“He said, ‘Should I entrust him to you as I entrusted his brother to you before? Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy. * When they opened their baggage, they found that their payment had been returned to them. They said, “Our father, what more could we ask? Here is our payment, returned to us. We will procure provisions for our family, safeguard our brother, and receive an additional camel-load. That is an easy matter.” * He said, “I will not send him with you until you give me a solemn pledge before Allah that you will surely bring him back to me, unless you are overwhelmed.” When they had given him their solemn pledge, he said, “Allah is Witness over what we say.” * He said, “My sons, do not enter through one gate, but enter through different gates. Yet I cannot avail you against Allah in the least. Judgment belongs to Allah alone. In Him I place my trust, and in Him let all who trust place their trust.” * When they entered as their father had instructed them, it did not avail them against Allah in the least; it merely fulfilled a need in Jacob’s heart. He was indeed possessed of knowledge because of what We had taught him, but most people do not know.’”
Jacob (peace be upon him) said to them, “Should I entrust him to you as I entrusted his brother to you before?” That is, you previously made an even stronger commitment to safeguard Joseph, yet you did not honor the emphatic assurances you had given. I therefore do not trust your commitment or your protection; I trust only ⦗402⦘ in Allah Most High.
“Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy.” That is, He knows my condition, and I hope that He will show me mercy by protecting him and returning him to me. These words suggest that he had become inclined to send him with them.
Then, “when they opened their baggage, they found that their payment had been returned to them.” This indicates that they knew Joseph had deliberately returned it to them and intended to make it theirs. So, seeking to persuade their father to send their brother with them, “they said, ‘Our father, what more could we ask?’” That is, what more could we seek after such gracious treatment? He gave us full measure and returned our payment to us in a gracious manner that demonstrated sincerity and noble character.
“Here is our payment, returned to us. We will procure provisions for our family.” That is, if we take our brother with us, his accompanying us will cause Joseph to give us our measure; we will therefore provision (1) our family and bring (2) them the food they urgently need. “We will safeguard our brother and receive an additional camel-load” by taking him with us, for Joseph gives each person one camel-load. “That is an easy matter”—that is, it will be easy and cause you no harm, for the journey will not take long and the benefit has become clear.
Jacob then “said” to them, “I will not send him with you until you give me a solemn pledge before Allah”—that is, a binding covenant sworn by Allah—“that you will surely bring him back to me, unless you are overwhelmed,” meaning unless something beyond your power overtakes you and you are unable to repel it. “When they had given him their solemn pledge” in accordance with what he had stipulated and required, “he said, ‘Allah is Witness over what we say.’” That is, His testimony concerning us, His protection, and His guarantee are sufficient for us.
Then, when he sent him with them, he instructed them that, upon reaching Egypt, they should “not enter through one gate, but enter through different gates.” He feared that they might be struck by the evil eye because of their large number and impressive appearance, since they were all sons (3) of one man. This was a precautionary measure.
Yet, apart from taking this measure, “I cannot avail you against Allah in the least,” for whatever has been decreed must come to pass. “Judgment belongs to Allah alone”—that is, the decree is His decree and the command is His command; whatever He decrees and judges must inevitably occur. “In Him I place my trust”—that is, I rely upon Allah, not upon the precaution I have instructed you to take—“and in Him let all who trust place their trust.” Through trust in Allah, everything sought is attained and everything feared is averted.
When they departed and “entered as their father had instructed them, it did not” through that action “avail them against Allah in the least; it merely fulfilled a need in Jacob’s heart.” That need arose from his compassion and love for his children, and taking this measure afforded him a degree of reassurance and satisfied the concern in his heart.
This did not indicate any deficiency in his knowledge, for he was one of the noble messengers and godly scholars. Allah therefore said of him, “He was indeed possessed of knowledge”—that is, he possessed immense knowledge—“because of what We had taught him,” meaning through Our teaching him. He did not attain it through his own power or strength, but through Allah’s grace and instruction. “But most people do not know” the outcomes of affairs and the subtleties of things. Even those among them who possess knowledge remain unaware of much knowledge, its rulings, and its necessary implications.