Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/259)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

Sufyan said: “Whoever does not act upon what he knows is not a scholar.” It was also said: He had carefully retained what We had taught him.

“But most people do not know” what Jacob knew, because they have not followed the path by which knowledge is attained. Ibn ‘Abbas said: The idolaters do not know what Allah inspires in His close servants.

“When they entered Joseph’s presence, he drew his brother close to himself. He said, ‘I am indeed your brother, so do not grieve over what they have been doing.’ (69)”

Regarding His saying, exalted is He, “When they entered Joseph’s presence”: they said, “This is our brother, whom you instructed us to bring to you; we have brought him to you.” He replied, “You have done well and acted rightly, and you will find the reward for that with me.” He then lodged them and treated them generously (1). He hosted them and seated every two of them at a table, leaving Binyamin alone. He wept and said, “Had my brother Joseph been alive, he would have seated me with him.”

Joseph said, “This brother of yours has been left alone,” and seated him with himself at his table. He ate with him. When night came, he ordered the same arrangement for them (2), saying, “Let every pair of brothers among you sleep together.” Binyamin remained alone, so Joseph said, “This one shall sleep with me in my bed.” Thus, he slept with him. Joseph held him close and inhaled his scent until morning, while Reuben kept saying, “We have never seen the like of this.”

When morning came, Joseph said to them, “I see that this man has no companion with him, so I shall take him in, and he will stay with me.” He then gave them lodging and provided them with food, and lodged his brother by the same mother with himself. This is the meaning of His saying, exalted is He: “He drew his brother close to himself”—that is, he took his brother in.

When he was alone with him, he asked, “What is your name?” He replied, “Binyamin.” He asked, “And what does Binyamin mean?” He said, “Son of the bereaved woman,” because his mother died when he was born. He asked, “What was your mother’s name?” He replied, “Rachel, daughter of Levi.” He asked, “Do you have any children?” He said, “Yes, ten sons.” [He asked, “Did you have a brother by the same mother?” He said, “I had a brother, but he died.” Joseph said:] (3) “Would you like me to be your brother in place of your brother who died?”

Binyamin said, “Who could find a brother like you, O King? But Jacob and Rachel did not give birth to you.” At this, Joseph wept, rose to him, and embraced him (4). Then he said to him, “I am indeed your brother, so do not grieve”—that is, do not be sorrowful—“over what they have been doing”: over anything they did to us in the past. For Allah, exalted is He, has shown us favour. Do not tell them anything of what I have told you.

Joseph then gave his brothers their full measure and loaded for each of them a camel-load, and for Binyamin a camel-load in his own name. He then ordered that the king’s drinking cup be placed in Binyamin’s saddlebag.

(1) In manuscript B: “fa-akrim mathwahum” (then honor their lodging). (2) In manuscript B: “bimithl.” Al-muthul refers to bedding; its singular is mithal. (3) The text within the parentheses is found in the printed edition; it is an addition that suits the context. (4) These details concerning Yusuf’s meeting with his brother were narrated by al-Tabari in al-Tarikh, 1:352, but there is no evidence for them. The apparent meaning of the verses is that he met privately with his brother, informed him of what had happened to him, and told him that he was his brother. They then agreed that he would devise a plan to keep him with him, honored, treated generously, and held in high regard. See Ibn Kathir, 2:486.

قَالَ سُفْيَانُ: مَنْ لَا يَعْمَلُ بِمَا يَعْلَمُ لَا يَكُونُ عَالِمًا. وَقِيلَ: وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو حِفْظٍ لِمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ. ﴿وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ مَا يَعْلَمُ يَعْقُوبُ لِأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسْلُكُوا طَرِيقَ إِصَابَةِ الْعِلْمِ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: لَا يَعْلَمُ الْمُشْرِكُونَ مَا أَلْهَمَ اللَّهُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ. ﴿وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (٦٩) ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَى يُوسُفَ﴾ قَالُوا: هَذَا أَخُونَا الَّذِي أَمَرْتَنَا أَنْ نَأْتِيَكَ بِهِ قَدْ جِئْنَاكَ بِهِ، فَقَالَ: أَحْسَنْتُمْ وَأَصَبْتُمْ، وَسَتَجِدُونَ جَزَاءَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدِي، ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَهُمْ وَأَكْرَمَهُمْ (١) ، ثُمَّ أَضَافَهُمُ وَأَجْلَسَ كُلَّ اثْنَيْنِ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى مَائِدَةٍ، فَبَقِيَ بِنْيَامِينُ وَحِيدًا، فَبَكَى وَقَالَ: لَوْ كَانَ أَخِي يُوسُفُ حَيًّا لَأَجْلَسَنِي مَعَهُ، فَقَالَ يُوسُفُ: لَقَدْ بَقِيَ أَخُوكُمْ هَذَا وَحِيدًا، فَأَجْلَسَهُ مَعَهُ عَلَى مَائِدَتِهِ، فَجَعَلَ يُواكِلُهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ اللَّيْلُ أَمَرَ لَهُمْ [بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ] (٢) وَقَالَ: لِيَنَمْ كُلُّ أَخَوَيْنِ مِنْكُمْ عَلَى مِثَالٍ، فَبَقِيَ بِنْيَامِينُ وَحَدَهُ، فَقَالَ يُوسُفُ: هَذَا يَنَامُ مَعِي عَلَى فِرَاشِي، فَنَامَ مَعَهُ، فَجَعَلَ يُوسُفُ يَضُمُّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَيَشُمُّ رِيحَهُ حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ، وَجَعَلَ رُوبِينُ يَقُولُ: مَا رَأَيْنَا مِثْلَ هَذَا، فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحَ، قَالَ لَهُمْ: إِنِّي أَرَى هَذَا الرَّجُلَ لَيْسَ مَعَهُ ثَانٍ فَسَأَضُمُّهُ إِلَيَّ فَيَكُونُ مَنْزِلُهُ مَعِي، ثُمَّ أَنْزَلَهُمْ مُنْزِلًا وَأَجْرَى عَلَيْهِمُ الطَّعَامَ، وَأَنْزَلَ أَخَاهُ لِأُمِّهِ مَعَهُ، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿آوَى إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ﴾ أَيْ: ضَمَّ إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ فَلَمَّا خَلَا بِهِ قَالَ: مَا اسْمُكَ؟ قَالَ: بِنْيَامِينُ، قَالَ: وَمَا بِنْيَامِينُ؟ قَالَ: ابْنُ الْمُثْكِلِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا وُلِدَ هَلَكَتْ أُمُّهُ. قَالَ: وَمَا اسْمُ أُمِّكَ؟ قَالَ: رَاحِيلُ بِنْتُ لَاوِي، فَقَالَ: فَهَلْ لَكَ مِنْ وَلَدٍ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ عَشَرَةُ بَنِينَ، [قَالَ: فَهَلْ لَكَ مِنْ أَخٍ لِأُمِّكَ، قَالَ: كَانَ لِي أَخٌ فَهَلَكَ، قَالَ يُوسُفُ] (٣) أَتُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَخَاكَ بَدَلَ أَخِيكَ الْهَالِكِ، فَقَالَ بِنْيَامِينُ: وَمَنْ يَجِدُ أخًا مِثْلَكَ أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَلِدْكَ يَعْقُوبُ وَلَا رَاحِيلُ، فَبَكَى يُوسُفُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ وَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ وَعَانَقَهُ (٤) ، وَقَالَ لَهُ: ﴿قَالَ إِنِّي أَنَا أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ﴾ أَيْ: لَا تَحْزَنْ، ﴿بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ بِشَيْءٍ فَعَلُوهُ بِنَا فِيمَا مَضَى، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ أَحْسَنَ إِلَيْنَا، وَلَا تُعْلِمْهُمْ شَيْئًا مِمَّا أَعْلَمْتُكُ، ثُمَّ أَوْفَى يُوسُفُ لِإِخْوَتِهِ الْكَيْلَ، وَحَمَّلَ لَهُمْ بَعِيرًا بَعِيرًا، وَلِبِنْيَامِينَ بَعِيرًا بِاسْمِهِ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِسِقَايَةِ الْمَلِكِ فَجُعِلَتْ فِي رَحْلِ بِنْيَامِينَ.

(١) في "ب" فأكرم مثواهم. (٢) في "ب": بمثل. والمثل هي: الفرش، واحدها مثال. (٣) ما بين القوسين من المطبوع، وهي زيادة تناسب السياق. (٤) هذه التفصيلات في لقاء يوسف لأخيه أخرجها الطبري في التاريخ: ١ / ٣٥٢ ولم يقم عليها دليل، وظاهر الآيات أنه اختلى بأخيه وأطلعه على شأن ما جرى له وعرفه أنه أخوه، وتواطأ معه أنه سيحتال على أن يبقيه عنده معززا مكرما معظما. انظر: ابن كثير: ٢ / ٤٨٦.