“And Joseph’s brothers came and entered before him. He recognized them, but they did not recognize him.” (58)

“Joseph’s brothers came”—they were ten in number. Their dwelling was at al-‘Uranāt, in the land of Palestine, in the Jordan Valley of Greater Syria. They were desert people who owned camels and sheep. Jacob, peace be upon him, summoned them and said, “My sons, I have heard that there is a righteous king in Egypt who sells food. So make ready to buy 184/A food from him.” He sent them, and they came to Egypt. “And they entered before him,” that is, before Joseph; “he recognized them”—Joseph, peace be upon him, recognized them.

Ibn ‘Abbas and Mujahid said: He recognized them as soon as he set eyes on them.

Al-Hasan said: He did not recognize them until they identified themselves to him.

“But they did not recognize him,” meaning, they did not know who he was. Ibn ‘Abbas said: Forty years had passed between the time they cast him into the well and the time they entered before him; therefore, they failed to recognize him.

‘Ata’ said: They did not recognize him only because he was seated upon the royal throne, with the royal crown upon his head.

It was also said: Because he was dressed in the attire of the kings of Egypt, wearing silk garments and a gold collar around his neck. When Joseph looked at them and they spoke to him in Hebrew, he said, “Tell me: who are you, and what is your business? For I find your circumstances suspicious.”

They said, “We are a people from the land of Greater Syria, shepherds. Hardship has afflicted us, so we have come to obtain provisions.”

He said, “Perhaps you have come to survey the vulnerable points of my land.”

They said, “No, by Allah, we are not spies. Rather, we are brothers, sons of one father. He is a venerable and most truthful man named Jacob (1), one of Allah’s prophets.”

He said, “How many are you?”

They said, “We were twelve. One brother of ours went with us into the wilderness and perished there; he was the dearest of us to our father.”

He said, “Then how many of you are here?”

They said, “Ten.”

He said, “Where is the other one?”

They said, “He is with our father, because he is the maternal brother of the one who perished (2), and our father finds consolation in him.”

He said, “Who can verify that what you say is true?”

They said, “O King, we are in a land where no one among its people knows us (3).”