Synopsis

• After the brothers lost hope in persuading Yusuf to release Binyamin, the eldest, full of guilt, chose to atone by self-exiling.
• The remainder of the brothers returned to their father and informed him that he had lost two more sons.
• Upon hearing the devastating news, Yaqub responded with exemplary patience.
• Despite his grief, which affected his vision, Yaqub remained optimistic that Allah would return his sons to him.

Verses 80–83: Bad News for Yaqub, Again

80: When they lost all hope in him, they spoke privately. The eldest of them said, “Do you not know that your father had taken a solemn oath by Allah from you, nor how you failed him regarding Yusuf before? So I am not leaving this land until my father allows me to, or Allah decides for me. For He is the Best of Judges.

81: Return to your father and say, ‘O our father! Your son committed theft. We testify only to what we know. We could not guard against the unforeseen.

82: Ask ˹the people of˺ the land where we were and the caravan we travelled with. We are certainly telling the truth.’”

83: He cried, “No! Your souls must have tempted you to do something ˹evil˺. So ˹I am left with nothing but˺ beautiful patience! I trust Allah will return them all to me. Surely He ˹alone˺ is the All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

Verses 84–87: Yaqub’s Grief

84: He turned away from them, lamenting, “Alas, poor Yusuf!” And his eyes turned white out of the grief he suppressed.

85: They said, “By Allah! You will not cease to remember Yusuf until you lose your health or ˹even˺ your life.”

86: He replied, “I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know.

87: O  my sons! Go and search ˹diligently˺ for Yusuf and his brother. And do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah, for no one loses hope in Allah’s mercy except those with no faith.”

Reflections

Grief

The lives of the Prophets remind us that faith does not eliminate pain but protects us from falling into despair. Yaqub suppressed so much pain that he lost his sight, yet his sorrow never crossed into resentment or objection to Allah’s will. From his example, we learn that expressions of grief are not condemnable in Islam, provided that they remain within the boundaries of submission to Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) embodied this balance, expressing sorrow at the loss of his son, saying, “The eye weeps, the heart grieves, but we only say that which pleases our Lord (Bukhari 1303)."

Sa’d ibn Jubayr said, “No nation was given ‘We belong to Allah, and We are to Him returning’ (inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un) but this ummah. Had anyone been given it before you, Yaqub would not have been found saying, ‘O my sorrow over Yusuf.’” We are advised, therefore, to seek comfort in these divine words and embrace grief as a natural response to trials.

Dr. Waleed Basyouni further comments on grief, saying “Surah Yusuf taught me that crying is not a sign of weakness for a man. I always say that a heavy heart is like a heavy cloud. In order for the cloud to be relieved, the rain has to come down. In order for your heart to be relieved, sometimes tears need to fall.”

Action Item: Incorporate the practice of saying "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” in your life with not only the intention of seeking comfort, but also as a show of gratitude for the blessing of these unique words.

Hope

At his most distressing hour, after going blind from grief, Yaqub advised his children “Do not despair of God’s relief.” It was as though he recognized that his hardships had reached their peak and that with so much pain, the moment of relief was near.

Ibn Taymiyyah commented that this verse contains a prohibition against losing hope in the mercy of Allah. One of the righteous predecessors also said, “The true scholar is the one who does not cause people to despair in the mercy of Allah, nor emboldens them to disobey Allah.”

This message of hope is not just for those who face hardships but also for those who consistently sin. A believer knows that Allah can always fix things, and that getting tripped up and falling again into a particular sin, and repenting yet another time, is not hypocrisy but rather a sign of faith. It was said to al-Hasan al-Basri, “A man sins and repents, then sins and repents, then sins and repents - until when?!” He said, “These are the manners of the faithful.”