فَبَدَأَ بِأَوعِيَتِهِم قَبلَ وِعاءِ أَخيهِ ثُمَّ استَخرَجَها مِن وِعاءِ أَخيهِ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ كِدنا لِيوسُفَ ۖ ما كانَ لِيَأخُذَ أَخاهُ في دينِ المَلِكِ إِلّا أَن يَشاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ نَرفَعُ دَرَجاتٍ مَن نَشاءُ ۗ وَفَوقَ كُلِّ ذي عِلمٍ عَليمٌ

Then he began with their sacks, before [opening] his brother’s sack. Then he took it out from his brother’s sack. Thus did We devise for Joseph’s sake. He could not have held his brother under the king’s law unless Allah willed [otherwise]. We raise in rank whomever We please, and above every man of knowledge is One who knows best.

EXEGESIS

The feminine suffix hā (it) in istakhrajahā (he took it out) is referring to the siqāyah (drinking-cup) in verse 70, which is a feminine word. Some have said that it refers to the more recently mentioned ṣuwāʿ (goblet) in verse 72. They have claimed that for ṣuwāʿ either the masculine or feminine pronoun may be used.[1] Note how ṣuwāʿ is referred to with the masculine in the verse Whoever brings it (hi) (verse 72).

Kidnā (we devised) comes from kayd which means a scheme or plan set out for achieving something, and it may be used in either a negative or positive sense, even though it usually carries with it a negative connotation.[2] It was for example used earlier to describe the scheming of Prophet Joseph’s (a) jealous brothers (verse 5) as well as the scheming of the governor’s wife (verse 28) and the noblewomen (verses 33-34 and 50).

Dīn (law) has different meanings depending on the context. It is said the common thread between all of these is submission to a specific set of rules.^[3]

EXPOSITION

Then he began with their sacks: Prophet Joseph (a) began examining the sacks.[4] As we discussed previously, it is not necessary to assume that he was carrying out these actions personally. The fact that they were carried out under his orders is enough to attribute the action to him.

Before [opening] his brother’s sack: doing it in this manner certainly had a dramatic effect, but that cannot have been Prophet Joseph’s (a) true motivation. He apparently did this because if he had immediately begun with Benjamin’s sack, it would have seemed suspicious as it would have indicated that he already knew where to look for it.[5] It is not clear from the phrasing of the verse if he searched Benjamin’s sack last, but we could assume that keeping with the same logic that too may have seemed suspicious, so he probably did not leave it for the very last.

Then he took it out from his brother’s sack: the cup was discovered in Benjamin’s sack, in the presence of everyone, so no one could deny it.

Thus did We devise for Joseph’s sake: this refers to the events that took place in the process of Prophet Joseph (a) securing his full brother from among his brothers. It was indeed a kayd (subtle stratagem) because it achieved his objective without their awareness or realisation. Had they known, they would not have consented nor allowed him to take his brother. This is the essence of kayd, except that it was divinely inspired, either through intuition (ilhām) or revelation (waḥy) from God, teaching him the means to secure his brother. For this reason, God ascribed this act to Himself while describing it as kayd, Thus did We devise for Joseph’s sake.

From this we understand that not all forms of kayd are negated from God’s sanctity. Rather, He is exalted above kayd that entails injustice, the same way His majesty is beyond deceit (makr), leading astray (iḍlāl), or gradual entrapment (istidrāj), and the like.[6]

He could not have held his brother under the king’s law unless Allah willed [otherwise]: he could not have used the king’s law to hold his brother unless God willed, because under the legal code of Egypt’s king, thieves were not punished with enslavement or captivity, but rather with other penalties like imprisonment or flogging. Since Prophet Joseph (a) wished no harm upon his brother, God inspired him with this ingenious plan.[7]

The statement unless Allah willed, refers to the very scenario and procedure in which his brothers unwittingly consented to the punishment they had prescribed for themselves. This exception reveals an established legal principle in the king’s system: a criminal would be subjected to the penalty he himself had approved, often resulting in a more severe sentence. Such punitive measures were customary in many traditional legal codes and royal decrees of the time, reflecting a widespread judicial practice where offenders faced consequences they had willingly endorsed.[8]

We raise in rank whomever We please: this is a reference to how God had favoured Prophet Joseph (a) over his brothers.[9] God grants increase in knowledge to whomever He wills, that they may better discern how the divine will operates through ordinary means. Every circumstance and action, regardless of its apparent source, becomes an instrument in the fulfilment of His design.

It was this profound knowledge, wisdom, and insight that elevated Prophet Joseph’s (a) station. Similarly, Prophet Abraham (a) was honoured with the same distinction after he confronted his people with irrefutable proofs: This was Our argument that We gave to Abraham against his people. We raise in rank whomever We wish (6:83).[10] True knowledge and wisdom do not merely illuminate the divine plan, but they cultivate patience, steadfastness, and utter reliance on God. They fortify obedience and submission, for the one who understands why God commands and prohibits, recognises the perfection of His decree.

And above every man of knowledge is One who knows best: the One who knows best refers exclusively to God.[11] It means that no human is possessed of any knowledge except that God encompasses that knowledge and beyond. His knowledge infinitely surpasses the understanding of all of creation.

Every being possessed of knowledge has above them one of greater knowledge, ascending in degrees until reaching God – the All-Knowing of all matters by His very essence – where the chain of knowledge culminates. In fact, all knowledge is from Him and they do not comprehend anything of His knowledge except what He wishes (2:255). Those who are truly wise understand that God’s wisdom and knowledge are incomparable to theirs and they submit to Him, knowing that what He wills is based on that limitless knowledge and is always in the interests of His servants. The peak of knowledge that man can attain is to truly understand this reality and engrain it in his heart.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Different suggestions have been given by the exegetes as to the meaning of Thus did We devise for Joseph’s sake:

1. Zamakhsharī understands it to mean that this plan was something taught to him by God through revelation.[12]
2. Ṭabrisī similarly argues it means that God commanded Prophet Joseph (a) to do so.[13]
3. Baghawī posits that it means Prophet Joseph’s (a) plan would not have worked unless the brothers had themselves suggested that the thief be taken as a slave. That they suggested was God’s plan, which He devised for the benefit of Prophet Joseph (a).[14]

None of these are very satisfying explanations of the expression of God devising for Joseph (a), and it would seem that such sentiments should be expressed in different ways, such as ‘thus We revealed to Joseph’ or ‘thus We commanded Joseph’ or something to that effect. It is hence best to understand the statement in the light of the surah’s theme, as we explained earlier.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Then every man hurriedly took down his sack to the ground, and every man opened his sack. He searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest. The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.[15]

[1] Tibyan, 6/175; Tabari, 13/16.
[2] Raghib, p. 728, k-y-d.
[3] Tahqiq, 3/289, d-y-n.
[4] Tabrisi, 5/386.
[5] See Tabrisi, 5/386; Thalabi, 5/241.
[6] Mizan, 11/225.
[7] Kashif, 4/343.
[8] Mizan, 11/225
[9] Tabrisi, 5/387.
[10] See also Razi, 18/489.
[11] Tabari, 13/18.
[12] Zamakhshari, 2/491; Mizan, 11/225.
[13] Tabrisi, 5/386.
[14] Baghawi, 2/505-506.
[15] Genesis 44:11-12.