ভূমিকা

“So when they despaired of (moving) him, they conferred in private. The eldest of them said: ‘Don’t you know that your father has taken a solemn covenant from you in Allah’s name, and before that you failed to perform your duty with Yusuf? Therefore, I will never leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah decides for me; and He is the best of judges’.” The brothers were faced with the prospect of returning to their father in shame.

They did their utmost to save Benjamin, however they found all roads leading to a solution blocked. Therefore, they despaired from the ‘Aziz, or from deliverance of the brother, and decided to return to kan‘an and tell their father about the matter when they went off by themselves into a corner and conferred as to what next to do.

The verse says: “So when they despaired of (moving) him, they conferred in private...” However, in that private conference the elder brother told them whether they did not know that their father had taken an oath of Allah from them that they had to return Benjamin in any possible price, and that they were the same persons who formerly failed to fulfil their duty concerning Yusuf, and had a bad background with the Father.

The verse says: “…The eldest of them said: ‘Don’t you know that your father has taken a solemn covenant from you in Allah’s name, and before that you failed to perform your duty with Yusuf?...” The older brother, who embarrassed and frustrated at their unreliability with their father, decided to stay in Egypt until his father permitted or until Allah (s.w.t.) decided.

The holy verse continues saying: “…Therefore, I will never leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah decides for me; and He is the best of judges’.” The decision of Allah means either until death overtook him or that Allah (s.w.t.) would make manifest a solution to this problem; or a plausible excuse which could decisively accepted by father. Explanations The Arabic term /xalasu/ means separating themselves away from others.