Yusuf 74: (Joseph’s men) said, “and if you are liars, what is the punishment for this?”
Contents
Explanation
Translation
(Joseph’s men) said, “and if you are liars, what is the punishment for this?”
Tafsir
The people who were working with Joseph said, 'Well, we will now search your burdens, whether you are right or wrong. Because we are on a mission to find this mashrab and bring it to the king, so if this mashrab is found among your cargo, what do you think is the punishment for that? So you are foreigners. They said, what is the punishment for this according to your laws?
This question is deliberate and intentional. In Egypt, according to the king's law, a thief was caned and made to pay double the amount of the stolen property. But according to the law of Joseph's brothers, the thief who stole the property would be made to work as a slave for a year for the man whose property he stole. Therefore, according to the Egyptian law, Hadrat Yusuf 'alaihis-salâm' would not be able to keep Benjamin with him, even if he was a thief. He would make them say these things and keep Benjamin with him according to his own laws.
What is said in the video
Allah Almighty relates their conversation in verse 74 as follows. Joseph's men said: Then what is the penalty for this, if you are liars? Now, according to their laws, not according to the laws of Egypt, according to their laws, they detain whoever commits theft.
Now Allah Almighty teaches Joseph such a plan; their laws He teaches him. And now He has him say: when such a theft is committed, what penalty do you give this thief? Yes, the people working for Joseph said: Well, whether you are right or wrong, we will now search your loads. Because we have been tasked with finding this drinking cup and bringing it to the king. So if this cup is found among your loads, in your view what is the penalty for it? That is, you are foreigners; according to your laws, what is the penalty for this, they said. This question was asked consciously and deliberately. In Egypt, under the king's laws, a thief is beaten with a stick and made to pay twice the value of the stolen goods. But according to the law of Joseph's brothers, the thief who steals property is made to work for one year as a slave for the man whose property he stole.
Therefore, under Egyptian law, even if he were a thief, Joseph (peace be upon him) could not have kept Benjamin with him. By having them say these things this way, under their own law he would keep Benjamin with him.