“What will be the punishment / penalty if it turns out that you are lying?”
Lying in what? Lying in saying, “We are not thieves. You have just said, ‘We don’t steal.’ If it turns out you are lying, what will be the penalty?”
Tafseer ;
Here is the beauty of the plan of Yusuf that Allah told Yusuf what to do. Allah told Yusuf this is the way to do it.
Why?
Because in the law of the Egyptians, no foreigner could remain in Egypt.
A thief would be punished like most thieves are punished by whipping, a penalty, or to give double back.
Some scholars have given different interpretations that he might have been whipped or had to give double the price back or might have been humiliated or hit or something and then let go.
If he had proven to be a thief and the law of the land was to be enacted upon him, even then Binyamin could not have stayed.
By putting the penalty on the children of Ya‘qub and by asking them, “You are so sure you are not thieves, then why don’t you tell us what the penalty should be.” They put it back on Ya‘qub’s children
*Reflection*
The accusers said, “Then what would be its recompense if you should be liars?”
‣ So they ask “what is the punishment according to your shari’ah or your religion?”
• They’re from Palestine and they’re following Prophet Ya‘qub, Ibrahim’s lineage
‣ They ask this so as to be a lesson in tarbeya
• If you want your children to not argue with you, if they have done something, make
them set their punishment
– The first time they do something small, you let it go, but ask what to do with them
if they do it next time
• There’s no room for argument in this case
• If you’re not strong from the beginning, then it causes a lot of problems
*Lesson*:
1. Allah (swt) can plan in so many ways.
He can plan for us good and He can place for us evil.
When we are in the best of situations Allah (swt) can shock us with evil and when we are in the worst of situations He (swt) can surprise us with good.
Such is the way in which our Lord works.