"No," said (the father). "You have made up the story; but patience is best; God may bring them back to me. He is all-knowing and all-wise."
Said Yaqub, “Your souls have fabricated an excuse for you; therefore patience is excellent; it is likely that Allah will bring all* of them to me; undoubtedly only He is the All Knowing, the Wise.” (* All three including Yusuf.)
'No!' he said 'But your spirits tempted you to do somewhat. But come, sweet patience! Haply God will bring them all to me; He is the All-knowing, the All-wise.'
[AND WHEN they returned to their father and told him what had happened,] he exclaimed: "Nay, but it is your [own] minds that have made [so terrible] a happening seem a matter of little account to you! But [as for myself,] patience in adversity is most goodly; God may well bring them all [back] unto me: verily, He alone is all-knowing, truly wise!"
He said: nay! your selves have embellished for you an affair; so seemly patience! Belike Allah may bring them all unto me; verily He! only He Is the Knowing, the Wise.
He [Ya'qub (Jacob)] said: "Nay, but your ownselves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me). May be Allah will bring them (back) all to me. Truly He! only He is All-Knowing, All-Wise."
He said, “Rather, your souls have contrived something for you. Patience is a virtue. Perhaps God will bring them all back to me. He is the Knowing, the Wise.”
The father heard the narration and said: "(All that is untrue). But your souls have made it easy for you to engage in a heinous act. So, I will be graciously patient even at this. Allah may well bring them all back to me. He is All-Knowing, All-Wise."
He [Ya`qub] said: "Nay, but your own selves have beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for me). May be Allah will bring them (back) all to me. Truly, He! Only He is All-Knowing, All-Wise."
(And when they came unto their father and had spoken thus to him) he said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely patience! It may be that Allah will bring them all unto me. Lo! He, only He, is the Knower, the Wise.
He said, ‘No, your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you. Yet patience is graceful. Maybe Allah will bring them all [back] to me. Indeed He is the All-knowing, the All-wise.’
'No' he (Jacob) said, 'your souls have tempted you to do something. But come sweet patience. Allah may bring them all to me. He alone is the Knowing, the Wise'
[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."
(When he heard this), Jacob said, "Your souls have tempted you to make up the whole story. Let us be patient for perhaps God will bring them all back to me. God is certainly All-knowing and All-wise".
He (Yaqoub) said: Nay, your souls have made a matter light for you, so patience is good; maybe Allah will bring them all together to me; surely He is the Knowing, the Wise.
Q<u>a</u>la bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amran fa<u>s</u>abrun jameelun AAas<u>a</u> All<u>a</u>hu an yatiyanee bihim jameeAAan innahu huwa alAAaleemu al<u>h</u>akeem<b>u</b>
Jacob said, "No, but you have yourselves contrived a story. But it is best to be patient. God may well bring them all back to me [in the end]. For He is indeed full of knowledge and wisdom."
Jacob said: "Nay, but ye have yourselves contrived a story (good enough) for you. So patience is most fitting (for me). Maybe Allah will bring them (back) all to me (in the end). For He is indeed full of knowledge and wisdom."
قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِى بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
Their father told them that the matter was not as they said with regards to him having stolen. Rather, their souls made deception in this attractive to them, as they had been deceptive about their brother Joseph before. He said my patience is of a beautiful type, which directs complaints to Allah alone. He said that perhaps Allah would return Joseph, his full brother and their oldest brother all together. He, glory be to Him, knew Jacob’s situation and was Wise in the way He arranged everything for him.
Their father told them that the matter was not as they said with regards to him having stolen. Rather, their souls made deception in this attractive to them, as they had been deceptive about their brother Joseph before. He said my patience is of a beautiful type, which directs complaints to Allah alone. He said that perhaps Allah would return Joseph, his full brother and their oldest brother all together. He, glory be to Him, knew Jacob’s situation and was Wise in the way He arranged everything for him.
<p>Commentary</p><p>After the detention of young Benyamin in Egypt, his brothers returned home and told Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) about what had happened there. They tried to assure him that they were telling the truth which can be confirmed from the people in Egypt, as well as, from the caravan they came with from Egypt to Canaan. From the later, he could also ascertain that Benyamin's theft was apprehended and he was arrested for it. Since Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) knew that they had lied to him earlier in the case of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، therefore, he could not believe them this time too - though, in fact, this time they had told him no lie. And therefore, on this occasion as well, he said the same thing he had said at the time of the disappearance of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) : بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرً‌ا ۖ فَصَبْرٌ‌ جَمِيلٌ. ("Rather, your inner desires have seduced you to something. So, patience is best), that is, this statement of yours is not correct. You have made it up yourself. But, even now, it is patience I choose to observe. Only that would be the best for me.'</p><p>From this Al-Qurtubi has deduced: In whatever a Mujtahid says with his Ijtihad, there can be an error as well, so much so that it is possible that a prophet too, when he says something on the basis of his own Ijtihad, could make an error - though, only initially. This is what happened in this case when he declared the truth of his sons to be a lie. But, prophets have a special status and a personal exclusivity on the basis of which they are alerted over the mistake by the will of Allah, and removed away from it, and finally they find truth.</p><p>Here, it is also possible that by his comment about 'maneuvering something' mentioned above Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) intended to refer to what was made up in Egypt whereby Benyamin was arrested under a false charge of theft only to achieve a particular purpose, and the ultimate result of which was to unfold later in a better form. There may, as well, be a hint toward it in the next sentence of this verse where it is said: عَسَى اللَّـهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا (Hopefully, Allah may bring them all together).</p><p>In short, the outcome of the refusal of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) to accept the statement of his sons this time was that there was no theft really, nor was Benyamin arrested, and the truth of the matter was to be found elsewhere. This was true in its place. But, whatever was said by his sons, as they knew it, was not wrong either.</p>
CommentaryAfter the detention of young Benyamin in Egypt, his brothers returned home and told Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) about what had happened there. They tried to assure him that they were telling the truth which can be confirmed from the people in Egypt, as well as, from the caravan they came with from Egypt to Canaan. From the later, he could also ascertain that Benyamin's theft was apprehended and he was arrested for it. Since Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) knew that they had lied to him earlier in the case of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، therefore, he could not believe them this time too - though, in fact, this time they had told him no lie. And therefore, on this occasion as well, he said the same thing he had said at the time of the disappearance of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) : بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرً‌ا ۖ فَصَبْرٌ‌ جَمِيلٌ. ("Rather, your inner desires have seduced you to something. So, patience is best), that is, this statement of yours is not correct. You have made it up yourself. But, even now, it is patience I choose to observe. Only that would be the best for me.'From this Al-Qurtubi has deduced: In whatever a Mujtahid says with his Ijtihad, there can be an error as well, so much so that it is possible that a prophet too, when he says something on the basis of his own Ijtihad, could make an error - though, only initially. This is what happened in this case when he declared the truth of his sons to be a lie. But, prophets have a special status and a personal exclusivity on the basis of which they are alerted over the mistake by the will of Allah, and removed away from it, and finally they find truth.Here, it is also possible that by his comment about 'maneuvering something' mentioned above Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) intended to refer to what was made up in Egypt whereby Benyamin was arrested under a false charge of theft only to achieve a particular purpose, and the ultimate result of which was to unfold later in a better form. There may, as well, be a hint toward it in the next sentence of this verse where it is said: عَسَى اللَّـهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا (Hopefully, Allah may bring them all together).In short, the outcome of the refusal of Sayyidna Ya` qub (علیہ السلام) to accept the statement of his sons this time was that there was no theft really, nor was Benyamin arrested, and the truth of the matter was to be found elsewhere. This was true in its place. But, whatever was said by his sons, as they knew it, was not wrong either.