“Above every person of knowledge is one more knowing.” Ibn Abbas said: Above every scholar is one more learned, until all knowledge ultimately ends with Allah Most High. Thus, Allah Most High is above every scholar.

“They said, ‘If he has stolen, then a brother of his had stolen before.’ Joseph kept this within himself and did not disclose it to them. He said, ‘You are worse in position; and Allah knows best what you allege.’” (77)

Their reference was to his brother through his mother—that is, Joseph. The scholars differed concerning the theft of which they accused Joseph, peace be upon him. Sa'id ibn Jubayr and Qatadah said: His maternal grandfather had an idol which he worshipped, so Joseph secretly took it—or broke it and threw it into the road—so that it would not be worshipped. (1)

Mujahid said: One day, a beggar came to Joseph, so he took an egg from the house and gave it to the beggar. Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said: He took a hen from among the poultry in Jacob’s house and gave it to a beggar. Wahb said: He used to hide food from the table for the poor. (2)

Muhammad ibn Ishaq related that, after the death of his mother Rachel, Joseph was in the care of his paternal aunt, the daughter of Isaac. His aunt raised him and loved him deeply. When he grew up, Jacob became greatly attached to him. He came to her and said, “My sister, hand Joseph over to me. By Allah, I cannot bear for him to be absent from me even for an hour.”

She said, “No, by Allah.”

He said, “By Allah, I will not leave him with you.”

She said, “Leave him with me for a few days, so that I may look upon him; perhaps that will console me over his departure.” So he did so. She then took a girdle belonging to Isaac, which they inherited by right of seniority. It was in her possession because she was Isaac’s eldest child. She fastened the girdle around Joseph beneath his clothes while he was still young. Then she said, “I have lost Isaac’s girdle. Search the people of the household.” They searched and found it with Joseph. She said, “By Allah, he is mine as a slave.” Jacob said, “If he has done that, then he is yours as a slave.” (3) She kept him until she died. This is what Joseph’s brothers meant when they said: “If he has stolen, then a brother of his had stolen before.” (4)

“He kept it within himself”: that is, Joseph concealed it within himself and did not disclose it to them. The feminine pronoun is used because it refers to the statement—namely, his words: “You are worse in position.” [He said it secretly to himself and did not state it openly, meaning: You are worse in position.] (5)