It was then that he recited this verse.

It was then that he recited this verse.[^2] Explanations It is permitted to fabricate scenes in order to discover an offence[^3], and for the sake of superior objectives it is also admissible to attribute theft to an innocent man who has agreed to play the role of the thief.[^4] If there is one wrongdoer in a group, people will often hold the whole group responsible. “O you men of the caravan!

“They said: ‘We have lost the king’s cup, and whoever brings it shall receive (the reward of) a camel-load, and I guarantee it’.” The Arabic terms /suwa‘/ and /siqayah/ are often used with same sense, meaning a vessel out of which water was drunk and which was also used to measure out quantities of wheat.[^5] This term illustrates the efficiency, and enjoyment of a single device that encompasses a wide range of functions.

The Arabic word /himl/ means a load while /haml/ means a load that is hidden, such as rain which is hidden within the clouds or the child in its mother’s womb. The Qur’anic sentence saying: ‘whoever brings it shall receive (the reward of) a camel’s load’, in the literature of Islamic jurisprudence, is known as /ju‘alah/ or /ji‘alah/ (wage) which has precedence in terms of legal credibility.

You know well (that) we have not come to make mischief in the land, and we are not thieves’.” The brothers, disturbed by these words, were not aware of the roots of the problem. In their reply, they seem certain that the Egyptian authorities knew that they were not the type to steal. The verse says: “They said: ‘By Allah!