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wa-lammā dakhalū ʿalā yūsufa ʾāwā ʾilayhi ʾakhāhu qāla ʾinnī ʾana ʾakhūka fa-lā tabtaʾis bi-mā kānū yaʿmalūna
When they entered into the presence of Joseph, he set his brother close to himself, and said, ‘Indeed I am your brother, so do not sorrow for what they used to do.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Yusuf – Verse 69
69. “And, when they entered unto Yusuf, he lodged his (own) brother (Benyamin) with himself, saying: ‘I am your brother; so do not grieve at what they were doing’.”
According to the narrations, when Ya‘qub’s (as) sons arrived in Egypt, Yusuf hosted them and ordered a table full of various foods for every couple of them. Benjamin remained seated alone, so Yusuf seated him near himself, then he allocated every two persons for one room and made Benjamin his roommate. While together, Benjamin talked about the infidelities of the brothers and the crimes which they had committed the years before against their brother, Yusuf.
At this moment Yusuf, who had become impatient, exclaimed:
He uttered these words so emphatically “Indeed, I am your brother!” that it left no possibility of doubt in the truth of his words.
“And, when they entered unto Yusuf, he lodged his (own) brother (Benyamin) with himself, saying: ‘I am your brother; so do not grieve at what they were doing’.”
As for the concept of the sentence: “So do not grieve at what they were doing”, there are two possibilities worth consideration. The first is that Benjamin should stop getting depressed about the past conduct of his brothers. The second is that it is probable that the plan which was to be put into practice by his slaves for Benjamin’s own goods i.e., placing the cup among the loads in order for him to stay with him, should not be a reason for worry.
Explanations
1. The brothers who boasted of their power the previous day, claiming that they were a powerful group, had to undergo a significant amount of humiliation in order to secure their food supplies.
They practically had to kiss Yusuf’s threshold in a humiliating manner.
2. When a blessing is obtain, the concerning former afflictions should be renounced
(Yusuf and Benjamin had a face to face meeting then they forgot their past sorrows.)
3. Before the execution of any plan and project, the innocent must be spiritually ready and must clearly know the justification for the action. Benjamin was told that he would be kept in Egypt under the pretext of being discovered as a thief to which he agreed.