Surah Yusuf 59
“And when he provided them with their provisions, he said: ‘Bring unto me a brother of years from your father. Do you not see that I give full measure, and (that) I am the best of hosts?’”
TAFSEER
After he had prepared for them their jahhaz…”
Jahhaz here means their provisions they needed for the journey.
Notice that after he has given them all their grain, he gives them extra.
“Go take some food for the journey.”
He helped them to get ready back. It is said that they stayed in Egypt for a few days, and he treated them honorably and very generously.
Yusuf was very compassionate and kind towards his brothers. When he was speaking with them, they told him that they were ten brothers from a single father named Ya‘qub, the grandson of ’Ibrahim al Khalil, the great prophet of Allah.
They told him that had he known their father, he would have had more respect for them, but their aged and venerable father was greatly saddened and depressed.
On asking them why their father had been so grief stricken, they replied that he had a son whom he loved very much and who was the youngest of all his sons.
This son had gone hunting and playing with them in the field grief-stricken and when they had neglected him a wolf came upon him and killed him.
Since then, their father had been weeping and grieving for him.
“When he prepared for them all the food they needed for the journey, he tells them, ‘Bring back this brother you have mentioned.”
Why should they bring him back? Yusuf is saying, “I don’t know if you are telling the truth or not. You are saying you have an eleventh brother.
Bring him to me next time. If you are truthful,
If your story is all legitimate, then bring this eleventh younger brother of yours.
“He enticed them. “Don’t you see that I gave you your full weight?
I gave you your money’s worth. Nobody else at this time is going to give you this quantity of grain for whatever you came with.
Don’t doubt my intention. You see how generous I am and you see how good I was to you. Don’t doubt my intention, but I don’t know who you are. I want to check your story. Bring back that eleventh brother of yours.”
Of course, these are his blood brothers, and he treats them in the best fashion. Even though they came as merchants, he hosted them and gave them food and drink and gave them a place to stay.
Then, he tells them:
Like I mention earlier that there is lesson for us in the each verse of Quran . And we can able to get only if we are digging like when we go in submarine to see what’s inside of ocean.
REFLECTIO N
‣ Yusuf asks who they were, and they tell him that they are the sons of prophet Ya‘qub
‣ Yusuf says “how do I know? You might be spies.
• Why did he ask?
He’s in charge so the question makes sense
– He knows they’re not spies, but he has a plan
He asks how many sons Ya‘qub had
– 12 sons, but our youngest brother died in the desert, and our youngest brother (Ben Yamin) is with our father
– Prophet Ya‘qub doesn’t trust them still with him
- Yusuf provided for them
well, and treated them well - He’s selling these grains, so people bring merchandise
- He says the next time you come, bring me the other brother from your father (Ben Yamin)
LESSON
It is from the sunnah of the prophets to host guests and treat them honorably based on the statement of Yusuf, “See you not that I give full measure, and that I am the best of the hosts?”
Be kind to those who aren’t kind to us.