THE STORY OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH - Joseph's Way to Keep Bunyamin in Egypt

The meeting of Joseph and Bunyamin was indeed a touching and relieved thing. After that, Bunyamin returned to meet his other brothers. The meeting was still unknown to Joseph and Bunyamin's brothers. Joseph had a way for Bunyamin to live in Egypt with him, not to go back to Palestine. Food for the brothers of Joseph was prepared. Joseph put the cup in the sack of Bunyamin.

Joseph's brothers received several sacks of food. Then they intend to return to Palestine. Not long ago, an employee shouted and approached Joseph's brothers. The employee accused Joseph's brothers of being thieves. Joseph's brothers were surprised to hear that. Joseph's brothers asked the employees what items were lost. The employees explained that they had lost a cup and they lured gifts in the form of food weighing the weight of a camel if they managed to find it. Joseph's brothers said that they did not come to riot and they were not thieves. The employees asked what the punishment would be if they turned out to be stealing. Joseph's brothers replied that if the cup was found in one of the sacks belonging to someone, then the person himself received the sentence. According to the Shari'a of the Prophet Jacob at that time, the punishment for thieves was to be a slave for one year. So the sacks of Joseph's brothers began to be examined. It turned out that the cup was inside the sack of Bunyamin, so Bunyamin would be detained.

Surah Yusuf verses 70-77:

فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمۡ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَايَةَ فِي رَحۡلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا ٱلۡعِيرُ إِنَّكُمۡ لَسَٰرِقُونَ  ٧٠ قَالُواْ وَأَقۡبَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِم مَّاذَا تَفۡقِدُونَ  ٧١ قَالُواْ نَفۡقِدُ صُوَاعَ ٱلۡمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَآءَ بِهِۦ حِمۡلُ بَعِيرٖ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِيمٞ  ٧٢ قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدۡ عَلِمۡتُم مَّا جِئۡنَا لِنُفۡسِدَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَٰرِقِينَ  ٧٣ قَالُواْ فَمَا جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُمۡ كَٰذِبِينَ  ٧٤ قَالُواْ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ مَن وُجِدَ فِي رَحۡلِهِۦ فَهُوَ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ  ٧٥ فَبَدَأَ بِأَوۡعِيَتِهِمۡ قَبۡلَ وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَخۡرَجَهَا مِن وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدۡنَا لِيُوسُفَۖ مَا كَانَ لِيَأۡخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِي دِينِ ٱلۡمَلِكِ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ نَرۡفَعُ دَرَجَٰتٖ مَّن نَّشَآءُۗ وَفَوۡقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلۡمٍ عَلِيمٞ  ٧٦ ۞قَالُوٓاْ إِن يَسۡرِقۡ فَقَدۡ سَرَقَ أَخٞ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ وَلَمۡ يُبۡدِهَا لَهُمۡۚ قَالَ أَنتُمۡ شَرّٞ مَّكَانٗاۖ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ  ٧٧

70.  So when he had furnished them with their supplies, he put the [gold measuring] bowl into the bag of his brother. Then an announcer called out, "O caravan, indeed you are thieves."

71.  They said while approaching them, "What is it you are missing?"

72.  They said, "We are missing the measure of the king. And for he who produces it is [the reward of] a camel's load, and I am responsible for it."

73.  They said, "By Allah, you have certainly known that we did not come to cause corruption in the land, and we have not been thieves."

74.  The accusers said, "Then what would be its recompense if you should be liars?"

75.  [The brothers] said, "Its recompense is that he in whose bag it is found - he [himself] will be its recompense. Thus do we recompense the wrongdoers."

76.  So he began [the search] with their bags before the bag of his brother; then he extracted it from the bag of his brother. Thus did We plan for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother within the religion of the king except that Allah willed. We raise in degrees whom We will, but over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing.

77.  They said, "If he steals - a brother of his has stolen before." But Joseph kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are worse in position, and Allah is most knowing of what you describe."

Joseph's brothers felt responsible for this because of their oath to guard Bunyamin. So they faced Joseph the treasurer of the country. They told that they had a very old father and begged to replace Bunyamin with one of them. Joseph could not do that because the cup was found in a sack belonging to Bunyamin, not someone else. So Joseph's brothers surrendered and discussed. Feeling ashamed of not being able to bring Bunyamin home, the oldest of Joseph's brothers said that he would not go home before taking Bunyamin home, except because he was called by his father or because of God's will. The older brother also told his brothers to go home immediately and notify Bunyamin's condition to their father, the Prophet Jacob. Then the nine sons of the Prophet Jacob returned to Palestine.

Surah Yusuf verses 78-80:

قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥٓ أَبٗا شَيۡخٗا كَبِيرٗا فَخُذۡ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥٓۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ  ٧٨ قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ أَن نَّأۡخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدۡنَا مَتَٰعَنَا عِندَهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذٗا لَّظَٰلِمُونَ  ٧٩ فَلَمَّا ٱسۡتَيۡ‍َٔسُواْ مِنۡهُ خَلَصُواْ نَجِيّٗاۖ قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ أَبَاكُمۡ قَدۡ أَخَذَ عَلَيۡكُم مَّوۡثِقٗا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمِن قَبۡلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمۡ فِي يُوسُفَۖ فَلَنۡ أَبۡرَحَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ حَتَّىٰ يَأۡذَنَ لِيٓ أَبِيٓ أَوۡ يَحۡكُمَ ٱللَّهُ لِيۖ وَهُوَ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡحَٰكِمِينَ  ٨٠

78.  They said, "O 'Azeez, indeed he has a father [who is] an old man, so take one of us in place of him. Indeed, we see you as a doer of good."

79.  He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allah [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust."

80.  So when they had despaired of him, they secluded themselves in private consultation. The eldest of them said, "Do you not know that your father has taken upon you an oath by Allah and [that] before you failed in [your duty to] Joseph? So I will never leave [this] land until my father permits me or Allah decides for me, and He is the best of judges.

Nine sons of the Prophet Jacob arrived at home. They told the Prophet Jacob that Bunyamin was having a problem and was detained in Egypt. The Prophet Jacob became increasingly sad to hear that. After losing Joseph, Bunyamin was now detained in Egypt. Only Allah where Prophet Jacob prayed. So sad, the eyes of the Prophet Jacob turned white. But hope is still there, the Prophet Jacob has not despaired. Prophet Jacob ordered his sons to find news about Joseph and Bunyamin. Seeing his father's suffering, the sons of Prophet Jacob immediately went to Egypt again.

Surah Yusuf verses 81-87:

ٱرۡجِعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمۡ فَقُولُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبۡنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدۡنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمۡنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلۡغَيۡبِ حَٰفِظِينَ  ٨١ وَسۡ‍َٔلِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةَ ٱلَّتِي كُنَّا فِيهَا وَٱلۡعِيرَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَقۡبَلۡنَا فِيهَاۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ  ٨٢ قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرٗاۖ فَصَبۡرٞ جَمِيلٌۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأۡتِيَنِي بِهِمۡ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ  ٨٣ وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبۡيَضَّتۡ عَيۡنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلۡحُزۡنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٞ  ٨٤ قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ تَفۡتَؤُاْ تَذۡكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوۡ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡهَٰلِكِينَ  ٨٥ قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشۡكُواْ بَثِّي وَحُزۡنِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ  ٨٦ يَٰبَنِيَّ ٱذۡهَبُواْ فَتَحَسَّسُواْ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَاْيۡ‍َٔسُواْ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَاْيۡ‍َٔسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ  ٨٧

81.  Return to your father and say, "O our father, indeed your son has stolen, and we did not testify except to what we knew. And we were not witnesses of the unseen,

82.  And ask the city in which we were and the caravan in which we came - and indeed, we are truthful,"

83.  [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together. Indeed it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise."

84.  And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph," and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor.

85.  They said, "By Allah, you will not cease remembering Joseph until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish."

86.  He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know.

87.  O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."