Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/221)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

—the particle wa (“and”) here is superfluous; the intended sense is: “We inspired him,” as in His saying, exalted is He: “And when they had both submitted and he had laid him down upon his forehead, We called out to him” (al-Saffat 37:103)—that is, “We called out to him.”

“You will surely inform them of this deed of theirs while they are unaware.” That is, We inspired Joseph: “Your vision will surely come true, and you will surely tell your brothers of what they have done; and they will be unaware of Allah’s revelation and His informing you of this.” This was stated by Mujahid.

It was also said that the meaning is: they will be unaware, on the day you tell them that you are Joseph. This was when they came before him: he recognized them, while they did not recognize him.

Wahb and others related that they took Joseph with the utmost show of honor, taking turns carrying him. But once they had reached the open country, they threw him down and began beating him. Whenever one of them struck him, he appealed to another for help, only for the other to strike him as well. He found none of them merciful, and they beat him until they nearly killed him. He cried out, “O my father! If only you knew what the sons of slave women are doing to your son!”

When they were about to kill him, Judah said to them, “Did you not give me a solemn pledge that you would not kill him?” So they took him to the well to cast him into it. He was twelve years old—or, according to another report, eighteen. They brought him to a well away from the road, broad at its bottom and narrow at its mouth. Muqatil said that it was three farsakhs from Jacob’s dwelling. Kab said that it was between Midian and Egypt. Wahb said that it was in the land of Jordan. Qatadah said that it was the well of Jerusalem.

They began lowering him into the well, but he clung to its edge. So they tied his hands and stripped him of his shirt. He said, “My brothers, give me back my shirt, so that I may cover myself in the well.” They replied, “Call upon the sun, the moon, and the stars to cover you.” He said, “I saw nothing.” So they cast him into it (2).

It was also said that they put him into a bucket and lowered him in it; then, when he had reached halfway down, they dropped him, wishing for him to die. There was water in the well, and he fell into it. He then made his way to a rock within it and stood upon it.

When they cast him into it, he began to weep. They called out to him, and, thinking that compassion had come over them, he answered them. They then intended to crush him with a rock and kill him, but Judah prevented them. Judah used to bring him food, and he remained there for three nights (3).

(1) This is according to the view of the Kufan grammarians, who posit an additional idha after lamma and hatta. On this basis, they interpret the Quranic verse, “Then, when they had both submitted and he had laid him down upon his forehead, We called out to him,” as meaning: “We called out to him.” Abu Hayyan said: “This view is untenable, for nothing in the Quran is superfluous and devoid of meaning.” The Basran grammarians maintained that there is no addition in the verse; rather, the response to lamma is omitted, its implied meaning being: “Then, when they took him away and resolved to place him in the depths of the well, their transgression became grave.” Some understood it as: “They placed him in it.” Abu Hayyan said: “This is preferable, since it is indicated by His words, ‘and resolved to place him in it.’” See: Al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, 4:452; Al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:287. (2) In manuscript B: “comforts you.” (3) Regarding such reports from Wahb, Kab, and others, Abu Hayyan said: “The exegetes mention many accounts describing how he was cast into the depths of the well and how he pleaded with them in words that would soften stone, while they only became harsher. Neither the Noble Quran nor any authentic hadith addresses any of this; it is found only in books of exegesis.” See: Al-Bahr al-Muhit, 5:287.

هَذِهِ الْوَاوُ زَائِدَةٌ (١) ، تَقْدِيرُهُ: أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ، كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَا وَتَلَّهُ لِلْجَبِينِ وَنَادَيْنَاهُ﴾ (الصَّافَّاتِ -١٠٣) أَيْ: نَادَيْنَاهُ، ﴿لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَذَا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾ يَعْنِي: أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى يُوسُفَ ﵇ لَتُصَدَّقَنَّ رُؤْيَاكَ وَلَتُخْبِرَنَّ إِخْوَتَكَ بِصَنِيعِهِمْ هَذَا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ بِوَحْيِ اللَّهِ وَإِعْلَامِهِ إِيَّاهُ ذَلِكَ، قَالَهُ مُجَاهِدٌ. وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَاهُ: وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ يَوْمَ تُخْبِرُهُمْ أَنَّكَ يُوسُفُ، وَذَلِكَ حِينَ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَعَرَفَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ. وَذَكَرَ وَهْبٌ وَغَيْرُهُ: أَنَّهُمْ أَخَذُوا يُوسُفَ ﵇ بِغَايَةِ الْإِكْرَامِ وَجَعَلُوا يَحْمِلُونَهُ، فَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا إِلَى الْبَرِّيَّةِ أَلْقَوْهُ وَجَعَلُوا يَضْرِبُونَهُ فَإِذَا ضَرَبَهُ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمُ اسْتَغَاثَ بِالْآخَرِ فَضَرَبَهُ الْآخَرُ، فَجَعَلَ لَا يَرَى مِنْهُمْ رَحِيمًا فَضَرَبُوهُ حَتَّى كَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَهُ وَهُوَ يَصِيحُ: يَا أَبَتَاهُ لَوْ تَعْلَمُ مَا يَصْنَعُ بِابْنِكَ بَنُو الْإِمَاءِ، فَلَمَّا كَادُوا أَنْ يَقْتُلُوهُ قَالَ لَهُمْ يَهُوذَا: أَلَيْسَ قَدْ أَعْطَيْتُمُونِي مَوْثِقًا أَنْ لَا تَقْتُلُوهُ، فَانْطَلَقُوا بِهِ إِلَى الْجُبِّ لِيَطْرَحُوهُ فِيهِ، وَكَانَ ابْنَ اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً -وَقِيلَ: ثَمَانِي عشرة سنة-فجاؤوا بِهِ إِلَى بِئْرٍ عَلَى غَيْرِ الطَّرِيقِ وَاسِعَةِ الْأَسْفَلِ ضَيِّقَةِ الرَّأْسِ. قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ: عَلَى ثَلَاثَةِ فَرَاسِخَ مِنْ مَنْزِلِ يَعْقُوبَ ﵇. وَقَالَ كَعْبٌ: بَيْنَ مَدْيَنَ وَمِصْرَ. وَقَالَ وَهْبٌ: بِأَرْضِ الْأُرْدُنِّ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ: هِيَ بِئْرُ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ فَجَعَلُوا يُدْلُونَهُ فِي الْبِئْرِ فَيَتَعَلَّقُ بِشَفِيرِ الْبِئْرِ فَرَبَطُوا يَدَيْهِ وَنَزَعُوا قَمِيصَهُ فَقَالَ: يَا إِخْوَتَاهْ رُدُّوا عَلَيَّ الْقَمِيصَ أَتَوَارَى بِهِ فِي الْجُبِّ، فَقَالُوا: ادْعُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالْكَوَاكِبَ تُوَارِيكَ (٢) ، قَالَ: إِنِّي لَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا، فَأَلْقَوْهُ فِيهَا. وَقِيلَ: جَعَلُوهُ فِي دَلْوٍ وَأَرْسَلُوهُ فِيهَا حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ نِصْفَهَا أَلْقَوْهُ إِرَادَةَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ فَكَانَ فِي الْبِئْرِ مَاءٌ فَسَقَطَ فِيهِ، ثُمَّ أَوَى إِلَى صَخْرَةٍ فِيهَا فَقَامَ عَلَيْهَا. إِنَّهُمْ لَمَّا أَلْقَوْهُ فِيهَا جَعَلَ يَبْكِي فَنَادَوْهُ فَظَنَّ أَنَّ رَحْمَةً أَدْرَكَتْهُمْ فَأَجَابَهُمْ فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَرْضِخُوهُ بِصَخْرَةٍ فَيَقْتُلُوهُ، فَمَنَعَهُمْ يَهُوذَا وَكَانَ يَهُوذَا يَأْتِيهِ بِالطَّعَامِ، وَبَقِيَ فِيهَا ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ (٣) .

(١) هذا على رأي الكوفيين من النحاة، يزاد عندهم بعد "لما" و"حتى" -"إذا" وعلى ذلك خرَّجوا قوله تعالى: (فلما أسلما وتله للجبين، وناديناه) أي: ناديناه. قال أبو حيان: وهو قول مردود لأنه ليس في القرآن شيء زائد لغير معنى. وقال البصريون: ليس في الآية زيادة، لأن جواب "لما" محذوف تقديره: "فلما ذهبوا به وأجمعوا أن يجعلوه في غيابة الجب عظمت فتنتهم" وقدره بعضهم: "جعلوه فيها" قال أبو حيان: وهذا أولى، إذ يدل عليه قوله: "وأجمعوا أن يجعلوه". انظر: المحرر الوجيز: ٤ / ٤٥٢، البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٢٨٧. (٢) في "ب": تؤنسك. (٣) قال أبو حيان في أمثال هذه الروايات عن وهب وكعب وغيرهما: "وذكر المفسرون أشياء كثيرة تتضمن كيفية إلقائه في غيابة الجب، ومحاورته لهم بما يلين الصخر، وهم لا يزدادون إلا قساوة. ولم يتعرض القرآن الكريم ولا الحديث الصحيح لشيء منها فيوقف عليها في كتب التفسير". انظر: البحر المحيط: ٥ / ٢٨٧.