس دفعہ کچھ غلہ آپ ہمیں خیرات میں بھی دیں۔ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَجْزِي الْمُتَصَدِّقِيْنَ چونکہ حضرت یوسف کے لیے یہ ساری صورت حال بہت رقت انگیز تھی اس لیے آپ مزید ضبط نہیں کرسکے اور آپ نے انہیں اپنے بارے میں بتانے کا فیصلہ کرلیا۔

CommentaryMentioned in the verses appearing above is the remaining part of the story of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) and his brothers. It tells us that Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) asked his sons to go and search Yusuf (علیہ السلام) and his brother. So they travelled to Egypt for a third time - because they knew that Benyamin was there and they had to try to get him released first. As for Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، though his presence in Egypt was not known to them but, when the time comes for something to happen, human plans too start falling in place, unconsciously and without an intentional effort. This is confirmed by a Hadith which says: When Allah Ta’ ala intends to do something, He makes its causes get together automatically. Therefore, to search Yusuf (علیہ السلام) too, the very travel to Egypt was appropriate, though taken up unconsciously. Then, they needed food grains, after all. And yet another factor was that they hoped to see the ` Aziz of Misr on the pretext of their request for food grains, when they could put forward their plea for the release of Benyamin.The first verse (88) begins with the words: فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ قَالُوا (And when they came to him, they said...). It means: When the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام) reached Egypt as ordered by their father and met the ` Aziz of Misr, they talked to him in a flattering tone. Presenting their need and helplessness, they told the ` Aziz that they and their family were suffering because of the famine, so much so that they did not have even adequate funds to purchase food grains. Compelled by circumstance, they had brought a capital which was not good enough for that purpose. Thus, their request was that, given his generosity, he should accept whatever they had and give them the full measure of grains as is usually given against things of good value. Not being their right in any way, they pleaded that the grains should be given to them as if given in charity because ` Allah rewards the charitable.'What was this ` capital of very little worth'? The Qur'an and Hadith have not clarified it. The sayings of the commentators differ. Some say that they were bad dirhams which were not acceptable in the open market. Others say that this comprised of household articles. This expression - ` capital of very little worth' - is a translation of the meaning of the word: مُّزْجَاةٍ ('muzjatin' ) which really means something which does not move on its own, but has to be moved by someone else forcefully.When Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) heard these submissive words from his brothers and saw their broken-down condition, he was naturally coming to a point where he would have no option but to disclose the truth as it was. And the drift of events was showing that the restriction placed by Allah Ta` ala on Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) that he would not disclose the truth of the matter about himself was not going to be there anymore for the time had come close when it would be taken back. Based on a narration of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، it has been reported in Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Mazhari that Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) had, on this occasion, sent a letter in writing and had addressed it to the ` Aziz of Misr. The letter said:"From Ya` qub Safi Allah Ibn Ishaq Dhabih Allah Ibn Ibrahim Khalil Allah to the ` Aziz of Misr. After offering praise to Allah: Our entire family is known for hardships and trials. My grandfather, Ibrahim Khalil Allah was tested through the fire of Nimrud. Then, my father, Ishaq was put to a hard test. Then, I was tested through a son of mine whom I held very dear - to the limit that I lost my eyesight when separated from him. After that, there was his younger brother, a source of comfort for me in my grief, whom you arrested on a charge of theft. And let me tell you that we are the progeny of prophets. Never have we committed a theft, nor has there ever been a thief among our children. And peace on you!"When Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) read this letter, he trembled and broke into tears and decided to let his secret out. To start with, he first asked his brothers if they remembered what they had done with Yusuf and his brother at a time when they were ignorant, unable to distinguish between good and bad, and quite neglectful of acting with foresight.When his brothers heard his question, they were dumbfounded. What has the ` Aziz of Misr got to do with the story of Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ? Then, they recollected the dream seen by young Yusuf (علیہ السلام) the interpretation of which was that he would achieve some high rank and they would have to bow down before him. Could it be that this ` Aziz of Misr is none else but Yusuf (علیہ السلام) himself? Then, as they exerted and deliberated a little more, they recognized him by some signs. Still, to confirm it further, they asked him: