Surah Yusuf ayat 79 Tafsir Quran 12:79

﴿قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَن نَّأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدْنَا مَتَاعَنَا عِندَهُ إِنَّا إِذًا لَّظَالِمُونَ﴾
[ يوسف: 79]

12:79 He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allah [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust."

He said ‘God forbid ma‘ādha’Llāhi lit. ‘refuge is with God’ is in the accusative because it is a verbal noun the verb having been omitted and placed in a genitive annexation with its direct object in other words understand it as na‘ūdhu bi’Llāhi ‘we seek refuge with God’ that we should take anyone save him with whom we found our property — he did not say ‘save him who stole our property’ being careful not to lie; for then truly — if we were to take anyone other than him — we would be evildoers’.

Allah forbid, said Yusuf, that we should take to our custody but him with whom we found our personal property or else we will be wrongful of actions

Yusuf's Brothers offer taking One of Them instead of Binyamin as a Slave, Yusuf rejects the Offer When it was decided that Benyamin was to be taken and kept with Yusuf according to the law they adhered by, Yusuf's brothers started requesting clemency and raising compassion in his heart for them, قَالُواْ يأَيُّهَا الْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُ أَبًا شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا ( They said, "O `Aziz! Verily, he has an old father..." ) who loves him very much and is comfor- ted by his presence from the son that he lost, فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُ ( so take one of us in his place. ), instead of Binyamin to remain with you, إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ( Indeed we think that you are one of the doers of good. ), the good doers, just, and accepting fairness, قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَن نَّأْخُذَ إِلاَّ مَن وَجَدْنَا مَتَـعَنَا عِندَهُ ( He said: "Allah forbid, that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property..." ), `according to the judgement that you gave for his punishment, إِنَّـآ إِذًا لَّظَـلِمُونَ ( Indeed, we should be wrongdoers. ), if we take an innocent man instead of the guilty man.
'

(12:79) Joseph replied, "God forbid that we should seize any other than the one with whom we have found our property *63 : for, if we do this, we shall be unjust."

He said, "[I seek] the refuge of meaning

*63) The use of the words " with whom we have found our property " instead of the word " thief " is very significant.
Prophet Joseph avoided the use of the word " thief " for his brother because he was not really a thief.
This is called aiNaeE ( touriyah ), that is, to put a cover over a reality or " to hide a reality. " Such a practice is allowed by the Muslim Law under certain conditions and with certain limitations.
It may be practised not to gain any selfish end, but to ward off some evil or to protect and save an oppressed person from some oppressor, provided that no other course might have been left except saying something against the truth or of having a resort to a deceitful device.
It is obvious that in such a case, a righteous person will not tell a blunt lie or resort to an open deceit.
Instead, he will say something or do something that might not be strictly truthful or strictly right, yet at the same time is not a blunt lie, so that he might hide the reality to ward off the evil.
Such a practice is lawful, legally and morally, provided that it is not practised to gain some personal or selfish ends but to ward off a greater evil with a lesser evil.
Accordingly, Prophet Joseph scrupulously fulfilled all the conditions in this case.
He placed the cup in the pack of his brother with his consent, but he did not ask his servants to make a search of his pack and accuse him of theft.
After this, when the servants brought the brothers before him as suspects, he quietly rose from his seat and began to make a search of their packs.
Then afterwards, when the brothers requested that one of them should be taken instead of Benjamin, he answered them back in their own words that he would detain only that person in whose possession the cup was found and none else.

Instances of such a practice during his campaigns are found in the life history of the Holy Prophet.
And this cannot be regarded as morally objectionable according to any moral or legal standard.

 

Yusuf's Brothers offer taking One of Them instead of Binyamin as a Slave, Yusuf rejects the Offer When it was decided that Benyamin was to be taken and kept with Yusuf according to the law they adhered by, Yusuf's brothers started requesting clemency and raising compassion in his heart for them, قَالُواْ يأَيُّهَا الْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُ أَبًا شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا ( They said, "O `Aziz! Verily, he has an old father..." ) who loves him very much and is comfor- ted by his presence from the son that he lost, فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُ ( so take one of us in his place. ), instead of Binyamin to remain with you, إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ ( Indeed we think that you are one of the doers of good. ), the good doers, just, and accepting fairness, قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ أَن نَّأْخُذَ إِلاَّ مَن وَجَدْنَا مَتَـعَنَا عِندَهُ ( He said: "Allah forbid, that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property..." ), `according to the judgement that you gave for his punishment, إِنَّـآ إِذًا لَّظَـلِمُونَ ( Indeed, we should be wrongdoers. ), if we take an innocent man instead of the guilty man.
'

( He said ) Joseph said to them: ( Allah forbid that we should seize ) for the crime of theft ( save him with whom we found our property; then truly we should be wrong-doers ) by arresting someone with whom we did not find our property.

He said: "Allah forbid, that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property. Indeed (if we did so), we should be Zalimun (wrong-doers)."

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