وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَنَا۠ أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
“And when they went in before Joseph, he took his brother unto him, saying: Lo! I, even I, am thy brother, therefore sorrow not for what they did.” — M. M. Pickthall
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
Zemahşerî explains this verse with the narrative details of Joseph's brothers bringing Benjamin and Joseph setting him apart from the others, taking him to his own table and room. Joseph takes Benjamin, who remains alone among the brothers (under the pretext of seating them in pairs), to his side and shows him special attention, spending the night holding him close to his heart and smelling him. When Benjamin is asked whether he wishes for a brother similar to Joseph, upon his response Joseph becomes emotional, weeps, and embraces him.
فبات يوسف يضمه إليه ويشم رائحته حتى أصبح ، وسأله عن ولده فقال : لي عشرة بني اشتققت أسماءهم من اسم أخ لي هلك
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, Joseph's words 'I am your brother' refer to actual blood kinship, unlike Wahb's interpretation; this interpretation is stronger than the metaphorical sense of comfort because informing of kinship is more effective in relieving the feeling of loneliness and providing companionship. Furthermore, the expression 'do not be troubled by what they did before' can be interpreted as censure of both the wrongs the brothers committed against Joseph and Benjamin's fear of jealousy and also an event related to idols mentioned in the narration.
والصحيح ما عليه سائر المفسرين من أنه أراد تعريف النسب ، لأن ذلك أقوى في إزالة الوحشة وحصول الأنس ، ولأن الأصل في الكلام الحقيقة ، فلا وجه لصرفه عنها إلى المجاز من غير ضرورة
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
Kurtubî reports that Joseph took his brother Benjamin to his side and lodged with him, showing mercy to Benjamin who was left alone following the brothers' order to be seated in pairs. Joseph told him this in a manner hidden from the other brothers.
ضمه إليه وأنزله معه وقيل : أمر أن ينزل كل اثنين في منزل فبقى أخوه منفردا فضمه إليه وقال : أشفقت عليه من الوحدة وقال له سرا من إخوته
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
Ibn Kathîr explains the expression 'Enter Egypt in safety' that was said to Jacob and his family when they entered Egypt as meaning they should enter secure and peaceful, free from the hunger and hardship they had previously endured. He also narrates that Allah, through the blessing of Jacob's arrival in Egypt, removed the remaining years of famine from the people of Egypt, and this resembles the incident where the Prophet made supplication for the people of Mecca and then this supplication was answered by the lifting of the famine.
ويقال والله أعلم إن الله تعالى رفع عن أهل مصر بقية السنين المجدبة ببركة قدوم يعقوب عليهم كما رفع بقية السنين التي دعا بها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على أهل مكة حين قال اللهم أعني عليهم بسبع كسبع يوسف
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Baydâwî, Joseph's taking his brother to his side means seating Benjamin beside him at the table or in the dwelling. In this context, it is narrated that Joseph seated his guests two by two, Benjamin was left alone and wept, Joseph took him to his own table and kept him with him at night, and finally he made himself known to him and said 'do not grieve.'
روي: (أنه أضافهم فأجلسهم مثنى مثنى فبقي بنيامين وحيدا فبكى وقال: لو كان أخي يوسف حيا لجلس معي، فأجلسه معه على مائدته
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, Joseph took his full brother Benjamin to his side and lodged him with him separately from the other brothers, showed him kindness, and in this way indicated that he should not grieve over the things the brothers had done to him and his brother from his mother in the past. The meaning of the verse is that he should not be saddened and troubled by what happened in the past.
فلا تحزن ولا تستكن لشيء سلف من إخوتك إليك في نفسك
Comparison
Common ground
Taberî, Zemahşerî, Kurtubî, Baydâwî, and to some extent Râzî present a common narrative based on reports regarding Joseph setting his brother Benjamin apart from the others, taking him to his side, showing him special attention, and attempting to make him forget past sorrows. The scene is the same: the pretext of seating them in pairs, Benjamin being left alone, Joseph holding him close to his heart.
Differences
Râzî diverges from the others by turning to linguistic and rhetorical analysis; he argues that Joseph's words 'I am your brother' represent an actual statement of blood kinship rather than metaphorical comfort, and discusses its psychological effect. While Taberî ties the verse's main message to the emphasis of 'not grieving over the past,' Ibn Kathîr expands the context of the verse and compares the entry into Egypt with safety and the lifting of famine to the Prophet's supplication for Mecca, thus transporting the relationship between narration and history to a different plane.
Historical context
Early-period exegetes like Taberî and Zemahşerî rely primarily on narration transmission, whereas in Râzî and Baydâwî, linguistic analysis and the discussion of literal versus figurative meaning become more prominent; Ibn Kathîr deepens the narration through a historical-contextual comparison. Despite the diversity of methods, the essence of the story and its emotional weight remain constant across all periods.
Modern connection
These different readings show how the themes of familial compassion, the repair of the bond of brotherhood, and overcoming past grievances can be enriched through different scholarly methods. Today, this verse can be considered in the context of strengthening family bonds, patiently overcoming past hurts, and how compassionate communication contributes to social solidarity. At the same time, the way scholarly methods (narration, linguistics, historical context) complement one another and deepen understanding offers a cautious example regarding the harmony between knowledge and faith.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar