12:76 Yusuf (Joseph)

{ فَبَدَأَ } المفتش { بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ } وذلك لتزول الريبة التي يظن أنها فعلت بالقصد، فلما لم يجد في أوعيتهم شيئا { اسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ } ولم يقل \"وجدها، أو سرقها أخوه\" مراعاة للحقيقة الواقعة. فحينئذ تم ليوسف ما أراد من بقاء أخيه عنده، على وجه لا يشعر به إخوته، قال تعالى: { كَذَلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ } أي: يسرنا له هذا الكيد، الذي توصل به إلى أمر غير مذموم { مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِي دِينِ الْمَلِكِ } لأنه ليس من دينه أن يتملك السارق، وإنما له عندهم، جزاء آخر، فلو ردت الحكومة إلى دين الملك، لم يتمكن يوسف من إبقاء أخيه عنده، ولكنه جعل الحكم منهم، ليتم له ما أراد. قال تعالى: { نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مَنْ نَشَاءُ } بالعلم النافع، ومعرفة الطرق الموصلة إلى مقصدها، كما رفعنا درجات يوسف، { وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ } فكل عالم، فوقه من هو أعلم منه حتى ينتهي العلم إلى عالم الغيب والشهادة.

وهذا هو الذي أراد يوسف عليه السلام ولهذا بدأ بأوعيتهم قبل وعاء أخيه أي فتشها قبله تورية " ثم استخرجها من وعاء أخيه " فأخذه منهم بحكم اعترافهم والتزامهم الزاما لهم بما يعتقدونه ولهذا قال تعالى " كذلك كدنا ليوسف " وهذا من الكيد المحبوب المراد الذي يحبه الله ويرضاه لما فيه من الحكمة والمصلحة المطلوبة وقوله " ما كان ليأخذ أخاه في دين الملك " أي لم يكن له أخذه في حكم ملك مصر قاله الضحاك وغيره وإنما قيض الله له أن التزم له إخوته بما التزموه وهو كان يعلم ذلك من شريعتهم ولهذا مدحهم الله تعالى فقال " نرفع درجات من نشاء " كما قال تعالى " يرفع الله الذين امنوا منكم " الآية " وفوق كل ذي علم عليم " قال الحسن البصري ليس عالم إلا فوقه عالم حتى ينتهي إلى الله عز وجل وكذا روى عبد الرزاق عن سفيان الثوري عن عبد الأعلى الثعلبي عن سعيد بن جبير قال كنا عند ابن عباس فحدث بحديث عجيب فتعجب رجل فقال: الحمد لله فوق كل ذي علم عليم فقال ابن عباس بئس ما قلت الله العلم فوق كل عالم وكذا روى سماك عن عكرمة عن ابن عباس " وفوق كل ذي علم عليم " قال يكون هذا أعلم من هذا وهذا أعلم من هذا والله فوق كل عالم وهكذا قال عكرمة وقال قتادة: وفوق كل ذي علم عليم حتى ينتهي العلم إلى الله منه بدئ وتعلمت العلماء وإليه يعود وفي قراءة عبد الله وفوق كل عالم عليم.

تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَّا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَـرِقِينَ

(By Allah! Indeed you know that we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are no thieves!) `Ever since you knew us, you, due to our good conduct, became certain that,

مَّا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَـرِقِينَ

(we came not to make mischief in the land, and we are no thieves!) They said, `Theft is not in our character, as you came to know.' Yusuf's men said,

فَمَا جَزَآؤُهُ

`(What then shall be the penalty of him), in reference to the thief, if it came out that he is one of you,'

إِن كُنتُمْ كَـذِبِينَ

(if you are (proved to be) liars) They asked them, `What should be the thief's punishment if he is one of you'

قَالُواْ جَزؤُهُ مَن وُجِدَ فِى رَحْلِهِ فَهُوَ جَزَاؤُهُ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الظَّـلِمِينَ

(They said: "His penalty should be that he, in whose bag it is found, should be held for the punishment. Thus we punish the wrongdoers!") This was the law of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, that the thief be given as a slave to the victim of theft. This is what Yusuf wanted, and this is why he started with their bags first before his brother's bag, to perfect the plot,

ثُمَّ اسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِن وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ

(Then he brought it out of his brother's bag.) Therefore, Yusuf took Binyamin as a slave according to their judgement and the law which they believed in. So Allah said;

كَذَلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ

(Thus did We plan for Yusuf.) and this is a good plot that Allah likes and prefers, because it seeks a certain benefit using wisdom and the benefit of all. Allah said next,

مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِى دِينِ الْمَلِكِ

(He could not take his brother by the law of the king,) as a captive, for this was not the law of king of Egypt, according to Ad-Dahhak and several other scholars. Allah only allowed Yusuf to take his brother as a captive after his brothers agreed to this judgement beforehand, and he knew that this was their law. This is why Allah praised him when He said,

نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـتٍ مَّن نَّشَآءُ

(We raise to degrees whom We will,) just as He said in another Ayah,

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمْ

(Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe.) 58:11 Allah said next,

وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِى عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ

(but over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing.) Al-Hasan commented, "There is no knowledgeable person, but there is another person with more knowledge until it ends at Allah the Exalted and Most Honored. In addition, `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "We were with Ibn `Abbas when he narrated an amazing Hadith. A man in the audience said, `All praise is to Allah! There is an all-knowing above every person endowed with knowledge.' Ibn `Abbas responded, `Worse it is that which you said! Allah is the All-Knowing and His knowledge is above the knowledge of every knowledgeable person.' Simak narrated that `Ikrimah said that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement,

وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِى عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ

(but over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing (Allah).) "This person has more knowledge than that person, and Allah is above all knowledgeable persons." Similar was narrated from `Ikrimah. Qatadah said, "Over every person endowed with knowledge is a more knowledgeable person until all knowledge ends with Allah. Verily, knowledge started from Allah, and from Him the scholars learn, and to Him all knowledge returns." `Abdullah bin Mas`ud read the Ayah this way, (وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ عَالِمٍ عَلِيمٌ) "And above every scholar, is the All-Knower (Allah)."

And so he began with their sacks and searched them before his brother’s sack lest he be accused of the theft; then he pulled it the drinking-cup out of his brother’s sack. God exalted be He says Thus through such contrivance did We contrive for Joseph thus We taught him how to devise a plot to take his brother; he Joseph could not have taken his brother as a slave on account of theft according to the king’s law according to the laws of the king of Egypt — since his a thief’s requital according to his law would have been a beating and a penalty of twice the value of the stolen item but not enslavement — unless God willed for him to be taken according to the law of his father Jacob; in other words he was only able to take him with God’s will by God’s inspiring him to ask his brothers about the nature of requital and their responding according to what is decreed by their customary practice. We raise by degrees whom We will read with a genitive annexation darajāti man nashā’ or simply with nunation darajātin man nashā’ in terms of knowledge as We did with Joseph; and above every man of knowledge from among creatures is one who knows better better than him and so on until it ends with God exalted be He.

Said in verse 75 was: فَبَدَأَ بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ , that is, to cover up the real plan, the state officials first searched through the baggage of all brothers. They did not open Benyamin's baggage first lest that causes any doubts.

Then, as said in the first sentence of the next verse (76): ثُمَّ اسْتَخْرَ‌جَهَا مِن وِعَاءِ أَخِيهِ , Benyamin's baggage was opened up last of all and recovered from it was the ` bowl of the king.' At that sight, all brothers were put to shame. They started chiding Benyamin for having disgraced them.

After that, it was said: كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ ۖ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِي دِينِ الْمَلِكِ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّـهُ , that is, ` this is how We planned for Yusuf.' He could have not arrested his brother under the Egyptian Imperial Law because, according to their law of theft, there was a corporal punishment for the thief after which he was to be released against the payment of twice the cost of the stolen property. But, here, he had already found out the law of theft operative in the Shari'ah of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) . According to this law, detaining Benyamin with him became correct and valid. So, also granted through the wisdom and will of Allah Ta’ ala was this wish of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) .

Said in the last sentence of the verse is: نَرْ‌فَعُ دَرَ‌جَاتٍ مَّن نَّشَاءُ ۗ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ (We elevate in ranks whom so We will [ as, in this event, the ranks of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) were elevated over his brothers ]. And above every man who has knowledge, there is someone more knowledgeable).

It means that Allah has given precedence to some over others in terms of knowledge. Take the highest of the high in knowledge, there is someone more knowledgeable than him. And if there is someone with a knowledge which is superior to the knowledge of the best among the creation of Allah, then, we have the 'Ilm of Allah jalla thana'uh which is the highest of all forever.

Rulings and points of guidance

Some injunctions and rulings deduced from the present verses are given below:

The statement: وَلِمَن جَاءَ بِهِ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ‌ (and whoever brings it back shall deserve a camel-load) in verse 72 proves that it is valid to make a general announcement that a particular award or remuneration will be paid to anyone who performs a particular act. This is very much like the cur-rent custom of announcing rewards for the arrest of absconding criminals or for the return of lost properties. Though, this form of transaction does not fall under the juristic definition of Ijarah (hiring), but, in the light of this verse, the justification for this also stands proved. (Qurtubi)

2. The words: وَأَنَا بِهِ زَعِيمٌ (and I stand surety for it) appearing at the end of verse 72 tell us that one person can become the guarantor of financial rights on behalf of another person. The related ruling, according to the majority of Muslim jurists, provides that the creditor has the authority to recover his property from the person legally in debt, or from the guarantor, as he chooses. However, if it is recovered from the guarantor, the guarantor would have the right to recover from the person legally in debt whatever cash or property has been taken from him. (Qurtubi)

3. The sentence: كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ (This is how We planned for Yusuf) in verse 76 tells us that it is permissible, for a valid reason recognized by Shari’ ah, to change the form of a transaction in a way that it brings a change in its legal status. According to the terminology of the fuqaha' (jurists) it is called 'Hilah Shar` iah' (i.e. a lawful device to avoid a real hardship). However, the condition is that such an action should not cause the invalidation of the injunctions of the Shari’ ah. If so, all such devices are, by the consensus of Muslim jurists, Haram and unlawful - for example, finding an excuse to avoid paying Zakah, or to embark on an unnecessary journey before or during Ramadan simply to seek an excuse for not fasting. This is universally Haram. The hunt for such excuses and devices has brought Divine punishment on some nations, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ has prohibited the use of such stratagems. The entire Muslim Ummah agrees that they are Haram, forbidden and unlawful. Acting upon them does not go on to make whatever is done as permissible. In fact, what falls on the doer is a twofold sin - firstly, that of the original impermissible act; secondly, that of the impermissible device which amounts, in a way, to cheating Allah and His Rasul. That all such hiyal or strategems are impermissible has been proved by Imam Al-Bukhari in his Kitab al Hiyal.

Thus We schemed for Joseph.... We raise in degree whomsoever We will. Ibn ʿAṬāÌ said, " We tried him with various sorts of trial until We conveyed him to exaltedness and eminence. " In terms of allusion He is saying, " We turned Joseph over to various sorts of trial and kept him for a long time in the station of bewilderment on the carpet of remorse until We conveyed him to the place of generosity and elevation and let him taste the wine of nearness and intimacy. In face of this blessing that tribulation was not heavy, and next to this nearness that remorse was no loss. " The wont of the Lord of the universe is this: The foundation of happiness is all suffering, and be- neath one disappointment lie a thousand treasures. If you want the wisdom of this clearer and an explication fuller, it means, " We ruled and decreed in the beginningless that Joseph would be king of Egypt. First We showed him the abase- ment of slavery so that he would be informed of the remorse of captives and slaves. Then We tried him with the trial of prison so that he would be aware of the burning and grief of prisoners. We threw him into the gloom of exile so that he would not be heedless of the helplessness of exiles. " Be a mother to orphans, nurture them with gentleness, be noble to askers, fulfill their requests. The generosity We showed to you in your poverty and orphanhood- you show the same, O generous in character, to Our creatures. [DS 36] We raise in degree whomsoever We will. First there is going straight, then unveiling, then con- templation: " We give whomsoever We want a high standing, and We lift up his degrees: first the success of obedience, then the realization of recompense; first the self-purification of deeds, then making states limpid; first the resoluteness of service in the station of the Shariah, then the finding of contemplation in the Haqiqah itself. " Going straight alludes to the Shariah, unveiling alludes to the Tariqah, and contemplation alludes to the Haqiqah itself. The Shariah is servanthood, the Tariqah is selflessness, and the Haq- iqah is freedom in the midst of both. Become free of everything in the realm of being- be that Heart-taker's " companion of the cave. "