Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/265)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“When they despaired of persuading him, they withdrew for private consultation. Their eldest said, ‘Do you not know that your father took from you a solemn covenant in Allah’s name, and that before this you failed with regard to Joseph? I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah judges for me; and He is the best of judges.’” (80)

“When they despaired of him,” that is, they despaired of Joseph responding to their request. Abu Ubaydah said: They became certain that their brother would not be returned to them. “They withdrew for private consultation,” that is, they secluded themselves from one another, conferring and consulting together, with no one else joining them.

The term najiyy may apply to a group, as it does here, and it may apply to one person, as in His saying: “And We brought him near in private communion” (Mary 19:52). ⦗185/b⦘ It may be used for both the singular and the plural because it is a verbal noun employed adjectivally, like “justice” and “falsehood.” Similarly, najwa may be both a noun and a verbal noun. Allah Most High says: “When they are engaged in private conversation” (al-Isra 17:47), meaning, conversing privately with one another. He also says: “There is no private conversation among three” (al-Mujadilah 58:7), and, with reference to the verbal noun: “Private conversation is only from Satan” (al-Mujadilah 58:10).

“Their eldest said,” meaning, the eldest in intellect and knowledge, not in age. Ibn Abbas and al-Kalbi said: He was Judah, and he was the most intelligent of them. Mujahid said: He was Simeon, who held authority over his brothers. Qatadah, al-Suddi, and al-Dahhak said: He was Reuben, who was the oldest of them and the one who had forbidden his brothers from killing Joseph. (1)

“Do you not know that your father took from you a solemn covenant,” that is, a pledge, “in Allah’s name, and that before this you failed” in your duty “with regard to Joseph?” They differed concerning the grammatical function of ma. It was said that it is in the accusative, governed by the verb “know”; that is: Do you not know of your previous failure with regard to Joseph?

(1) These reports are cited by al-Suyuti in al-Durr al-Manthur, 4:565, and by al-Tabari in his Tafsir, 16:206-208. Preferring the view that he was Rubil, al-Tabari said: “The soundest view is that ‘their eldest said’ refers to Rubil, since they all agree that he was the oldest of them in age. When Arabs are addressed and told, without qualification, ‘So-and-so is the elder of the people,’ they understand only one of two meanings: either that he holds leadership and authority over them, or that he is older in age. If intelligence is intended, they qualify it by saying, ‘He is their elder in intelligence.’ But when it is stated without such qualification, it conveys only the meanings mentioned. The exegetes have said that Shamun, although endowed by Allah with knowledge and intelligence, held no leadership or authority over his brothers. Thus, it is known whom He meant by the words, ‘their eldest said.’ Since this is so, only the other possibility remains: seniority in age. All those whom we have mentioned stated that Rubil was the oldest of them in age; thus the view we have chosen is established as correct.”

﴿فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْأَسُوا مِنْهُ خَلَصُوا نَجِيًّا قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمْ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَوْثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمِنْ قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطْتُمْ فِي يُوسُفَ فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الْأَرْضَ حَتَّى يَأْذَنَ لِي أَبِي أَوْ يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ لِي وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ (٨٠) ﴾ . ﴿فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْئَسُوا مِنْهُ﴾ أَيْ: أَيِسُوا مِنْ يُوسُفَ أَنْ يُجِيبَهُمْ إِلَى مَا سَأَلُوهُ. وَقَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ: اسْتَيْئَسُوا اسْتَيْقَنُوا أَنَّ الْأَخَ لَا يُرَدُّ إِلَيْهِمْ. ﴿خَلَصُوا نَجِيًّا﴾ أَيْ: خَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ يَتَنَاجَوْنَ وَيَتَشَاوَرُونَ لَا يُخَالِطُهُمْ غَيْرُهُمْ. وَالنَّجِيُّ يَصْلُحُ لِلْجَمَاعَةِ كَمَا قَالَ هَا هُنَا، وَيَصْلُحُ لِلْوَاحِدِ كَقَوْلِهِ: ﴿وَقَرَّبْنَاهُ نَجِيًّا﴾ (مريم -٥٢) ١٨٥/ب وَإِنَّمَا جَازَ لِلْوَاحِدِ وَالْجَمْعِ لِأَنَّهُ مَصْدَرٌ جُعِلَ نَعْتًا كَالْعَدْلِ وَالزُّورِ، وَمِثْلُهُ النَّجْوَى يَكُونُ اسْمًا وَمَصْدَرًا، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَإِذْ هُمْ نَجْوَى﴾ (الْإِسَرَاءِ -٤٧) ، أَيْ: مُتَنَاجُونَ. وَقَالَ: ﴿مَا يَكُونُ مِنْ نَجْوَى ثَلَاثَةٍ﴾ (الْمُجَادَلَةِ -٧) ، وَقَالَ فِي الْمَصْدَرِ ﴿إِنَّمَا النَّجْوَى مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ﴾ (الْمُجَادَلَةِ -١٠) . ﴿قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: فِي الْعَقْلِ وَالْعِلْمِ لَا فِي السِّنِّ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَالْكَلْبِيُّ: هُوَ يَهُوذَا وَهُوَ أَعْقَلُهُمْ. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: هُوَ شَمْعُونُ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ الرِّئَاسَةُ عَلَى إِخْوَتِهِ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ وَالسُّدِّيُّ وَالضَّحَّاكُ: هُوَ رُوبِيلُ، وَكَانَ أَكْبَرَهُمْ فِي السِّنِّ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي نَهَى الْإِخْوَةَ عَنْ قَتْلِ يُوسُفَ (١) . ﴿أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْكُمْ مَوْثِقًا﴾ عَهْدًا. ﴿مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمِنْ قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطْتُمْ﴾ قَصَّرْتُمْ ﴿فِي يُوسُفَ﴾ وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي مَحَلِّ " مَا "؛ قِيلَ: هُوَ نَصْبٌ بِإِيقَاعِ الْعَلَمِ عَلَيْهِ، يَعْنِي: أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوا مِنْ قَبْلِ تَفْرِيطِكُمْ فِي يُوسُفَ.

(١) ذكر هذه الروايات: السيوطي في الدر المنثور: ٤ / ٥٦٥، والطبري في التفسير: ١٦ / ٢٠٦-٢٠٨، وقال مرجحا إنه "روبيل": "وأولى الأقوال في ذلك بالصحة، قول من قال: عني بقوله "قال كبيرهم" روبيل، لإجماع جميعهم على أنه كان أكبرهم سنا. ولا تفهم العرب في المخاطبة إذا قيل لهم: "فلان كبير القوم" مطلقا بغير وصل، إلا أحد معنيين: إما في الرياسة عليهم والسؤدد، وإما في السن. فأما في العقل؛ فإنهم إذا أرادوا ذلك وصوله فقالوا: "هو كبيرهم في العقل". فأما إذا أطلق بغير صلته بذلك، فلا يفهم إلا ما ذكرت. وقد قال أهل التأويل: لم يكن لشمعون =وإن كان من العلم والعقل بالمكان الذي جعله الله به= على إخوته رياسة وسؤدد، فيعلم بذلك أنه عنى بقوله: "قال كبيرهم". فإذا كان ذلك كذلك، فلم يبق إلا الوجه الآخر، وهو الكبر في السن. وقد قال الذين ذكرنا جميعا: "روبيل كان أكبرهم سنا" فصح بذلك القول الذي اخترناه".