قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ تَفْتَؤُا۟ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْهَٰلِكِينَ
“They said: By Allah, thou wilt never cease remembering Joseph till thy health is ruined or thou art of those who perish!” — M. M. Pickthall
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this exegete, the brothers (or the household community) expressed their concern that their father's constant remembrance of Joseph with sorrow and weeping would either lead him to illness or death due to grief. With these words, they intended to dissuade their father from excessive weeping and sadness. Furthermore, it has been suggested that those who spoke with this oath were not the brothers who had turned away from Joseph, but rather a community consisting of grandsons in the household and servants.
ومعنى الآية أنهم قالوا لأبيهم إنك لا تزال تذكر يوسف بالحزن والبكاء عليه حتى تصير بذلك إلى مرض لا تنتفع بنفسك معه أو تموت من الغم
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
In this text, Kurtubî first addresses the linguistic structure of the verb 'تفتأ' (whether the لا is omitted, its use in oath sentences); then he transmits that the words spoken by Jacob's sons to him, 'تالله تفتأ تذكر يوسف', express their discomfort with his constant remembrance of Joseph and their efforts to dissuade him from this grief. Subsequently, in interpreting the words 'حرضا' and 'هالكا', he presents transmissions from exegetes such as Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatada, Dahhak, Ibn Zayd, and Rabi' b. Anes, conveying that these words mean illness, old age, bodily and mental deterioration, and proximity to death. It is noted that their purpose was to dissuade Jacob from weeping and grief, whereas they themselves are the cause of this grief.
وغرضهم منع يعقوب من البكاء والحزن شفقة عليه وإن كانوا السبب في ذلك
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, this expression describes the weakening of a person's strength. They are saying that if this condition continues in the person, there is a danger of ruin and destruction.
أي ضعيف القوة يقولون إن استمر بك هذا الحال خشينا عليك الهلاك والتلف
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, Jacob's sons indicate in the expression 'tallahi teftau tezkuru Yusuf' that the true intention is negation, but the particle 'lâ' is omitted; that is, they are saying that their father will never cease from remembering Joseph and grieving for him. The word 'haraden' means a person who has been driven to ruin by illness or grief, and it is stated that this word is originally a verbal noun (masdar), and therefore does not take feminine or plural forms.
أي لا تفتأ ولا تزال تذكره تفجعا عليه، فحذف لا كما في قوله: فقلت يمين الله أبرح قاعدا لأنه لا يلتبس بالإثبات، فإن القسم إذا لم يكن معه علامات الإثبات كان على النفي.
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to this text, Jacob stated that he complained of his sorrow and grief not to people but only to Allah. The expression 'تفتأ' means not ceasing from mentioning Joseph, not abandoning his love for him, never forgetting him. The word 'حرض' means a state of being close to death, having lost one's mind, worn out/exhausted, and the exegete supports this with linguistic analysis and poetic examples.
لست إليكم أشكو بثي وحزني، وإنما أشكو ذلك إلى الله
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, the expression 'تفتؤا' actually means 'لا تفتؤ'; the negation particle is omitted because there is no possibility of confusion with the affirmative (isbat) meaning, since if it were affirmative, the lam and nun letters would be required in the oath sentence. According to the view transmitted from Mujahid, the meaning of the expression is 'you do not tire of his love', and the words fatâ and futûr are used here as synonyms.
فحذف حرف النفي لأنه لا يلتبس بالإثبات
Comparison
Common ground
All exegetes agree that the particle 'لا' is omitted in the expression 'تفتأ' and that the sentence carries a negative meaning; that is, it is accepted that the sons intended to say that their father will never cease from remembering Joseph. Furthermore, the common emphasis is that the word 'حرضا' means illness, exhaustion, proximity to death, and a destructive state, and that the sons were concerned that their father would suffer harm from this grief.
Differences
Râzî raises the question of whether those who spoke are brothers or grandsons and servants in the household, bringing a different identity proposal. Kurtubî and Taberî blend linguistic analysis with transmissions from the Companions and Successors (Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatada, etc.), presenting a rich network of transmissions; Taberî also adds emphasis on Jacob presenting his matter only to Allah. Ibn Kesîr and Beydâvî rely on shorter, concise linguistic analysis; Beydâvî focuses on the grammatical detail that the word 'haraden' is a verbal noun and does not take gender or plural forms. Zemahşerî places special emphasis on rhetorical refinement (the possibility of confusion between affirmation and negation, the lam and nun letters) and adds Mujahid's interpretation.
Historical context
Taberî, an early-period exegete, transmits the views of the predecessors using a transmission-focused method, while using linguistic analysis as a supporting element. In later periods, exegetes like Zemahşerî and Beydâvî made rhetorical and grammatical analysis a more systematic and prominent method. While Kurtubî continued the classical method with extensive compilation of transmissions, exegetes like Râzî and Ibn Kesîr addressed the matter with a more analytical question-and-answer approach and summary linguistic analysis. The fundamental meaning (negation, concern about ruin) has remained constant throughout, while the methods and emphasis points have diversified over time.
Modern connection
This verse reminds us of the sensitivity regarding how deep sorrow and loss within a family can affect an individual's health; it points to the importance of loved ones approaching such pain with patience and support. At the same time, the attitude of presenting sorrow not merely to people but primarily to Allah, as a reflection of the spirit of worship and patience, can serve as a source of solace and resilience in our time as well. Mutual understanding and compassionate communication among family members can be considered as a small-scale example of social solidarity.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar