Verse 73
Joseph • makkah
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Important Words:
صواع (measuring cup) is derived from صاع. They say, صاع الشیء i.e. he folded or doubled the thing; he twisted it or bent it. صاع الحب means, he measured the corn with the measure known as صاع. صاع القوم means, he incited the people against one another. صاع is a well-known measure for measuring corn, etc. صواع means, a certain measure for measuring corn; a cup of the kind called جام from which one drinks (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
The incident mentioned in this and the contiguous verses has given rise to much controversy. It is absurd to say, as some commentators of the Quran have done, that Joseph first intentionally put the drinking cup into his brother’s sack, and then accused him of theft—an action much below his dignity, inasmuch as it represents him as guilty not only of lying but also of great injustice to his brother. The whole story has originated with the Bible from which some commentators seem to have unthinkingly borrowed it. See Genesis 44:2-15.
The Quran makes the whole matter quite clear. What Joseph is mentioned as having put into his brother’s sack was a سقایة (a drinking cup), while the vessel which was declared by the royal proclaimer to be missing was صواع (a measuring cup). Unlike the سقایة the صواع has here been called صواع الملك i.e. the measuring cup of the King because it was Government property. Joseph had himself put a سقایة (a drinking cup) into his brother’s sack without the latter’s knowledge, that it might be of use to him on the journey. But the صواع الملك i.e. the royal measuring cup which seemed to have been in Joseph’s hand when he was saying farewell to his brother happened to be placed in Benjamin’s sack by mistake, nobody knowing how it found its way there. In search for this precious thing the luggage of the whole caravan was searched, that of Benjamin last of all. But it happened to be found in his luggage along with the سقایة (drinking cup) which Joseph had himself put there. Joseph at once understood how the mistake had occurred, but, thinking that all this was God’s own plan for detaining Benjamin, he judiciously kept silent until the caravan was gone. This is how Benjamin remained behind with Joseph.