Tafsir

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!)."