Tafsir

Yusuf's Brothers ask Ya`qub's Permission to send Their Brother Binyamin with Them to Egypt

Allah says that when they went back to their father, قَالُواْ يأَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا الْكَيْلُ(they said: "O our father! No more measure of grain shall we get...") `after this time, unless you send our brother Binyamin with us.

So send him with us, and we shall get our measure and we shall certainly guard him.' Some scholars read this Ayah in a way that means, `and he shall get his ration.' They said, وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ(and truly, we will guard him.), `do not fear for his safety, for he will be returned back to you.' This is what they said to Ya`qub about their brother Yusuf, أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَداً يَرْتَعْ وَيَلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ ("Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and verily, we will take care of him.") 12:12 This is why Prophet Ya`qub said to them, هَلْ آمَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ(Can I entrust him to you except as I entrusted his brother Yusuf to you aforetime) He asked them, `Will you do to him except what you did to his brother Yusuf before, when you took him away from me and separated me from him' فَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَـفِظًاوَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَحِمِينَ(But Allah is the Best to guard, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.) Ya`qub said, `Allah has the most mercy with me among all those who show mercy, He is compassionate with me for my old age, feebleness and eagerness for my son.

I invoke Allah to return him to me, and to allow him and I to be together; for surely, He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.'

Therefore, he said: فَاللَّـهُ خَيْرٌ‌ حَافِظًا (Well, Allah is the best guardian - 64), that is, he had already seen the outcome of their guardianship earlier, now he was placing his trust in Allah Ta` ala alone as his guardian. Then, he added: وَهُوَ أَرْ‌حَمُ الرَّ‌احِمِينَ (and He is the most merciful of all the merciful - 64), that is, only from Him, he could hope that He would look at his old age and the sorrows he was surrounded with and would not let more shocks shake him.

In short, Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) did not rely on apparent conditions and on the pledges given by his sons, but did agree to send his youngest son with his brothers solely because he had now placed his trust in Allah Ta` ala.

قال لهم أبوهم: كيف آمنكم على «بنيامين» وقد أمنتكم على أخيه يوسف من قبل، والتزمتم بحفظه فلم تفوا بذلك؟ فلا أثق بالتزامكم وحفظكم، ولكني أثق بحفظ الله، خير الحافظين وأرحم الراحمين، أرجو أن يرحمني فيحفظه ويرده عليَّ.

ولهذا قال لهم : ( هل آمنكم عليه إلا كما أمنتكم على أخيه من قبل ) أي : هل أنتم صانعون به إلا كما صنعتم بأخيه من قبل ، تغيبونه عني ، وتحولون بيني وبينه ؟ ( فالله خير حفظا ) وقرأ بعضهم : " حافظا " ( وهو أرحم الراحمين ) أي : هو أرحم الراحمين بي ، وسيرحم كبري وضعفي ووجدي بولدي ، وأرجو من الله أن يرده علي ، ويجمع شملي به ، إنه أرحم الراحمين .