فَلَمّا رَجَعوا إِلىٰ أَبيهِم قالوا يا أَبانا مُنِعَ مِنَّا الكَيلُ فَأَرسِل مَعَنا أَخانا نَكتَل وَإِنّا لَهُ لَحافِظونَ

So when they returned to their father, they said: ‘Father, the measure has been withheld from us, so let our brother go with us so that we may obtain the measure, and we will indeed take [good] care of him.’

EXEGESIS

Naktal (we may obtain the measure) is the first-person plural of iktiyāl (on the pattern of the eighth form iftiʿāl).[1] This reflexive form carries the meaning of measuring or taking a specific quantity for oneself,[2] as indicated in the context of the discussion on kayl (measurement) mentioned in verse 59. The eighth form (iftiʿāl) often conveys a sense of effort, reciprocity, or reflexivity, which in this case suggests an intentional act of measuring or portioning out for one’s own benefit.

EXPOSITION

So when they returned to their father: the brothers made the long journey back from Egypt to Canaan. Upon greeting their father, they began to tell him of what had transpired during their visit.

They said: ‘Father, the measure has been withheld from us’: not in the sense that they were not given their portions of food, but rather that they were warned they would not be receiving any more in the future if they do not bring Benjamin.[3]

So let our brother go with us: this is the Quranic style, which rarely gives the names of people unless they are prophets or people of similarly high station, with some exceptions based on specific reasons. There are a few reasons for this style. Firstly, it is a specially reserved honour to be mentioned by name in the Quran in a positive way and this honour is reserved only for a few select individuals. Secondly, it is part of the Quranic style of keeping things general and easy to identify with in all times by all readers. Thirdly, it allows the Quran to be accessible, as it does not burden readers with names and places which would make it confusing and difficult to keep track of for those unfamiliar with those names and places. These last two are some of the main difficulties faced by readers of the Old Testament, as well as much of the early (or even some later) sīrah literature. The Quranic style is hence very wisely calculated and allows any reader to approach the text and the stories of the prophets.

So that we may obtain the measure: it seems that Prophet Joseph’s (a) brothers were convinced that as the Egyptians had accurately predicted the seven years of bounty and that it would be followed by drought, they must also be correct in their prediction that the drought would last seven years in total. Hence, they were sure that they would have to return again in the future as they would not be able to survive the remaining years of drought without aid.

And we will indeed take [good] care of him: this is exactly what they said when asking to be entrusted with Prophet Joseph (a), as related in verse 12, and was to serve as a reminder to them of what they had done, especially after their father’s reaction, as quoted in the next verse.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. The man, the lord of the land, spoke harshly to us and took us for spies of the country. And we said to him, ‘We are honest men. We are not spies. We are twelve brothers, all sons of our father. One is no longer living, and the youngest is with our father today in the land of Canaan.’ The man, the lord of the country, said to us, ‘Here is how I may know that you are honest men. Leave one of your brothers here with me, take food for the famine of your households, and be gone. But bring your youngest brother back to me. Then I will know that you are not spies, but that you are honest men. Then I will deliver your brother to you, and you may trade in the land.’[4]

[1] It is actually naktālu, but because the verb is majzūm (the final vowel is dropped), the alif is omitted as well (see Qurtubi, 9/224).
[2] Tibyan, 6/163.
[3] Tibyan, 6/163; Tabari, 13/7.
[4] Genesis 42:30-34.