12.72. They said: We have lost the king ' s cup, and he who bringeth it shall have a camel load, and I (said Joseph) am answerable for it. (Pickthall)
12.72. Sie sagten: "Wir vermissen das Trinkgefäß des Herrschers, und für den, der ihn bringt, gibt es eine Kamellast, und ich bürge dafür." (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.72. Sie sagten: "Wir vermissen den Kelch des Königs. Wer ihn wiederbringt, erhält die Last eines Kamels, und dafür bin ich Bürge." (Bubenheim)
12.72. Sie erwiderten: "Wir suchen den Trinkbecher des Königs. Wer ihn bringt, bekommt als Belohnung eine Kamelladung. Ich verspreche es fest." (Azhar)
12.72. Sie sagten: „Wir vermissen den Messbecher des Königs.“ Und wer ihn zurückbringt, erhält (als Belohnung) eine Kamelladung, und dafür verbürge ich mich. (Zaidan)
12.72. Sie sagten: "Wir vermissen den Pokal des Königs. Wer ihn beibringt, soll eine Kamelsladung (als Lohn) haben. Ich bürge dafür." (Paret)
12.72. Jene sagten: "Wir vermissen den Maßbecher des Königs, und wer ihn wiederbringt, soll eine Kamellast erhalten, ich bürge dafür." (Rasul)
12.73. They said: By Allah, well ye know we came not to do evil in the land, and are no thieves. (Pickthall)
12.73. Sie sagten: "Bei Allah, ihr habt schon gewußt, daß wir nicht gekommen sind, damit wir im Land Verderben stiften, und wir sind keine Diebe." (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.73. Sie sagten: "Bei Allah, ihr wißt doch, wir sind nicht gekommen, um im Land Unheil zu stiften, und wir sind keine Diebe." (Bubenheim)
12.73. Sie sagten: "Wir schwören bei Gott. Ihr wißt, dass wir nicht hierher gekommen sind, um Unheil zu stiften, und wir sind keine Diebe." (Azhar)
12.73. Sie sagten: „Bei ALLAH! Gewiß, bereits wisst ihr, dass wir nicht kamen, um Verderben im Lande anzurichten, und dass wir keine Diebe sind.“ (Zaidan)
12.73. Sie sagten: "Bei Allah! Wir sind nicht gekommen, um im Land Unheil anzurichten, und sind keine Diebe. Das müßt ihr doch wissen." (Paret)
12.73. Sie sagten: "Bei Allah, ihr wisset doch, daß wir nicht gekommen sind, um Unheil im Land zu stiften, und wir sind keine Diebe." (Rasul)
12.75. Qaluudschazaohu man wudschida fiirahlihi fahuwa dschazaohu kadhalika nadschzii aldhdhalimiina
12.75. They said: The penalty for it! He in whose bag (the cup) is found, he is the penalty for it. Thus we requite wrongdoers. (Pickthall)
12.75. Sie sagten: "Die Vergeltung dafür ist der, in dessen Reisegepäck es gefunden wird, also er selbst ist die Vergeltung dafür, und derart vergelten wir den Unrechthandelnden." (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.75. Sie (die Brüder) sagten: "Die Vergeltung dafür soll sein, daß derjenige, in dessen Gepäck er gefunden wird, selbst das Entgelt dafür sein soll. So vergelten wir den Ungerechten." (Bubenheim)
12.75. Sie sprachen: "Die Strafe, die der verdient, in dessen Gepäck er gefunden wird, ist, dass er Sklave wird. So bestrafen wir die Ungerechten." (Azhar)
12.75. Sie sagten: „Seine Bestrafung ist: Derjenige, in dessen Satteltasche er gefunden wird, er selbst ist dann die Vergeltung dafür.“ Und solcherart vergelten wir denjenigen, die Unrecht begehen. (Zaidan)
12.75. Sie sagten: "Derjenige, in dessen Gepäck etwas gefunden wird, soll (in eigener Person) die Strafe dafür sein (und zum Sklaven gemacht werden). So vergelten wir den Frevlern." (Paret)
12.75. Sie sagten: "Die Strafe dafür sei: Der, in dessen Satteltaschen er (der Becher) gefunden wird, soll selbst das Entgelt dafür sein. So belohnen wir die Übeltäter." (Rasul)
12.76. Fabadaa bi-awAAiyatihim qabla wiAAa-iakhiihi thumma istakhradschaha min wiAAa-i akhiihi kadhalikakidna liyuusufa ma kana liya/khudhaakhahu fii diini almaliki illa an yaschaa AllahunarfaAAu daradschatin man naschao wafawqa kulli dhiiAAilmin AAaliimun
12.76. Then he (Joseph) began the search with their bags before his brother ' s bag, then he produced it from his brother ' s bag. Thus did We contrive for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother according to the king ' s law unless Allah willed. We raise by grades (of mercy) whom We will, and over every lord of knowledge there is one more knowing. (Pickthall)
12.76. Und er begann mit ihren Behältnissen, vor dem Behältnis seines Bruders dann zog er ihn aus dem Behältnis seines Bruders. Derart haben Wir für Jusuf eine List gebraucht, es war nicht an ihm, daß er seinen Bruder nach der Religion des Herrschers genommen hätte, ohne daß Allah es will. Wir erheben an Rängen, wen Wir wollen, und über jedem mit Wissen ist ein Wissender. (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.76. Er begann (zu suchen) in ihren Behältern vor dem Behälter seines Bruders. Hierauf holte er es aus dem Behälter seines Bruders hervor. So führten Wir für Yusuf eine List aus. Nach dem Gesetz des Königs hätte es ihm nicht zugestanden, seinen Bruder (als Sklaven) zu nehmen, außer daß Allah es wollte. Wir erhöhen, wen Wir wollen, um Rangstufen. Und über jedem, der Wissen besitzt, steht einer, der (noch mehr) weiß. (Bubenheim)
12.76. Er begann mit ihrem Gepäck, bevor er das Gepäck seines Bruders durchsuchte. Dann holte er ihn aus dem Gepäck des Bruders. So standen Wir Joseph mit einer List bei. Er konnte seinen Bruder nach dem Gesetz des Königs nur zu sich nehmen, wenn Gott es wollte. Wir heben im Rang, wen Wir wollen. ?ber jedem Wissenden ist der Allwissende. (Azhar)
12.76. Dann begann er (das Durchsuchen) mit ihren Transportbehältern vor dem Transportbehälter seines Bruders, dann zog er ihn aus dem Transportbehälter seines Bruders. Solcherart haben WIR es für Yusuf geplant. Denn er hätte niemals seinen Bruder nach dem Din des Königs festnehmen können, hätte ALLAH es nicht gewollt. WIR erhöhen um Stellungen, wen WIR wollen. Und über jedem Wissenden gibt es einen noch mehr Wissenden. (Zaidan)
12.76. Und er begann mit ihren Säcken vor dem Sack seines (jüngeren) Bruders. Hierauf holte er es aus dem Sack seines (jüngeren) Bruders heraus. So wandten wir für Joseph eine List an. Nach der Religion (dien) des Königs (von Ägypten) konnte er unmöglich seinen Bruder (in seinen Besitz) nehmen, es sei denn, daß Allah es wollte. Wir verleihen, wem wir wollen, einen höheren Rang (als den anderen). Und über jedem, der Wissen hat, ist einer, der (noch mehr) weiß. (Paret)
12.76. Da begann er ihre Säcke vor dem Sack seines Bruders (zu durchsuchen); dann zog er ihn aus dem Sack seines Bruders hervor. So richteten Wir es für Yusuf ein; er hätte seinen Bruder nach dem Gesetz des Königs nicht aufhalten können; es sei denn, Allah hätte es so gewollt. Wir erhöhen um Rangstufen, wen Wir wollen; und über jedem, der Wissen hat, ist der Eine, Der noch mehr weiß. (Rasul)
Tafsir von Maududi für die Ayaat 70 bis 76
While Joseph was arranging for the loading of the packs of his brothers, he put his cup in the pack of his own brother. ( 56 ) Afterwards a herald shouted, "Ho, cameleers ! you are thieves. ,, ( 57 ) Turning back, they asked, "What is it that you are missing?" The royal servants replied, "We do not find the cup of the king." (And their headman added, ) "The one, who would restore it, will be awarded a camel load of corn. I guarantee this." The brothers replied, "By God, you know it well that we have not come for spreading disorder in this country, and we are no thieves." At this, they said, "Very well, what shall be the punishment of the thief, if you are found to be liars?" They replied, "His punishment should be that he himself be made a bondsman, if the thing is found in his pack. At home we punish such offenders like this. " ( 58 ) Then Joseph first began to search the packs of his step-brothers before searching the pack of his own brother. At last he took it out from the pack of his brother. Thus We supported Joseph with Our plan: ( 59 ) or it did not behove Joseph to seize his brother (by the king's law) except that Allah willed it so. ( 60 ) We raise high the ranks of those We will, and there is the One Whose knowledge is far greater than the knowledge of all others.
Desc No: 56 In all probability, Prophet Joseph put the cup in his brother's pack with his knowledge and consent, as may be inferred from the preceding verse. Obviously. Prophet Joseph desired to free his brother from the oppression of the cruel step-brothers and he himself was reluctant to go back with them. But this could not be done directly and openly without disclosing his own identity, which was not then expedient under the circumstances. Therefore both the brothers might have thought out this plan, though this would have put the younger brother in an embarrassing situation for the time being because of his involvement in a case of theft. But they had adopted this plan because afterwards both the brothers could clear it easily by disclosing the real matter.
Desc No: 57 There is nothing in this verse nor in the succeeding verses to show that Prophet Joseph took his servants in his confidence in regard to this matter, and instructed them to bring a false accusation against the travellers. The simple explanation of the incident may be this. The cup might have been quietly and secretly put in the pack. Afterwards when the servants did not find it, they might have come to the inevitable conclusion that it must have been stolen by the travellers who were staying there.
Desc No: 58 It should be kept in mind that these people were the descendants of Prophet Abraham. Therefore they put forward his law regarding a thief, that is, the thief should be made the bondsman of the one whose goods he had stolen.
Desc No: 59 Now Iet us consider the question: How did Allah directly support Prophet Joseph with His plan? It is obvious that the plan of placing the cup in Benjamin's pack was thought out and executed by Joseph himself. And it is also obvious that the royal servants checked their packs as a matter of routine for such is the procedure that is generally followed on such occasions. There is nothing in this passage that might be called supernatural support by Allah except that the servants asked the brothers to prescribe the punishment for the thief, and they answered that he should be made a bondsman. The sentence that follows also confirms this interpretation.
Desc No: 60 Had Allah willed it, He would not have removed the flaw in the plan of Prophet Joseph. It was this: he could seize his brother according to his plan only by the help of the king's law, but it was not worthy of a Prophet of Allah to apply that un-lslamic law to his own personal case. For he had taken political power in his hands in order to establish gradually the Islamic law and not to enforce and keep the king's law in vogue. Had Allah willed it, He would have left no other course for His Prophet except to have resort to the un-Islamic law. But He did not will it so because He did not like to tarnish the fair name of His Prophet. Therefore he made the servants enquire from the brothers (an unusual thing) about the punishment of a thief and they stated the Law of Prophet Abraham. Thus not only was the flaw removed, but also no room was left for the brothers to raise any objection against this on the plea that they were not Egyptians, and therefore the law of the land could not be applied against them. As has already been pointed out, this was the support of Allah to which He has referred in the two subsequent verses as a token of His favour and a sign of the perfection of His knowledge. The favour of Allah was that He saved Prophet Joseph from applying the un-Islamic law of the king of Egypt to his personal case, for he was liable to do so under the stress of human weakness. And there can be no greater favour for one than this that Allah Himself should arrange to guard his high moral position. It should, however, be noted that such a high rank is awarded only to those who prove themselves to be "righteous" in very hard trials. By removing the flaw in his plan, Allah showed that His knowledge was far superior to the knowledge of those, whom (like Prophet Joseph) He had endowed with knowledge. In this connection, there are some other points worthy of consideration and we will deal with them briefly: (1) Generally the words BaaaC ail iY DYQia oaCoBcoa are translated like this: "Joseph could not seize his brother by the law of the king", or "Joseph was not authorized to seize his brother according to the law of the king. " In other words, it means, "He could not do this, as there was no provision for it in the king's law." Whereas it means this: "He ought not to have seized him by the king's law, as it did not behove him to do so." This version is open to two objections. Firstly, this is against the Qur'anic usage of as aCB Ca which usually means, "It did not behove him", "It was not right for him" and "He ought not to have done this." For instance, this is what it means in the following verses "Indeed, Islam alone is the Right Way in the sight of Allah." (III: 18). "Whosoever will adopt any other way than the way of Islam, it shall not be accepted...." (III:85). Secondly, such a version is meaningless, for there could have been no reason why he had not the power to seize him for theft according to the law of the king. Can there be any kingdom without having a law for taking action against a thief? (2) As the Qur'an uses the word BaaaC ai'I which connotes "the king's way of life" in addition to "the king's law", it helps to understand the meaning of the sentence under discussion. For it is obvious that the Prophet was sent to establish the way of Allah and not the un-Islamic way of the king. Though by that time he had only partially succeeded in this Mission, it was not proper and worthy of a Prophet to adopt "the way of the king" for his own personal case. Though there was no legal hindrance in his way to seize his brother according to the king's law, nevertheless, it was inappropriate for him, as a Prophet, to adopt the king's way which he had hitherto scrupulously avoided as far as his own person was concerned. Thus it is clear that its appropriate interpretation will be this: "It did not behove Joseph to seize his brother by the king's law. " (3) Besides this, by using the word for the "law of the land", Allah has denoted the vast comprehension of the word (din) and this cuts at the root of the conception of din of those people who confine the scope of the Message of the Prophets to mere worship of One Allah and believe that it has nothing to do with the cultural, political, social, judicial, legal and other mundane affairs of life. Or, they opine that, if at all it has any concern with those matters, it is merely to give some instructions of an optional nature in regard to these, and leave it to the believers to adopt these or their own man-made laws, because, they think, there is no harm even in adopting the latter course. This erroneous conception of din, which has been in vogue among the Muslims for a long time, has been responsible for rendering them neglectful of making exertions for the establishment of the Islamic Way of life. As a result of this misconception of din, they became reconciled to un-Islamic ways of unbelief and ignorance. Nay, they considered this misconception of theirs to be the pattern set by Prophet Joseph and became willing helpers and servants of these un-Islamic systems. Whereas this verse categorically refutes this misconception by declaring that the "law of the land" is as much a part of the din of Allah as Salat, Haj, Fast, and Zakat are. Therefore, the demand of the acceptance of aiIaC (ad-Din) made in v. 19 and v. 85 of Al-i'Imran, that is, "Indeed, Islam alone is aiIaC the Right Way, in the sight of Allah" and "Whosoever will adopt any other way (aiI), than the' Way of Islam, it shall not be accepted", includes laws as well as Salat and other obligatory duties prescribed by Allah. Therefore the exclusion of this part of din from any system would incur the displeasure of Allah. (4) The above interpretation, however, is open to one objection. It does, at least, imply that an un-Islamic way was in vogue in Egypt at the time, when Prophet Joseph was, even according to the present commentator, the supreme head of the country. It is, therefore, a proof that that Prophet himself was enforcing the un-Islamic law of the king. What difference, then, could it have made, if Prophet Joseph had followed, in his personal case too, the system of law of the king which he himself was enforcing instead of the system of law of Prophet Abraham? Most certainly this would have made a vast difference because it would have compromised his position as a Prophet, because he was trying to establish the Islamic Way of life, which naturally could have been accomplished gradually in course of time, during which the king's law would have inevitably remained in vogue. The same thing happened in Arabia during the Mission of the Holy Prophet in Madinah, which took nine years to establish the Islamic System in its entirety. During that period, several unIslamic laws remained in vogue. For instance, drinking, interest, the unIslamic laws of inheritance and marriage and some wrong ways of trade, etc., had to continue for some time. Likewise the civil and penal codes of Islam took some time for their complete introduction. So there is nothing strange in this that the king's law continued to be in vogue during the first nine years or so of Prophet Joseph's reign. But the continuance of the unIslamic law of the king during the period of transition is no argument to prove that Allah's Prophet was sent to follow the way of the king and not to establish the Way of Allah. "
12.77. Qaluu in yasriq faqad saraqa akhunlahu min qablu faasarraha yuusufu fii nafsihi walam yubdihalahum qala antum scharrun makanan waAllahuaAAlamu bima tasifuuna
12.77. They said: If he stealeth, a brother of his stole before. But Joseph kept it secret in his soul and revealed it not unto them. He said (within himself): Ye are in worse case and Allah knoweth best (the truth of) that which ye allege. (Pickthall)
12.77. Sie sagten: "Wenn er stiehlt, so hat schon vorher ein Bruder von ihm gestohlen", und Jusuf hielt es in seiner Seele verborgen und machte es ihnen nicht sichtbar. Er sagte: "Ihr seid in schlechter Lage, und Allah weiß besser, was ihr behauptet." (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.77. Sie sagten: "Wenn er stiehlt, so hat ein Bruder von ihm schon zuvor gestohlen." Aber Yusuf hielt es in seinem Innersten geheim und legte es ihnen nicht offen. Er sagte: "Ihr befindet euch in einer (noch) schlechteren Lage. Und Allah weiß sehr wohl, was ihr beschreibt." (Bubenheim)
12.77. Sie sprachen: "Wenn dieser stiehlt, so hat ein Bruder von ihm vorher gestohlen. " Joseph verbarg seinen Unmut und zeigte ihn ihnen nicht. Er dachte: "Ihr seid wirklich weit niedriger einzustufen! Gott weiss am besten um eure Art, Menschen zu beschreiben." (Azhar)
12.77. Sie sagten: „Wenn er stiehlt, so stahl bereits sein Bruder vor ihm.“ Yusuf behielt es jedoch bei sich und offenbarte es ihnen nicht, er sagte (bei sich): „Ihr seid sicherlich niedriger in der Stellung. Und ALLAH ist allwissend über das, was ihr darstellt.“ (Zaidan)
12.77. Sie sagten: "Wenn er stiehlt (ist es nicht zu verwundern). Ein Bruder von ihm hat schon früher gestohlen." Da hielt Joseph es in sich geheim und tat es ihnen nicht kund. Er sagte: "Ihr seid schlimmer daran . Allah weiß sehr wohl, was ihr aussagt (und was gar nicht wahr ist)." (Paret)
12.77. Sie sagten: "Hat er gestohlen, so hat zuvor schon sein Bruder Diebstahl begangen." Jedoch Yusuf hielt es in seinem Herzen geheim und offenbarte es ihnen nicht. Er sagte: "Ihr (scheint) in der Tat übler (als das) zu sein; und Allah weiß am besten, was ihr behauptet." (Rasul)
Tafsir von Maududi für die Ayaat 77 bis 77
At this discovery the brothers remarked, "There is nothing strange in it that he has committed a theft, for his brother (Joseph) also committed a theft before this. " ( 61 ) Hearing this, Joseph suppressed his feelings and did not reveal the secret to them, but said only this in an under tone, "What a bad people you are! you are accusing me (to my face) of the thing the truth of which Allah knows best."
Desc No: 61
As regards the question why it was not worthy of Prophet Joseph to apply the king's law to his personal case, its best answer is again found in the practice of the Holy Prophet. During the interim period, when the laws of ignorance had not yet been replaced by Islamic Laws, other Muslims went on drinking wine and taking interest as before, but the Holy Prophet never practiced any of these things. Likewise some un-Islamic laws of marriage, such as taking in marriage of real sisters at one and the same time, were practised, but the Holy Prophet never practised any such thing. Thus it is clear, that there was a difference between leaving in vogue some un-Islamic laws during the period of the evolution of the Islamic Law and practising the same. Had Prophet Joseph applied the king's law to his own case, it would have meant that he had lent his seeming sanction to that law. But it is obvious that a Prophet, who is sent to eliminate the ways of ignorance. cannot follow these even under the temporary leave that is given to others. Their position and dissociated themselves from Benjamin, declaring that he was a thief like his brother Joseph. It is obvious that this was a false accusation the clever brothers had invented on the spot. But it is an instance of the malice these brothers bore to their two step-brothers, and is also the answer to the question why Prophet Joseph desired to keep his brother with him.
12.78. Qaluu ya ayyuhaalAAaziizu inna lahu aban schaykhan kabiiran fakhudh ahadanamakanahu inna naraka mina almuhsiniina
12.78. They said: O ruler of the land! Lo! he hath an aged father, so take one of us instead of him. Lo ! we behold thee of those who do kindness. (Pickthall)
12.78. Sie sagten: "Du, hoher Herr, er hat einen Vater, einen alten Mann, also nimm einen von uns an seiner Stelle, wir sehen dich ja als einen von den Guthandelnden." (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.78. Sie sagten: "O hoher Herr, er hat einen Vater, einen hochbetagten Greis. So nimm einen von uns an seiner Stelle. Wir sehen, daß du zu den Gutes Tuenden gehörst." (Bubenheim)
12.78. Sie sprachen: "Mächtiger Herr! Er hat einen sehr alten Vater, nimm anstatt seiner einen von uns! Wir sehen wohl, dass du ein gutes Herz hast." (Azhar)
12.78. Sie sagten: „Al-'aziz! Er hat doch einen Vater, der ein Greis ist, so nimm einen von uns an seiner Stelle fest. Wir sehen dich doch als einen der Muhsin.“ (Zaidan)
12.78. Sie sagten: "Hochmögender (Herr) (yaa aiyuhaa l-`aziezu)! Er hat einen greisen alten Vater. Nimm deshalb einen von uns an seiner Stelle! Wie wir sehen, bist du ein rechtschaffener Mensch (mina l-muhsiniena)." (Paret)
12.78. Sie sagten: "O 'Aziz, er hat einen greisen Vater, so nimm einen von uns statt seiner an; denn wir sehen, du gehörst zu denen, die Gutes tun." (Rasul)
12.79. Qala maAAadha Allahi anna/khudha illa man wadschadna mataAAanaAAindahu inna idhan ladhalimuuna
12.79. He said: Allah forbid that we should seize save him with whom we found our property; then truly we should be wrongdoers. (Pickthall)
12.79. Er sagte: "Allah verhüte, daß wir einen nehmen, außer bei wem wir unser Eigentum gefunden haben, sonst wären wir ja bestimmt Unrechthandelnde." (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.79. Er sagte: "Allah schütze uns (davor), daß wir einen anderen nehmen als denjenigen, bei dem wir unsere Sachen gefunden haben! Wir würden sonst wahrlich zu den Ungerechten gehören." (Bubenheim)
12.79. Er erwiderte: "Gott behüte! Wir können nur den nehmen, bei dem wir unser Eigentum gefunden haben. Wir wären sonst gewiss ungerecht." (Azhar)
12.79. Er sagte: „ALLAH bewahre, dass wir jemanden festnehmen außer denjenigen, bei dem wir unser Gut fanden, sonst wären wir doch Unrecht- Begehende.“ (Zaidan)
12.79. Er sagte: "Da sei Allah vor, daß wir einen (anderen) nehmen als den, bei dem wir unser Gerät gefunden haben! Sonst wären wir Frevler." (Paret)
12.79. Er sagte: "Allah behüte, daß wir einen anderen nehmen sollten als den, bei dem wir unsere Sachen gefunden haben; wir wären sonst wahrlich ungerecht." (Rasul)
Tafsir von Maududi für die Ayaat 78 bis 79
Then they said, "O exalted sir, ( 62 ) he has a very aged father: therefore take one of us in his stead. We see that you are a very generous man." Joseph replied, "God forbid that we should seize any other than the one with whom we have found our property ( 63 ) : for, if we do this, we shall be unjust."
Desc No: 62 The use of the title ("The exalted one") with which they addressed Prophet Joseph has given rise to the confusion that he held the same office as the husband of Zelicha held before him. Then this misunderstanding Iet the commentators to the invention of further comments, such as. AI-'Aziz had died and Prophet Joseph was appointed in his place, and Zelicha was rejuvenated by a miracle and married to him by the king. They have not stopped at this: they have, somehow or other, discovered even the conversation that took place between Prophet Joseph and Zelicha in the first night of their marriage. In fact. all this is mere fiction, for, as has already been pointed out, the word was the Arabic translation or equivalent of some Egyptian title, and was not the designation of any particular office. It was merely a title used for the high ones in Egypt like "His Excellency" or "Your Excellency", etc. As regards the said marriage, this fiction has been built on the story of Prophet Joseph's marriage in the Bible and the Talmud. According to these, he was married with Asenath, the daughter of Poti-pherah. As the name of the husband of Zelicha was Potiphar, the two names got confused together. Accordingly, when the story was handed down from the traditions of the Israelites from one commentator to the other, the name Potiphar got interchanged with Poti-pherah because the two were so like each other in sound. Consequently, the daughter in the story was replaced by "wife". Then Potiphar was "killed" in order to facilitate the marriage. Then the only remaining difficulty, that is,the disparity of their ages, was got over with the help of a miracle. She was rejuvenated so completely as to enable her to become the worthy wife of the "ruler" of the land.
Desc No: 63 The use of the words "with whom we have found our property" instead of the word "thief" is very significant. Prophet Joseph avoided the use of the word "thief" for his brother because he was not really a thief. This is called aiNaeE (touriyah), that is, to put a cover over a reality or "to hide a reality." Such a practice is allowed by the Muslim Law under certain conditions and with certain limitations. It may be practised not to gain any selfish end, but to ward off some evil or to protect and save an oppressed person from some oppressor, provided that no other course might have been left except saying something against the truth or of having a resort to a deceitful device. It is obvious that in such a case, a righteous person will not tell a blunt lie or resort to an open deceit. Instead, he will say something or do something that might not be strictly truthful or strictly right, yet at the same time is not a blunt lie, so that he might hide the reality to ward off the evil. Such a practice is lawful, legally and morally, provided that it is not practised to gain some personal or selfish ends but to ward off a greater evil with a lesser evil. Accordingly, Prophet Joseph scrupulously fulfilled all the conditions in this case. He placed the cup in the pack of his brother with his consent, but he did not ask his servants to make a search of his pack and accuse him of theft. After this, when the servants brought the brothers before him as suspects, he quietly rose from his seat and began to make a search of their packs. Then afterwards, when the brothers requested that one of them should be taken instead of Benjamin, he answered them back in their own words that he would detain only that person in whose possession the cup was found and none else. Instances of such a practice during his campaigns are found in the life history of the Holy Prophet. And this cannot be regarded as morally objectionable according to any moral or legal standard. "
12.80. Falamma istay-asuu minhu khalasuunadschiyyan qala kabiiruhum alam taAAlamuu anna abakumqad akhadha AAalaykum mawthiqan mina Allahi waminqablu ma farrattum fii yuusufa falan abrahaal-arda hatta ya/dhana lii abii aw yahkumaAllahu lii wahuwa khayru alhakimiina
12.80. So, when they despaired of (moving) him, they conferred together apart. The eldest of them said: Know ye not how your father took an undertaking from you in Allah ' s name and how ye failed in the case of Joseph aforetime? Therefore I shall not go forth from the land until my father giveth leave or Allah judgeth for me. He is the Best of Judges. (Pickthall)
12.80. Und als sie an ihm die Hoffnung aufgaben, zogen sie sich zurück, unter sich. Der Älteste von ihnen sagte: "Wißt ihr nicht, daß euer Vater euch eine vertragliche Abmachung vor Allah abgenommen hat, und wie ihr vorher bei Jusuf das Maß überschritten habt? Also ich gehe sicher nicht fort aus dem Land, bis es mir mein Vater erlaubt oder Allah für mich entscheidet, und Er ist der beste der Entscheidenden. (Ahmad v. Denffer)
12.80. Als sie die Hoffnung an ihm aufgegeben hatten, zogen sie sich zurück zu einem vertraulichen Gespräch. Der Älteste von ihnen sagte: "Wißt ihr (denn) nicht, daß euer Vater von euch ein verbindliches Versprechen vor Allah entgegengenommen hat und daß ihr zuvor (eure Pflicht) gegenüber Yusuf vernachlässigt habt? Ich werde das Land nicht verlassen, bis mein Vater es mir erlaubt oder Allah ein Urteil für mich fällt. Er ist der Beste derer, die Urteile fällen. (Bubenheim)
12.80. Als sie die Hoffnung aufgegeben hatten, ihn umzustimmen, traten sie beiseite und unterhielten sich leise. Der ?lteste sagte: "Ihr seid euch dessen bewusst, dass euer Vater euch ein verbindliches Gelöbnis vor Gott abgenommen hat und dass ihr ihn einst um Joseph gebracht habt. Ich verlasse das Land nicht, bis mein Vater es mir erlaubt oder bis Gott ein Urteil über mich fällt. Gott ist der beste Richter. (Azhar)
12.80. Und als sie an ihm jede Hoffnung verloren, zogen sie sich zurück, um unter sich zu beraten. Der Älteste unter ihnen sagte: „Wisst ihr etwa nicht, dass euer Vater von euch vor ALLAH ein Versprechen hat, und was ihr vorher Yusuf gegenüber an Mißachtung entgegengebracht habt?! So werde ich das Land nicht verlassen, bis mein Vater es mir erlaubt oder ALLAH mir eine Entscheidung macht. ER ist Der Beste der Entscheidenden.“ (Zaidan)
12.80. Und als sie die Hoffnung (etwas) bei ihm (zu erreichen) aufgegeben hatten, gingen sie zu vertraulicher Beratung (nadschieyan) abseits. Der Älteste von ihnen sagte: "Bedenkt ihr (denn) nicht, daß euer Vater euch vor Allah ein (bindendes) Versprechen abgenommen hat, und wie ihr früher eure Pflichten hinsichtlich Josephs vernachlässigt habt? Ich werde das Land nicht verlassen (und heimkehren), solange mein Vater es mir nicht (ausdrücklich) erlaubt oder Allah eine Entscheidung für mich trifft. Er kann am besten entscheiden. (Paret)
12.80. Als sie die Hoffnung, ihn umzustimmen, aufgegeben hatten, gingen sie zu vertraulicher Beratung abseits. Es sagte ihr Ältester: "Wisset ihr nicht, daß euer Vater von euch ein festes Versprechen im Namen Allahs entgegengenommen hat und daß ihr zuvor in eurer Pflicht gegen Yusuf gefehlt habt? Ich will darum das Land nicht eher verlassen, bis mein Vater es mir erlaubt oder Allah für mich entscheidet; und Er ist der beste Richter. (Rasul)
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