قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَبَانَا مَا لَكَ لَا تَأْمَ۫نَّا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَنَٰصِحُونَ
“They said: O our father! Why wilt thou not trust us with Joseph, when lo! we are good friends to him?” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
In this text, Taberî states that the verse conveys the words spoken by Yusuf's brothers to their father Jacob, claiming that if he would send Yusuf out of the city with them, they would protect and watch over him. The brothers spoke these words at the time when they had conspired among themselves and set a trap to separate Yusuf from his father.
قال إخوة يوسف إذ تآمروا بينهم، وأجمعوا على الفرقة بينه وبين والده يعقوب لوالدهم يعقوب: فتتركه معنا إذا نحن خرجنا خارج المدينة إلى الصحراء، نحوطه ونكلؤه
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
In this text, Râzî addresses the different readings (qiraat) of the expression found in the verse; he notes that the two letters nun can be read with izhar (clear pronunciation) as well as with idgham with or without ishnam. The meaning of the verse is explained as follows: the addressee should trust them and be at ease, and since they love him and wish him well, there is no need for him to fear them.
قرىء بإظهار النونين وبالإدغام بإشمام وبغير إشمام ، والمعنى لم تخافنا عليه ونحن نحبه ونريد الخير به
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
Kurtubî interprets the expression 'innā lahu lahāfizūn' (we shall guard him) in the sense of Yusuf being protected and watched over, and returned to his father. Drawing from Mukātil, he notes that there is a reversal of word/event order (taqdīm-ta'khīr) in the verse; in reality, the brothers first requested that their father send Yusuf with them, whereupon their father said he would grieve over this, and the brothers responded by saying 'Why do you not trust us with Yusuf?'
قال مقاتل : في الكلام تقديم وتأخير وذلك أن إخوة يوسف قالوا لأبيهم : أرسله معنا غدا الآية فحينئذ قال أبوهم : إني ليحزنني أن تذهبوا به فقالوا حينئذ جوابا لقوله : ما لك لا تأمنا على يوسف الآية
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kesîr states that the words spoken by Yusuf's brothers were merely a preparation and claim that reflected the complete opposite of the true intention they harbored within themselves. According to him, the brothers actually desired something that contradicted what they said; the reason for this was the jealousy they carried in their hearts due to their father's love for Yusuf.
وهذه توطئة ودعوى وهم يريدون خلاف ذلك لما له في قلوبهم من الحسد لحب أبيه له
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, the brothers' statement 'do you not trust us' was an effort to shake Jacob's decision to protect Yusuf from them, and was spoken because they realized that Jacob feared the jealousy they sensed among themselves. Additionally, in the text, the different reading forms (qiraat) of the verbs 'nurtā' and 'ya'lab' (such as idgham, ishnam, and whether the verb is attributed to Yusuf or to the brothers) are discussed from a linguistic perspective.
أرادوا به استنزاله عن رأيه في حفظه منهم لما تنسم من حسدهم
Comparison
Common ground
The common point among Taberî, Ibn Kesîr, and Beydâvî is their contextual reading that the brothers' words were a deception hiding their true intentions and an effort to gain their father's trust. Kurtubî also addresses the sequence of events within the same framework (the brothers' request, the father's concern, the brothers' assurance). Additionally, Râzî and Beydâvî discuss different readings from a linguistic perspective.
Differences
While Taberî and Ibn Kesîr focus on the moral/psychological dimension of the verse (jealousy, hidden intention), Kurtubî attempts to explain the actual sequence of events (reversal of word/event order) through narrated reports (Mukātil). Meanwhile, Râzî and Beydâvî bring the linguistic and reading-related aspects to the forefront by emphasizing the literal/rhetorical dimension of the text; this difference stems from the methodological preferences of the exegetes (narration-based exegesis versus linguistic/theological exegesis).
Historical context
In the process from Taberî to Beydâvî, the fundamental meaning of the verse (that the brothers' words do not reflect their true intention) remains constant; however, the exegetical method has diversified over time. While in the early period contextual and narration-based readings were predominant, in later periods linguistic and reading-based analyses became more systematic.
Modern connection
This verse can be read as a reminder of the importance of the alignment between words and intentions in family relationships, and of how jealousy can damage social and familial solidarity. The consistency between speech and behavior, sincere communication, and trust-based dialogue continue to hold their value in today's family and social relationships.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar