Yūsuf 12:83
The verse
(And when they came unto their father and had spoken thus to him) he said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely patience! It may be that Allah will bring them all unto me. Lo! He, only He, is the Knower, the Wise. — Marmaduke Pickthall
The issue
Jacob tells his sons upon their return from Egypt, “It may be that God will give me them all together.” What does the reference “them all” mean here? According to al-Bayďāwī, Jacob is referring to Joseph and Benjamin and their brother who remained in Egypt. Al-Qurţubī suggests the phrase means “Joseph and his brother who remained behind for his [other] brother”.
On the other hand, the earlier biblical story (Gen. 42-47) relates a slightly different account (summarized below):
The ten brothers of Joseph come to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph recognizes them but does not disclose his identity to them. He decides to test them, so he accuses them of spying. They reply that they are all brothers, but one of them is missing; their missing youngest brother is with his father. After imprisoning them for a short time, Joseph eventually keeps Simeon as a hostage and releases the others to bring back their youngest brother from their homeland to prove that they are not spies. [The Qur’ān lacks this detail.] When they return to their father, they take Benjamin and bring him with them back to Egypt.
Joseph devises yet another plan to test the brothers, a plan that would falsely implicate Benjamin of theft. Upon the discovery of the “stolen” cup, the brothers implore Joseph to enslave them rather than punish Benjamin and devastate their father. Overwhelmed, Joseph reveals his identity, embracing his brothers and weeping. He tells his brothers to bring their father and their families to Egypt to share in his good fortune. They all return with their father to Egypt where they settled.
However, the Qur’ān states that Joseph imprisons Benjamin. According to Q 12.80, that act is why one of the brothers decides to stay behind in Egypt. The identity of this brother is a source of disagreement as well. Some Muslim exegetes identify the brother as Simeon, while others state he is Reubel (Reuben). It is also said that the brother is actually Judah. According to the Qur’ān, the brothers of Joseph return to their father without both of them (Benjamin and the other brother who remained in Egypt).
The Qur’ān’s narrative critically deviates from the biblical story, suggesting a lack of direct knowledge of the Torah’s content.
Arabic text of this item
قال يعقوب لأبنائه الذين عادوا يطلبونه: <عَسَى اللهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جَمِيعاً> (آية 83). تشير لفظة <بِهْم> إلى جماعة، فمن كان يقصد الأب؟
حسب البيضاوي كان يعقوب يقصد يوسف وبنيامين وأخيهما الذي بقي بمصر، ويقول القرطبي: «يوسف وأخوه، والمتخلِّف من أجلِ أخيهِ».
تقول القصة التوراتية الأصلية: إن إخوة يوسف العشرة جاءوا إلى مصرَ ليشتروا قمحاً، فعرفهم يوسف، لكنه لم يكشف عن نفسه، بل قرر أن يختبرهم، فاتّهمهم بالتجسس. فقالوا: «عبيدك اثنا عشر أخًا. نحن بنو رجل واحد في أرض كنعان. وهوذا الصغير عند أبينا اليوم»، فأخذ يوسف شمعون وقيَّده رهينة حتى يُحضِروا الأخ الأصغر، ليبرهنوا على أنهم ليسوا بجواسيس (هذا تفصيل أغفله القرآن). ولما رجعوا إلى أبيهم، أخذوا بنيامين وجاءوا به إلى مصر. ثم إن يوسف قد رتب خطة تنتهي باتهام بنيامين بالسرقة، ولكن إخوته دافعوا عنه، حينها كشف يوسف عن نفسه، وأرسلهم ليحضروا أباهم. فعادوا مع أبيهم إلى مصر حيث استقرّوا.
ولكن القرآن يقول إن يوسف حبس بنيامين. ولهذا فإن أحد الإخوة قرر البقاء (يوسف 12: 80) في مصر. وقد اختُلف فيمن هو: بعضهم قال إنه شمعون، وآخرون قالوا رُوبيل، وقيل، بل هو يهوذا. وبحسب القرآن، فإن إخوة يوسف رجعوا لأبيهم بدونهما (بنيامين والأخ الماكث في مصرَ). إذًا، لماذا ابتعدت الرواية القرآنية عن تفاصيل النسخة الأصلية من القصة الموجودة في التوراة؟
Sources cited
- Zādah 5: 67-68.
- al-Qurţubī 11: 429.
- Genesis 42:13
- Genesis, chapters 42-46.
- al-Ţabarī, Tafsīr 13: 279.
- Ibid. 13: 283.
- al-Baghawī 4: 265.
- الحنفي، حاشية محيي الدين شيخ زاده 5: 67-68.
- القرطبي، تفسير 11: 429.
- سفر التكوين 42: 13.
- نفس المصدر، الإصحاحات 42–46.