Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (394)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

, (11–14) they said, “O our father, why do you not trust us with Joseph when we sincerely wish him well? Send him with us tomorrow so that he may enjoy himself and play; we will certainly watch over him.” He said, “It truly grieves me that you should take him away, and I fear that a wolf may devour him while you are heedless of him.” They said, “If a wolf were to devour him while we are a strong group, then we would truly be worthless!”

That is, Joseph’s brothers said to their father, seeking thereby to achieve their aim: “O our father, why do you not trust us with Joseph when we sincerely wish him well?” In other words: What makes you fear for Joseph in our company, without any cause or justification, “when we sincerely wish him well”? That is, we care for him and desire for him what we desire for ourselves. This indicates that Jacob, peace be upon him, would not allow Joseph to accompany his brothers into the open country or elsewhere.

After denying the suspicion that had prevented him from sending Joseph with them, they mentioned the recreation and enjoyment that his father desired for him, which called for allowing him to go with them. They said:

“Send him with us tomorrow so that he may enjoy himself and play”—that is, take recreation in the open country and enjoy himself. “We will certainly watch over him”—that is, we will look after him and protect him from any harm intended against him.

He answered them by saying: “It truly grieves me that you should take him away.” That is, merely taking him away would grieve and distress me, because I cannot bear to be separated from him, even for a short time. This was one reason not to send him. “And” there was a second reason: “I fear that a wolf may devour him while you are heedless of him”—that is, while your attention is turned away from him, for he is young and cannot defend himself against a wolf.

“They said, ‘If a wolf were to devour him while we are a strong group’”—that is, a group intent on protecting him—“then we would truly be worthless!” In other words, there would be no good in us, nor could any benefit be expected from us, if a wolf devoured him and overcame us in reaching him.

Once they had laid before their father the reasons for sending him and assured him that there were no impediments, he then allowed Joseph to go with them so that he might enjoy himself.

﴿١١ - ١٤﴾ ﴿قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا مَا لَكَ لا تَأْمَنَّا عَلَى يُوسُفَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَنَاصِحُونَ * أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَدًا يَرْتَعْ وَيَلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ * قَالَ إِنِّي لَيَحْزُنُنِي أَنْ تَذْهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَأَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ غَافِلُونَ * قَالُوا لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّا إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ﴾ . أي: قال إخوة يوسف، متوصلين إلى مقصدهم لأبيهم: ﴿يَا أَبَانَا مَا لَكَ لا تَأْمَنَّا عَلَى يُوسُفَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَنَاصِحُونَ﴾ أي: لأي شيء يدخلك الخوف منا على يوسف، من غير سبب ولا موجب؟ ﴿وَ﴾ الحال ﴿إِنَّا لَهُ لَنَاصِحُونَ﴾ أي: مشفقون عليه، نود له ما نود لأنفسنا، وهذا يدل على أن يعقوب ﵇ لا يترك يوسف يذهب مع إخوته للبرية ونحوها. فلما نفوا عن أنفسهم التهمة المانعة من عدم إرساله معهم، ذكروا له من مصلحة يوسف وأنسه الذي يحبه أبوه له، ما يقتضي أن يسمح بإرساله معهم، فقالوا: ﴿أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَدًا يَرْتَعْ وَيَلْعَبْ﴾ أي: يتنزه في البرية ويستأنس. ﴿وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾ أي: سنراعيه، ونحفظه من أذى يريده. فأجابهم بقوله: ﴿إِنِّي لَيَحْزُنُنِي أَنْ تَذْهَبُوا بِهِ﴾ أي: مجرد ذهابكم به يحزنني ويشق علي، لأنني لا أقدر على فراقه، ولو مدة يسيرة، فهذا مانع من إرساله ﴿وَ﴾ مانع ثان، وهو أني ﴿أَخَافُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَأَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ غَافِلُونَ﴾ أي: في حال غفلتكم عنه، لأنه صغير لا يمتنع من الذئب. ﴿قَالُوا لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ﴾ أي: جماعة، حريصون على حفظه، ﴿إِنَّا إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ﴾ أي: لا خير فينا ولا نفع يرجى منا إن أكله الذئب وغلبنا عليه. فلما مهدوا لأبيهم الأسباب الداعية لإرساله، وعدم الموانع، سمح حينئذ بإرساله معهم لأجل أنسه.