12. Surha Yusuf (Joseph)
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
فَلَمَّا
اسْتَيْأَسُواْ
مِنْهُ
خَلَصُواْ
نَجِيًّا...
12: 80. Now when they saw no hope of his (yielding), they held a conference in private.
...قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمْ ...
The leader among them said:
C1752. Kabir may mean the eldest. But in 12:78 above, Kabir is distinguished from Sheikh, and I have translated the one as "venerable" and the other as "aged".
In 20:71 Kabir obviously means "leader" or "chief", and has no reference to age.
I therefore translate here by the word "leader", that brother among them who took the most active part in these transactions. His name is not given in the Quran.
The eldest brother was Reuben. But according to the biblical story the brother who had taken the most active part in this transaction was Judah, one of the elder brothers, being the fourth son, after Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, and of the same mother as these. It was Judah who stood surety to Jacob for Benjamin (Gen. 43:9). It is therefore natural that Judah should, as here, offer to stay behind.
... أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْكُم مَّوْثِقًا مِّنَ اللّهِ...
"Know ye not that your father did take an oath from you in Allah's name,
...وَمِن قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمْ فِي يُوسُفَ ...
and how, before this, ye did fail in your duty with Joseph?
...فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الأَرْضَ حَتَّىَ يَأْذَنَ لِي أَبِي أَوْ يَحْكُمَ اللّهُ لِي...
Therefore will I not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah commands me;
C1753. The pledge he had given was to his father, and in Allah's name. Therefore he was bound both to his father, and to Allah. He must await his father's orders and remain here as pledged, unless Allah opened out some other way. For example the Egyptian Wazir might relent; if so, he could go back with Benjamin to his father, and his pledge would be satisfied.
...وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ ﴿٨٠﴾
and He is the best to command.
12: 80
Asad ……….for He is the best of all Judges
Pickthall So, when they despaired of (moving) him, they conferred together apart. The eldest of them said: Know ye not how your father took an undertaking from you in Allah's name and how ye failed in the case of Joseph aforetime? Therefore I shall not go forth from the land until my father giveth leave or Allah judgeth for me. He is the Best of Judges.
Transliteration Falamma-stai'asu_ minhu khalasu_ najiyya_(n), qa_la kabiruhum alam ta'lamu_ anna aba_kum qad akhaza 'alaikum mausiqam minalla_hi wa min qablu ma_ farrattum fi yu_sufa falan abrahal arda hatta_ ya'zana li abi au yahkumalla_hu li, wa huwa khairul ha_kimin(a).