Joseph said, “Then bring me your brother from your father, if you are telling the truth, and I shall accept that.”
They said, “Our father would grieve at being separated from him, but we shall seek to persuade his father to let him go.”
He said, “Then leave one of your number with me as a hostage until you bring me your brother.” So they cast lots among themselves, and the lot fell to Simeon, who had shown the best judgment among them concerning Joseph. Thus, they left him with Joseph. This is the statement of Allah, exalted is He:
“And when he had furnished them with their supplies, he said, ‘Bring me a brother of yours from your father. Do you not see that I give full measure and that I am the best of hosts? (59) But if you do not bring him to me, then there will be no measure for you from me, nor may you approach me.’ (60) They said, ‘We shall seek to persuade his father to let him go, and we will surely do so.’ (61) And he said to his servants, ‘Put their payment into their packs so that they may recognize it when they return to their people, and perhaps they will come back.’ (62)”
“And when he had furnished them with their supplies,” meaning, he loaded each of their camels with its allotted provisions. “Bring me a brother of yours from your father,” meaning Benjamin. “Do you not see that I give full measure,” that is, I complete it and do not withhold anything from people. Thus, I shall give you an additional camel-load for the sake of your brother, honor you as guests, and treat you well. “And that I am the best of hosts”: Mujahid said, meaning, the best of those who receive guests. Joseph had indeed treated them hospitably.
“But if you do not bring him to me, then there will be no measure for you from me,” meaning, there will be no food from me that I will measure out to you. “Nor may you approach me,” meaning, do not come near my house [or my land] (1) after that. The verb is in the jussive form, functioning as a prohibition.
“They said, ‘We shall seek to persuade his father to let him go,’” meaning, we shall ask him and request that he send him with us. “And we will surely do so,” meaning, what you have commanded us to do.
“And he said to his servants”: Hamzah, al-Kisa’i, and Hafs recited it as lifityānihi (“to his young male servants”), with the alif and nun, while the remaining reciters (2) read lifityatihi (“to his young servants”), with the ta and without an alif, meaning his slave-boys. Both are established linguistic forms, like “boys” and “young boys.” “Put their payment,” that is, the price of their food, which consisted of dirhams.
Al-Dahhak reported from Ibn ‘Abbas that it consisted of sandals and leather goods.
It was also said that it consisted of eight sacks of roasted meal made from muql fruit. The first view is more correct.
“Into their packs,” that is, their containers; it is the plural of rahl. “So that they may recognize it when they return,” that is, when they depart, “to their people, and perhaps they will come back.”
They differed concerning the reason for which Joseph did this. It was said: He wished to show them his generosity by returning their payment and offering