However...
However, Yusuf’s brothers considered Ya‘qub’s love as one that had no good reason. Explanations If the children feel that they are discriminated against, their envy will be aroused. Discrimination among one’s children will decrease their love towards their parents The exercise of power does not engender love. Envy crossed the frontiers of fatherhood and prophecy hence the brothers attributed deviation and injustice to their father who was, at the same time, their prophet.
“Slay you Yusuf, or cast him out to some (far) land, (so that) your father’s attention may be given on you (exclusively), and you may be after that (by repentance) a righteous people.” With respect to Divine favors, man has four options: to be jealous, to be stingy, to be self – sacrificing, and to be envious of others.
If he enjoys a blessing and is happy that others do not enjoy it as well, this is a case of stingy, this is also the case if he does not enjoy a blessing and is glad that others do not enjoy it as well which is jealousy. If he lets others benefit from a blessing he enjoys and is not concerned whether he would be deprived of it in the process, this is a case of self–sacrifice. If he thinks that others enjoy a blessing and he doesn’t and he wishes that he enjoys that blessing too, this is envy.
Imam Baqir (as) said: “I sometimes express my affection towards some of my children, seating them on my lap even though they do not merit all that love, so that they do not become envious of my other children, and the adventures of Yusuf be repeated once more.” [^1] The feeling of envy, however, eventually led the brothers to conspire with each other.
They proposed two schemes, either to kill Yusuf or to send him off to a far distant land so that the love and attention of their father would be evenly distributed among them. The verse says: “Slay you Yusuf, or cast him out to some (far) land, (so that) your father’s attention may be given on you (exclusively)...” It is true that they might have trouble with their consciences having condescended to committing such a crime against their brother.