Tarikh (al-Tabari) 172
Chapter mentioning the offspring of Abraham (peace and blessings be upon him)
وَدَخَلَتِ السِّنُونَ الْمُجْدِبَةُ وَقَحَطَ النَّاسُ، وَأَصَابَهُمُ الْجُوعُ قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ: وَبَلَغَ الْجَدْبُ أَرْضَ كَنْعَانَ وَهَلَكَتْ مَاشِيَةُ يَعْقُوبَ وَدَوَابُّهُ، وَجَاعَ هُوَ وَأَوْلَادُهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُمُ: انْطَلِقُوا فَاشْتَرُوا لَنَا مِنْ عَزِيزِ مِصْرَ طَعَامًا. وَكَانَ يُوسُفُ قَدْ أَقْعَدَ صَاحِبَ جَوَازِهِ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ، وَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ لَا يَتْرُكَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ يَدْخُلُ مِصْرَ إِلَّا سَأَلَهُ عَنْ حَالِهِ وَقِصَّتِهِ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ وَلَدُ يَعْقُوبَ سَأَلَهُمْ مِنْ أَيْنَ هُمْ؟ فَقَالُوا: نَحْنُ كَنْعَانِيُّونَ مِنْ بَنِي يَعْقُوبَ النَّبِيِّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَكَتَبَ إِلَى يُوسُفَ بِذَلِكَ، وَأَنَّهُمْ يُرِيدُونَ اشْتِرَاءَ طَعَامٍ، فَوَرَدَ الْكِتَابُ عَلَى يُوسُفَ فَبَكَى بُكَاءً شَدِيدًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: عَزَّ عَلَيَّ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ بِمَا قَاسَيْتَ مِنْ فُقَرَاءِ الشَّامِ وَجُوعِهَا، وَأَنَا مَلِكُ مِصْرَ، ثُمَّ أَدْخَلَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ فَعَرَفَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُ مُنْكِرُونَ [12: 58] فَجَعَتْهُ الْعَبْرَةُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتُمْ؟ قَالُوا: مِنْ وَادِي كَنْعَانَ، قَالَ: وَمَنْ أَنْتُمْ؟ قَالُوا: بَنُو يَعْقُوبَ النَّبِيِّ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَلِيلِ، فَقَالَ: حَيَّاكُمُ اللَّهُ يَا وَلَدَ يَعْقُوبَ، أَلْكُمُ حَاجَةٌ؟ قَالُوا: نَعَمْ، أَصَابَتْنَا خَصَاصَةٌ، فَوَجَّهَنَا يَعْقُوبُ إِلَيْكَ نَمْتَارُ مِنْكَ طَعَامًا، فَأَمَرَ بِصِرَارِهِمْ فَأُخِذَتْ، ثُمَّ دَعَا فَتَاهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ، فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ كُلَّ صُرَّةٍ فِي حِمْلٍ مِنَ الْأَحْمَالِ الَّتِي يَكِيلُ فِيهَا الطَّعَامَ لَهُمْ، وَكَانَ هُوَ يَتَوَلَّى الْكَيْلَ بِنَفْسِهِ وَيَخِيطُ الْحِمْلَ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَلَمَّا أَرَادُوا الرَّحِيلَ، قَالَ: كَيْفَ رَأَيْتُمْ سِيرَتِي وَحُسْنَ ضَيْفِي؟ قَالُوا: جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْرًا، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ لِي إِلَيْكُمْ حَاجَةً، قَالُوا: وَمَا حَاجَتُكَ؟ قَالَ: تُخْبِرُونِي كَمْ وَلَدُ يَعْقُوبَ؟ قَالُوا: اثْنَا عَشَرَ، قَالَ: فَمَا أَرَى إِلَّا عَشَرَةً، قَالُوا: أَمَّا أَحَدُهُمَا وَكَانَ يُقَالُ لَهُ يُوسُفُ، وَكَانَ أَجْمَلَنَا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ، قَالَ: فَالْآخَرُ، قَالُوا: مُوَكَّلٌ بِخِدْمَةِ يَعْقُوبَ يَتَسَلَّى بِهِ، قَالَ: فَآتُونِي بِأَخِيكُمْ هَذَا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَأْتُونِي بِهِ فَلا كَيْلَ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي وَلا تَقْرَبُونِ [12: 60]. فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى يَعْقُوبَ فَقَصُّوا عَلَيْهِ قِصَّتَهُمْ، فَبَكَى يَعْقُوبُ، وَقَالَ: هَلْ آمَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلا كَمَا أَمِنْتُكُمْ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ [12: 64] ثُمَّ فَتَحُوا مَتَاعَهُمْ فَوَجَدُوا الصِّرَارَ، فَقَالُوا: يَا أَبَانَا مَا نَبْغِي هَذِهِ بِضَاعَتُنَا رُدَّتْ إِلَيْنَا [12: 65] ثُمَّ مَا زَالُوا بِيَعْقُوبَ حَتَّى بَعَثَ مَعَهُمُ ابْنَ يَامِينَ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ كَرِهَ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمُ الْعَيْنُ، فَقَالَ: لا تَدْخُلُوا مِنْ بَابٍ وَاحِدٍ وَادْخُلُوا مِنْ أَبْوَابٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ [12: 67]. فَلَمَّا وَصَلُوا إِلَيْهِ فَرَأَى يُوسُفُ ابْنَ يَامِينَ خَنَقَتْهُ الْعَبْرَةُ، فَلَمَّا جَلَسُوا نَصَبَ لَهُمْ مَوَائِدَ سِتَّةً، وَأَمَرَ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ بِيَدِ أَخِيهِ مِنْ أُمِّهِ وَأَبِيهِ فَيَجْلِسَانِ عَلَى مَائِدَةٍ، وَأَخَذَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ بِيَدِ أَخِيهِ، فَبَقِيَتْ مَائِدَةٌ خَالِيَةٌ وَابْنُ يَامِينَ قَائِمٌ وَحْدَهُ، فَقَالَ يُوسُفُ: يَا غُلَامُ مَا لَكَ لَا تَقْعُدُ مَعَ إِخْوَتِكَ؟ قَالَ: لَيْسَ لِي قَرِينٌ، وَلَقَدْ كَانَ لِي أَخٌ فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ، فَقَالَ: أَتُحِبُّ يَا غُلَامُ أَنْ أَجْلِسَ أَنَا مَعَكَ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، فَجَلَسَ مَعَهُ فَجَعَلَ ابْنُ يَامِينَ يَبْكِي، قَالَ: مَا لَكَ؟ قَالَ: أَرَى فِي وَجْهِكَ عَلَامَاتٍ طَالَمَا كُنْتُ أَرَاهَا فِي وَجْهِ أَخِي يُوسُفَ. فَلَمَّا كَالَ لَهُمْ أَمَرَ فَتَاهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ الصُّوَاعَ فِي رَحْلِ ابْنِ يَامِينَ فَلَمَّا خَرَجُوا نَادَى مُنَادٍ: أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ [12: 70]. فَجَرَى لَهُمْ مَا قُصَّ فِي الْقُرْآنِ إِلَى أَنْ ظَهَرَ الصُّوَاعُ فِي رَحْلِ ابْنِ يَامِينَ، فَأَقْبَلُوا يَلْطُمُونَ وَجْهَ ابْنِ يَامِينَ، وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: وَحَقِّ شَيْبَةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَا سَرَقْتُ وَلَا عَلِمْتُ كَمَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا أَنْتُمْ بِصِرَارِكُمْ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا إِلَى أَبِيهِمْ، تَخَلَّفَ رُوبِيلُ، وَقَالَ: فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الأَرْضَ حَتَّى يَأْذَنَ لِي أَبِي [12: 80]. فَلَمَّا أَخْبَرُوا يَعْقُوبَ، قَالَ: عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا [12: 83]، ثُمَّ أَعْرَضَ عَنْهُمْ، وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ [12: 84]، وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ مَمْلُوءٌ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ وَالْغَيْظِ فَقَالَ لَهُ بَنُوهُ: تَاللَّهِ تَفْتَأُ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّى تَكُونَ حَرَضًا - أَيْ: دَنِفًا - أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ. فَأَجَابَهُمْ يَعْقُوبُ فَقَالَ: إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ مِنْ صِدْقِ رُؤْيَا يُوسُفَ. وَقِيلَ: بَلَغَ مِنْ وَجْدِ يَعْقُوبَ وَجْدَ سَبْعِينَ مُبْتَلًى، وَأُعْطِيَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ أَجْرَ مِائَةِ شَهِيدٍ. قِيلَ: دَخَلَ عَلَى يَعْقُوبَ جَارٌ لَهُ فَقَالَ: يَا يَعْقُوبُ، قَدِ انْهَشَمْتَ وَفَنِيتَ وَلَمْ تَبْلُغْ مِنَ السِّنِّ مَا بَلَغَ أَبُوكَ ! فَقَالَ: هَشَمَنِي وَأَفْنَانِي مَا ابْتَلَانِي اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنْ هَمِّ يُوسُفَ. فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ: أَتَشْكُونِي إِلَى خَلْقِي ؟ قَالَ: يَا رَبِّ خَطِيئَةٌ فَاغْفِرْهَا. قَالَ: قَدْ غَفَرْتُهَا لَكَ. فَكَانَ يَعْقُوبُ إِذَا سُئِلَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ: لَوْ كَانَا مَيِّتَيْنِ لَأَحْيَيْتُهُمَا لَكَ، إِنَّمَا ابْتَلَيْتُكَ لِأَنَّكَ قَدْ شَوَيْتَ وَقَتَّرْتَ عَلَى جَارِكَ وَلَمْ تُطْعِمْهُ. وَقِيلَ: كَانَ سَبَبُ ابْتِلَائِهِ أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَهُ بَقَرَةٌ لَهَا عُجُولٌ فَذَبَحَ عُجُولَهَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَهِيَ تَخُورُ فَلَمْ يَرْحَمْهَا يَعْقُوبُ، فَابْتُلِيَ بِفَقْدِ أَعَزِّ وَلَدِهِ عِنْدَهُ، وَقِيلَ: ذَبَحَ شَاةً، فَقَامَ بِبَابِهِ مِسْكِينٌ فَلَمْ يُطْعِمْهُ مِنْهَا، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فِي ذَلِكَ وَأَعْلَمَهُ أَنَّهُ سَبَبُ ابْتِلَائِهِ، فَصَنَعَ طَعَامًا وَنَادَى: مَنْ كَانَ صَائِمًا فَلْيُفْطِرْ عِنْدَ يَعْقُوبَ. ثُمَّ إِنَّ يَعْقُوبَ أَمَرَ بَنِيهِ الَّذِينَ قَدِمُوا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ مِصْرَ بِالرُّجُوعِ إِلَيْهَا وَتَجَسُّسِ الْأَخْبَارِ عَنْ يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ، فَرَجَعُوا إِلَى مِصْرَ
Translation
✧ And the barren years entered, and the people suffered drought and famine afflicted them. The scholars said: The barrenness reached the land of Canaan, and the livestock of Jacob and his beasts perished, and he and his children went hungry. So he said to them: "Go and buy food for us from the 'Aziz of Egypt." Joseph had stationed the keeper of his pass on the road and commanded him not to let anyone from the people of Syria enter Egypt without questioning him about his condition and his story. When Jacob's sons arrived, he asked them, "Where are you from?" They said, "We are Canaanites from the children of Jacob the prophet ﷺ." And he wrote to Joseph about that, and that they wanted to buy food. The letter reached Joseph, and he wept bitterly, then said, "It grieves me, O Prophet of God, by the hardship and hunger of the poor of Syria which you have endured, while I am the king of Egypt." Then he had them brought in to him, and he recognized them, and they were denying him [12:58]. Tears overcame him, then he said, "Where are you from?" They said, "From the valley of Canaan." He said, "And who are you?" They said, "The sons of Jacob the prophet, son of Isaac, son of Abraham the Friend." So he said, "May God welcome you, O sons of Jacob. Do you have a need?" They said, "Yes, want has befallen us, and Jacob sent us to you to obtain food from you." So he ordered their purses to be taken. Then he called his servant, without their noticing, and commanded him to place every purse in one of the loads in which he measured out the food for them. And he himself would undertake the measuring with his own hands and sew up the load with his own hands. When they wanted to depart, he said, "How did you find my conduct and my good hospitality?" They said, "May God reward you well." So he said, "I have a need of you." They said, "And what is your need?" He said, "You will inform me how many sons Jacob has." They said, "Twelve." He said, "Yet I see only ten." They said, "As for one of the two, he was called Joseph, and he was the most beautiful of us, but the wolf ate him." He said, "And the other one?" They said, "He is entrusted with the service of Jacob, who finds consolation in him." He said, "Then bring me this brother of yours. If you do not bring him to me, there will be no measure for you with me, and you shall not approach me" [12:60]. So they returned to Jacob and related their story to him. Jacob wept and said: "Should I trust you with him except as I trusted you with his brother before?" [12:64]. Then they opened their baggage and found the purses, and they said: "O our father, what more could we desire? This is our merchandise, returned to us" [12:65]. Then they kept at Jacob until he sent Benjamin with them. Then he disliked that the evil eye should afflict them, so he said: "Do not enter from one gate, but enter from different gates" [12:67]. When they reached him and Joseph saw Benjamin, tears choked him. When they sat down, he set up six tables for them and ordered each one of them to take the hand of his brother from his own mother and father, and they would sit together at a table. Each one took the hand of his brother, but there remained one table empty, and Benjamin stood alone. So Joseph said, "O boy, what is the matter with you that you do not sit with your brothers?" He said, "I have no companion. I had a brother, but the wolf ate him." He said, "Would you like, O boy, that I sit with you?" He said, "Yes." So he sat with him, and Benjamin began to weep. He said, "What is the matter with you?" He said, "I see in your face marks which I used to see for a long time in the face of my brother Joseph." When he had measured out for them, he ordered his servant to place the goblet in Benjamin's saddlebag. When they departed, a crier called out: "O caravan, indeed you are thieves" [12:70]. There befell them what is recounted in the Qur'an until the goblet appeared in Benjamin's saddlebag. So they came forward slapping Benjamin's face, while he said: "By the honor of the grey hair of Abraham, I did not steal, and I knew nothing, just as you did not know about your purses before that." When they returned to their father, Reuben stayed behind and said: "I will not leave this land until my father permits me" [12:80]. When they informed Jacob, he said: "Perhaps God will bring them all to me" [12:83]. Then he turned away from them and said: "O my sorrow over Joseph" [12:84], and his eyes turned white with grief, and he was full of suppressed sorrow — filled with grief and anguish. His sons said to him: "By God, you will not cease remembering Joseph until you are wasted away" — that is, emaciated — "or you become among those who perish" [cf. 12:85]. Jacob answered them, saying: "I only complain of my anguish and my sorrow to God, and I know from God what you do not know" [12:86], of the truth of Joseph's dream. And it was said: Jacob's grief reached the grief of seventy afflicted ones, and for that he was given the reward of a hundred martyrs. It was said: A neighbor of Jacob entered upon him and said, "O Jacob, you have become worn and wasted, and you have not reached the age your father reached!" So he said, "What God has tried me with of sorrow over Joseph has worn and wasted me." Then God revealed to him: "Do you complain of Me to My creatures?" He said, "O Lord, it is a sin, so forgive it." He said, "I have forgiven it for you." And after that, when Jacob was asked, he said: "I only complain of my anguish and my sorrow to God." Then God revealed to him: "Had they been dead, I would have brought them back to life for you. I only tried you because you roasted and was stingy toward your neighbor and did not feed him." And it was said: The cause of his trial was that he had a cow with a calf, and he slaughtered its calf before it while it lowed, and Jacob did not show it mercy. So he was tried by the loss of the dearest of his children to him. And it was said: He slaughtered a ewe, and a poor man stood at his door, and he did not feed him from it. So God revealed to him concerning that and informed him that it was the cause of his trial. Then he prepared food and called out: "Whoever is fasting, let him break his fast at Jacob's." Then Jacob commanded his sons who had come to him from Egypt to return to it and to inquire for news of Joseph and his brother. So they returned to Egypt.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.