قَالُوا۟ نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَآءَ بِهِۦ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِيمٌ 72
Translations
They said, "We are missing the measure of the king. And for he who produces it is [the reward of] a camel's load, and I am responsible for it."
Transliteration
Qaaluu nafqidu swaa'a al-maliki wa liman jaa'a bihi himlu ba'irin wa ana bihi za'eem
Tafsir (Explanation)
The officials of Egypt announce that the King's drinking cup (al-swaa') is missing and offer a reward of a camel-load of grain to whoever brings it back, with one of them guaranteeing this reward. This occurs after Yusuf's brothers have been accused of theft as part of Yusuf's plan to detain his youngest brother Binyamin. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir explain that the swaa' was the King's cup used for measuring grain and drinking, and the reward reflects the cup's value to the King, setting the stage for Yusuf to frame Binyamin and keep him in Egypt.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative sequence in Surah Yusuf describing Yusuf's reunion with his brothers in Egypt. After his brothers arrive seeking provisions, Yusuf devises a plan to keep his youngest brother Binyamin with him by planting the King's cup in his belongings. This verse presents the announcement of the missing cup and the reward, demonstrating divine wisdom working through seemingly intricate circumstances.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly addresses this specific ayah, the general theme of truthfulness and divine providence is reflected in the hadith: 'The closest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who are most truthful in speech' (Tirmidhi). The surah's overall theme of patience and divine wisdom is central to Islamic tradition.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds us that Allah's plan often unfolds through complex circumstances and apparent difficulties, and that those with wisdom and patience can navigate challenges while maintaining their integrity and faith. It teaches believers to trust in divine providence even when situations seem unclear or challenging.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالَ لِفِتْيَـٰنِهِ ٱجْعَلُوا۟ بِضَـٰعَتَهُمْ فِى رِحَالِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَهَآ إِذَا ٱنقَلَبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ
And [Joseph] said to his servants, "Put their merchandise into their saddlebags so they might recognize it when they have gone back to their people that perhaps they will [again] return."
قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُنَّ إِذْ رَٰوَدتُّنَّ يُوسُفَ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ ۚ قُلْنَ حَـٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِن سُوٓءٍ ۚ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ حَصْحَصَ ٱلْحَقُّ أَنَا۠ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
Said [the king to the women], "What was your condition when you sought to seduce Joseph?" They said, "Perfect is Allāh! We know about him no evil." The wife of al-ʿAzeez said, "Now the truth has become evident. It was I who sought to seduce him, and indeed, he is of the truthful.
وَٱسْتَبَقَا ٱلْبَابَ وَقَدَّتْ قَمِيصَهُۥ مِن دُبُرٍ وَأَلْفَيَا سَيِّدَهَا لَدَا ٱلْبَابِ ۚ قَالَتْ مَا جَزَآءُ مَنْ أَرَادَ بِأَهْلِكَ سُوٓءًا إِلَّآ أَن يُسْجَنَ أَوْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And they both raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from the back, and they found her husband at the door. She said, "What is the recompense of one who intended evil for your wife but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?"
ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُۥ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ
Then it appeared to them after they had seen the signs that he [i.e., al-ʿAzeez] should surely imprison him for a time.