hand him over, or the captive may escape his custody against his will. His captor may also die, leaving him free. The world is full of such cases.

The second argument

Jacob said to them:

“O my sons, go and seek news of Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of relief from Allah. Indeed, none despair of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.”

He forbade them to despair of relief from Allah, but did not forbid istī’ās (losing hope), which was what they had experienced. He stated that none despair of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people. It is well known that they were not disbelievers. This also constitutes the third argument: he stated that

“None despair of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people.”

It is therefore impossible for prophets to despair of relief from Allah or to fall into istī’ās. Indeed, believers, so long as they remain believers, do not despair of relief from Allah. This surah mentions those who experienced istī’ās and how joy came to them afterwards, so that the believer should not despair. Hence it says:

“Indeed, in their stories is a lesson for people of understanding.”

Thus, the account of the brothers’ losing hope concerning Joseph’s brother, and that of the messengers’ losing hope, can encompass both what Ibn ‘Abbās mentioned and what ‘Ā’ishah mentioned.

The fourth argument

Istī’ās is derived from ya’s (despair) on the istif‘āl (Form X) pattern, and this pattern