Transliteration:( Wa jaaa'oo 'alaa qameesi hee bidamin kazib qaala bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amraa; fasabrun jameel; wallaahul musta'aanu 'alaa maatasifoon )
31. This they did by slaughtering a sheep and dipping Hazrat Yusuf's (on whom be peace) shirt in its blood. Hazrat Yaqoob (on whom be peace) placed this shirt on his eyes and cried a lot and said that it must have been a very strange wolf that ate my Yusuf but did not tear his shirt. These brothers had forgotten to tear his shirt. This is the true meaning of 'false' i e that falsehood was quite apparent.Â
32. From this it is crystal clear that Hazrat Yaqoob (on whom be peace) fully believed that they were telling a lie because the body of a Prophet is never eaten by the sand in the grave, let alone an animal devouring it. Also the father had understood from the son's dream that in time to come he would be a prophet. For this reason he told his sons: "You have most certainly fabricated this story, and did not go in the jungle in pursuit of Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) He was fully aware of the Divine secrets but he did not want to reveal them
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The tafsir of Surah Yusuf verse 18 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yusuf ayat 16 which provides the complete commentary from verse 17 through 18.
(12:18) And they brought Joseph’s shirt, stained with false blood. Seeing this their father exclaimed: “Nay (this is not true); rather your evil souls have made it easy for you to commit a heinous act. So I will bear this patiently, and in good grace.[13] It is Allah’s help alone that I seek against your fabrication.”[14]
13. The literal meaning of “patience in grace” which implies a patience that enables one to endure all kinds of troubles and afflictions in a calm, self possessed and unemotional manner, without complaining or crying or weeping, as is worthy of great minds.
14. Prophet Jacob’s reaction to the news of Joseph’s death, as depicted in the Quran, is also different from that given in the Bible and the Talmud. According to them he was upset by the sad news and behaved like an ordinary father. The Bible says: And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins. And mourned for his son many days. (Gen. 37: 34). And the Talmud says that at the sad news Jacob gave himself up to the abandonment of grief, and lay with his face to the ground and refused to be comforted, and cried: Some wild beast has devoured Joseph and I shall never see him more; and he mourned for Joseph for many years. (The Talmud, H. Polano, pp. 78, 79).
When we contrast this picture with the one depicted in the Quran, we clearly see that the Quranic picture is that of a dignified and great personality. He is not upset in the least at hearing the sad news of his beloved son but at once gets to the bottom of the matter, and tells the envious brothers: Your tale is false and fabricated. Then he shows good patience as a Prophet should and puts his trust in the help of God.
[588]- They had stained Joseph's shirt with the blood of a lamb but had forgotten to tear it, thereby arousing their father's suspicion.
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