Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/217)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

As for “signs,” Ibn Kathir read it in the singular, “a sign”—that is, an admonition and a lesson. It was also said: something wondrous.

The other reciters read it in the plural: “signs.”

“For those who ask”: this was because the Jews asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about the story of Joseph, peace be upon him.

It was also said that they asked him why Jacob’s children had moved from Canaan to Egypt. So he related to them the story of Joseph, and they found it to correspond to what was in the Torah [and marveled at it] (1). This is the meaning of His saying: “signs for those who ask”—that is, evidence of the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It was also said: they are signs for those who ask and for those who do not ask, just as He says, “equally for all who ask” (Fussilat 10). (2)

It was also said that its meaning is: a lesson for those who take heed. For it includes the envy of Joseph’s brothers and the outcome to which their envy led them; his vision and what Allah brought to fulfilment from it; Joseph’s patience, peace be upon him, in restraining his desire, in slavery, and in prison; and the outcome to which his affair led, namely kingship. It also includes Jacob’s grief and patience, and the outcome to which his affair led: attaining what he desired, as well as other signs.

“When they said, ‘Surely Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, though we are a strong group. Surely our father is in clear error.’” (8)

“When they said, ‘Surely Joseph’”: the initial lām serves as the response to an oath; its implied sense is, “By Allah, surely Joseph.” “And his brother” refers to Benjamin. “Are dearer to our father than we are”: Joseph and his brother Benjamin were from the same mother, and Jacob, peace be upon him, loved Joseph, peace be upon him, dearly. His brothers saw in their father’s preference for him what they did not see in his treatment of themselves, so they made this statement. (3) “Though we are a strong group”: that is, a body of men; and they were ten.

Al-Farrā’ said: A strong group consists of ten or more.

It was also said: it consists of between one and ten.

It was also said: between three and ten.

Mujahid said: between ten and fifteen.

It was also said: between ten and forty.

And it was said: a group whose members support one another, having no singular form derived from its own wording, like the collective nouns nafar and raht.

“Surely our father is in clear error”: that is, in evident error in preferring Joseph and his brother over us. What is not meant by “error” is

(1) In manuscript B: “and they were astonished by him.” (2) Omitted from manuscript B. (3) Ibn Atiyyah, 7:440, states: “Jacob’s love for Joseph and Benjamin was due to their youth and to their mother’s death. This is part of the natural human disposition to love the young. Al-Hasan’s daughter was asked, ‘Which of your children do you love most?’ She replied, ‘The youngest, until he grows up; the absent one, until he returns; and the sick one, until he recovers.’”

﴿آيَاتٌ﴾ قَرَأَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ " آيَةٌ " عَلَى التَّوْحِيدِ، أَيْ: عِظَةٌ وَعِبْرَةٌ، وَقِيلَ: عَجَبٌ. وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ: ﴿آيَاتٌ﴾ عَلَى الْجَمْعِ. ﴿لِلسَّائِلِينَ﴾ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْيَهُودَ سَأَلُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ قِصَّةِ يُوسُفَ ﵇. وَقِيلَ: سَأَلُوهُ عَنْ سَبَبِ انْتِقَالِ وَلَدِ يَعْقُوبَ مِنْ كَنْعَانَ إِلَى مِصْرَ. فَذَكَرَ لَهُمْ قِصَّةَ يُوسُفَ، فَوَجَدُوهَا مُوَافِقَةً لِمَا فِي التَّوْرَاةِ [فَتَعَجَّبُوا مِنْهَا] (١) . فَهَذَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ﴾ [أَيْ: دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى نُبُوَّةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ. وَقِيلَ: آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ وَلِمَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلْ، كَقَوْلِهِ: ﴿سَوَاءً لِلسَّائِلِينَ﴾ (فُصِّلَتْ -١٠) ] (٢) . وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ عِبْرَةٌ لِلْمُعْتَبِرِينَ، فَإِنَّهَا تَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى حَسَدِ إِخْوَةِ يُوسُفَ، وَمَا آلَ إِلَيْهِ أَمْرُهُمْ فِي الْحَسَدِ، وَتَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى رُؤْيَاهُ، وَمَا حَقَّقَ اللَّهُ مِنْهَا، وَتَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى صَبْرِ يُوسُفَ ﵇ عَنْ قَضَاءِ الشَّهْوَةِ، وَعَلَى الرِّقِّ وَفِي السِّجْنِ، وَمَا آلَ إِلَيْهِ أَمْرُهُ مِنَ الْمُلْكِ، وَتَشْتَمِلُ عَلَى حُزْنِ يَعْقُوبَ وَصَبْرِهِ وَمَا آلَ إِلَيْهِ أَمْرُهُ مِنَ الْوُصُولِ إِلَى الْمُرَادِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْآيَاتِ. ﴿إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ (٨) ﴾ . ﴿إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ﴾ اللَّامُ فِيهِ جَوَابُ الْقَسَمِ تَقْدِيرُهُ: وَاللَّهِ لَيُوسُفُ، ﴿وَأَخُوهُ﴾ بِنْيَامِينُ، ﴿أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَبِينَا مِنَّا﴾ كَانَ يُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ بِنْيَامِينُ مِنْ أُمٍّ وَاحِدَةٍ، وَكَانَ يَعْقُوبُ ﵇ شَدِيدَ الْحُبِّ لِيُوسُفَ ﵇، وَكَانَ إِخْوَتُهُ يَرَوْنَ مِنَ الْمَيْلِ إِلَيْهِ مَا لَا يَرَوْنَهُ مَعَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَقَالُوا هَذِهِ الْمَقَالَةَ (٣) ، ﴿وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ﴾ جَمَاعَةٌ وَكَانُوا عَشَرَةً. قَالَ الْفَرَّاءُ: الْعُصْبَةُ هِيَ الْعَشَرَةُ فَمَا زَادَ. وَقِيلَ: الْعُصْبَةُ مَا بَيْنَ الْوَاحِدِ إِلَى الْعَشَرَةِ. وَقِيلَ: مَا بَيْنَ الثَّلَاثَةِ إِلَى الْعَشَرَةِ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: مَا بَيْنَ الْعَشَرَةِ إِلَى خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ. وَقِيلَ: مَا بَيْنَ الْعَشَرَةِ إِلَى الْأَرْبَعِينَ. وَقِيلَ: جَمَاعَةٌ يَتَعَصَّبُ بَعْضُهَا لِبَعْضٍ لَا وَاحِدَ لَهَا مِنْ لَفْظِهَا كَالنَّفَرِ وَالرَّهْطِ. ﴿إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ﴾ أَيْ خَطَإٍ بَيِّنٍ فِي إِيثَارِهِ يُوسُفَ وَأَخَاهُ عَلَيْنَا، وَلَيْسَ الْمُرَادُ مِنَ الضَّلَالِ

(١) في "ب": فعجبوا منه. (٢) ساقط من "ب". (٣) قال ابن عطية: ٧ / ٤٤٠: "وكان حب يعقوب ليوسف ﵇ وبنيامين لصغرهما وموت أمهما، وهذا من "حب الصغير فطرة البشر". وقد قيل لابنة الحسن: أي بنيك أحب إليك؟ قالت: الصغير حتى يكبر، والغائب حتى يقدم، والمريض حتى يفيق".