Yūsuf

قَالَ إِنّي لَيَحْزُنُنِي أَن تَذْهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَخَافُ أَن يَأْكُلَهُ الذّئْبُ وَأَنتُمْ عَنْهُ غَافِلُونَ

قَالُوا لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّآ إِذاً لَخَاسِرُونَ

13. “He said: ‘Verily it saddens me that you should take him away, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while you are heedless of him’.”
14. “They said: ‘If the wolf were to devour him while we are a (strong) group, then we should be losers’.”

The father was aware of his children’s jealousy and this was why he told Yusuf that he should not recount his dream to his brothers. However Jacob (as) did not make any mention of their jealousy, on the contrary, he raised the issue of the wolf and their probable neglect of Yusuf as a pretext. Therefore, in response to their suggestions and without accusing them of any possible wrong doing, he said that he would be saddened if they took him with them, because in the surrounding area there might be fierce wolves, which might probably attack and eat his son while they might be busy having fun, and neglect him.

The verse says:

“He said: ‘Verily it saddens me that you should take him away, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while you are heedless of him’.”

Certainly, the brothers had no clear answer for the first reason which their father had given, for Yusuf’s departure was such a sorrowful event to the father that they could not compensate by any means. It is quite possible that this statement might have enflamed their jealousy even more. On the other hand, the father’s answer, from a different perspective, indicated that eventually a child had to be separated from his father for the sake of his own development.

They could not and did not give an answer to the first reason, instead. They focused their attention on the second reason which was more important to their plans. They said that they were a powerful group, and it would be they who would be at a disadvantage if a wolf had attacked him, because the wolf would have to eat them first, therefore, this could never happen. In other words, they were never going to allow wolves to eat any of their brothers and sit by and watch such a thing happen. At any rate, they made their father submit to their demand through playing all kinds of tricks and getting Yusuf excited about going by emphasizing the fun he would have.

The verse says:

“They said: ‘If the wolf were to devour him while we are a (strong) group, then we should be losers’.”

It is interesting to note that just as Yusuf’s brothers utilized his inherent interest in recreation in order to achieve their objectives, the enemies of truth and justice also try to employ sports and recreation to poison the thinking of the new generation. We must guard ourselves against those evil plots which the wolf–like superpowers employ under the guise of recreational activities for the youth.

Outstanding Points

Give your children independence. 1- The paternal affection unto the child and defending him against probable dangers are two principles, but the child’s independence is also another principle. 2- A lie must be avoided to be suggested because people may misuse it. The Prophet (S) said:

“Do not suggest a lie and do not open the way of pretext for lying.”

In Majma‘-ul-Bayan, it says that Ya‘qub feared that the brothers might kill him though he did not say this directly. He referred to them metaphorically as wolves, for he had dreamed that wolves had attacked Yusuf. When Ya‘qub had mentioned the word “wolves” it occurred to them to use this as an excuse for their crime. The lesson here is that one should be careful not to make it easy for others to misuse our words and actions. The Arabic word /‘usbah/ refers to a strong united group, and they protect each other on this basis.

Sometimes grown people become disconcerted in the face of danger, but the youth are proud of their strength and do not take danger seriously: /wa nahnu ‘usbatun/. While the father was anxious, the children were proud of their strength.