وَجاءوا عَلىٰ قَميصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ ۚ قالَ بَل سَوَّلَت لَكُم أَنفُسُكُم أَمرًا ۖ فَصَبرٌ جَميلٌ ۖ وَاللَّهُ المُستَعانُ عَلىٰ ما تَصِفونَ
And they produced sham blood on his shirt. He said: ‘Rather, your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you. Yet [my course is] graceful patience! And Allah is my resort against what you allege.’
EXEGESIS
Kadhib (sham) means lie, false, unreal. It is said that kadhib here is a verbal noun used in the sense of passive participle (makdhūb) to exaggerate the act, and so it means false blood the falsehood of which was obvious (damin kādhibin bayyin al-kidhb). Alternatively, it may mean ‘a blood about which they lied (damun kadhibū fīhī)’, or ‘a sham blood (damun dhū kadhib)’. It was a false or sham blood that was smeared on Prophet Joseph’s (a) shirt.
Sawwalat (has made seem decorous) is a feminine past tense verb of taswīl which means to decide to do something, with the hope to see it to its completion. Here it means for the soul to make a matter that is not good seem good and pursue it to the end. This was the reality of their act; their jealousy made the terrible crime of abandoning their own brother or killing him seem like a good idea.
Jamīl (graceful) originally means anything that is proportionate and perfected and orderly. A camel is therefore called a jamal, because it travels in an orderly manner in its path and does what is desired of it, doing so in a good way. Beauty is called jamāl, because it is to have proportionate and well formed external attributes.
Ṣabrun jamīl (graceful patience) means ‘my patience will be a graceful one (ṣabrī jamīl)’, yet it is better to understand it as ‘graceful patience is something that is required and desired of me now (amrī ṣabrun jamīl or ṣabrun jamīlun awlā bī)’. Part of the beauty and appeal of the Quran is how it masterfully plays with language and expressions to both give rhythm and flow to the verses and to draw the attention of the reader to the details of the expressions, giving one pause to think about what has been said.
Mustaʿān (resort) is the one whose help is sought in difficult situations, from istiʿānah, meaning to seek help.
ʿAlā mā taṣifūn (what you allege) literally would translate as ‘what you describe’, but since they are describing something that is not true, it is a false allegation.
EXPOSITION
As evidence for their claim that Prophet Joseph (a) had been eaten by a wolf, the sons presented Prophet Jacob (a) with Prophet Joseph’s (a) shirt, which they had smeared with the blood of some animal. Prophet Jacob (a) did not fall for their false evidence though, but instead of pressing the matter and inciting further rebellion and lies from his sons, he turned to God, trusting that He would protect Prophet Joseph (a) and bring the truth of the matter to light.
And they produced sham blood on his shirt: it has been said that they killed an animal in order to procure the blood.
He said: ‘Rather, your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you’: Prophet Jacob (a) dismissed his sons’ lies, saying that he knew Prophet Joseph (a) had not been eaten by a wolf because he already knew from Prophet Joseph’s (a) dream That is how your Lord will choose you (verse 6). So he retorted that his sons had followed their vain desires and submitted themselves to their envy and done something to Prophet Joseph (a); although Prophet Jacob (a) did not necessarily know specifically what they did, as suggested by the expression, a matter.
This is the first time that whispering of the lower self that is inclined to evil is mentioned in the surah. This relates directly to the central theme of the surah. The plan of Prophet Jacob’s (s) sons, which was done in opposition to the divine plan that decreed the elevation of Prophet Joseph (a) to a high station, is attributed to their own base desires. Prophet Jacob (a) understood that those who seek to thwart the divine plan by following the whisperings of their base desires would never succeed, so he patiently resorts to reliance on God: Yet [my course is] graceful patience. This is similar to the instruction given in the verse, So be patient, with a patience that is graceful (70:5). A graceful patience is the one that is done for the sake of God and sincerely seeking His pleasure. It is to be patient and not complain and bemoan one’s situation in an ugly manner by, for example, berating God for mistreating them. Simply being patient, without the lofty intention of doing so for the sake of God, does not confer the same benefit and reward. In order for actions to bring us closer to God they must be done for His sake.
As we said, Prophet Jacob (a) knew his sons were lying, yet he did not pursue their lie or seek to punish them, instead placing his reliance on God and being patient in the manner that God had instructed him, as he had no way of knowing what they had done with him or where they had taken him.
And Allah is my resort against what you allege: meaning: I hope in His help. In this sense, this statement can be considered a supplication made by Prophet Jacob (a) in the sense of: Lord, I have relied upon You in this issue, so I trust You to be my resort in that which my sons are alleging.
Regarding graceful patience: some might mistakenly think that the lesson from this verse is that if one is wronged, they should simply be patient and not seek justice or take action against the wrongdoers. However, that is not the case, and God has instructed the believers to avert evil from themselves and others and not let the oppressors freely do what they will. Hence, patience is the act of the believer seeking resort in God and finding hope and tranquillity in Him, to control one’s emotions and to find their inner peace and calm. None of that excludes the believer from striving against the oppressor or seeking to secure his own rights or the rights of others, but rather patience is simply complementary to that and something that provides steadfastness in his other actions and efforts. However, the believer understands that his efforts also require a cause that is beyond his own capacity and that is the will of God. That is why Prophet Jacob (a) follows up his statement by saying, And Allah is my resort, similar to what he says later in the surah, Rather, your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you. Yet [my course is] graceful patience. Maybe Allah will bring them all [back] to me (verse 83).
Others might point out that Prophet Jacob (a) was severely overcome with sorrow regarding his separation from Prophet Joseph (a), to the extent that he became blinded from excessive crying. Is this the example of someone who is displaying graceful patience?
There is no question about the great love that Prophet Jacob (a) had for Prophet Joseph (a) and such emotional matters are matters of the heart, which cannot be fully controlled. What is important is that these emotions do not lead to actions that upset the Lord. When Ibrāhīm, the son of Prophet Muhammad (s) died, the Prophet cried, saying: ‘The eyes swell with tears, and the heart is full of sorrow, but we do not say that which upsets the Lord.’
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- From Ḥibbān ibn Abī Jabalah, that the Prophet was asked about Yet [my course is] graceful patience, and he said: ‘[It is] patience that is without any complaint.’
Note: Ṭūsī merely gives the above as the explanation of the verse, without attributing any such thing to the Prophet. For more explanation on what is meant by ‘patience without complaint’, see the commentary on verse 86 (I complain of my anguish and grief only to Allah).
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Some have argued that the shirt presented to Prophet Jacob (a) was not torn. There is a hadith and some reported opinions that claim this as well. Many have then added that it was for this reason Prophet Jacob (a) understood his sons were lying. Of course, it would have been a simple enough task for the brothers to tear it with a knife or their hands, especially given how much time they had spent planning their crime, and it is somewhat strange that they would overlook such a simple thing. Although it is not unheard of that sometimes thoughtlessness addles the minds of criminals and conspirators and they fail to realise the foolishness of some of the lies they spin. As for the second claim, certainly Prophet Jacob (a) did not think his son was dead even for a moment, as he knew of the promise of God regarding his future.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. He returned to his brothers, and said, ‘The boy is not there, and I, where can I go?’ They took Joseph’s coat and killed a young goat and dipped the coat in the blood. Then they took the coat of many colours and brought it to their father and said, ‘This we have found. Do you know whether it is your son’s robe or not?’ He knew it and said, ‘It is my son’s coat. A wild beast has devoured him. Joseph has without a doubt been torn into pieces.’ Jacob tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his waist and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. And he said, ‘For I will go down into the grave mourning for my son.’ So his father wept for him.
Note: The Torah claims that Jacob (a) believed that Joseph (a) was dead and because of this was overcome with great grief, which led to the abovementioned displays. Whereas while the Quran does describe Prophet Jacob (a) as being greatly saddened by the separation from Prophet Joseph (a), even to the extent that he wept so much he lost his eyesight (verse 84), it is clear that Prophet Jacob (a) did not believe Prophet Joseph (a) to be dead (verses 18, 83, 86-87, 94, 96), and while he was sad, he remained in control of himself, and he choked with suppressed agony (verse 84). Therefore, all of the aforementioned Biblical account of going down in the grave and wearing a sackcloth and tearing his clothes should be considered spurious.
The fact that Prophet Jacob (a) did not ask for them to bring the remains of Prophet Joseph (a) or send a search party to look for them so that they could be buried can also be considered proof that he knew Prophet Joseph (a) had not been killed.
[1] Tabari, 12/98; Tibyan, 6/111.
[2] Alusi, 6/391.
[3] Alusi, 6/392.
[4] Tibyan, 6/112.
[5] Nemuneh, 9/350.
[6] Tahqiq, 2/129-130, j-m-l.
[7] Tabari, 12/98.
[8] See Zamakhshari, 2/451.
[9] Qurtubi, 9/151.
[10] See also Sharawi, p. 6893.
[11] Qummi, 1/341; Tabari, 12/97; Alusi, 6/392; related in Tabrisi, 5/333. Various animals have been mentioned in these reports, such as a calf, a deer, or a ram.
[12] Razi, 18/430.
[13] Abū al-Qāsim al-Murtaḍā, al-Amālī (Qum: Maktabat al-Marʿashī al-Najafī, 1403 AH), 1/71.
[14] Nemuneh, 9/351.
[15] See Mizan, 11/104-107.
[16] Alusi, 6/393.
[17] Mizan, 11/106.
[18] See also the discussion in Mizan, 11/105-106.
[19] See Nemuneh, 9/352. For the hadith see al-Nuʿmān ibn Muhammad al-Maghribī, Daʿāʾim al-Islām (Cairo: Dār al-Maʿārif, 1963), 1/224; Faqih, 1/177, h. 526; Wasail, 3/280, h. 3651-3652; Ibn Majah, 1/507, h. 1589; Bayhaqi, 4/69.
[20] Tabari, 12/99. See also Razi, 18/431.
[21] Tibyan, 6/112.
[22] Tabari, 12/97-98; Mizan, 11/103; Fadlallah, 12/176; related in Tabrisi, 5/333; Razi, 18/430.
[23] The hadith attributed to Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) claims that when Prophet Jacob (a) was given the shirt he said: ‘My God, how nice a wolf it was, since his shirt is not even torn!’ (Ayyashi, 2/171).
[24] Such as the claim attributed to Hasan al-Baṣrī (Tibyan, 6/111; Tabrisi, 5/333). See also Furqan, 15/46. Ibn al-ʿArabī categorises these reports as Isrāʾīliyyāt (Ahkam, 3/1077), however that is not a correct classification, as the Biblical narrative has Jacob (a) believing his sons; rather it is more accurate to simply reject the reports as fabrications.
[25] Tabari, 12/97-98; Thalabi, 5/203; Qurtubi, 9/149; Nemuneh, 9/344-345.
[26] Subḥānī rejects the story as a fabrication of storytellers on this basis (Munyah, 14/157-158).
[27] Genesis 37:29-35.
[28] See also Nemuneh, 9/294-295.