Surah Yusuf ayat 77 Tafsir Quran 12:77

﴿۞ قَالُوا إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ وَلَمْ يُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ أَنتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ﴾
[ يوسف: 77]

12:77 They said, "If he steals - a brother of his has stolen before." But Joseph kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are worse in position, and Allah is most knowing of what you describe."

They said ‘If he is stealing a brother of his stole before’ that is Joseph — he had stolen a golden idol from his maternal grandfather and smashed it lest he worship it. But Joseph kept it secret in his soul and did not disclose it manifest it to them the suffixed pronoun in yubdi-hā ‘disclose it’ refers to the words in his following saying; he said within himself ‘You are a worse case than Joseph and his brother because of your stealing a brother of yours from your father and your wronging him. And God knows very well what you are describing’ what you are mentioning with regard to him.

There and then said the brothers, adding insult to injury: If he has appropriated dishonestly something belonging to someone else, a brother of his had committed theft aforetime. Yusuf swallowed his resentment and kept it down, and in words spoken aside he said: You went further and fared worse; it shall go bad with you here and worse Hereafter, and Allah knows every falsity you devise

Yusuf's Brothers accuse Him of Theft! After Yusuf's brothers saw that the king's bowl was taken out of Binyamin's bag, they said, إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ ( If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before. ) They tried to show themselves as innocent from being like Binyamin, saying that he did just like a brother of his did beforehand, meaning Yusuf, peace be upon him! Allah said, فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِى نَفْسِهِ ( But these things did Yusuf keep in himself ), meaning the statement that he said afterwards, أَنْتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمْ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ ( You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe! ) Yusuf said this to himself and did not utter it aloud, thus intending to hide what he wanted to say to himself even before he said it.
Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement, فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِى نَفْسِهِ ( But these things did Yusuf keep in himself ), "He kept in himself his statement next, أَنْتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمْ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ ( You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe! )."

(12:77) At this discovery the brothers remarked, "There is nothing strange in it that he has committed a theft, for his brother (Joseph) also committed a theft before this. " *61 Hearing this, Joseph suppressed his feelings and did not reveal the secret to them, but said only this in an under tone, "What a bad people you are! you are accusing me (to my face) of the thing the truth of which Allah knows best."

They said, "If he steals - a meaning

*61) As regards the question why it was not worthy of Prophet Joseph to apply the king's law to his personal case, its best answer is again found in the practice of the Holy Prophet.
During the interim period, when the laws of ignorance had not yet been replaced by Islamic Laws, other Muslims went on drinking wine and taking interest as before, but the Holy Prophet never practiced any of these things.
Likewise some un-Islamic laws of marriage, such as taking in marriage of real sisters at one and the same time, were practised, but the Holy Prophet never practised any such thing.
Thus it is clear, that there was a difference between leaving in vogue some un-Islamic laws during the period of the evolution of the Islamic Law and practising the same.
Had Prophet Joseph applied the king's law to his own case, it would have meant that he had lent his seeming sanction to that law.
But it is obvious that a Prophet, who is sent to eliminate the ways of ignorance.
cannot follow these even under the temporary leave that is given to others.

Their position and dissociated themselves from Benjamin, declaring that he was a thief like his brother Joseph.
It is obvious that this was a false accusation the clever brothers had invented on the spot.
But it is an instance of the malice these brothers bore to their two step-brothers, and is also the answer to the question why Prophet Joseph desired to keep his brother with him.

 

Yusuf's Brothers accuse Him of Theft! After Yusuf's brothers saw that the king's bowl was taken out of Binyamin's bag, they said, إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ ( If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before. ) They tried to show themselves as innocent from being like Binyamin, saying that he did just like a brother of his did beforehand, meaning Yusuf, peace be upon him! Allah said, فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِى نَفْسِهِ ( But these things did Yusuf keep in himself ), meaning the statement that he said afterwards, أَنْتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمْ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ ( You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe! ) Yusuf said this to himself and did not utter it aloud, thus intending to hide what he wanted to say to himself even before he said it.
Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's statement, فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِى نَفْسِهِ ( But these things did Yusuf keep in himself ), "He kept in himself his statement next, أَنْتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمْ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ ( You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe! )."

( They said ) the brothers of Joseph said: ( If he stealeth ) if Benjamin has stolen the king’s cup, ( a brother of his stole before ) his full brother ( Joseph ) has stolen an idol before. ( But Joseph kept it secret in his soul ) he did not answer this ( and revealed it not unto them ) his response. ( He said ) within himself: ( Ye are in worse case ) your action is worse than that of Joseph ( and Allah knoweth best (the Truth of ) that which you allege) in relation to the matter of Joseph.

They [(Yusuf's (Joseph) brothers] said: "If he steals, there was a brother of his [Yusuf (Joseph)] who did steal before (him)." But these things did Yusuf (Joseph) keep in himself, revealing not the secrets to them. He said (within himself): "You are in worst case, and Allah knows best the truth of what you assert!"

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