قالَ هَل آمَنُكُم عَلَيهِ إِلّا كَما أَمِنتُكُم عَلىٰ أَخيهِ مِن قَبلُ ۖ فَاللَّهُ خَيرٌ حافِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرحَمُ الرّاحِمينَ

He said: ‘Should I trust you with him just as I trusted you with his brother before? Yet Allah is the best of protectors, and He is the most merciful of merciful ones.’

EXPOSITION

Prophet Jacob (a) replied to the request of his sons, saying Should I trust you with him just as I trusted you with his brother before? When Prophet Jacob’s (a) sons sought his permission to take Benjamin with them to Egypt, they assured him, and we will indeed take [good] care of him (verse 63), echoing the very same promise they had made years earlier regarding Prophet Joseph (a). This repetition could not have been lost on Prophet Jacob (a), for it must have reawakened painful memories of their past betrayal, casting doubt on their renewed pledge. The phrasing served as an implicit reminder, both to Prophet Jacob (a) and to his sons, of their earlier failure to protect Prophet Joseph (a), and heightening the emotional tension in the narrative.[1]

Earlier in the surah it was established that the feelings of jealousy that caused Prophet Joseph’s (a) brothers to abandon him in the well were also directed at his brother Benjamin, albeit to a lesser degree, Surely Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than [the rest of] us (verse 8).

Yet Allah is the best of protectors: this is a jab at their claim and we will indeed take [good] care (ḥāfiẓūn) of him (verse 63), with Prophet Jacob (a) in effect retorting that he would not think them to be good protectors of Benjamin after what they did to Joseph (a). At the same time, it serves as a reminder that Prophet Jacob (a) always places his full trust in God. Hence, Prophet Jacob (a) – while still not giving them a definitive yes or no answer – is telling them that even if he were to entrust them with Benjamin, it is not because he would feel confident in trusting them, but rather because he would be placing his trust in God.[2]

And He is the most merciful of merciful ones: this is also a reminder to Prophet Jacob’s (a) sons that if they regret what they had done to Prophet Joseph (a), God’s mercy can encompass even that vile act and they may still find forgiveness and absolution.

[1] See also Thalabi, 2/486; Tantawi, 7/388-389.
[2] Nemuneh, 10/24.