Yusuf: 84

Ayah

Word by Word

وَتَوَلَّىٰ

And he turned away

عَنۡهُمۡ

from them

وَقَالَ

and said

يَٰٓأَسَفَىٰ

Alas my grief

عَلَىٰ

over

يُوسُفَ

Yusuf!

وَٱبۡيَضَّتۡ

And became white

عَيۡنَاهُ

his eyes

مِنَ

from

ٱلۡحُزۡنِ

the grief

فَهُوَ

and he (was)

كَظِيمٞ

a suppressor

Translation

And he turned away from them, and said: "How great is my grief for Joseph!" And his eyes became white with sorrow, and he fell into silent melancholy.

Tafsir

"Allah's Prophet Yaqub receives the Grievous News

Allah's Prophet Yaqub repeated to his children the same words he said to them when they brought false blood on Yusuf' shirt,

قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرًا فَصَبۡرٌ جَمِيلٌ

He (Yaqub) said:""Nay, but your own selves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me).

Muhammad bin Ishaq said,

""When they went back to Yaqub and told him what happened, he did not believe them and thought that this was a repetition of what they did to Yusuf. So he said,

بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرًا فَصَبۡرٌ جَمِيلٌ

(Nay, but your own selves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me).

Some said that; since this new development came after what they did before (to Yusuf), they were given the same judgement to this later incident that was given to them when they did what they did (to Yusuf). Therefore, Yaqub's statement here is befitting,

بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرًا فَصَبۡرٌ جَمِيلٌ

(Nay, but your own selves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me). He then begged Allah to bring back his three sons:Yusuf, Binyamin and Rubil to him.""

Rubil had remained in Egypt awaiting Allah's decision about his case, either his father's permission ordering him to go back home, or to secure the release of his brother in confidence. This is why Yaqub said,

عَسَى اللّهُ أَن يَأۡتِيَنِي بِهِمۡ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الۡعَلِيمُ

May be Allah will bring them (back) all to me. Truly, He! Only He is All-Knowing,

in my distress,

الۡحَكِيمُ

the All-Wise,

in His decisions and the decree and preordainment He appoints.

Allah said next

وَتَوَلَّى عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ

وَابۡيَضَّتۡ عَيۡنَاهُ مِنَ الۡحُزۡنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ

And he turned away from them and said:""Alas, my grief for Yusuf!""

He turned away from his children and remembered his old grief for Yusuf,

يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ

Alas, my grief for Yusuf!

The new grief, losing Binyamin and Rubil, renewed his old sadness that he kept to himself.

Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ath-Thawri said that Sufyan Al-Usfuri said that Sa`id bin Jubayr said,

""Only this nation (the following of Prophet Muhammad) were given Al-Istirja'. Have you not heard the statement of Yaqub, peace be upon him,

يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ وَابۡيَضَّتۡ عَيۡنَاهُ مِنَ الۡحُزۡنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ

""Alas, my grief for Yusuf !"" And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing.""

According to Qatadah and other scholars,

Yaqub suppressed his sorrow and did not complain to a created being,

Ad-Dahhak also commented,

""Yaqub was aggrieved, sorrowful and sad.""

Yaqub's children felt pity for him and said, while feeling sorrow and compassion,

قَالُواۡ تَالله تَفۡتَأُ تَذۡكُرُ يُوسُفَ

They said:""By Allah! You will never cease remembering Yusuf,

`you will keep remembering Yusuf,

حَتَّى تَكُونَ حَرَضًا

until you become weak with old age,

until your strength leaves you,'

أَوۡ تَكُونَ مِنَ الۡهَالِكِينَ

or until you be of the dead.

They said, `if you continue like this, we fear for you that you might die of grief,

قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَشۡكُو بَثِّي وَحُزۡنِي إِلَى اللّهِ

He said:""I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah.""

When they said these words to him, Yaqub said,

إِنَّمَا أَشۡكُو بَثِّي وَحُزۡنِي

`(I only complain of my grief and sorrow) for the afflictions that struck me,

إِلَى اللّهِ

(to Allah) alone,

وَأَعۡلَمُ مِنَ اللّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

and I know from Allah that which you know not.

I anticipate from Allah each and every type of goodness.'

Ibn Abbas commented on the meaning of,

وَأَعۡلَمُ مِنَ اللّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

(and I know from Allah that which you know not),

""The vision that Yusuf ﷺ is truthful and Allah will certainly make it come true."""