According to Taberî, when Jacob said to his sons 'I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord,' he deferred this prayer to a specific time, either to the time of dawn (according to some scholars) or to Friday night (according to a report attributed to the Prophet). He transmits both views without expressing a preference between the two. Furthermore, he explains Allah's attributes of 'Gafûr' (the Forgiving) and 'Rahîm' (the Merciful) as meaning that they cover the sins of those who repent and do not punish them after their repentance.

فقال بعضهم: أخر ذلك إلى السحر ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني أبو السائب، قال: ثنا ابن إدريس، قال: سمعت عبد الرحمن بن إسحاق يذكر، عن محارب بن دثار، قال: كان عم لي يأتي المسجد، فسمع إنسانا يقول: اللهم دعوتني فأجبت وأمرتني فأطعت، وهذا سحر، فاغفر لي

According to this exegete, the expression 'nasliyhim' (I will not admit them) contains not only the meaning of placing them in Hell but also the meaning of burning them with fire (similar to shaye mine'n-nâr). Furthermore, it is stated that the attributes 'al-Ğafûru'r-Rahîm' (the Forgiving, the Merciful) in the verse express exclusivity, meaning that besides Allah there is no true Forgiver and Merciful; with these ten aspects it is emphasized that the verse is a proof of the perfection of Allah's forgiveness and mercy. Additionally, various reports are mentioned regarding the reason for the revelation of the verse about the Meccan polytheists, the entry of Wahshi into Islam, those who committed grave sins in the Age of Ignorance, and about Ayyash b. Abi Rabi'ah and al-Walid b. al-Walid; however, it is stated that the generality of the wording does not prevent the specificity of the reason.

واعلم أن العبرة بعموم اللفظ لا بخصوص السبب فنزول هذه الآيات في هذه الوقائع لا يمنع من عمومها

According to Kurtubî, Jacob's (peace be upon him) deferral of his prayer for forgiveness for his sons by saying 'later' (sevfe) is related to postponing the prayer to the time of dawn; because the time of dawn is a witnessed time when prayer is accepted. This view is supported by reports transmitted from names such as Ibn Abbas, Tawus, and Said b. Jubayr; some relate this to the last third of Friday night, while others connect it to the dawn time of the Bright Nights (the 13th, 14th, and 15th nights). According to another view transmitted from ash-Sha'bî, the expression means that if Joseph forgives them, then their fathers will seek forgiveness for them.

إذا كان ليلة الجمعة فإن استطعت أن تقوم في ثلث الليل الآخر فإنها ساعة مشهودة والدعاء فيها مستجاب وقد قال أخي يعقوب لبنيه سوف أستغفر لكم ربي

According to Beydâvî, Jacob did not immediately fulfill his sons' request for forgiveness, but deferred his prayer to the time of dawn, the night prayer, or Friday night; this deferral was done in order to observe the time of acceptance. Furthermore, it is also stated that this deferral might be in order to wait for Joseph to forgive them or to learn that he had forgiven them, because the forgiveness of the wronged is a condition of forgiveness. According to one report, Jacob turned towards the direction of prayer and prayed, Joseph and his brothers stood behind him with respect, and finally Gabriel came and informed him that Allah had accepted his prayer and made a covenant with his sons regarding prophethood.

اخره إلى السحر أو إلى صلاة الليل أو إلى ليلة الجمعة تحريا لوقت الإجابة، أو إلى أن يستحل لهم من يوسف أو يعلم أنه عفا عنهم فإن عفو المظلوم شرط المغفرة.

Zamakhsharî reports several views regarding when Jacob deferred his seeking of forgiveness: to the time of dawn, to Friday night (so that it coincides with the time of acceptance), to understand the sincerity of his sons' repentance, or because he intended to continuously seek forgiveness for years. Furthermore, regarding the matter of prostration, he states that in that era, prostration was not directed to Allah, but was an expression of respect and honor (such as bowing or handshaking); according to another view, the prostration was not for Joseph but for gratitude to Allah.

كانت السجدة عندهم جارية مجرى التحية والتكرمة

Ibn Kathir reports that Jacob's words to his sons 'I will seek forgiveness for you' were deferred to the time of dawn; he states that scholars such as Ibn Masud, Ibrahim at-Taymi, Amr b. Qays, and Ibn Jurayj held this view. To support this, he cites the hadith that Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of every night and will forgive those who seek forgiveness, and the practice of Ibn Umar of waiting for the time of dawn and turning to seeking forgiveness.

أرجأهم إلى وقت السحر