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yā-baniyya dhhabū fa-taḥassasū min yūsufa wa-ʾakhīhi wa-lā tayʾasū min rawḥi llāhi ʾinnahū lā yayʾasu min rawḥi llāhi ʾillā l-qawmu l-kāfirūna
‘Go, my sons, and look for Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed no one despairs of Allah’s mercy except the faithless lot.’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Yusuf – Verse 87
87. “O’ my sons! Go and enquire about Yusuf and his brother, and never despair of Allah’s Mercy. Verily none despairs of Allah’s Mercy except the unbelieving people.”
The Arabic term /tahassus/ means searching for something good by using one’s senses, while the Arabic term /tajassus/ means to search for bad things. According to Raqib, both the terms /rauh/ and /ruh/ mean spirit, but the word /rauh/ is used when there is a relief and favor in question. It seems, by the removal of difficulties a new and fresh spirit emerges in man. In Tafsir-i-Tibyan it is said that the word /ruh/ (spirit) is derived from /rih/ (wind). As man feels comfortable when the wind blows, he feels happy once he has the Divine Grace.
The famine, however, continued to strike hard in Egypt and in the surrounding areas, including Kan‘an. Once again Ya‘qub ordered his sons to go to Egypt and procure the food supplies necessary; but this time, the search for Yusuf and his brother Benjamin were placed at the top of the list of priorities. Jacob said:
“O’ my sons! Go and enquire about Yusuf and his brother...”
The brothers were sure that Yusuf was no longer alive, so the advice of their old father astonished them greatly. He reminded them that they should never despair of Divine grace for that was a sign of unbelief. Allah’s mercy can remove all difficulties. Ya‘qub continued saying:
“…and never despair of Allah’s Mercy. Verily none despairs of Allah’s Mercy except the unbelieving people.”