Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 19

(Ayah 19) ➊ {وَ جَآءَتْ سَيَّارَةٌ …:} This caravan was heading towards Egypt. Allah’s favor upon Yusuf (peace be upon him) was that the attention of the caravan people turned towards drawing water from the well, and Yusuf (peace be upon him) got the opportunity to come out. Here, it is self-evident that when the water drawer let down the bucket, Yusuf (peace be upon him) clung to it and came up.

➋ {وَ اَسَرُّوْهُ بِضَاعَةً:’’ بِضَاعَةً ‘‘} means merchandise, that is, it was obligatory upon the caravan people to announce around, or according to what Yusuf (peace be upon him) would tell them, to take him to his father, but they were cruel and irreligious. They forcibly made him a slave and hid him as merchandise, intending to sell him in Egypt, even though it is forbidden to enslave or sell a free person. In this entire context, there is no mention of Yusuf’s (peace be upon him) brothers; rather, it is clear that when Yusuf (peace be upon him) came out, the caravan people were very happy and hid him as merchandise, not letting anyone know.

➌ In these verses, there is consolation for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that the act of Yusuf’s (peace be upon him) brothers throwing him into the well ultimately became a means of his greatness and elevation. You too should not be disheartened by the oppression and injustice of your family members. All of them, like the brothers of Yusuf, will eventually stand before you.

19. 1. The "warid" is the person who goes ahead of the caravan to arrange for water, etc., so that after finding a suitable place, the caravan can be made to stop there. When this warid reached the well and let down his bucket, Yusuf (علیہ السلام) grabbed his rope. The warid saw a handsome boy, pulled him up, and became very happy.

19. 2. "Bida'ah" refers to merchandise. Who is the doer (fa'il) of "asruhu"? That is, who hid Yusuf considering him as merchandise? There is a difference of opinion on this. Hafiz Ibn Kathir has considered the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام) as the doer. The meaning is that when Yusuf (علیہ السلام) also came out of the well with the bucket, his brothers were also present there. However, they kept the real truth hidden; they did not say that he is our brother, and Yusuf (علیہ السلام) also did not reveal that he was their brother out of fear of being killed. Rather, when the brothers declared him to be for sale, he remained silent and accepted being sold. Thus, the warid gave the good news to the people of the caravan that a boy is being sold. But this does not seem to fit with the context. In contrast, Imam Shawkani has considered the warid and his companions as the doer of "asruhu," meaning they did not reveal that the boy was taken out of the well, because in that case, the entire caravan would have shared in this merchandise. Rather, they went and told the caravan people that the owners of the well had entrusted the boy to them so that they could take him to Egypt and sell him. But the closest opinion is that the people of the caravan, considering the boy as merchandise, hid him so that his relatives would not arrive searching for him, and thus they would have to give him up. Because being a child and found in a well is a sign that he is from nearby and fell in while playing.

19. 3. That is, whatever was happening with Yusuf (علیہ السلام), Allah had knowledge of it. But Allah allowed all this to happen so that the divine decree could come into effect. In addition, there is an indication here for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, meaning Allah is telling His Prophet that your people are certainly causing you harm, and I am able to prevent them from this as well. But I am giving them respite in the same way I gave respite to the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام). And then, in the end, I made Yusuf (علیہ السلام) sit on the throne of Egypt and made his brothers stand helpless and powerless in his court. O Prophet, a time will come when you too will be honored in this way, and the chiefs of Quraysh will be waiting for your slightest gesture and movement of your lips. Thus, this time soon arrived on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah.

19. Then a caravan came, and they sent their water-drawer, who let down his bucket. He said, "Good news! Here is a boy!" So they hid him as merchandise, and Allah was fully aware of what they were doing.

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The Caravan People Taking Yusuf Out of the Well:

After disposing of Yusufؑ in this manner, the brothers of Yusuf continued to keep watch and remain informed about him. Coincidentally, just a day or so later, a caravan that was traveling from Madyan to Egypt passed by there. They sent a man in search of water, and when he reached that well and, in order to obtain water, lowered his bucket into the well, Yusuf sat in the bucket and held the rope firmly. When the water-drawer pulled the bucket up, instead of water, he saw a beautiful boy in it. Seeing him, his face lit up with joy, and he immediately said to his companions, "Aha! We have found a beautiful boy." In those days, the sale of slaves was common, and this caravan was also a trading caravan. For them, finding such a beautiful boy in this way was an unexpected blessing. Therefore, the caravan people did not consider it appropriate to publicize this incident, lest, upon hearing of it, someone might come forward to claim the child.