God, Exalted be He, says:

“When they entered from the gate their father had enjoined, it could not avail them against God in the least; it was only a need in Jacob’s soul that he thus fulfilled. Indeed, he was endowed with knowledge because of what We had taught him, though most people do not know.” (12:68)

According to the People of the Book, their father also sent with them a present for the ‘Azīz: pistachios, almonds, pine-nuts, terebinth seeds, and honey; they carried the first sum of silver as well as additional payment besides.

“When they came before Joseph, he drew his brother close and said, ‘I am indeed your brother, so do not sorrow over what they have been doing.’ (69)

When he had furnished them with their provisions, he placed the drinking-cup in his brother’s saddle-bag. Then a herald called out, ‘O people of the caravan, you are surely thieves!’ (70)

They turned to him and said, ‘What is it that you are missing?’ (71)

They replied, ‘We are missing the king’s measuring-cup. Whoever brings it will receive a camel-load, and I guarantee it.’ (72)

They said, ‘By God, you know full well that we did not come to spread corruption in the land, nor were we ever thieves.’ (73)

They said, ‘What shall be its penalty if you are proved false?’ (74)

They answered, ‘The penalty is that the one in whose bag it is found shall himself be the forfeit; thus do we requite the wrongdoers.’ (75)

He began with their sacks before that of his brother, and then drew it out of his brother’s sack. Thus We contrived for Joseph; under the king’s law he could not have seized his brother save by God’s will. We raise in rank whom We will, and above every possessor of knowledge is One All-Knowing. (76)

They said, ‘If he steals—well, a brother of his stole before this.’ Joseph kept the matter to himself and did not reveal it to them, saying inwardly, ‘You are in a worse position, and God knows best what you allege.’ (77)

They said, ‘O exalted one, he has an aged father; take one of us in his stead. We can see that you are a man of excellence.’ (78)

He said, ‘God forbid that we should take anyone except the one with whom we found our property; we would then indeed be unjust.’” (79)

The Almighty here relates what transpired when they brought their brother Benjamin to his full brother Joseph. Joseph received him warmly, confided to him in secret that he was his brother, instructed him to conceal the matter, and comforted him for the wrongs previously done to him. He then devised a stratagem to keep Benjamin with him: he ordered his attendants to place his cup—the vessel from which he drank and by which he measured out grain for the people—unnoticed among Benjamin’s belongings.

He next announced that the king’s goblet had been stolen and offered a reward of a camel-load to whoever returned it, the herald giving his personal surety. The brothers turned upon the accuser, reproaching and censuring him for the charge: “By God, you know full well that we did not come to sow corruption in the land, nor were we ever thieves,” meaning, you know us to be other than what you have accused us of.

They were asked, “What is the punishment if you are lying?” They answered, “The punishment is that the one in whose saddle-bag it is found becomes the forfeit; thus do we requite the wrongdoers.” Such was their own religious law: the thief was handed over to the owner of the stolen goods—hence their statement, “thus do we requite the wrongdoers.”

God, Exalted be He, says, “He began with their sacks before his brother’s sack and then drew it out of his brother’s sack,” distancing suspicion still further and perfecting the stratagem.

He then says, “Thus We contrived for Joseph; under the king’s law he could not have taken his brother save as God willed.” That is, had they not themselves agreed that the penalty would be to hand over the one in whose bag the goblet was found, Joseph could not, under the laws of the king of Egypt, have detained him. “Except that God so willed. We raise in rank whom We will”—in knowledge—“and above every possessor of knowledge is One All-Knowing.” Joseph therefore possessed greater knowledge