Volume 10 Surah 12 - 15 - Enjoy Islam

Yūsuf (Joseph) | A FAVOURITE CHILD IS LOST
we, even though we are many.’” (Verse 8) As a group we are able to protect our family
and ensure its position. “Surely our father is in manifest error.” (Verse 8) He bestows his
greatest love and favours on two young children, ignoring what we accomplish.
Their rage at this situation soon reaches its flash point, and they are no longer able
to evaluate matters properly. Unimportant factors are seen by them to be of great
significance, while important ones are given little attention. Sons of a prophet as they
are — although they themselves are not prophets — they think lightly of murder,
even when the victim is their own little, defenceless brother. That their father appears
to love him more than he loves them is blown out of all proportion so that it seems
equal to murder, the greatest crime on earth after that of associating partners with
God. “Kill Joseph, or cast him away in some faraway land.” (Verse 9) The two alternatives
are not dissimilar in their effect. To cast a little child off in a faraway land where he
has no one to look after him will most probably lead to his death. And why do they
want to do this? “So that you have your father’s attention turned to you alone.” (Verse 9)
Joseph would no longer be his preoccupation. It is as if they feel that when their
father no longer sees Joseph his mind and heart will be free and his love and
attention will be turned to them. But what about the crime itself? It is only an offence
and repentance is sure to erase it. They would then be able to wipe away its
consequences. “After that you will [repent and] be righteous people.” (Verse 9)
Thus Satan weaves his schemes, making people accept what is unacceptable, when
they have lost control and no longer see matters in the proper perspective. When
their jealousy reaches boiling point, Satan puts forward his suggestion: “Kill.” He
wraps his wicked suggestion around an appealing prospect, that repentance will
mend the offence. But repentance is not like that. Repentance is remorse and regret
for an error which someone commits blindly, when he does not remember God and
the consequences of his offence. Repentance is never of the ready rehearsed type
prepared before the crime to reduce the sense of guilt. This does not constitute
repentance. It is part of the justification of the crime, to make it appear less heinous.
One of the brothers, however, felt a shudder at the atrocity they were
contemplating. He put forward a suggestion which would rid them of Joseph
without killing him or abandoning him in the middle of nowhere. Thus they would
have all their father’s attention. He proposed that they should cast him into a well on
the caravan route. It was very likely that a caravan would find him and take him to a
faraway land. “One of them said: Do not kill Joseph, but rather — if you must do something
— cast him into the dark depths of this well. Some caravan may pick him up.” (Verse 10)
The phrase, ‘if you must do something,’ gives the impression of doubt, as if he is raising
doubt in their minds about harming Joseph. This expression of reservation aims to
weaken the resolve of the other party. But Joseph’s brothers bore a deep grudge and
they had to do something about their situation. They had no intention of going back
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