Surah Yusuf 60
“But if you do not bring him to me you shall have no measure (of corn) from me nor shall you (even) come near me.”
TAFSEER
This means that they will not even be able to come into this land.
The will be banned until they bring their eleventh brother.
He gave them the carrot and the stick.
He enticed them and he warned them.
The enticing was done by saying, “Look how generous I am. Look how I treated you.”
Then he warned them, “If you don’t bring back this eleventh brother, then give up hope of getting any more food from us.”
The scholars really talk a lot about why Yusuf would do this.
Why would Yusuf take his younger brother knowing that he is going to keep him in the palace and then the father will be deprived of him and Binyamin?
The scholars give reason and that is Allah ‘azza wa jall told him to do this. This was the plan of Allah.
What was the wisdom?
Allah knows best, but it was to affirm Ya‘qub’s faith in Allah (subhanahu wata’ala),
and perhaps, some scholars say, Binyamin was maybe not in threat but was not being treated properly.
His father was now old and blind, and the older brothers are now treating Binyamin in a very harsh manner, and Allah wanted to save Binyamin as well and bring him into Egypt.
He tells the brothers, “I am so generous, and if you want to come back, then prove your story and bring your eleventh brother; otherwise, there is nothing for you over here.”
EXPLANATION
After words of encouragement and showing his affection and hospitality, he warns them of the consequences; if they did not bring their brother with them the next time, they would get no wheat from him and they would not even be able to get close to him, for bringing their brother would be a proof of good faith in their dealings.
The verse says:
“But if you do not bring him to me you shall have no measure (of corn) from me nor shall you (even) come near me.”
This was the perfect pretext to get the brothers to bring Benjamin to him. Incidentally, these interpretations make it clear that the buying and selling of grain in Egypt was not commonly done by weight but by volume; and also this shows that Yusuf was, in all respects, a hospitable person.
LESSON
A believer is not fooled by the same trick twice. He should be vigilant. Yaqoob (AS) was not going to send Binyamin with them because of what happened before. But it was the generosity of Yusuf (AS) (he returned the good) that softened his heart.