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qālū yā-ʾayyuhā l-ʿazīzu ʾinna lahū ʾaban shaykhan kabīran fa-khudh ʾaḥadanā makānahū ʾinnā narāka mina l-muḥsinīna
They said, ‘O emir! Indeed, he has a father, a very old man; so take one of us in his place. Indeed we see that you are a virtuous man.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Yusuf – Verse 78
78. “They said: ‘O’ ‘Aziz! He has a father, aged and advanced in years, so take one of us in his place; verily we see you of the doers of good’.”
As they realized that in accord with the penalty to which they themselves had agreed, their younger brother Benjamin would have to stay with the ‘Aziz and that they had made a pledge with their father to do their utmost to protect and return him safely to Ya‘qub, they pleaded with Yusuf who was yet unknown to them to take one of them instead. The verse says:
“They said: ‘O’ ‘Aziz! He has a father, aged and advanced in years, so take one of us in his place;...”
They explained the reason of their request that they had realized the ‘Aziz one of the righteous and that was not the first time that he showed them kindness, then it was better to complete his affection by according their request. The verse says:
“…verily we see you of the doers of good’.”