It was also said: It is beautiful patience that I choose.
Beautiful patience is that in which there is neither complaint nor despair.
“And Allah is the One whose help is sought against what you describe.” That is: I seek Allah’s help to bear patiently what you falsely claim.
The account relates that they brought a wolf and said, “This is the one that ate him.” Jacob said to it, “O wolf, did you eat my son, the very fruit of my heart?” So Allah, exalted is He, caused it to speak, and it said, “By Allah, I have never even seen your son’s face.”
He said, “How did you come to be in the land of Canaan?”
It said, “I came to visit a relative, [but these men captured me] (1).” Joseph remained in the well for three days (2).
“And there came a caravan, and they sent their water-drawer, who let down his bucket. He said, ‘What good news! Here is a boy!’ They concealed him as merchandise, and Allah knew full well what they were doing. (19)”
“And there came a caravan,” that is, a group of travelling people. They were called a caravan because they journeyed through the land. They were a company from Midian bound for Egypt, but they lost their way and stopped near the well. The well was in [a barren wilderness far] (3) from inhabited land, and was used by shepherds and passersby. Its water was brackish (4), but it became sweet when Joseph, peace be upon him, was cast into it. When they stopped, they sent a man from the people of Midian, called Malik ibn Du'r (5), [to fetch water] (6). This is the meaning of His saying, exalted is He, “and they sent their water-drawer.” The water-drawer is the one who goes ahead of the caravan to the water source and prepares the ropes and buckets.
“Who let down his bucket,” meaning: he lowered it into the well. One says, “I lowered the bucket,” when one sends it down into the well, and “I drew it up,” when one brings it out. Joseph held on to the rope, and when he emerged, there was a boy of surpassing beauty.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Joseph was given half of all beauty.” (7)